Day 4, Antelope Canyon and Page, Arizona
*START HERE to find our full itinerary and links to each portion of our trip!
*GEAR round-up Post HERE, including sensory items we ALWAYS travel with.
After some pretty epic views at Zion National Park, we were super excited to explore Page, Arizona and Antelope Canyon. There weren’t a ton of accommodation options for a family of 5 within budget (as I chose the Zion Bed and Breakfast a REALLY cool place in the Grand Canyon area.) besides generic hotels. We stayed in the Lake Powell Hyatt Place that had 2 queen beds and a fold out couch. They also had a heated pool, so that sealed the deal! We arrived mid afternoon and decided to rest, swim and do a little laundry.
We had a GREAT Dinner at Grand Canyon Brewery! Crackling fire, excellent food (the wings were INCREDIBLE), craft beer and hanging together on comfy couches made for a perfect evening.
Day 4, we had 9:35am reservations to view the incredible Antelope Canyon. BIG NOTE: You MUST reserve a time to view Antelope Canyon with a guide in advance. It is NOT open to the public or part of our National Park System! This beautiful slot canyon is owned by the Navajo people of Page. We booked our tour with Antelope Canyon Navajo Tours. This was an unexpected cost while planning this trip as costs can range from $80-$120 per person no matter your age. But it was 100% worth it! They are located directly on the Antelope Canyon property. We had Frank as our guide and he was INCREDIBLE! He helped set our camera settings to be able to capture the beauty of this slot canyon. There is a 3 mile truck ride (picture 2 benches on the back of a truck with plastic sides to protect from wind/rain) to get to the head of the canyon.
Once arriving, each group of 12 or so take turns entering the canyon in order to take pictures without a ton of people around. Your guide hopefully will share the history of Antelope Canyon and point out some incredible view points. Multiple times, our guide would actually take the pictures for us! (I was super grateful for this as he knew exactly how to catch the light and shadows).
My entire crew was in awe and became one of our top memories! Definitely don’t skip this!
After lunch (We ate at Big John’s BBQ), we decided to drive just a few miles out to Horseshoe Bend. This iconic photo op is a curve in Lake Powell. There is a $10 per car entry fee (no, the Annual Park Pass can not be used unfortunately) and a short 20 min walk to the edge of the canyon. From there you have multiple areas to explore and view this incredible natural wonder. If you are not afraid of heights, you can get right up along the railing! If you are like me, you can stay back and view it from a distance (ha ha). The water was pretty low but still absolutely stunning! The walk back up takes a little longer as it is a steep incline.
That afternoon, my husband found a really cool UTV tour and asked if we could do that. Now, I’ll be honest. We did one in Costa Rica and I was pretty terrified the entire time. Small ATV, fast speeds, up and down hills? Not my idea of a great time. I wrongfully assumed that wasn’t like ALL ATV/UTV tours. I love that my husband will push my kids out of their comfort zone…and well, this was DEFINITELY one of those times. We all fit in one UTV and since we were the only ones who signed up for the Sunset Tour…we basically had a private tour!
This picture was taken at our first stop…and although we were all smiles in the photo. Myself, my oldest daughter and my son were NOT as thrilled. My youngest sat in the front between my husband and I and was ALL smiles and screams the entire ride. All the children were required to wear helmets and goggles while John and I only had to wear goggles (or sunglasses, personal preference).
Our tour was about an 1 1/2 hours and if you are local, just ask my kids about things I may or may not have yelled out during the ride. They really got a kick out of my constant “OH MY GOD” and “BRAKE BRAKE BRAKE”! Not my finest moments, but all the kids ended up really enjoying it and pushing out of their comfort zone.
*SENSORY TIP: This is a very fast paced, with steep drops, climbs and turns. It may not be for everyone, especially sensory avoiders.
We booked with Epic Adventures Rides, Lake Powell. The staff was incredible and our guide even more! We arrived to our mountaintop spot to watch the sunset with perfect timing!
DAY 5
We checked out after breakfast and hit the around 2 hour 20 min ride to the Grand Canyon! We had lunch reservations at the El Tovar Restaurant at Noon. These reservations book 30 days in advance and book up VERY FAST! Set an alarm and don’t forget!
