We are pleased we didn't drive on in the dark to Page last night as it gave us the opportunity to see the Vermilion Cliffs which stretch from much further north down through the Marble Canyon and then into the Grand Canyon.
It had rained heavily during the night however was reasonably clear when we set out and were very lucky to get through most of the day without the rain. We could see it across the flat landscape falling in strips where we had driven from.
We turned off at Lee's Ferry in the Marble Canyon and found a beautiful little spot on the Colorado River with very few people around and it was lovely just to be able to wander about. Ian went off on a track that took him to a bend in the river upstream where there were some old original buildings. This place has been a stopping place for many years for merchants and Mormons as they travelled to Utah to the 'Promise Land'. There were some great rock formations along the road as well as many of the canyon formations with lots of colours.
We finally made it to Page for lunch and decided to stay here for the night. Page evolved when Lake Powell was being built in the 1950s and now rely on tourism. There are over 20 motels and at least 14 churches of all denominations. We had to ask where the post office and supermarket were as the motels and churches dominated the main street as we drove in. We drove out to Lake Powell Visitors Centre and the rain finally caught up with us. We spent some time there reading how the Lake was built on the Colorado River (Glen Canyon Dam) and when the rain finished we drove out to see the Lake. Someone had said if you could image the Grand Canyon filled with water that would describe the Lake and that is what it is like. It is now a popular spot for boating and fishing with resort accommodation as well as camping.
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The Vermilion Cliffs - this is part of the Navajo (native Indian) Reservation
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