Summer is here! Whew. The older I get, I don’t tolerate the heat as well. Stay cool my friends! As I have shared, I have slowed down quite a bit. On good days when I sleep through the night, I move pretty good. If I spend the night panting and pacing, I am wobbly and disoriented the next day. Poor Mom worries about me, but I’m still a happy boy. This is part of the journey, and I am grateful to have such loving parents who work very hard to give me as many quality days as possible.
Mowgli has adjusted and has learned to love bump me instead of full-on attack, which can topple me right over. Every once in a while, he can’t help himself and jumps on me like he’s riding a horse. Whoa! Not cool. That’s okay. I got him back the other day when I stepped on his belly. He was confident I would go around his stretched-out body. Nope, I walked right on him, knocking the wind out of him. Ha! Take that. I still have some spunk.
I am behind on some adventures Mom and Dad have taken. Back in April, they went to Page, Arizona to celebrate Dad’s birthday. We have driven through and by Page a zillion times, but they decided to stay in Page and explore the area. On Dad’s bucket list is Antelope Canyon, so they booked a tour.
Important note: DO NOT, and I repeat DO NOT stay at the Quality Inn. There isn’t anything quality 
about it! The halls smelled of urine and vomit, and the walls leaked every time it rained. It is so run down; it should be condemned. No one who works at the hotel speaks English, and they didn’t even have utensils for their breakfast. You were expected to drink your cereal out of the bowl.
Another bummer was the weather. The temperatures dropped, the wind howled, and the heavens opened up with a lot of rain, canceling Dad’s tour of Antelope Canyon. Come to find out it is the number one attraction for Page. Hmmm. Interesting. We always thought Lake Powel drew people to the area, but quite a few locals confirmed it was actually the canyon. People come from all over the world to hike it.
Anyway, on the way up, they stopped at the Navajo Bridge. The high winds about blew them off of it, but they walked the entire bridge. The bridge is located on Navajo Tribal Lands at the northeast portion of the Grand Canyon or East Rim. Build in 1929, it was the only place to cross the river for 600 miles. It stands 470 feet above the Colorado River. It is worth the stop and is free. They also drove out to the dam viewing area.
They took an easy out and back hike to the Hanging 
Gardens in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. It is only 1.4 miles total and takes you to a unique green space in the red canyon wall. Again, it is free, and dogs are welcome. Expect crowds as this is a popular hike close to town. Mom and Dad weren’t that impressed as it didn’t come close to what they’ve seen in the Sedona area.
Since Page is north near the Utah border and Mom and Dad had extra time, they drove toward Kanab and hiked the Toadstool Hoodoos trail. This is a 1.8 out and back near Kanab, Utah, and is another easy hike. The formations are quite interesting, and all the different colored rocks are breathtaking.
Close by is Lee’s Ferry. I remember how hot the sand was last time we visited. This time, it was downright chilly! Mom had to bundle up in every layer she brought. They were expecting warmer weather. Oops. Mother Nature definitely can have a mind of her own.
During one of the rainstorms, Mom and Dad stopped at the Wahweap Marina at Lake Powel. This was the only meal that was superb, but it was also the most expensive. The service was great with awesome views of the lake. They have a super gift shop at the resort as well.
The last night of their trip, Mother Nature calmed the winds and gave them an incredible sunset. Page’s 
topography is beautiful, but the town overall gets a D-. Every restaurant was rundown with crappy service and fair food. Dad really wanted to do Antelope Canyon, but it isn’t worth another trip to Page for it. He’ll pass.
Some of the newer hotels may be better…we would hope so…and there has to be some decent food. They just didn’t find any. You can do just about everything Page has to offer in one weekend, unless you go boating. That would be an entirely different adventure.
I hope your summer is outstanding! Stay in touch.
My mom, Lorraine Bossé-Smith, is kind enough to help me share my Great Adventures, big and small. My mom is a motivational speaker, corporate trainer, executive recruiter, business consultant, coach, fitness expert, and author of nine published books. More importantly, she’s the best doggy mom ever!
Enjoy my blog at https://www.lorrainebosse-smith.com/category/kuma/kumas-great-adventures/
and be sure to follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kumathedog/ and Instagram: kumaitothedog
Get outside! You never know what you’ll discover, and our paths just might cross. Happy tails!
Ginger Stahl says
I’m familiar with names like Page, Lee’s Ferry and Lake Powell, but we’ve just driven around them, not through them, let alone stop and enjoy the scenery and hike. That’s where you folks inspire us to slow down and take time to explore areas we normally just drive by, as our destination is somewhere else.
I’ll agree about Quality Inn. We recently spent a night in Lake Havasu City and usually have advanced reservations at Holiday Inn. There was some mix-up and absolutely no rooms left; so the next closest (and less expensive) hotel was Quality Inn. The front of the hotel looked unkempt. There was quantity (plenty of rooms), but the door to our room had to be literally slammed shut (rubbing against the door jamb) to be able to lock it. The parking lot should have been gravel because the blacktop was crumbled all over. Fortunately, what we expected in the room was okay, and we were meeting people for breakfast elsewhere, so can’t speak for food service. I think they should change the name to Quantity Inn.