MY ANTELOPE CANYON ESCAPADE

This post was shot back in August during our trip to Las Vegas. Way back in school we learnt about meanders and the concept behind flash flooding in Geography and as a child Antelope Canyon and the Horse Shoe Bend have always been on my bucket list.  Well, who would have thought I would actually visit these places one day.

On our mandatory yearly trip to Las Vegas this summer we were confused between Antelope and The Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon seemed feasible to us and we were a little skeptic about Antelope Canyon because it seemed like it would take a day and a half. Usually people drive all the way to Arizona, crash somewhere for the evening and head towards antelope the next morning because the best time to visit antelope canyon (i.e. if you want to get the best pictures) is between 11 am and 1:30 pm. This is the window when the canyon is lighted the most. As we did not want to drive all the way till Arizona (it’s an exhaustive 4-5 hour drive), we decided to go for a tour bus. You can easily find a tour bus that takes you to the antelope and gets you back the very same day. The only drawback of using a tour bus is that you have to wake up at 4.00 in the morning because the bus leaves by 5 am hah hah! Such a tyranny!! But this is the only option if you don’t want to exhaust yourself with the driving and get back the same day.  Since Arizona is hot, I went for a very basic look with a cold-shoulder floral top (I am too much inclined towards florals), shorts and sneakers.

We reached the main entrance by noon. In order to get inside you need to go down several flights of stairs that are quite steep. These are like mini hurdles you need to get rid of before entering the lower canyon. Since there is too much pandemonium at the entrance everyone tends to get a little apprehensive. The stairs are not much of a problem if you keep calm and patient.

Once you are inside, the view is absolutely surreal. This place is also supposed to be one of the most photographed places on earth.  The rock formations are stunning and if you are lucky the tour guides help you get the best shots.  These are some of the pictures I managed to take with my camera.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Horse Shoe Bend is about 20 mins from the lower canyon and is equally gorgeous. From the entry point it’s a 15 min hike, rather more of a short walk than a hike. Since there are too many tourists around, it becomes a little difficult to get the correct pictures. Only a dauntless person can sit close to the cliff i.e. if you want a perfect shot. I have a major acrophobia but I was desperate to get a picture with me and the Bend in the same frame. We really enjoyed this excursion and it was the highlight of our Vegas trip, an experience we’ll cherish for lifetime.

 

Cold-shoulder top: American Eagle
Shorts: Express
Sneakers: Nike