Antelope Canyon Boat Cruise

Glen Canyon Recreation Area

Lake Powell

Glen Canyon Dam and Bridge

You see a lot of these similarly shaped structures.  And it never gets boring.

A power plant that helps light Vegas, Tuscon and Las Angeles

Entering Antelope Canyon

Winding our way through

The beach up ahead

Late afternoon sun

I loved these reflections

I know the boat cruise does not consist of any hiking, but I did do some walking around Lake Powell (definitely more than the average American does in a day) so I will count this as a hike.

Without the Lake Powell (which results from the Glen Canyon Dam), cities such as Phoenix, Las Angeles and Las Vegas would not exist.  I still say the Colorado River must be one of the most heavily exploited rivers in the world.  Despite it being artificial, Lake Powell has one of the most beautiful settings I've ever seen.  I couldn't help but think, "these must be some of the happiest boaters around."  Lake Powell is surrounded by gorgeous red rocks that reflect in the water.  This made for a great setting to start the boat cruise.

The cruise lasted for about an hour and a half.  Our guides took us near the Dam before heading into the canyon.  This part of the canyon is much wider than the more popular (and more photographed) upper canyon.  We were accompanied by some jet skiers.  I was quite impressed by our guides' skill at manoeuvring the tour boat through the increasingly windy canyon.  You could literally touch the walls of the canyon from the boat.  Eventually, we arrived to the small beach area.  I could not help but think that I'll have to come back here and kayak.  What an awesome setting!