My brother, Jim, typically organizes a camping/boating trip on Lake Powell for the "boys" in the Hill Family. This year, he wanted to rent a houseboat, and when I mentioned that I wanted to be one of the "boys", I started a chain reaction that resulted in this Lake Powell trip turning into a siblings and spouses venture. Bob had never been to the reservoir and I had only been once as a teenager, so we were excited about the idea. We decided we would fly into Vegas and drive to Pine Valley to check on the Goodman Family Lodge. And from there we would plan a few days in southern Utah to visit the North Rim of the Grand Canyon - another bucket list destination for Bob. I remember riding mules down the south rim of the canyon as a child, but was equally excited to see the north. We had considered taking our chances at winning the in person lottery to hike to "The Wave", but weren't willing to "gamble" - time was too short. Instead, we were lucky to find just two reservations open up to hike through the South Loop of Antelope Canyon - a highly sought out destination near Page, Arizona; available only with a Navajo guide. Near Page, we also visited Horsehoe Bend and Glen Canyon Dam. We flew to Las Vegas the evening of Saturday, September 15, 2018, drove to Pine Valley and spent two nights at the lodge. Everything looked fantastic! Flowers were in bloom and the property well manicured. The fresh seal on the logs of both structures gave everything a very new and polished look. How we love this place!
Early Monday morning we drove down to the North Rim of Grand Canyon via Zion National Park. Although we didn't spend any time in Zion Canyon, we enjoyed the scenic drive through the Park.
The leaves were just beginning to change colors which made for a pretty drive. We were ready for some lunch at Grand Canyon Lodge when we arrived and took in our first views of the canyon.
We did the entire drive to Angel Point, stopping at each viewpoint and enjoying the varied views.
Bob and I had just enough time to hike the one-mile Cliff Springs Trail before leaving the canyon. Along the trail was an ancient Indian granary. At the end of the trail under a large cliff overhang, a small spring bubbled up beside a large boulder.
We stopped to look at Navajo Bridge as we drove toward Page, Arizona. Originally called Grand Canyon Bridge, this duo of bridges are tied at ninth place among the highest bridges in the United States.
It was late when we finally pulled into our hotel where we would spend two nights, and we were glad we were in no hurry to be out the door the next morning. When we arose, we drove to Glen Canyon Dam, which created Lake Powell, and has another beautiful arched bridge crossing the Colorado River. We then drove on to the reservoir for a scenic preview of more fun to come!
Our Lower Antelope Canyon Tour was booked for that Tuesday afternoon, and we could hardly wait!
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