Antelope Canyon has been long on my wish list. When I made the reservation in February I thought about going almost every day.
Antelope Canyon includes two separate, scenic slot canyon sections, referred to individually as "Upper Antelope Canyon" or "The Crack"and "Lower Antelope Canyon" or "The Corkscrew.
The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tsé bighánílíní, which means 'the place where water runs through rocks'.
The canyons are accessible by guided tour only. Both canyons are on the land of the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation.
I chose the 12:45 pm tour because what I had read said that was the best time to catch the light beams and we had just entered the canyon and there they were. A dream come true.
It was like I had been given a very special gift.
The reason we chose Upper Antelope Canyon was accessibility.
Its entrance and entire length are at ground level so there is no climbing.
It is the most frequently visited of the two canyons.
The beams or shafts of direct sunlight radiating down from openings at the top of the canyon are much more common in Upper than in Lower.
The lower canyon requires the climbing of several flights of stairs and is a more difficult hike.
Our guide was a very pleasant Indian gentleman whose name is Rob.
He not only gave advice for the best sights but actually set my camera for the best setting for photos in the canyon.
Antelope Canyon was formed by erosion of the Navajo Sandstone primarily due to flash flooding.
Rainwater, especially during monsoon season, runs into an extensive basin above the slot canyon, picking up speed and sand as it rushes into the narrow passageways.
Over time the passageways eroded away, making the corridors deeper and smoothing hard edges in such a way as to form the graceful flowing shapes in the rock.
Flooding still occurs and I asked our guide if they can see changes after one of the floods and he said that it is so slight that they really can't say. With that said it made me realize that the time to make this wonder must have been thousands of years.
There are many tour groups in the canyon at the same time but the guides do a great job of keeping people moving yet not making us feel rushed.
Most of the time is spent looking up at the curves and swirls of the canyon walls.
The canyon floor is deep sand and the canyon walls are constantly curving and turning so it is a little disorienting. A little like being in another world.
But oh, what a wonderful world it is.
If I won the lottery after my trip to see the interior of the Connecticut Capitol I would buy out every ticket for one of the scheduled tours and have a very quiet contemplative time right here in Antelope Canyon.
Our guide took pictures of everyone in our group at different times and I usually was looking up.
It is such a breath-taking experience.
These soaring 100 foot sandstone walls are pure bliss to see.
Hard to believe that a place this beautiful is so easy to get to and that it has taken me this long to get here.
I am grateful for an inspirational day amid the wonder and awe of a unique place in nature. My bucket list is getting pretty short.