Denise Milani Transparence

Roadtrip - Day 18: Antelope Canyon & Zion

Here comes the sun ...



So, as expected, the alarm goes off at 6am local time (hour Navajo / Utah), or 5am Eastern Time Arizona (we thought for a moment to be sure we put the clock at the right time "waiting for your watch but it is at Arizona or Utah? And this time sunrise to hour is Navajo, so it's been like Arizona's that? Etc. ...). So in short, we open the tent and now :-)

It throws no? :-)

We take advantage of waking up early to get under way earlier than usual, as always with a twinge of sadness (surmounted by saying they will return one day ...)

At that time we did not know if we would have time to Zion and Bryce Canyon as planned, it's been quite a detour since the North Rim of Grand Canyon (where you go after) is not yet open, so be all around and back to South Rim:

We decided to go to Antelope Canyon already (by cons who was not originally planned as it's really worth it), and we will decide after (the benefit of sleep for nothing book, you can always change your mind at the last moment). Bye bye Monument Valley:

Back on the road!

We thus arrive at Antelope Canyon , which is also managed by the Navajo, who benefit not hurt to cough up the tourists: $ 6 per person to enter, then $ 15 extra for the guided tour (which is mandatory, because there are risks of flash floods during the rainy season and in 1997, 11 people died when one of them) in the Lower Canyon (there is a choice between Upper and Lower, but it's basically the same thing). OK, it's worth, but still ... Antelope Canyon

is a "slot canyon", a very narrow canyon formed by water. From the above we see that:
was then printing from entering the bowels of the earth

We arrived around 11am if I remember correctly, is a good time to see the light that falls vertically into the canyon, making this place a haven for professional photographers (not me, but see there example!)

Always the same, it's not easy to describe, it really magic :-)

It's hard to imagine that water made such sculptures in the rock ...

the wider canyon should be about 2 meters, but in some places there is just the place to put one foot in front the other (not recommended for the claustrophobic!):

The difference between the upper and lower canyon is that the upper is relatively flat, while the lower one is a bit of acrobatics .. .

As usual, it is easy (sometimes quite a bit of imagination) to see all kinds of shapes in these rocks (no elephants today, shame!). The guide tells us as and when, by an Indian head left, for example (you can see a face right cut also in fact):

Once at the end of the canyon, we was in the air free (we had quite sunk casually). The guide gives us the choice between returning from the surface with him or redo them in the other direction by ourselves. Guess what we chose (I think we were the only ones!):

In return the light changed, the sun is still mounted, so it penetrates further into the canyon (and there are fewer people so we can more easily take photos). Here, an ark

Small occupying the canyon do not despair of ever being released (some fatal, yet produce a spell under the soles of visitors ...)!

I expected to see beautiful things going in the southwestern United States, but I confess I am amazed every day, and I am glad they did not look to see pictures before, the surprise c 'is really good! Go's decided, we start to Zion and Bryce! Leaving Page (the nearby town of Antelope), I finally photgraphier one of these signs you sometimes see at the entrances to towns and that makes me laugh a lot: the list of places of worship at your disposal ( I particularly like the Shepherd of the Desert ...):

It then passes through Glen Canyon a sacred bridge!

And the equally impressive Glen Canyon Dam :

Who created the Lake Powell :

panoramic view of Lake Powell (as usual, click to see larger, it's good we quickly see the connections!):

And we continue to Zion:

Oh, the mountains, it was long!

After several nights of camping rather primitive (= no shower!), You get the "luxury" of a private campground (at the entrance of Zion) with showers and pisciiiiiiiiiiiiiine. Although the desert is really cool, we're glad to see the greenery and water!

And the advantage of waking up with the sun, is that for once you go up the tent day :-)

Cow-man should not be far off, there's his cow-mobile

After a trip to the swimming pool and a shower, it is to attack the visiting Zion . This time the tour is not by car but by bus (well it's the same principle!). It is already quite late, it has just enough time to do the tour bus and then a short walk to the end the canyon before nightfall.

Bon Zion by cons it was not too much interest in doing so quickly I think. It's pretty, but the shuttle ride is not much use, the better it must be from a hike of several days, asking for a camping permit "backcountry". As we were really just at the time, we preferred to go to Bryce tomorrow (we were told it was really good). It's not so easy as it looks to organize a road trip too long, we not only had overestimated the distances we were able to do at once, but it was also underestimated the amount of things to do in the parks. In fact the organization of the parks is really nice I think: some super-tourism by car or shuttle to the major points of view (accessible to everyone, the elderly, disabled ...), and the rest of Park (90%) completely wild (backcountry) and where the blow you can walk quietly. Zion example: the light green represents the total area of the park, the yellow line is what shuttle. Like most people do not go more than 500 m from their car (as Bill Bryson in his book I just finished "98 percent [...] venture No More Than a Hundred feet of torque from Their metallic womb ") is peutimaginer that once you leave the tourist route is very quiet ...

short, it is because that roadtrip we see lots of things is not good because we did not have much time to see them in detail, suddenly makes you want to return a week in each place! Meanwhile, tomorrow a new park and we will not complain ;-)

What's The Number On A Burton Snowboard?

Roadtrip - Day 17: Monument Valley

I'm a poor lonesome cowboy ...



We finally rolled further than Monument Valley (the park being closed at this hours away) until Gooseneck State Park, Utah. At night, once again, there was not too realized where we were, we saw another tent and a caravan on a species of large ground so we went there! The next day, big surprise on waking (and retrospective fright by imagining what would have happened if we had rolled 10m too!). The "camping" was well on rocky terrain (it was surprisingly good sleep anyway!) And Y'avait not even need to pay this time (we do not say it enough, living the American state parks for camping: we arrive at any time, we ask ourselves, and we leave!).

Another attempt to bikers!

Do not forget to open the eyes out of the tent, otherwise it can hurt (you can see the beginning of Monument Valley in the background) ...

Gooseneck = goose neck is imaged ...
There is no denying the campsite is perhaps less comfortable than the hotel, but nothing replaces the feeling you have when leaving the tent in the morning and finding himself in front a landscape like this, like what happen that night has its advantages too, the surprise ;-)

We will start again, it is not far off:

And again it seems to have been teleported in a movie, it lacks that Brad Pitt and it will take for Thelma & Louise!

class :-)

Marcel also has the class of course!


So therefore it Monument Valley is also on a Navajo Indian reservation (and unlike Chelly not a national park, so there's very little info on the internet, no plans, even on Google maps it is hard to find). When you arrive at the visitor center, we see this:

As usual, the visit is by car, but there is also a small loop of 5 km on foot (Wildcat Trail), which toured the West mitten (= mitten mitten, we see the idea). We cross a few sheep (not much to eat the poor ...):

The West Mitten:
We thought he was missing was a cow skull on the ground to Western really, have we seen a piece of jaw (bottom right) ;-)

Just off the East Mitten was:

honestly we expect to see from one moment to another arise Lucky Luke and Jolly Jumper ;-)
But unfortunately it was too lonesome and does not like tourists because we did not cross (one person did indeed cross on this trail, walk, see what idea !)...

was also still around by car because it lets you see more things, but it's true that it breaks the mood a bit "poor lonesome cowboy, you stop at each point of view, made some photos (still too much), it looks a little jewelry sold by the Indians ... But there is not much choice unfortunately (Except for a ride by horse but it's quite expensive and not very long ...). So we dutifully made the rounds of views, which have names like very lively Elephant Butte, Camel Butte, etc. ... me but I tended to see elephants everywhere! It sounds like a clear example of an elephant:

It also (if you do not see an elephant is that you have not yet made enough of the sun, go walk 5 km in full dodger and I swear you'll see!):

The track is in the ground is sometimes enough is rodeo, we drive very slowly

There is a big flesh, I see good rather an elephant but ...

There is a stone that holds itself by magic (although in turning the head to the left and closing half an eye, we guess a form of elephant ...):

Here I think it's a herd of elephants Artist's point:

And it an elephant sleeping the North Window:

So now, despite the very touristy side of the loop by car (although the number tourists, although significantly higher than Chelly for instance, is quite reasonable), it remains one of the big favorites on my side, especially since the best is yet to come ... There are two campgrounds in the park, but one of them was not yet open, there was therefore "primitive campground" (= no toilets, no showers, just a field to land), which for the modest sum of $ 5 allows you to plant (well again, not much is planted in the dirt, eh, so to speak!) tent there:

Yes, it's a little bit great class, it's clear :-) Okay I will not be dishonest with you (it's not my style), if I turn my head left, there's another tent

And we especially behind large RV y 'all ugly rich retirees:

But as the bottom rack is not accessible to them it is relatively quiet and a ringside seat to watch the sunset (and we strike our tent with their pictures na!):

can even go lie down in the tent and we always see, I tell you, class in-ter-na-tio-nal ...

Then the sun set behind us, so if you calculate correctly, he should stand behind the hills ... Well put the alarm clock and you may be entitled to the show tomorrow morning, without leaving the tent, little lucky ...