The wonders of Arizona, USA
Back in Dec 2016, I had the chance to travel around the west coast of the United States and one of the many places we visited was Arizona. I may not know many places in Arizona but the few places I visited were jaw dropping. So if you're visiting Arizona, here are a few places that you cannot miss!
(not in any preferred order)
It was pretty cold when we visited in December. You could see patches of snow.
It was like a painting down there! Am utterly amazed by the work of mother nature.
Most people come to Arizona just for Grand Canyon but this is quite a wonder. If you're all the way there, do not (ever!) give this a miss albeit it's another 2 hours drive from the usual spots at Grand Canyon. So worth it.
(not in any preferred order)
Horseshoe Bend
I've read about this place back when I was studying the characteristics of a river flow during my engineering degree. Never thought I'd get to actually visit the place. It's as amazing as how I saw it on the internet.
Lower Antelope
First things first, you have to book a guided tour. Not entirely sure if you can (and need to) book in advance, best to find out if you're planning to go. Secondly, it's very dependable on the weather. If it rains, entry to the Lower Antelope Canyon will be denied simply because of the danger of flashfloods. The first day we were there, it was drizzling slightly and was told to try again the next day. Super glad we made it in the next day because god knows when's the next time I will ever get to be in Arizona again.
Bottleneck was formed as you'll have to slowly wait for your turn to enter the canyon through a narrow stairway. Check out the video to see how long was the queue!
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| Heading down! |
It was like a painting down there! Am utterly amazed by the work of mother nature.
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| Heading up! |
Grand Canyon
Everyone knows the Grand Canyon, right? You may not know what exactly it is but at least you've heard of it, right? It's famous for its unique geological formation and erosions with a landscape that is ever-changing.
I am extremely blessed to experience my first ever helicopter ride right there for such a spectacular view. Not sure how they do the weight distribution (they made us stand on a weighing scale and recorded our weight) but I got the front row seat and that is all that matters lol.
After the ride, we took a stroll around some accessible areas of Grand Canyon Park that we can explore by foot. The area is extremely dry with minimal greeneries found.
There are no barriers to keep visitors off the edge, but of course be extra careful not to trip over as it's a pretty steep drop. It has been recorded that about 2-3 deaths per year are from falls over the rim.
The most memorable part of the trip is me spending my birthday at Grand Canyon with this unbelievable view as my backdrop. *internal scream*
Like I've mentioned, they do not put any sort of barrier by the edge. Just don't fall! Be extra careful.
We went to another attraction point which is the Grand Canyon Skywalk. I don't have any photos to share since no photos were allowed as they have professional photographers on-site. They do seize any sort of methods to get more money out of you. Anyways, it's called a skywalk because it's a glass bridge (so you can see all the way to the bottom!!!) extended about 70 feet out of the rim of the Canyon. Definitely not for the light-hearted.
I am extremely blessed to experience my first ever helicopter ride right there for such a spectacular view. Not sure how they do the weight distribution (they made us stand on a weighing scale and recorded our weight) but I got the front row seat and that is all that matters lol.
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| All the first timers excited face. |
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| And off we go! |
After the ride, we took a stroll around some accessible areas of Grand Canyon Park that we can explore by foot. The area is extremely dry with minimal greeneries found.
There are no barriers to keep visitors off the edge, but of course be extra careful not to trip over as it's a pretty steep drop. It has been recorded that about 2-3 deaths per year are from falls over the rim.
Like I've mentioned, they do not put any sort of barrier by the edge. Just don't fall! Be extra careful.
We went to another attraction point which is the Grand Canyon Skywalk. I don't have any photos to share since no photos were allowed as they have professional photographers on-site. They do seize any sort of methods to get more money out of you. Anyways, it's called a skywalk because it's a glass bridge (so you can see all the way to the bottom!!!) extended about 70 feet out of the rim of the Canyon. Definitely not for the light-hearted.
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| Image obtained from their official website |
Summary
- Horseshoe bend. Interesting rock formation.
- Lower Antelope Canyon. So beautiful it will be a shame to miss.
- Grand Canyon. Your chance for a helicopter ride and a walk on the glass bridge.
