Arizona: The Grand Canyon State

Arizona borders New Mexico, Utah, Nevada and California. The Capital City is Phoenix. It is the sixth largest State in the area. 


Arizona is noted for its desert climate, exceptionally hot summers, and mild winters, but the high country in the north features pine forests and mountain ranges with cooler weather than the lower desert. 


Arizona’s two main features are of course The Grand Canyon and Meteor Crater. 


Arizona has an average rainfall of 12.7 inches per year. 


Arizona is home to the largest stand in the world of Ponderosa Pine, some of the oldest trees in the world. 

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Once more moving south, this time heading for Kanab, a one-night stop and on again to Page in Arizona, still trying to work out how long it will take me to get to Temecula without missing interesting places, I keep seeing places on the map I would like to see or have heard about, I love reading maps.


Page is a fairly modern town, built to house the workforce employed to build the Glen Canyon dam, nothing of interest here, but I need to stay for a few days. My road tax runs out within a few days, I have applied for it and paid for it, but they can only send it to John's address as I don’t have an address, so I am staying here awaiting my new tax arriving by post from John, post in America is not fast, “Pony Express” was much faster.


While staying here I discover there is a "slot canyon" just a few miles up the road, Antelope Canyon,what is a slot canyon one asks, I wind up my trusty bus and set off to find out. Antelope Canyon is the most visited and most photographed slot canyon in the American Southwest.


It is located on Navajo land so access must be by a Navajo guide, as it turns out you are driven along a dry river bed in a 4x4 driven by a Navajo driver. The Navajo name for Antelope Canyon is Tse’Bighanilini, which means “the place where water runs through rocks” On entering the canyon you are at once amazed at the beautifully smooth coloured walls, shades of pink and orange, in places sunlight filters down through surface openings high above lighting the small narrow canyon in a pink glow.For most of the quarter mile you can touch both sides with outstretched hand’s.


This was a new experience for me, I had never heard of a slot canyon but I enjoyed my afternoon very much, another memorable experience.