Desert Beauty: 10 Day Roadtrip through Utah and Arizona Parks

Day 1: Gooseneck and Monument Valley

Not ones to waste a day of driving, we chose to drop by Monument Valley on the way to Page. However, a quick stop to fill up the car led to a tip from a cashier about an un-missable spot, and believe me, the payoff was worth it. The Goosenecks State Park is perched on top of the San juan River canyon, and what a canyon - it doubles back on itself twice, so that you end up with four parallel river runs. In keeping the spirit of word-of-moth alive, make sure to stop by this hidden gem.  

Following this unplanned stop, we made our way to the scorching Monument Valley. It somewhat hard to decribe how majestic the so-called monuments look - gigantic monoliths 300m in height that simply rise straight up from the desert floor. The sun was absolutely brutal, but not ones to leave well enough alone, our little group ventured out to circle East Mitten Bluffs, and it was a satisfying but sweaty struggle.

Day 2: Lake Powell

Having arrived in Page the prvious night, we took it upon oursels to rent a speedboat, some paddle boards, and an inner tube. After getting a tip from the boat rental, we went in search of Labyrinth Canyon, a slot canyon you have to paddle into. Because we were limited by the paddle boards, our group split up into two sets of three - one half would venture up the canyon for two to three hours, while the others toyed around with the boat and tube, and then we'd switch. Labyrith Canyon was hard work to paddle into, but a unique experience, and totally empty dueto its limited access. Because we were on a timer we weren't able to chase the canyon the whole way up, but I was told you can reach a fanatasic lake overlook.

Day 3: Slot Canyons and Horseshoe Bend

There's not a lot I can say about Antelope Canyon that hasn't already been said, but what I can add is that Upper Antelope Canyon, also called Canyon X, is just as beautiful and slightly less busy. The narrowness of the canyon allows for great photos regardless of the number of people, but the crowds of tourists do get in the way.

When our group decided to go to Horseshoe Bend, we picked the late evening as we were told sunsets there were magical. As it so happens, another 1000 or so people heard the same story, so needless to say, it was crowded. Nevertheless, that didn't take anything away from it, as you can see in my photo.