Grand Canyon and Glen Canyon – Easin’ Along Does Both!

If the first two months of our Lucy Does the Desert road trip served as the buffet line, the last month surely is the dessert table, and Zion National Park had us hungry for more. Now, we were ready for a big heaping slice of both the Grand Canyon and the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Wahweap Campground and Marina on Lake Powell near Page, Arizona, will be our dining room.

Wahweap Campground is on the southwestern edge of the National Recreation Area and just a few miles from Glen Canyon Dam, one of seven dams that tame the Colorado River. Lake Powell began filling in 1972 after the completion of the dam and is a beautiful body of water. Rising above the water are incredible rock walls, mesas, and buttes that stretch as far as the eye can see. We had little knowledge of this part of our country before we arrived and were completely astounded by the views that greeted us on the first day.  Another Arizona sunset greeted us as well.

Helen’s sister visited Wahweap last year and strongly recommended that we sign up for a boat tour of Lake Powell which we did on our first morning—good recommendation. Tourist season had not reached its peak, and we had no trouble getting seats on the tour boat out of the Marina.  The sky above us contained only a faint moon and no clouds. The blue sky was matched only by beautiful the blue-green water of Lake Powell.

The two-hour tour took us into Antelope and Navajo Canyons. The skilled boat captain squeezed our vessel through a few tight spots with high rock walls on both sides until we reached the turnaround points. The tour guide told us that Ancestral Puebloans once lived in the caves found in these walls. Motoring along, we passed boaters out for a day on the water including a wedding party celebrating the wedding of a member of their group.  The beaming bride is pictured here in the dark bathing suit.

We also spotted fishermen with large strings of bass and walleye. I can’t remember when I’ve had a more relaxing day.  Helen returned to Lucy and finished off this day by placing a few more pieces in her puzzle.

On day two, we decided to drive 125 miles southward to peer over the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

 

As mentioned earlier, the tourist season was still a few weeks away, but nobody told the busloads of Japanese visitors that filled the parking lots. After a lengthy search we finally found a parking spot at the far end of the lot and hiked to the Visitor Center then on to the overlook. The walk proved worthy.  I understand why the Grand Canyon is Arizona’s number one tourist attraction. The pictures don’t capture the grandeur. A considerable distance away from our viewpoint, a group of tourists stood on rocks above the canyon without a guardrail. I couldn’t help but think of the three people who fell from these rocks earlier in the year.  I watched this group until they returned to safety. We drove back to the campground filled with awe from the scenery.

During our boat tour, several people told us that we had to hike to Horseshoe Bend on the Colorado River while we were in the area. We decided to do that on day three and drove the short distance to the trailhead, located on a hill over the river. The hike to the overlook is a short one, maybe ¾ of a mile down the hill and the same distance back up. The trail is on sandy, rocky, ground and going down was not a problem.  The walk back up took a bit longer…ask the Happy Hiker.

Nevertheless, we felt good to get some hiking in and Horseshoe Bend offered a very picturesque setting along the Colorado River. Way down in the bottom of the canyon, I could pick out four boats resting on the shore. The resting spot looked like a great place for a picnic or one of those beer commercials featuring young adults in bathing suits around a bonfire. I couldn’t spot any young folks.  Oh well, youth is wasted on the young anyway.

In retrospect, I have to admit that this camping experience was a surprise of the best kind. We came here not knowing what to expect and left feeling that everything we saw and did was awesome. Hopefully, we can return someday. I would love to rent a houseboat and spend more than a few days on Lake Powell to admire the views and maybe catch some fresh fish for dinner. I’m sure we could work it in…after all, we’re retired and just Easin’ Along.