the atelope canyon near Page / Arizona is world famous for its “sun beams”. only guided tours and photo tours are available and they are usually fully booked, so the tip: book in advance (we’ll do that only super reluctant for our travels), you can see the sun beams only from march until october, then the sun is to low, even in arizona. Then the light rays can no longer reach the bottom of the canyon.

The guide knows where to throw dust into the air and immediately the cameras start to rattle. in the meanwhile the tourists without a photo tour have to wait. Well, a real nature experience is different. Sadly we couldn´t visit the lower canyon, it starts to rain emerging rain quickly can transform such slot canyon into a death trap.

the images look idyllic , right? Well, you just have to cu

t out the raspy car speakers with mexican folkore „musik“ and the constantly whining jet-skis. Oh, and not to forget the young and drunken arabs whose english vocabulary simply consits of “fuck you”. Late in the evening we then changed the location …

… and came back on weekdays and: all was well again.

if you want to escape the mass tourismn in the monument valles, i recommend visiting, the “valley of the gods. Similarly pitoresk it has the advantage of (almost) being alone and even you are allowed to stay overnight between the rock towers. However, i have to mention: the track is not suitable for ‘normal’ camping vehicles.

john wayne has been here on the horse, as well as the from lung cancer deceased “marlboro man”. so many old black & white westerns were filmed here that you may wonder: hey, the landscape is even in color. Especially in the evening when the american indians pack their glass beads, which they try to sell to the countless tourists, and the sun approaches the horizon the entire landscape is red. blood red …

Don´t miss the “sopapu arch” trail, this is great one. You step down to the canyon on log ladders, you will pass magnificent rock walls and walk through a bizarre landscape. And visit the „awachomo arch“ at night to get it together with the milky way.

enjoy a scenic drive on the “burr trail” and a squeeze through the “spooky canyon” / utah and listen to the music of gert anklam.