Travel: Tauck America’s Canyonlands Trip – Part 1

What a wonderful eight-day trip we just went on! Tauck America’s Canyonland Trip did not disappoint! From the moment we began our trip in Scottsdale until we said farewell in Las Vegas, every day was better than the last. Seeing our national parks in Arizona and Utah was an amazing memory that I will have for the rest of my life. We took over 100 photos and videos every day, but I will only share a few of them with you in this post and the next one of our trip.

Tauck America’s Canyonland Trip- Part 1

My husband has always wanted to see the Grand Canyons, so he selected this eight-day Tauck America’s Canyonland trip for us. The trip begins at the Four Seasons Troon North and ends at the Four Seasons in Las Vegas.

WARNING: The Four Seasons were the nicest hotels on this trip because we stayed inside the national parks in hotels run by the national parks that were extremely tired and outdated. Just remember its location location!

Day 1- Scottsdale Four Seasons Troon North-Sedona- Grand Canyon

We actually arrived in Scottsdale a day earlier than our trip was to begin so that we could relax and get accustomed to the change in the time zone. Honestly, it helped to stay on East Coast time while we were on this trip because we were getting up at the crack of dawn every day! The Four Seasons Troon North was the perfect setting for the beginning of our trip.

Four Seasons Lobby

Premier Casita

We were given a premier casita with a private patio for our stay and enjoyed looking at the Sonoran Desert. The patio even had an outdoor television, and a little bunny sat watching me watching television.

One of the many pools at the Four Seasons

I think we saw three pools at the Four Seasons.

This is the Miracle Suit that you saw in this post. I wore the cover-up and received lots of compliments on this swimsuit.

On the first night, we had a welcome reception and met our tour guide, Molly, and the eleven couples on this trip. Our ages ranged from the 60s to the 80s. By the end of the trip, Steven and I made good friends with five of the couples, but we really enjoyed all of them! I’m in charge of the next group trip together!

The next day, we took our tour bus to Sedona and the Grand Canyons. But first, we had a delicious breakfast at Proof. 

Day 2- Sedona Red Rocks to the Grand Canyon

We spent a couple of hours shopping and having lunch in Sedona. Sedona is an Arizona desert town near Flagstaff surrounded by red-rock buttes, steep canyon walls, and pine forests. It’s noted for its mild climate and vibrant arts community.

Next Stop, the Grand Canyon National Park

FYI: The Grand Canyon is considered one of the finest examples of arid-land erosion in the world. Incised by the Colorado River, it is immense, averaging 4,000 feet deep for its entire 277 miles. It is 6,000 feet deep at its deepest point and 18 miles wide at its widest. However, the significance of the Grand Canyon is not limited to its geology.

We arrived late afternoon at the Grand Canyon National Park and immediately got settled into our room at the Kachina Lodge. The hotel is located on the South Rim of the Canyon in Grand Canyon Village.

The photo below was taken at Mather Point.

Kachina Lodge

As I said before, we stayed inside the national parks on our Tauck America’s Canyonland trip. The Kachina Lodge is located on the South Rim, and let’s say it’s a bit rustic and outdated.

Our room had views of the canyons. For the next days of our trip, the room accommodations were double beds. Our children were horrified that we weren’t sleeping together when we sent them the daily photos of our trip, but we were completely fine.

Day 3- The Grand Canyon National Park

A few of us in our group decided to see the sunrise over the canyon. Which meant getting up at 0500 and walking 1.7 miles to a lookout point on the south rim. I took this photo of the moon setting outside our room before we walked to see the sun rise over the canyon.

Everyone was sitting in silence, waiting for the sunrise.

As you can see, everyone was dressed in warm clothes for the 42-degree morning.

The canyon was so pretty in the morning sunlight.

Desert View Point

Desert View Watchtower, also known as the Indian Watchtower at Desert View, is a 70-foot-high stone building located on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

At this site, you can see the Colorado River.

At Desert View Point, a National Historic Landmark plaque and stone memorial commemorate the 1956 Grand Canyon TWA-United Airlines Aviation Accident Site, a horrific airline collision that occurred over the Grand Canyon on June 30, 1956.

You can see the river behind us in this photo taken at Desert View Point.

We said farewell to the Grand Canyons and headed up to Glen Canyon National Park, where we stayed at the Lake Powell Resort for two nights.

Day 4- Lake Powell, Flightseeing, and a Slot Canyon tour

Lake Powell Resort is located at Wahweap Marina and is part of the Glen Canyon National Park Recreation area.

FYI: The construction of Glen Canyon Dam in 1964 created Lake Powell. Both are located in north-central Arizona near the Utah border. Lake Powell acts as a holding tank for outflow from the Colorado River Upper Basin States: Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

Flightseeing over Lake Powell to Monument Valley

We took a flight from Page, Arizona, over Lake Powell to Monument Valley.

The stark yet breathtaking vistas of the Arizona/Utah border awaited us on this scenic aerial tour that departed from Page, Arizona. We saw the deep blue/green waters of Lake Powell, the 186-mile-long lake formed by damming the Colorado River.

Just before reaching Navajo Mountain, we saw the immense span of Rainbow Bridge, the world’s largest natural stone arch. After a short trip over the rugged canyonlands of the Utah/Arizona border, you will be at Monument Valley.

 

 

 

 

 

Rainbow Bridge

After landing, our Navajo guide escorted us on a 4X4 ground tour through the Navajo Tribal Park to the famous John Ford’s Point.

Monument Valley

This great valley boasts sandstone masterpieces towering 400 to 1,000 feet, framed by scenic clouds casting shadows that graciously roam the desert floor. The angle of the sun accents these graceful formations, providing scenery that is simply spellbinding.

The landscape overwhelms not just by its beauty but also by its size. The fragile pinnacles of rock are surrounded by miles of mesas and buttes, shrubs and trees, and windblown sand, all of which comprise the magnificent colors of the valley.

Below is the Three Sisters, which reminds me of our three beautiful little granddaughters.

While at Monument Valley, our Navajo tour guide showed us a Hogan, a traditional dwelling and ceremonial structure for the Navajo Indians of Arizona and New Mexico. Early hogans were dome-shaped buildings with log, or occasionally stone, frameworks. Once framed, the structure was then covered with mud, dirt, or sometimes sod.

 

Secret Antelope Slot Canyon

What’s a slot canyon, you might ask?

It’s a narrow canyon formed by the wear of water rushing through rock (of the sandstone and limestone varieties). Slot canyons are always significantly deeper than they are wide. Secret Antelope Canyon is part of the Antelope Canyon system and is still an undiscovered gem with group sizes that are limited to just a fraction of Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons. Compared to the Grand Canyon, Secret Antelope Canyon is away from the crowds, making it easy to get to, visit, and photograph without other tourists interrupting you.

This scenic beauty is just east of Page, Arizona. Horseshoe Bend, where we will be rafting on the Colorado River on day five, is nearby.

Our Navajo tour guide said she was the granddaughter of the man who found this slot canyon when he was out searching for his missing cattle. Since this is on her land, she’s the only one who is allow,ed to give tours.

This canyon was simply beautiful, and it was amazing to see.

This photo will be hanging on our wall.

Well, that was a great four days of the Tauck Grand Canyonlands Tour. I hope you enjoyed it!

There’s more to come! In the next part, we’ll be rafting on the Colorado River and visiting Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park. So stay tuned for more!

Until next time!