Horseshoe Bend, Arizona

Horseshoe Bend, the name was inspired by its horseshoe-shaped incised meander of the Colorado River located near the town of Page, Arizona.

The View of Horseshoe Bend during Sunset

It is located 5 miles (8.0 km) downstream from the Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell within Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, about 4 miles (6.4 km) southwest of Page. Just a hop, skip, and a jump from Glen Canyon Dam and the popular Lake Powell, the best view is from the steep cliff above Horseshoe Bend. If you are travelling from the Grand Canyon National Park, it is located approximately 140 miles from both the South Rim and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Horseshoe Bend’s rock walls have a variety of minerals, including hematite, platinum, and garnet. The overlook is 4,200 feet above sea level, and the Colorado River is 3,200 feet above sea level, which gives this scenic view a breathtaking 1,000 foots drop.

The view of Horseshoe Bend after sunrise

Many people may wonder, what's the best time to visit and have the best snap of picture? I would say it's really depends. There are too many comments about the time of visiting before I go until I couldn't really decide what time should I visit. However since I do have some spare time during my stay in Arizona after the Antelope Canyon trip, I decided to stay overnight here to capture the sunset and sunrise views.

After almost 18 hours stay, I would say sunset view is the best for scenic view which is also the most crowded time during my visit. Whereas the sunrise view is less ideal to take photo as the sun is behind our back and forming shadow in our picture. You have to find the best spot and best angle for a nice photo for memory! One thing good at sunrise was you can take the time lapse photo which record how the sunlight unshaded the whole horseshoe bend from the top until the bottom of the view. However, this may take up to 2 hours of waiting time just to take the process!

Lower Antelope Canyon, Page, Arizona

If your next travel destination is at Navajo land which located at the east of Page, Arizona, You must ensure to put the Antelope Canyon in your bucket list of visit.

The striped and bright orange Navajo Sandstone Canyon were carved by flash flooding and erosion. With its glowing, red canyon walls and beams of light shining through the dusty air, Antelope Canyon is indeed the breathtaking destination that you should never miss.

Antelope Canyon is separated into two scenic slot canyon sections namely 'Upper Antelope Canyon' or 'The Crack' and 'Lower Antelope Canyon' or 'The Corkscrew'. They are both accessible via different locations and offer very different experiences.

However, both canyons are accessible by guided tour only.

Upper Antelope Canyon: i) Antelope Slot Canyon Tour ii) Adventurous Antelope Canyon *Photographic Tour* 

Lower Antelope Canyon: i) Ken's Tour ii) Dixie Ellis

Sight Seeing Rate Comparison (Updated July 2018):

Travel Company	Rates Description
Upper Antelope Tour
Adventurous Antelope Canyon	Photographic Tour *Only Adults aged 13 Yrs & Older are allowed to join these tours		Non-Photographic Tour
	Morning Tour	$151	Morning Tour	Adult (13 Yrs & Older): $107 Child (Ages 8-12): $63
	Night Tour (2 Hours after sunset)	$250	Night Tour (2 Hours after sunset)	Adult (13 Yrs & Older): $75 *Only Adults aged 13 Yrs & Older are allowed to join this tour
Antelope Slot Canyon Tours	• Adult (13 Yrs & Older): $68 • Children (Ages 6-12): $58 • Children (6 and under): Not Allowed Price excluded: •$8 Navajo Nation Permit fee •5% Navajo Nation Tax
Lower Antelope Tour
Dixie Ellis	• Adults: $38.10 • Children (Ages 8-12): $19.05 • Children (7 and under): Free Military Discounts *Members of the Armed Forces must provide some form of identification (i.e.  Military ID) Price excluded: •$8 Navajo Nation Permit fee •5% Navajo Nation Tax •2.2% Processing Fee •Online convenience fee
Ken’s Tour	• Adults: $40.0 • Children (Ages 8-12): $20 • Children (7 and under): Free Price excluded: •$8 Navajo Nation Permit fee •5% Navajo Nation Tax

Due to time constraint, I only manage to visit Lower Antelope Canyon during my stays in Arizona. Thus, I will describe more on my experience during my visit to Lower Antelope Canyon.

I travelled from Grand Canyon National Park to Antelope Canyon and took the tour under Ken's Tour by 1pm. It is rare to see the light beams in Lower Antelope Canyon thus the visiting time to Lower Antelope doesn't really matter but of course not later than 3pm is more ideal. The tour took up to 30 minutes in total and it was so crowded and claustrophobic. It's hard to take individual photo as you will be divided into a group of 15 and lead by an experienced guide during the tour. Nevertheless, there might be 10 groups of 15 people going into the canyon at once. Meaning, do expect many people photo bomb into your photo background xD

Lower Antelope Canyon is shaped like a “V”. I is very narrow at the bottom and wide open at the top, making the lower canyon feel brighter and warmer than the upper canyon. The way that those canyons swirl and curve into some kind of trippy corridor that feels like it’s leading you to the bowels of Earth. 

Overall, this is an amazing trip, easy to arrange. You just need to choose up which canyon to visit, select your ideal available date and make appointment through the selected tour companies. For me, since I didn't manage to visit the Upper Antelope Canyon, I couldn't do any comparison of my experience. However, I do feel satisfied and excited after visited Lower Antelope Canyon. It's fun and more budget as compared to Upper Antelope Canyon. If you only allow to choose one due to budget constraint, Lower Antelope will not be a bad choice!

Finally I manage to took this photo after being urged by our tour guide for don't even know how many times >.<

Finally I manage to took this photo after being urged by our tour guide for don't even know how many times >.< 

You will definitely feel amazing after seeing how these canyons formed into these amazing shapes. It's truly a to-go place that you will never regret visiting!

Shark Fin Cove, Davenport California

It is a way full of unexpected surprises along the west coast of United State. We begin our road trip from San Francisco. We drove all the way down to Big Sur and up Highway 1. This massive rock which visible from the highway stands guard over a small cove full of geologic wonders just up the coast from Santa Cruz, only 0.7 miles south of the town of Davenport. Shark Fin Cove, this beach is most certainly a cove, however, and it’s fun to imagine the size of shark lurking beneath a fin of that size.

Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years ago the shark fin was an extension of the mudstone cliff that encloses this beach. Over the years, the force of the crashing waves and whistling winds steadily eroded away the rock in a process called coastal geomorphology.

The rock now stands as we see it today: A small island that catches the light at sunset so compellingly that photographers travel from all over the country to capture its timeless beauty. Indeed, this is geology at its finest that I had never ever imagine before.

The railway view you will see before the Shark Fin Cove

It just requires some hikes, not even 5 minutes into the cove. It's slippery and steep but not that bad. Just watch out of your steps then it shouldn't be a problem. We seen three couples taking their wedding photos over here and you can now imagine how beautiful it is. This place is very famous for sunset viewing and it's like a secret little beach which is quite hidden and not many people. Thus you can enjoy your little moment here!

If Pacific Grove Coast Highway is your next road trip plan, must ensure you stop by this hidden place to witness the beauty of it!