ARIZONA WHIRLWIND, Part 3: Antelope Canyon and Grand Canyon, Guest Post by Owen Floody

Upper Antelope Canyon, Arizona

Our friend Owen Floody traveled in Arizona last September.  Owen recently retired from a career of teaching and research at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania. He has always been an avid photographer and in his retirement has taken numerous trips that allow him to pursue his passion. Here is the third part of a reflection on his Arizona trip and some of his excellent photographs.
 
So far, my tour had proceeded remarkably smoothly.  But an unpleasant surprise met me in Page, where I expected easy access to the two slot canyons (the Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons) that are one of this area's major draws.  Unfortunately, it turns out that nearly all access to the canyons is now limited to guided tours, most of which are filled well in advance, at least in the busier times of the year.  All of this may be especially true of the more popular upper canyon.  Here, it seems essential to reserve a place on a general (1 hr, $25-40) or photographic (2 hr, $80) guided tour.  In addition to their greater length, guides privilege photo tours by directing traffic so as to give their participants the best unobstructed views of the convoluted rock walls and of the amazing colors that can develop there, especially when the sun is relatively high. 

Upper Antelope Canyon, Arizona

At the time of my visit, the situation in Lower Antelope Canyon was a little different.  Again, most visitors are enlisted in 1-hr non-photographic guided tours.  Well-equipped (DSLR plus tripod) photographers, however, were permitted to purchase a "photographic pass" that allowed one to wander unguided for 2 hr.  This was a great experience, though it sounded as though the tour operator may have been in the process of phasing it out. For a time after my arrival in Page, it looked as though I would strike out completely.  Luck intervened, however, providing an open photographic pass to the lower canyon and a late cancellation of a reservation for a photographic tour of the upper. I thoroughly enjoyed both.  

The upper canyon is larger and easier to negotiate, but is much more popular and crowded.  The lower is generally more narrow, with some especially narrow bottlenecks.  It also involves more elevation changes, some effected by steep metal stairs.  On the other hand, it is much less heavily visited and may make for the more relaxing and enjoyable tour.  Importantly though, both canyons come through with the amazing patterns and colors for which they are known.

Grand Canyon, Arizona

The final stop on my circuit was, not surprisingly, the Grand Canyon.  Here, I needed to stay in the campground to secure a place in Canyon Village, close to the canyon and its viewpoints, something that was especially important in stalking sunrises and sunsets.  In fact, much of my time was spent looking for the perfect viewpoints from which these events could be viewed. The fact is that most or all of the viewpoints offer stunning views, and at most or all times of the day.  Also, I found the sunrises and sunsets to be complicated by a canyon so deep as to create big differences between the times at which the  illumination would change near the rim versus floor. 

Grand Canyon at Sunset

In general, this trip perfectly illustrated the advantages and disadvantages of a whirlwind tour.  On the one hand, I was able to see a lot in a short time, including many major parks and attractions.  On the other, I could easily have at least doubled the time spent at each of these sites and still not exhausted all that they have to offer.