overview nag
There are so many beautiful scenery in the west of the United States. You can drive from the starting point of Route 66 in my home Chicago (the gate of the girl’s former company) all the way to California; or you can travel north-south from California’s Route 1. But for those who have a short vacation and want to take a simple tour, whether it is a carpooling foreign student partner, a graduation group of foreign students with their parents, or a working dog that every PTO has to seriously point out, you can consider taking a look at the Grand Canyon first. Best of the Best – Arizona The Grand Canyon (Grand Canyon), Antelope Canyon (Antelope Canyon), Horseshoe Canyon (Horseshoe Bend), and Monument Valley (Monument Valley) within the territory. This route can start from any city with an airport in Arizona and can be completed by self-driving in 4 to 5 days.
This time, N Xiaobao and I started from the familiar city of Tucson ( Tucson ) and headed north all the way.
First off topic, there are two idle pictures of N Xiaobao riding his old mini Toyota Trail70 motorcycle in the community of Tucson. It was not in vain for him to spend four or five days repairing and refitting the car by himself, and finally he was able to ride it one day.
A city with mountains on the outskirts of the city is always the most romantic existence. But this place in southern Arizona, with desert and coconut palms, is really a strange combination. I still don’t like to live in a place that is too dry for a long time. Growing up in a humid place like Chengdu , Sichuan, the dry climate in central America is already my limit.
So to Arizona (in fact, the entire United States ) Friends who are playing, must not ignore the matter of adding a lot of water: from drinking water inside, to applying lotion on the outside, to sun protection, it is not just for fun. Even in cloudy weather with white clouds fluttering. When appropriate, sports drinks containing electrolytes may also be considered.
Grand Canyon
The entire Grand Canyon is like a scar on the earth, and the fossils of hundreds of millions of years are all written in the canyon formed by the Colorado River.
Because we first went to Tucson to meet friends, we went from south to north. Friends who are interested in going to Las Vegas can also go from west to east.
In the national park scenic area on the southern edge of the Grand Canyon, there are several hotels built on the edge of the cliff (on the rim), but the cost is usually higher, and the price in the off-season is close to 200 US dollars a night, and they are not five-star. The configuration of the first-class hotel. Therefore, those who want to save a little money, it is recommended to stay outside the scenic spot. That is, in the town of Tusayan, 10 miles south of the scenic spot, there are many cheap and good hotels. We live in one of the Red Feather Lodge this time. There are also Holiday Inn Express, Grand Hotel, 7 Mile Lodge, Best Western in Tusayan Town, which are all good choices. Moreover, the area is sparsely populated, and each hotel has a standard free parking space, so you can rest assured to park your car when you drive there.
But I have to say that although I stayed in Tusayan town for one night, after going to the Grand Canyon to watch the sunrise the next morning, I highly recommend going to a very interesting El Tovar Hotel by the edge of the canyon for breakfast. Not only is it very close to the sunrise point, but also the warm atmosphere inside, the authentic brunch (American morning tea), the most fragrant mocha coffee I have ever drank in my life, and the huge Christmas tree are extremely beautiful. The best choice after watching the sunrise in the cold morning.
If you enter the Grand Canyon by car from south to north, it is recommended to enter the canyon from the east side after passing the lovely town of Flagstaff. This line will pass through the town of Cameron—because if you go directly to the Google Map Navigate the route from Flagstaff to Grand Canyon and it will automatically give you the line to the west. Although the east line is 10 minutes longer than the west line, the Grand Canyon is entered from the “upstream” of the canyon, so the order of viewing is from small scale to large-scale Grand Canyon landscape close at hand. Personally, I prefer this kind of step-by-step and expectant feeling.
The first stop when entering the scenic spot from the east gate of the Grand Canyon South Rim is the “Desert Watchtower”. This is a great spot to watch sunrise or sunset. Usually there will be a lot of people, because the best outdoor photo spots with railings are very narrow, everyone lined up in a regular manner, and took pictures one by one, so everyone was embarrassed to take up too much time when taking pictures. We went in winter, The souvenir shop inside the watchtower simply becomes the best viewing spot – warm and with floor-to-ceiling windows. But those who want to climb to the top of the tower to look out, you still have to go early, because it closes at 5 pm.
One of the benefits of entering from the east side of the canyon is that as you move forward, the canyon will grow from small to large, and the mood of viewing the canyon will become more and more hopeful. So even if the first lookout point is a little crowded, don’t worry, because more exciting things are yet to come.
When I first arrived at the Grand Canyon, I still had to get off the car ecstatically, watch the sunset, and take a few “travel photos” of this kind. Although the focus is neither people nor scenery, what is recorded is a mood.
In the freezing temperature of more than ten degrees below zero in the Grand Canyon, it is one of the best starry skies I have photographed in the past year.
It is still necessary to have such a low latitude, high altitude, and freezing cold place to see the Milky Way.
It is very different to be able to see the sky full of stars, and the feeling of jumping the Milky Way hanging above the head.
The stars all over the sky just lamented “there is so much light pollution in the city on weekdays!”
while the galaxy above the head lamented
“the universe is so vast, our daily trivial troubles are nothing under the Milky Way!”
Grand Canyon Sunrise Grand Canyon Sunrise
The Grand Canyon can be viewed from either the south rim or the north rim. However, because the altitude of the south rim is slightly lower than that of the north rim, many people choose the south rim to see the section of the Grand Canyon more clearly.
The picture above is the scenic spot on the southern edge of the Grand Canyon. There is a roadway along the edge of the canyon, which can be visited by car for 24 hours. The ticket for the entire scenic spot is 30 US dollars, and two very detailed maps and materials are included. Many of the visit points (look-out points) can see the sunrise and sunset. The surrounding facilities of several visiting spots near the Village (Grand Canyon Village) are relatively concentrated, so we went to the sunrise at the Mather Point marked on the way at 5 o’clock in the morning the next day.
Arizona in the Grand Canyon in winter, although the latitude is regarded as the south, it still has an altitude of more than 2,000 meters after all. You can bring snow boots, down jackets, blankets, scarves, hats, gloves, and even warming pads handbags! I am just self-righteous. I feel that I have lived in the northern part of the United States for several years, and I have gone out to shoot many times in sub-zero temperatures. I think my cold resistance has reached the peak, but my feet are still numb because I wore a pair of autumn single boots by mistake. Before going out, I hid in the car to keep warm.
In fact, watching the sunrise and sunset in the Grand Canyon is no longer about looking at the sun itself, but at the light and shadow effect of the warm, not yet dazzling sunlight on the abrupt faults of the canyon.
The land we have stepped on has a history of 4.28 billion years. Each layer of rocks and soils with different colors and textures records every long period of time on the earth. Traces of running, flying, and various creatures. Even if you can see the essence of the Grand Canyon by car within two or three days, what is reflected in your eyes at every moment is history and the uncanny craftsmanship of nature.
Seeing the distant Colorado River from the telephoto, the shy, slender wisp of the half-covered pipa is actually the power that washed out the entire Grand Canyon for billions of years!
Horseshoe Bend
On the way to Peggy Town, there is a road with a cliff, and you can look back at the upper reaches of the Grand Canyon from a distance. Turned around to find him sitting in the car peeing into an empty plastic bottle. . . My mood instantly fell to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. . . “Don’t we all use wild urine in the wild? Why do you have to make such a trouble and let me see it!” . . . The honest and cute N Xiaobao actually said that because this place is too wide, there are no trees or shelters, and there are people watching the scenery next to it, so it’s embarrassing to be on the edge of the cliff. . . Besides, this is the reservation of the Indians, and they cannot be disrespected. . . Although he was a little speechless, he still had to admire his integrity.
Americans are so stupid and sweet, and sometimes people feel that they are speechless with integrity, but looking back, without everyone’s strict requirements for themselves, there would be no respect for morality and the legal system by the entire society and the country. So it’s better to be more introspective.
From the Grand Canyon, two hours drive north to the legendary Page town. Everything in this town revolves around Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend!
Horseshoe Bend is a free attraction, and anyone can park and visit directly from the small fork road that says Horseshoe Bend on the side of Highway 89. In Horseshoe Bay, if you want to take the best works, it should be close to the summer half year, because at that time, the sun altitude angle is relatively high, and the light that can shine on both sides of the bay will be more even, otherwise the south side of the bay will always be Shady, never underexposed! The scenery of Horseshoe Bay at sunrise and sunset is also different. The combination of sunny and cloudy skylight with the canyon of Horseshoe Bend is also very unique. So if you have time, you should go to Horseshoe Bay a few more times during the few days in Page Town, so that you can take pictures of different scenery.
N Xiaobao was on the edge of Horseshoe Bend on the first day. He watched me standing on the edge of the cliff to take pictures. He couldn’t stop and pull me back. I’ve never seen him . I didn’t say anything about Khan, but I also felt numbness in my fingers and scalp. With his fear of heights, I accompanied him back to the hotel early to sort out the photos. Unexpectedly, the second time, the last breakfast, when we went to Horseshoe Bay, N Xiaobao mustered up the courage to sit on the edge of the cliff. When I took this photo of him, I realized that standing on the edge of a cliff is really not that scary, but seeing someone you care about on the edge of a cliff is more scary.
Page, a small town with only scenic spots, a dam, and a nuclear power plant, actually has more than 80 hotels. So as long as it is not a peak season, it is usually very convenient to book a hotel a few days or a week or two in advance. Moreover, the competition in the same industry is fierce, and the price will be 30% to 40% cheaper than hotels in the Grand Canyon.
I can’t get enough of the wind-eroded sand and rocks next to Horseshoe Bend, especially with my new 14mm companion. The lines on their bodies turn so many times, and they all seem to point in the same direction at the same time.
Although Antelope Canyon is also in Page Town, we played on the third day, so the section is separated from the Horseshoe Bay the day before.
Page ( Peggy ) is a town in the northeast of the Grand Canyon of Arizona, the starting point of the canyon – Utah On the south side of Lake Powell (Powell Lake). The magical Antelope Canyon is formed by the water in the upper reaches of the canyon, which flows from a small branch of the mini underground canyon into Lake Powell. In ancient times, there must have been water flowing through it every day to wash out such a spectacle, but now it is only when there is heavy rain in the upper reaches of the summer that water can rush through it bravely. Therefore, during most of the dry season of the year, the cracks at the bottom of the Antelope Canyon have become a treasure land for the Navajo Indians to earn extra money.
The word Navajo, because it is the name of a large ethnic group of Indians living in the southwest of the United States (close to the Mexican border), so the “J” in it should be pronounced as “H”, so the word is read as “NA-VA- HO”. First time in America , or friends who are not familiar with this place name, you must not call it “Na-VA-Jiu”, but have to pronounce “Na-VA-Hou” forcefully.
The way to enter the Lower Antelope Canyon is unique: directly from the gap between the huge rocks, drilled into the ground!
People who don’t know, pass by the gap, really don’t know that such a gap can go in!
N Xiaobao completed a 2-hour independent shooting under my guidance, which was really not easy.
Taking selfies in Antelope Canyon is a lot of fun, because the bottom of the canyon is dark, and you must use a slow shutter speed (or “slow door”), so you must hold your breath when taking selfies. Otherwise, a little movement will turn you into a “ghost” in Antelope Canyon.
Because Antelope Canyon is an Indian reserve (in layman’s terms, that land belongs to the Navajo Indians), you must participate in a local Tour to visit it, and you cannot go in and visit it yourself.
The local tour company is also easy to find, just look it up in the search engine.
Antelope Canyon is divided into “Upper Antelope Canyon” Upper Antelope Canyon and “Lower Antelope Canyon” Lower Antelope Canyon. This distinction between “upper and lower” means “upstream” and “downstream”. Both are beautiful. From the view, go to any one will not let you down. Interestingly, I heard that the Upper Antelope Canyon was auctioned for millions of dollars because of a work taken by a photographer N years ago, so the price of the tour group in the Upper Antelope Canyon is naturally much more expensive.
Whether it is “Upper Antelope Canyon” or “Lower Antelope Canyon”, Tour is divided into ordinary group and photography group. The ordinary group is cheaper, and the photography group is more expensive. But the ordinary group is very quick and easy, and it takes ten to twenty minutes to go through it from beginning to end; while the photography group takes two hours to shoot inside. So I joined the photography group without hesitation. Friends who love photography and have SLR cameras and tripods, I sincerely recommend joining the photography tour. There is plenty of time, and the tour guide in the photography group treats other tourists like a VIP, so that you can find the best angle to shoot, which is really great!
It is worth noting that every tourist participating in the photography group must bring at least one set of SLR cameras and a tripod by himself, and cannot share them with others. For this bloody rule, N Xiaobao also borrowed DSLR bodies and tripods temporarily from relatives and friends in order to shoot with me, because we were from Chicago When I flew to Arizona for the holidays, I only wanted to fly lightly. Although I brought countless lenses, I only brought one body.
Some photographers also feel that in the narrow Antelope Canyon, they have finally paid to join the photography group, but they will be disturbed by ordinary groups passing by from time to time, but I like to take pictures of tourists in colorful clothes, hurrying from The dynamic traces left when I walked in front of the camera.
Monument Valley
Although the Antelope Canyon is the most beautiful, the important thing is to say three times: I like Monument Valley so much, I like Monument Valley so much, I like Monument Valley so much.
The chimney of the nuclear power plant in Page Town can be seen from all directions in the town. There is quite a domineering fusion of nature and industry. Very much to my liking.
Starting from Page Town to Monument Valley, it takes 2 hours to drive east, at the northern border of Arizona , at the junction with Utah . It is also a reserved land for Indians, and its full name is Oljato-Monument Valley. After finishing the photography group in the Lower Antelope Canyon in the morning, we hurriedly settled our lunch in the town and went on the road. Monument Valley has a route that can be visited by car. It is a relatively free park. The official said that it closes at 5 pm, so we hurried to arrive at around 3 pm. Maybe it was because of the New Year’s Day. I originally inquired about the $20 ticket for the self-driving tour of the park on the phone, but when I arrived, I found that no one was watching the gate and no one was charging. Maybe it was because the Indian staff went home to celebrate New Year’s Day, so we were emboldened, and under the “intimidation” of the small sign at the door that said “Drive at Your Own Risk” (self-driving into the park, the risk is borne by yourself), we drove directly. go in.
After arriving at the scenic spot, the actual sightseeing route is such a tadpole-shaped circle.
The terrain of Monument Valley can be seen from a distance on Route 163. People are very humorous animals. They always build the road between two “monuments” intentionally or unintentionally, making it look like a gate.
Since I bought the wrong filter adapter ring for Canon’s 14mm fisheye head, I couldn’t add the wonderful polarizer to this “small light bulb”. I had to pretend to play with a 77mm polarizer in hand.
N Xiaobao, who has the figure of a model but has no patience to be a model, really makes me, an amateur “fashion photographer”, extremely headache.
This may be the only car I encountered when visiting Monument Valley all afternoon. In the winter wilderness, listening to our Toyota Prius electric car like a spaceship, the light “whoop” electric engine sound, quiet and sci-fi, as if we were Matt Damon trapped on Mars.
Still can’t get out of the box. The sun was setting and it was getting colder and colder. Half thinking about keeping warm, I still jumped hard. But under the exaggeration of the 14mm “small light bulb”, coupled with the demolition of the hillside, it is not like jumping up at all.
When traveling, there are two situations that make me feel deeply.
One is the memory that can be photographed.
Maybe it’s some interesting things, people, scenery, the photos taken are very eye-catching, or the photos themselves can tell many stories and bring back many memories. Multiple equipment. Antelope Canyon belongs to the first type. I went there purely for shooting. Half of the experience in it was not seen with the eyes, but through the camera. What was photographed was indeed beautiful beyond the experience at that time.
The other is the memory that cannot be photographed.
The experience at that time was very unique and thorough. The feeling beyond the image is deeply imprinted in my heart.
Monument Valley, on the other hand, belongs to the second category.
I didn’t realize how beautiful the photos were afterward. But the feeling at that time was really like a divine encounter with ancient nature. N Xiaobao and I actually didn’t know how long it took us to drive around the red dirt road where our car was almost the only one. It is said that it is a circle, but it is actually a road of dozens of kilometers. Originally, we could drive a circle in 30 minutes. We stop and go, maybe two hours, maybe three hours. All I know is that we drove from the afternoon when there were fewer and fewer people until the sunset , until the surrounding monuments and boulders became shadows.
Each monument stands alone on the vast red land, and the sky is getting darker. Every time I open the car door and go into the wilderness to take a photo, I feel that the surrounding boulders and strange trees will move every minute ,survived. Most of them are still some distance away from us, but I feel that as soon as I turn around, those boulders will pat me on the shoulder and tell me a secret. From top to bottom, every boulder that fell, every face that was slapped, touched, and eroded by the wind and sand blown up by the wind, seemed to be alive. As if I could see their lives, and they could see me.
There was a dead silence all around, as if everyone knew it.
