Lake Powell

Lake Powell, Arizona…or Utah..or…???

We arrived at lake Powell, via Page, Arizona and checked in to our campsite at the Wahweap Campground. Check in is at the store right before entering the campsites. Just like alot of places, they book up early but most often people cancel their trips and you can slide right in if you are flexible with your needs.. power, water, etc. Wahweap is nestled right at the Arizona/Utah border so telling time can sometimes be a challenge. If you book a tour, be sure to find out if they start at Arizona time or Utah time or you just might be late…or early.

What can I say about this place? Well, first, it’s relaxing and beautiful and I love to be anywhere near water that I am allowed to swim in. We took our first day to settle in and then launched our SUP’s from the marina launch ramp the following day, paddling to the beach on the opposite shoreline.  Noah had his own board for the first time and paddled the entire way without assistance, a huge accomplishment. Of course, we had to stop every 2 minutes for him to watch the water droplets perform a race across the top of his board, but we were on vacation so where else did we need to be?

I can’t seem to say the name Lake Powell without someone asking me if it was windy while we were there.  Hmm…odd question, you’d think. And my answer? Hell yes it was windy!  Like tornado windy one night. I truly thought our pop up was going to go spinning off to the land of Oz. Or into the lake, but yes! It…was…nuts! Did it ruin our trip? Heck no! We just altered our super strict itinerary, which included waking up, eating breakfast, going for a paddle and hiking a slot canyon, and chose the right activity for the right day. It was spectacular.

Slot Canyon Tours

If you haven’t climbed down a ladder at 90 degrees into a canyon 40 feet below the earth, you do not know what you are missing. Hint! I wouldn’t do this on a rainy day! In any case, we explored the Lower Antelope Slot Canyon with about 100 of our closest friends one afternoon and I was truly mesmerized! Ok, so we only went in groups of 16 but we were on the heels of the 16 before us and and the next 16 were right on our heels. And yet…it was still magical. A true wonder of the world. Seeing what nature has the ability to create can make one feel so small and insignificant.

Paddling Lower Antelope Canyon

Another highlight of the trip was doing a paddle down Lower Antelope Canyon. This canyon is pretty easily accessible by launching at Antelope Point Marina. They charge a daily park fee to get in or if you have the “America the Beautiful” Annual Pass, it’s included. By the way, I totally recommend this pass. It literally paid for itself between Arches, Powell and the marina. A short paddle left from the launch ramp takes you to the mouth of the canyon, located at the first real left turn before the lake bends to the right. From there you enter the no-wake zone for boats which keeps us paddlers safe! Just prepare yourself for the enchanting sound of the boat horns as they round the corners, warning paddlers of their approach. The entire journey, giant canyon walls rise up on both sides, leaving you with a feeling of solitude, even with other paddlers and the tour boats going through. We stopped a short way into the canyon to enjoy lunch and drinks on the side banks and immediately made friends with a couple of ducks, which proceeded to follow us on our journey for a time, until another willing family of paddlers  attracted their attention.  After Noah’s long paddling journey a few days earlier he was happy to let Gregg tow him behind for the remaining journey. And we were happy that we could make it home before nightfall.

Our Dinner Into the Grand

One of THE COOLEST parts of the trip was our dinner in Page on our last night at Into the Grand.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this but Noah ended up calling it one of the best parts of the trip. The restaurant is nothing like you would think. It’s nothing fancy, just a few tables located close to a stage and picnic tables spread throughout the rest of the warehouse-like room. There is one seating per night from 7:00-8:30pm (Arizona time) and then the entertainment starts at 8:30 and includes traditional Native American Indian dances. Haas, the owner, welcomed us like family upon arrival and we were treated no differently throughout the night. It was truly a special experience. The Native Indian tacos were delicious the dinner music was fun to sing along to and the hoop dancers kept us on the edge of our seats. A true gem in the middle of the desert!