and then snaked us back north into Utah as we headed east.
But we finally landed in our next campground at Page-Lake Powell Campground, in Page, Arizona. This is home to the Glen Canyon Dam that manages the water coming down the Colorado River.
The dam forms Lake Powell, which we will also visit while we are here. But this evening we headed to Horse Shoe Bend. We read that it was a good spot for sunset, and it looks like everyone else read the same thing. We couldn't believe the number of people there. The large parking area was almost full, and cars were also lining the highway! We were surprised that this many people would make the 3/4 mile hike to see this bend in the Colorado River.
When we got near the overlook, it was even more congested. You can see the line of hard-core photographers set up on the ledge on the left. They had tripods set up and were shoulder-to-shoulder vying for a spot at the best angle.
Mark managed to scoot on to that rounded edge beside them to snap the following picture. It is beautiful to see the 270-degree curve of the Colorado River far below. The water enters from the right, downstream from the dam, and exits around the bend to the left.
Denisa isn't usually squeamish about heights, but seeing Mark on the edge of that 1,000 foot drop-off made her almost queasy. She couldn't enjoy the view herself until Mark backed away from that edge. There are no barricades or safety railings at this viewpoint.
We moved to the far side of the canyon, where there were fewer people. Even though we couldn't see the entire curve of the river from here, it was a much more serene place to watch the sunset.
We climbed up on the highest hilltop near the edge, and had the view all to ourselves--much different from the crowds to our left. When Mark went back down to the edge, Denisa could take a picture of him all by himself below.
It's a beautiful start to our days here in Page, and tomorrow we have a very special outing planned.
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