The Beautiful Lower antelope canyons in Arizona
Natural magic under the ground :
Though my husband and I ticked off this amazing destination from our travel list few months back, I delayed the writing process for quite long. Call it a selfish desire to keep a wonderful experience to ourselves or lack of confidence to express it well, I was unsure of doing a good job. Even though I pour every possible ounce of energy to translate my thoughts into good flow of words, it will be impossible to say what our hearts and minds felt back then. No amount of flawless vocabulary can do the justice of describing a unique experience in the canyons. Though my words may radiate an essence of exaggeration, the intention is to be as truthful as possible.
Lower Antelope canyons – Arizona, US
Located in the picturesque city of Page, Arizona – Lower Antelope canyons are natural formations of rocks created by wind and water, numerous years in the past. The natural beauty of their folds and formation create a sense of mystery, crafted beautifully and carefully by Mother Nature. But these folds are not the only highlight of the canyons. Created by forces below the earth’s surface, their underground location makes it truly unbelievable. One moment you visualize the barren land with nothing around, and the next moment you climb down the stairs to unlock a hidden treasure.
Best viewing time :
Perfect position of the sun above the canyons throws natural torchlight into their structures, hence the best recommended viewing time is between 10 am-12pm. Lower Antelope canyons fall under the restricted Indian tribal reservation area, making it mandatory to go through guided tours of 2-2.5 hours.
Many travel blogs and websites provide detailed description of the tour with valuable tips and advice that helped us plan ours too. While every writer highlighted the beauty and uniqueness of this destination, you can only experience it yourself to understand the magic. Natural folds of giant rocks is the plain description to explain the structure of canyons.
It is a novel experience of witnessing the magic of nature in its artistic way. It transports you to a different location where your past and future do not matter at all. The experience pulls you in the power of present moment, forcing you to embrace life for whatever it offers.
All our worries about life seemed to melt away as we stopped ourselves to appreciate the beauty in front. It is impossible to ignore the magic unfolding one step at a time.
Artistic Nature : Antelope canyons – Arizona, US
The fold of rocks appear to create unique images and impressions. From the shape of a lady’s face to that of a lion’s head, from an arch to the appearance of a nose, the canyons present novel shapes left best to the judgement of one’s imagination.
I was thoroughly confused between admiring the beauty and capturing photographs. It was for the first time that I disliked presence of smart phones with cameras. Though the ease of capturing images makes it convenient to walk down the memory lane whenever and wherever in future, it also distracts you and gets you interrupted experiences. It was as if I hated to share my time with camera phones though they give me company on usual days. When the power of natural beauty outweighs the desire to pose as tourists, you realize there is so much fun in surrendering yourself to nature.
Unique landscape with canyons and giant red rocks formed the central theme of this travel story. Driving over long straight roads cut through the mighty rocks, amidst essence of deserts and scorching rays of the sun turned into a totally unique feeling, never felt before. I realize I am repeating the words ‘beauty’ and ‘nature’ too often, but that is where my mind takes me again and again. These two terms truly dominated our overall experience.
A memoir crafted!
Beauty of nature is what lit our faces with smiles and hearts with love, while we remember the memorable trip even today. This is the only trip for which we do not need to scroll through any photos on our phones. We just close our eyes to imagine the magic and talk about it endlessly on several occasions. ‘Closing our eyes to see it again’ may sound too filmy, but it is the only true way to say it. Trips like these turn into permanent memorable experiences that cannot be erased no matter what. Pictures of new trips will replace the old ones from our memory cards. Or our carefully stored files on computers will be lost in the near future, but the memory of an incredible experience will never move a bit.
Carved on the stone of our life, this lower antelope canyon trip made us fall in love with the world and life once again. It made us realize- happiness is not within closed walls of the house, it is beyond the natural windows of the planet.
Thanks Amruta for this beautifully described post!
Amruta is a freelance writer with the love for words. She enjoys writing thoughts, memories, and experiences in her blog “the gift of thoughts” . By writing on a variety of topics such as travel, motivation, lifestyle, environment, entertainment and plain fun, she looks forward to her daily cup of coffee before pouring words on her laptop. When away from this fun job of penning, she enjoys cooking, traveling, and reading. Do check her blog and relish!
Happy Exploring,
Team #FOTW!
