Exploring the Beauty of Page, Arizona, and Utah

After three nights in Springdale/Zion National Park, it was time to pack up, check out of our hotel, hit the road again, and drive to Page, Arizona, with a quick dip into Utah along the way. Yeehaa!

I just loved sitting in the van with my family, listening to music and watching the scenery roll by. We would sometimes sit quietly, other times, someone would say something random, leading to a domino effect of silly jokes and random comments that had us in stitches. And then there were the sleepy stretches… I may have dozed off a few times with my head back and mouth wide open, only to be woken up by a loud snore (ahem… possibly mine). Yikes. How embarrassing. Haha!

We made a few pit stops along the way for bathroom breaks and, of course, more amazing photo ops.

As we got close to our hotel we passed the Glen Canyon Dam.

We arrived in Page, Arizona, around 2:00 pm, checked into our hotel, and dropped our bags in our rooms.

Less than an hour later, we were back in the van and off to explore. Every precious minute counted, and we didn’t want to miss a thing. There was no time for dilly-dallying—and I’m so glad we stuck to that! It would’ve been such a shame to miss out on some of the spectacular sights because we didn’t stay on track. Living in Australia means we’re about as far from the rest of the world as you can get! That’s why we were all in for squeezing in as much as we could.

The Horseshoe Bend in Page, Arizona

Oh my goodness, yet another spectacular sight and another pinch-me, I-can’t-believe-I’m-here moment! See that river? It’s the Colorado River, and it bends around those towering rock walls. I’ll say it a million times—I feel like the luckiest person alive to have seen views like this!

After a huge day of sightseeing, we were ready for something hearty. We finished the day with dinner at The Grand Canyon Brewing Distillery, where I had my first real American Mac and Cheese. I’ve been meaning to do a post on all the American foods I tried and my thoughts on them. But for now, I’ll just say this: I’m a big eater, and I can usually smash through any meal without a problem. But Mac and Cheese? That was a whole other level. I kept eating and eating, and that bowl stayed full. Full, I tell you, and I seemed to get nowhere. So in the end, I had to ask the server to pack it up so I could take it back to the hotel for part two of my Mac and Cheese challenge. Around 9 pm, I won!

Carl Hayden Visitors Centre in Page, Arizona

Our first stop the next day was the Carl Hayden Visitor Centre. Haha, it’s funny for me to spell “center” this way because in Australia, we spell it “centre.”Oops, sorry, I digressed with a grammar fact — let’s stay on track! At the Carl Hayden Centre, we learnt so much about Glen Canyon and water conservation (fantastic information to take back to my preschool).

I stopped to listen to a video where Elders from American Indian Tribes spoke about the Colorado River and what it means to them. It was incredibly moving, and I loved how they spoke so passionately yet gently in their rich, melodic voices — so beautiful! Again, this is another visitors’ centre where I could have stayed the whole day.

John Wayne Point at Monument Valley

Oh my goodness, the views as we drove through Monument Valley were absolutely breathtaking! And what better way to take in views like these than with an old soundtrack from classic western movies like The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly playing? Then, of course, we had to play some America—A Horse with No Name at my request. Hehe, even though I know my husband really dislikes this song because he loves horses and insists that all horses should have a name. But it’s such a fantastic song, right?

When we got to John Wayne Point, my husband had his special dream-come-true moment, just like I did when we went to Death Valley and I walked the same route that R2D2 did in Star Wars: A New Hope. Steve absolutely loves western movies, and of course, his favourite actor is John Wayne. I’ve sat through many a western film with him in our 35 years together, and I can tell you, the man loves his westerns big time!

Forrest Gump Point

We stopped for a quick packed lunch in the van.

Then we were off to Forrest Gump Point, which was only a short drive from John Wayne Point. I didn’t even know about this place! My cousins are absolutely the best tour guides, and if it weren’t for them, we would never have visited these amazing spots.

This was such a fantastic memory, and as I type this, I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry—let’s do both! Laugh because it was so funny, and cry because I wish we could do it all again!

We got out of the van, and my husband made sure to watch for cars and trucks on the road. Then, we did it! Sam, my cousin J, and I recreated that iconic moment from Forrest Gump where he suddenly stops running. It was HILARIOUS!!

Would you believe that night, back at the hotel, Forrest Gump came on as I was flipping through the channels? I stayed up to watch the moment in the film, even though it was late and we were oh-so-tired! It was just too much of a funny coincidence.

Page, Arizona Caves

This is a hidden gem that, again, if it wasn’t for my cousins, I never would’ve dreamed of visiting. It’s a lesser-known spot, but the photo opportunities here are absolutely incredible. If you’re in the area and love capturing unique shots, it’s definitely worth a stop!

To find it, head to the Shell gas station at 1501 Coppermine Road in Page. Behind the station, you’ll spot a dirt lot. From there, take a short trail through the sand (it’s not marked, but it’s easy to follow). The cave itself is absolutely stunning, especially with the light in the morning or late afternoon. Top tip: park in the gravel area, as we saw a car that was stuck in the sand. Two of the younger cousins tried to help them out, but they couldn’t. They were stuck pretty bad but got out with the help of some mobile mechanics.

We finished our epic day with dinner at a Mexican restaurant, complete with all the vibrant decor and the biggest margaritas I’ve ever seen. Arriba!

Wow, what a trip — and we saw all of this in just two days! And guess what? It’s not over yet! Next up, I’ll take you with me to the Grand Canyon, where the views continued to be breathtaking, amazing, fantastic, incredible– all the words! We climbed the Watchtower, went star gazing under the clearest sky you can imagine, I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about it! Hope you’ll come along for the next part!