The evening and night in Page were surprisingly pleasant. First we saw all the protestant churches in this little town, but the local band in the steakhouse was an absolute pleasure. Espacially the ladies in our travelling group could not keep their feet from the floor. In the next morning it was time for 3 visits today: first Lake Powell, then Red Canyon and than to the best climax off the day: Bryce Canyon.

Lake Powell is a reservoir on the Colorado river. It is near Page so perfect for a morning visit. It is about 50 years old, so it is nice to just walk over the bridge, enjoy the view and take some photograhs. Don't forget to visit the museum just beside the reservoir. It gives a perfect explanation how it was build and the old pictures shows its history. After one hour or so it was time to move on, to Bryce. 

What a fabulous time!!!

In the 1940s and early 1950s, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation planned to construct a series of Colorado River dams in the rugged Colorado Plateau province of Colorado, Utah and Arizona. Glen Canyon Dam was born of a controversial damsite the Bureau selected in Echo Park, in what is now Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado. A small but politically effective group of objectors led by David Brower of the Sierra Club succeeded in defeating the Bureau's bid, citing Echo Park's natural and scenic qualities as too valuable to submerge.

But by agreeing to a relocated damsite near Lee's Ferry, between Glen and Grand Canyons, Brower did not realize what he had gambled away. At the time, Brower had not actually been to Glen Canyon. When he later saw Glen Canyon on a river trip, Brower was stunned to discover that it had the kind of scenic, cultural, and wilderness qualities often associated with America's finest national parks. Over 80 side canyons in the colorful Navajo Sandstone contained clear streams, abundant wildlife, arches, natural bridges, and thousands of Native American archeological sites. By then, however, it was too late to stop the Bureau and its commissioner Floyd Dominy from building Glen Canyon Dam. Dominy was a firm believer in subduing the river for human use, once saying "Now I admit that nature can't improve upon man. We're probably the supreme being." Brower believed the river should remain free, and would forever after consider the loss of Glen Canyon his life's ultimate disappointment.

De Glen Canyon Dam (bij Lake Powell) is wederom een prachtig stukje techniek waardoor er weer een heel dorp ontstaat. Bij Lake Powell wilden we een bootje huren, een speedboot. Helaas was alles verhuurd, we kwamen ook vrij laat aan moet ik zeggen en het was op een vrijdag. Jammer want het zag er wel enorm aantrekkelijk uit. Dan maar verder rijden. Achteraf misschien toch nog gelukkig, want nog geen drie uur later hingen er donkere wolken en men zei dat er een ‘storm’ aan kwam. Renate had The Robbinsons nog ff verwittigd dat we morgen vroeg in de middag zouden arriveren. Wel raar want we kenden die hele mensen niet maar aan de telefoon klonken ze wel aardig.

So my buzzer on my alarm clock goes off.... 330... IN THE MORNING! I am not a morning person, nor do i pretend to be! But for you to have a day planned on the lake tends to need some to prepare! So we get ready, the sea-doos are already hitched onto the 4 door and from my knowledge the 20 footer boat is already docked into a slip in the new Antelope Marina...  so why I ask is why I have to get up so flippin early! To get a good spot my uncle tells... "sure"!!  so off we all jump into the 4 door, from the sights of it, looks like 30 of indians JAM PACKED! but on the way there, plenty of identical vehicles following right behind us. My uncle pulls off at the local gas station to pick up bait, Vantana's the locals call it. Everyone knows everyone here in this small town, so it was just like going to your local bar and asking for the "usual". So off we go, gotta good can of redbull in me and barely now feeling the affects...  = ) just wish i had some jager to complement it...!! anywho, 20 minutes later we have arrived and see that the boat hasn't been docked, only waiting atop the hill next to the loading ramp. Sweet... i hate this part! I mean anyone who has tried to do this knows that it definately is not as easy as it looks. I shouldn't say we are champs at this, but waiting for our turn and watching the people before us struggle to do this makes me wonder if i would be able to do this when i am the leader of the pack... = (  but someday will come soon enough!
Skip past the time consuming loading, we are all onboard and going full speed ahead... love the wind blowing in my hair.. = )   but yeah, it was another 30 drive, going through NO WAKE zones really suck! we go to our usual cove, which shall remain nameless so no tourists can crash my party! being half burnt since some genius left the lotion at home, i was getting red... ! but while on the lake i got to experience the usual tubing and boating while also just relaxing in the sun and enjoying the moment. its rare that my family and I are all able to do something like this. We went all out, we had sea-doos, 3 boats, inner tubes, tents, and floaties... so much good times! I wish i could explain it all, i mean people laughing and having a good time. It was like the perfect all american family... ! From out of no where, the alcohol appeared... made the day go by even faster! We brought the grill out, steaks and fresh fish.. totally awesome and good grub. Being the NICE TBer I am, we invited people over (like they couldn't see the HUGE bon fire!!)  and we chated and they were travelers from Germany, Ireland, China, good times.. so we have some future TBers in the mix hopefully.. = )  the day was coming to an end and people were headed back. some were staying to camp out, but i didn't wanna tough it out yet. I mean the last time i was camping and alcohol... i ended up swimming home... lol  *NOT REALLY*...  so just another day at the beatiful LAKE POWELL!!

We arrived at Lake Powell and set up the Pop Up. It was at this time that I began to cuss anew, our stop in Dillon. When I had opened up the pop up to get something I flipped on a light. This switch had the ability to turn on two lights, either one at a time, or both at the same time. I chose both at the same time. I was happy I could just find the switch. Light One illuminated the floor of the very enclosed, unpopped,  camper, so I could find what I was looking for. Light Two did nothing, as it was squashed against the canvas folds of one side of the camper. That was OK, I didn’t need it. I also didn’t shut it off. I got back in the car and headed west. So as we drove the light was being powered by the alternator on the Nova it didn’t run down the battery. So it burned brightly for another 6 hours. “Burned” being the operative word. The heat the bulb generated melted the plastic cover and burned through two layers of canvas. I was lucky there was no fire. But for some reason I wasn’t dwelling on how lucky I was. I two holes right over my bed. But, we made the best of it. I had JB Weld in my tool box, and we cannibalized some heavy plastic that we kept the camper dishes in. With those two components I created a teeny tiny sky light, and we blew off the incident from that point.

Afterwards Jolene and I went off to try to fish. It is best to fish Lake Powell from a boat. I didn't know that and it was too late to even think of renting one. Plus the wind was blowing pretty good. Fishing in the wind sucks. It is zero fun. It is less than zero fun if you are getting no bites. We weren’t. So without even a nibble to brag about we went back to the camper to tell Margo of our luck.

She was busy making dinner on the propane stove. Jessi was sleeping as Margo had already fed her. Margo had premade most of the day’s formula bottles for Jessi, but she left them on the floorboard of the car. They all spoiled for some reason. We thought that either the electric cigarette-lighter powered bottle warmer had malfunctioned and gotten them too warm. Or, that the heater had cooked them. When we got back Margo showed us the remnants of a broken glass baby bottle. This had been her first attempt to heat up a bottle on this stove. She explained she had heated the water and then put a cold bottle in the pan. She knew better, and got a physics lesson to remind her why you don’t do that. The mess wasn’t too bad, as it mostly went in the pan.

We ate and Margo decided to do a little exploring before we lost all of our daylight. There was not a lot to see, but she and Jolene did see a lizard there in the campground. Jolene thought that was pretty cool and had her mother take a picture of it.

That was really it for the day. It had been a long drive. We had an adventure or two and we had seen a lot of pretty country driving through the Colorado and Utah mountains. So we went to bed pretty early, knowing we had another 8 hours to drive tomorrow.  

Lake Powell has always been synonymous with houseboats, during the summer months they are everywhere. It is huge revenue and great fun, tow a couple of jet skies or a speed boat and spend the week exploring or playing. Dock at one of the many crystal sand beaches and spend the evening with a campfire and camping on the beach. With the depth of the water even on the hottest sultriest summer day going for a dip is both refreshing and easy, you just step off the boat or shore. Lake Powell has slowly started the re-fill process and it is at a four year high, on the other hand it is still at a one hundred year low. For the boaters, recreational users, fishers, and commerce this is not great news. The photographers should use this opportunity to your fullest advantage; locations are available and have been for the past four-years that have not been seen fully visible for over one hundred years. The majority of these sites are a short hike from a docked beach location. Here are a few of the more popular locations; Rainbow Bridge National Monument, Defiance House Ruin, Cathedral in the Desert, San Juan Goosenecks, Kaiparowits Plateau, Hole-in-the-rock crossing, The Rincon, Three-roof ruin, Padre Bay and Water pocket Fold. I am going to focus mostly on Cathedral in the Desert; the Cathedral has become an icon for people who love Glen Canyon. They describe it as one of the world’s great treasures, a place so beautiful and serene it has a spiritual transcendence. A paradise lost beneath the waters of Lake Powell, but briefly re-emerged because extended drought drastically lowered the lake’s level. Often, when you hear extensive hype about something before you see it, the actual experience does not live up to your expectations. (Take Tom Cruise movies) In this case we expected it to be great and it was exceptional. The Cathedral’s colorful sandstone walls arch upward to form a huge amphitheater with a narrow slit at the top. Hanging gardens grow from seeps in the stone walls and a small stream falls down the cliff face at one end. During the middle of the afternoon a narrow beam of sunlight finds its way into the Cathedral and hits the sandbar, illuminating the entire cavern with a rich and lustrous, warm gold light. The easiest way to get the Cathedral is via boat right down from hole in the Rock Road. You can access this area via hiking but it is an extremely difficult trek requiring repelling and rope areas for safety. For those of you who love canyoneering it is the hike for you. Out of the 96 named canyons in Lake Powell, and the many other interesting things such as the lake water, Anasazi ruins, rock art, arches, caves, slot canyons and stream hands-down the Cathedral will always be the ultimate spot that I have witnessed at Lake Powell. The speed boat ride wasn’t bad either and yes I am proof they will rent a boat to anyone who can pay. Apparently they didn’t read my write-up about Mexican Pepsi. The second spot is not newly uncovered or even difficult to get to, if you’ve ever wanted to paddle in the red-rock country, Lake Powell is the place to do it. Lake Powell is also a huge lake so might I suggest an investment of something with an outboard on it. Vertical cliffs of red sandstone form much of the shoreline. You will see river-cut cliffs rising hundreds of feet from the water, some stained with desert varnish and others exhibiting the raw wounds of recent spalling. Overhanging alcoves will shade your boat and lend your voice a theatrical echo. Ruins of stone villages, granaries, and steps cut into the sandstone are there if you take the time to seek them out. These are mostly 800-year-old remnants of habitation by the Anasazi. A highlight of the forgotten canyon is a trip to remember to visit the Defiance house, which is a very accessible ruin. The Defiance House provides an excellent example of classic ancestral pueblo living. Consisting of a kiva, small house, and storage areas perhaps for grain, the ruin is thought to support about 12-20 people. In the past years an easy boat ride with a short walk would get you to the door, now you can plan on about a mile hike. It is not a difficult hike but, if it’s during the summer carry water. Lake Powell is a man-made reservoir on the Colorado River, straddling the border between Utah and Arizona. It is the second largest man-made reservoir in the United States behind Lake Mead when full. Lake Powell was created by the flooding of Glen Canyon by the Glen Canyon Dam, which also led to the creation of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The reservoir is named for John Wesley Powell, a one-armed American Civil War veteran who explored the river via three wooden boats in 1869. Lake Powell and the surrounding areas is not lacking in any amenities, from resort style accommodation to the standard motel 6. You can get five-star dining or opt for Sonic drive-in. Page and Lake Powell are amazing travel sites and are the gateway to a plethora of other locations including the Grand Canyon North and Monument Valley.

Friday-  Woke up early and wandered around to survey the area, since it had been dark upon our arrival.  Our campground was right near the Wahweap Marina on Lake Powell, right on the Utah/Arizona border. In fact, it was only about 200 yards to walk to Utah from our campsite.  Took some pictures at the Marina, the water here is very low.  You can tell by how far down the boat launch ramp you can walk, how high the water had been at one point.  They are re-discovering things in Glen Canyon that have been covered up since the creation of Lake Powell, when they built Glen Canyon Dam in the early 60's.

24 hours ago, I was enjoying the sunrise over the Grand Canyon...now I get to see it over Lake Powell! What a country!  I went over to the camp office when they opened to get us some coffees and to check in, since we arrived after closing last night.  The lady at the office hadn't even known we were there!  Checked out the Rainbow Bridge Boat tour, it would have required a 2 mile hike to the bridge after a several hour boat ride, taken all day, and cost over $300.  Since our schedule requires us to reach Zion NP today, and Dawn's knees are not up to a 4 mile round trip hike, we decided to skip Rainbow Bridge. We will see plenty of arches for free in a few days, at  Arches NP! I would have loved to go down lake Powell by boat, though. Maybe someday I'll get some people together to rent a houseboat there for a week.

We checked out the Glen Canyon Dam, and Carl Hayden Visitor Center and gift shop. I bought a book there about Utah National Parks, since we will be visiting five of them this week! They had a lot of information there about the construction of the dam, and what the area was like before the dam created the lake.  We then drove along Lake Powell, stopping at a few overlooks for pictures.  The redrock canyon walls here are really beautiful!  Glen Canyon Dam looks a lot like Hoover Dam, but there is a cool bridge imbedded into the canyon walls right in front if it.   Saw a lot of houseboats going by, I hope we get the chance to do that before they run out of water!  The water levels here are dropping at a rate of an inch or more each day. It was still early when we headed off towards Zion, through Grand Staircase-Escalante!

Large campground with all the facilities, located right on scenic Lake Powell, within walking distance of the Utah border. Large, sandy sites, easy to set a tent up, but you have to shake them out when breaking down. Fantastic views! Close to the Wahweap Marina, where you can take a boat/hike tour to Rainbow Bridge, the worlds tallest natural arch. Be prepared to hike, though...the water levels have dropped so low, the boats can no longer go right to the arch..a hike is required to get there, so remember to bring plenty of water! They have a big camp store, you can reserve/purchase tours there. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------