Special mention - Antelope Canyon

Hard to believe but the most photogenic place of our trip was Antelope Canyon, hidden in a Navajo reserve in a desolate corner of Arizona. We did the narrower Lower Antelope Canyon, which is said to be the best one but also the least visited one, as it is more difficult to access. I wish it were - there were too many people walking the narrow canyon. Yet, it is a must see!

Not much to expect from above ground, as the canyon is hardly visible from the surface - indeed it is very narrow! And the rays of light making it down illuminate the whole canyon. It's one of the few places that is best visited during the hottest and brightest hours of the day - indeed it is only around midday that the rays make it all the way down. That's when the rocks change colors and the details of the erosion are highlighted. Amazing!

Nevada

The last state visited is Nevada. Let's start by saying that Nevada is not only about Las Vegas. Our first stop was at Hoover Dam. It was not even refreshing to be close to a lake... 

 

It was impressive to do the guided tour and to get inside the dam wall. It is actually quite wide. The technology is not super modern - but then the dam was built in the 1930's. While there were up to 5000 people building it, there are now not a single employee dealing with the dam itself - a few people are tour guides, and a few others check the electrical station.

Still the main place in Nevada is Las Vegas. Compared to my first visit in the 90's, I must admit that I was positively surprised. I used to say that my opinion of Las Vegas was exactly portrayed in the movie "leaving Las Vegas". This time around, I thought the city was decent and clean. 

Of course, there are still many people addicted to gambling and casinos have surprisingly remained smoke zones. However, Las Vegas retains its fake character. The worst was probably the Venetian. Fake Venice, fake gondolas, fake square, even a fake sky - fortunately I did not try the food.

Finally, for those interested, I played 6 dollars. And of course, I lost all of them.

Utah - Bryce Canyon and Zion

Utah is a special state, more so than many other US states. The regulations around alcohol are even stricter than in other parts of the US, and of course, religion is very present. In the restaurant of the little town we stayed in, we asked the owner of the place - while waiting to be seated - which local beer she would advise us to try. She responded that she did not know as she did not drink. On the small list, we picked the "Evolution" beer, created as a reaction to the teaching of "creationism" in schools.

But let's move to the main reasons that got us move there: the spectacular landscape. So let me be loud and clear: the highlight of the tour is Bryce Canyon. The Peekaboo walk in the canyon is an absolute must. You get great views of the famous rocky formations - the hoodoos.

Zion is also a famous National Park. The walk religiously called "Angel's Landing" is apparently scary, especially for those afraid of heights. I cannot really say, because my travel companions all bailed-out. But even without hiking "Angel's Landing", the canyon at Zion is impressive. It's as first quite broad and imposing, and becomes narrower up to the part where the path is the river.

Arizona - Grand Canyon

Before getting to Grand Canyon, we stopped in Sedona. The emphasis here is on "before". Indeed, Sedona's red rocks are impressive, but as an appetizer. They put you in the mood for something bigger further north.

Then it's a long drive through the dry flat desert of Arizona until the first view points of the Grand Canyon. Actually the first one coming from the East is kind of a trick - it's not in the National Park and overlooks the little Colorado river. Let me reassure you, we did not fall in the trap. There are many great view points, where it is nice to stop both with the evening lights (especially when it is cloudy) and the morning ones.

The visit to the park is well organized with shuttles taking you to every corner. The walks along the ridge of the canyons offered beautiful views. We did not try the walks down the canyons, neither do river rafting all the way down in the gorge. We could get a glimpse of tiny boats on the small river, zigzaging through the huge canyons. No matter how much writing about the Grand Canyon, the best is to see it - with the second best, being my pictures...

 

Nice also to encounter some wildlife. It's not because of this wildlife that I had sympathy for the campers (the camping sites were full...) but rather because of the cold. The South Rim is at 2100 meters in altitude and it does get chilly at night...