{Lower Antelope Canyon}
Antelope Canyon is one of THE MOST AMAZING places in the United States. Our family hiked there this past January, after we had hiked in the Grand Canyon the day before, & it was an amazing contrast of canyons: small narrow places vs. wide open gulfs; the sky is almost hidden vs. vast expanse of sky.
The colors, shapes & textures are an artist & photographer’s dream! It was so surreal & simply magical.
Typically people try to go there in the summer, when the sun is the highest in the sky, so that you can see shafts of light coming down into the holes of the slot canyon. But, I would highly recommend going in January so that you will not be dying of heat & there are a little less people {though on the day we went, every tour was sold out}!
When you go to Antelope Canyon, it is required that you are taken by a guide. The canyon is in the Navajo Reservation & we took the Dixie Ellis tour. It was worth every penny. Our guide was very sweet & taught us not only about the geology of the formations, but she also taught us a little bit of her Navajo history.
While we were waiting for our tour to begin, we had the joy of watching a traditional Navajo dance. He balanced these 10 hoops & it was really something! {My 10 year old daughter thought he was doing magic & that the hoops broke apart to then reconnect together! It would make a good lesson in physics & balance!}
The craziest thing to me about slot canyons is that the are completely hidden in plain site. This is the view you will see just steps from the underground magic! I would have driven right by!
This is the “path” to the entrance of the canyon. Our guide told us that years ago when the US Army was chasing the Navajos out in this desert, the Navajos would jump down into the slot canyons to hide & the army could NEVER find them.
Here is my family “on top” of the lower antelope canyon. See that crevice to their right?! THAT is the canyon.
Being in the canyon reminded me of the spiritual lesson about how God looks at the heart, not at the outer appearance. {1 Samuel 16:7 – when Samuel the prophet is sent to anoint the new king of Israel & God has chosen David, the youngest & smallest, because he had a heart after God.} We are to look underneath the surface to see the true beauty which is hidden below.
There is MUCH beauty to behold!
It was also fun to think about the power of light, illuminating the darkness.
I hope one day you are able to explore this wonder with your family also!
Grace & Peace,
Julie