The next morning there was to be an annular solar eclipse right over Page, Arizona. We learned that days of solar eclipses are sacred days of fasting for Native Americans. We walked to a nearby donut shop for breakfast.  I haven’t had a donut in years, but we tasted a variety of them including chocolate, maple walnut, cinnamon and vanilla.

Back at the motel, Nick took out his binoculars. It’s dangerous to look at an eclipse directly, so Nick held his binoculars so that the eclipse would be reflected onto a piece of white paper. It was fascinating to watch the entire process, which took about 90 minutes.Then we walked over to a tent fair, where several Native Americans were selling local items. Carla bought earrings and  Nick bought a piece of sodalite rock. After Nick’s nap, we bought sandwiches  and salads for lunch, and took them with us to our next stop: Antelope Canyon X.

Guided tours are required to visit Antelope Canyon, located on private land within the Navajo Nation. Authorized tour operators in the area lead groups to the canyon and impart their knowledge about the area’s history and geology. Shaped by millions of years of water and wind erosion, the canyon was named for the herds of pronghorn antelope that once roamed the area. The Upper Antelope Canyon tour is the more popular route because more sunlight enters the canyon and the walls reach up to 120 feet. The Lower Antelope Canyon tour is equally impressive, immersing visitors in the swirling sandstone walls.

We learned that tickets to both Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons were sold out, but there is also a lesser known canyon called Antelope Canyon X. It is named that because in a part of the canyon, the sky peeks through between the sandstone walls in the shape of an X. Fortunately, we were able to get  tickets for that tour.

Rather than descending a ladder to enter the Canyon, we had to walk down a very long, steep, winding  staircase. At that point I realized that I had left my hiking sticks in the car, but not having them really wasn’t a problem. Nicholas and Carla came to my rescue, supporting me whenever I needed help.

Our tour guide was most impressive. Using sand and water he illustrated how the canyon was formed over millions of years. Like the Grand Canyon, the Antelope  Canyons are unbelievably stunning formations that must be seen in person to be fully appreciated.

After our 90 minute tour, it was time to ascend the long, steep, winding stairway. Van, our guide, sent for a sand buggy that had four seats and I was to have one of them. I assured him that I could climb the steps, but he chose me and two other members of the tour who would best benefit by a ride.

Afterwards, we got back on the road on our way to Sedona. The trip took longer than we expected because of road construction. Finally, we reached our hotel, The Views Inn Sedona. We walked to a nearby pizzeria, Pisa Lisa. Being New Yorkers we didn’t have high expectations, but the pizzas, a Margarita with prosciutto and a spicy sausage, were quite good.

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