My family goes down to Las Vegas, Nevada once, if not twice a year. It has become a second home to us, and yet is still always a crazy adventure as we constantly find new things to see and food to eat. However, although the details are different, it is the same every time we go in the sense that it’s going to a show or two, buffets, and nightlife. By all means… there are SO many restaurants and casinos and clubs and shows to see, but life is just that for a visitor of Sin City.

So, when we can change up the Vegas routine every now and then, it does leave a mark on my memory. One of my most memorable trips to Vegas was when we took the day trip down to Page, Arizona.

Here are the Quickies:

• Time of Year: July 2-10, 2018
• Airport: McCarran International Airport (LAS)
• Accomodation: Elara by Hilton

While on one of our customary trips, walking through the shops at Cesar’s Palace, we stumbled upon Peter Lik’s Gallery. His photography is absolutely amazing and the way he prints his photos on Silver-lined canvases capture light in different ways depending on the time of day. This transforms his photos every hour into something different. Lik’s most famous photo is called, “Ghost” in which it sold for $40 million dollars – the most a photograph has ever sold for. It was captured in Page, Arizona – in the depths of Antelope Canyon. It is so mysterious how the dust particles of the canyon created this very life-like silhouette and is stunning that Lik was able to capture the moment with the right lighting. Anyways, since seeing this photo and others from Antelope Canyon, I knew it was going on my Bucket List.

Not far from the Canyon is Horseshoe Bend. Another stunner in the middle of the desert that I didn’t know about until my Aunt & Uncle had posted photos from their Arizonian Trip. Again, it was going on my list of places to see.

Last year, we were able to take the whole immediate family to Vegas at the same time. This was an astonishing feat as my Mom, Brother, Sister, and Sister’s Fiance were flying in from Vancouver, Dad had just arrived back from Beijing, my Boyfriend flying from London, and I was coming in hot from Santiago, Chile! It really was a Global Affair!

I wanted to find something different for our family to experience together, as all of us hadn’t been to Vegas at the same time in a long while. So, I was able to look up a day tour on my favourite site for tours – yup! Viator.com

There was a day trip that left Las Vegas early in the morning to drive down to Page, Arizona. Along the way, we’d stop for lunch and go to Horseshoe Bend before reaching the Lower Antelope Canyon. We’d then return back to Vegas by late that evening. It was going to be an estimated 15-hour tour by the end of the day with all of the driving on an air-conditioned bus. It was also in the summer heat with desert temperatures of 44 degrees outside! However, I wasn’t the only one who had been wanting to visit these Canyons, so the family was on board.

We made sure everyone had plenty of water, our Tilly Hats, lots of sunscreen, and our cooling neck ties. What’s a cooling neck tie, you ask? A purchase from REI which I bought as a joke for my family, which we actually became so thankful to have! Check them out here Kafka’s Kool Tie.

I remember the walk from the bus to Horseshoe Bend. You had to trek about 15 minutes from the bus to the Bend and at the entrance to the pathway was a massive warning sign that said to make sure you had water with you! It’s crazy to think that the relatively short distance was so dangerous in this heat and in fact, we did see several people severely suffering from dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. The few medics that were present were constantly attending to people and handing out water to anyone who looked faint. There was one sheltered gazebo about halfway down, which of course was packed. This is one time a shade umbrella would have been optimal!

As you got to the end of the path though, WOW! The sheer size of the bend and the colours of the water were so captivating. It was amazing that you couldn’t even see this from the beginning of the pathway. Literally appears out of nowhere. Speechless.

After exploring the views from several different angles, we headed back to the bus for about another 40 minutes as we drove to the Lower Antelope Canyon. Note to anyone planning a visit, you can choose between going to the Upper or Lower Canyons. I believe the Lower Canyons are the ones with much steeper ladders to climb through, so beware if you have difficulties with steep steps or are claustrophobic (then again, I’d think maybe a canyon isn’t the best place for you to visit if you are claustrophobic? Unless you’re facing your fear!).

There are several guides who will split the groups up so that people are more spread out and have time to take their pictures. It seemed like a family-ran business, though they were all very well organized. Some people worry that there won’t be enough time to take the pictures you want, however the guides were very considerate and often told you when a good photo op was coming and knew exactly the angles and staging on how to get the best light. They were relatively knowledgeable on the camera you brought as well. However, I will say if you are a professional photographer, you may want to spend the extra time and money on some of the photography tours they also offer. They typically go when the Canyon is slightly less crowded.

TIP: You want to try to get to the Canyon by midday! This will mean the sun is directly above you and the light can shine through the cracks of the Canyon that give you the magnificent colours and effects!

Keep in mind, you won’t be able to take any backpacks or purses into the canyon and selfie sticks are also not allowed. For some reason, neither is video. This is all to protect the sandstone that has created the magnificent waves on the walls of these caves. They discourage you from touching the sides if you don’t have to, although occasionally, it becomes a pretty tight squeeze – just do your best!

Luckily, the temperatures in the Canyon were much cooler and you don’t have the sun beaming down directly on you so it is actually much more comfortable than the Horseshoe Bend portion of the tour in regards to heat regulation!

By the time we got back on the bus, it was time for lunch and then a very long drive back. With the air conditioning cooling us off, a full belly, and satisfied memory cards, a good long afternoon evening snooze was in order while we made the trek back to Las Vegas.

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