We took Hwy-89 from Kanab, Utah to Page, Arizona and enjoyed stunning views of red, white and gray mesas with hoodoo rocks balancing on top. Unique sandstone cliff walls and boulders provided a very scenic drive.
Glen Canyon Dam & Page Arizona
Before we got to Page, we stopped at the Glen Canyon Dam which formed the massive and beautiful Lake Powell reservoir from the Colorado River waters. It’s the second tallest concrete-arch dam in the US (Hoover Dam is the first). Construction of the dam began in 1956 and the community of Page was created to support construction workers and their families. In 1963, water began to fill the Glen Canyon which created Lake Powell. It took 17 years for Lake Powell to completely fill. Unfortunately, similar to Lake Shasta, Lake Powell levels have dropped significantly the last several years.
Ninja wanted to stop at a park so he could play and roll around in the grass before we made our final trek to the Grand Canyon. From the park in Page, we headed south on US-89 towards the town of Cameron where we would head west on AZ-64 to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. We experienced really high winds when we travelled from Reno to Bishop – but we’ve now experienced extremely high-winds. Sand from the white and golden dunes along the highway swept across the road and there was a constant haze on the horizon. Birdie was bullied by gusts of wind, and once again, Phil did a great job of keeping her on the road. At one point he said, “The Grand Canyon better be (insert expletive here) worth it!”.
the Grandest Canyon
And boy was it worth it! As we travelled further along AZ-64, we could see a gorge and started to get really excited and a little nervous because while it looked incredible it just seemed the Grand Canyon (GC) would be, well…. grander. It turns out this was the Little Colorado River Gorge – while impressive, we were glad to learn we still had several miles to go to reach our first GC viewpoint, the Desert View.
It’s hard to describe our first view of the GC – we were awestruck. There aren’t words to describe the vastness, the layers, the colors, the history, the river, the grandness! We were staring at an 18-mile-wide and one-mile-deep gorge that was forged 5 to 6 million years ago. There have been artifacts and ruins discovered in the canyon from 12,000 years ago used by people in the last ice age. The multiple layers of reddish-colored rocks and unique rock formations with the distant blue of the Colorado river at the base was absolutely stunning. Photos just don’t do the GC justice. Go see it live and in person!
Also at this viewpoint is the Desert View Watchtower designed by Mary Colter. It’s a stone tower and stands 7-stories tall. Mary found her inspiration by travelling the southwest and it was important to her that the building echo its surroundings. Inside the building is a circular room with a wooden log ceiling and imagery that tells the story and history of the many peoples that called the area home. To say it’s impressive is an understatement.
We stopped at several viewpoints on our way to the Visitor Center where we purchased a t-shirt and walked along the Rim Trail while enjoying more stunning views. The wind was still blowing and we’d had a long day of driving and wanted to make camp before dark. There are a couple of great spots in the Kaibib National Forest, but there wasn’t much protection from the wind and blowing sand. Further south at the Grand Canyon Junction, we took US-180 East towards Flagstaff and found a great boondocking spot along a fire service road. We practically had the place to ourselves; it was treed and the wind had calmed down quite a bit – a perfect place to end our day. We made a quick dinner and easily fell fast asleep in our cozy little home on wheels.
