30. Page, Arizona

 Ride the Colorado River with Jon and Jackie as they embark on an expedition to Paige, Arizona.  They will talk of the deeds of explorer Major John Wesley Powell, converse about the joys of Lake Powell, and clarify that Glen Canyon is a canyon. 

Jackie Reilly: Host
Jon Schaller: Host
Charles: Producer

Instagram: @cozynookexplorers
Email: cozynookexplorers@gmail.com

Music:
Robotertanz by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com
Moments by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com 

Community Shoutout:
Peaks, Plateaus, and Canyons Association
Grand Canyon: 100 Years Of Stories 

Mentioned In This Episode:
Arizona Tourism Website
Best Arizona Slot Canyons
Glamping In A Covered Wagon
Lake Powell Marina Village
Powell: From The Depths of the Grand Canyon (National Geographic) 

** 1 Disneyland = 500 acres **

Transcript

JACKIE: I’m Jackie 

JON: And I’m Jon 

JACKIE: And we are the Cozy Nook Explorers!

JON: Welcome to our show where we explore the world from our cozy nook here in a guest room in Southern CALIFORNIA using the power of the internet!  And where every time we make a knowable mistake we put a coin in the adventure jar! 

Jackie: Yes- we’ve got the adventure jar right here, our producer Charles is in the house, and it’s Wednesday which means it’s time for our next exploration!  Today we are exploring Page, Arizona!  This episode was suggested by our listener Liana.

Jon: Yes, I had never heard of Page, so I’m glad that she suggested it because it’s such an amazing place to see!

Jackie: It is spectacular! But, before we head to Page- what’s keeping you cozy this week, Jon?

JON: Jumping Jacks

Jon: What’s keeping me cozy is jumping jacks. A little insider baseball is that we do jumping jacks in between segments when we are feeling a little low energy. It helps us focus, plus jumping jacks are very fun.

Jackie: Yes, Charles yells a number out and we do that number of jacks. 

Jon: It’s usually 20, but sometimes he will choose something different. It’s a great trick whenever you need a little extra physical activity in your day and a good way to refocus if you are feeling sluggish. 

• Do you prefer doing jumping jacks with weights or without weights?
• What’s the perfect number of jumping jacks to do?

JACKIE: Decluttering and minimizing

So, not organizing- but actually getting rid of things! I love the lightness it brings into my day and- not to brag, but I’m pretty good at it!

• What do you do with items that you no longer need?
  • I usually donate and give away items that are still usable, but a lot of people sell them.  If it’s unusable, I do my best to recycle, and my final option is to throw it out.
• Do you have any advice for someone who is decluttering?
  • If you are getting rid of sentimental items I’d recommend taking photos of the items that mean a lot to you so that you have an image of the item, but it can be stored in a digital space or in a photo book or something like that.

LET’S GET INTO IT 1

Jon:  “We are now ready to start on our way down the Great Unknown.  The flour has been resifted through the mosquito-net sieve; the spoiled bacon has been dried, and the worst of it boiled; the few pounds of dried apples have been spread in the sun, and reshrunken [sic] to their normal bulk; the sugar has all melted, and gone on its way down the river; but we have a large sack of coffee. The lightning of the boats has this advantage; they will ride the waves better, and we shall have but little to carry when we make a portage.”  August 13, 1869- John Wesley Powell. So, Major John Wesley Powell who was a geologist and a soldier.  And Lake Powell was named after him because he was the first person to conduct a scientific exploration down the Colorado River.  His diary tells of a harrowing journey in which his men suffered from bad food, battled boats, rapids and waterfalls.  He lost three men in the process in one of the most heartrending tales I have come across.  But he did it, he explored the colorado river. 

Jackie:  I am sorry did you mention that he was missing his right arm?

Jon:  Not yet but yes he lost it in the Battle of Shilou during the Civil War fighting for the Union. They took off the arm without anesthesia and he suffered from nerve pain for the rest of his life.

Jackie:  Must you mention that?

Jon:  But it did not stop him from being an explorer.

Jackie:  We should also mention that although he was a very accomplished explorer, he was very racist. 

Jon:  True.

Jackie:  Can we talk about something more cozy?

Jon: Ok, Jackie, so I see here you’ve written down… glamping in a covered wagon?  What in the world is glamping?

Jackie: You’ve never heard of glamping?

Jon: Nope

Jackie: Glamping is when you camp, but it’s cute and there are toilets and showers… and sometimes electricity. 

Jon: Oh. That doesn’t seem like camping to me.

Jackie: It's not. It’s Glamour plus camping… Glamping.

Jon: Why don’t you just stay in a hotel instead?

Jackie: Because it’s not all cute and outdoorsy and you don’t get to wear your outdoorsy outfits.

Jon: This is lost on me, but what were you going to say about glamping?

Jackie:  In Page, Arizona you can go glamping in a covered wagon.

Jon: Oh my.

Jackie: Oh my is right. So, it’s a cute little wagon that sleeps two that’s available to rent. I’ve never seen this before. I’ve seen tiny houses, yurts, all sorts of things, but never a covered wagon. It looks like it’s attached to a bed and breakfast, so you’re not too far away from more modern amenities. I would imagine this would be very peaceful for the right glampers. 

Jon: I don’t know if that would end up on my list of things to do when I was in Page, but that’s pretty interesting. 

Jackie: I agree. Charles, would you want to spend a night in a covered wagon?

Jon: And for once he’s shaking his head yes. We will try to arrange that for you. 

Jackie: Oh wow- he’s so excited. That’s a first! 

Jon: Ok, well, welcome to Page, Arizona! A city that wasn’t even officially a city until 1975!  Page was not incorporated until 1975, but was created in 1957 as a housing community for the workers and their family members who were building the Glen Canyon Dam.

Jackie:  During this time, Page was called Government Camp.  

Jon: They renamed Government camp Page at a later date after John C. Page, who was the commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation from 1936-1943. 

Jackie: I had no clue what the Bureau of Reclamation was, so I looked it up and they are responsible for all of the water projects such as dam building, power plants, and canals in the 17 western states. The bureau was developed in the early 1900’s by Theadore Roosevelt. 

Jon: It makes sense that they would name the town after a man who was in charge of overseeing this bureau since it is the reason that the town exists in the first place. 

Jackie: Yeah that really does make a lot of sense. The Glen Canyon Dam was being built because of the rapid population expansion on the west coast. It was controversial when it was built and it is still controversial today. The dam is on the Colorado river and is anchored in Navajo sandstone, which is very beautiful, but not very stable, so there is a risk that the dam will eventually fail.

Jon: The dam did almost failed, in 1983 when there was a flood on the Colorado River.  The reason why so many people have been and still are against the Glen Canyon Dam is because there is a good chance that the environmental impacts of the dam will outweigh the benefits that the dam has brought to the area.  

Jackie: Nevertheless, the dam was built and is still operating today. And it’s the reason Page, Arizona exists.

Jon: The dam is also the reason why the Glen Canyon Bridge exists!

Jackie: Yes, they built the bridge in order to have a way to transport supplies that were needed to build the dam.  It’s a two lane bridge that is over 700 feet high.

Jon: It’s one of the highest bridges in the world!

Jackie: And it was the highest arch bridge in 1959 when it was completed! If you are interested in seeing the sights from above, you can walk across the bridge and back if you park at the visitors center. 

Jon: I’m assuming I’ll be on my own for that adventure.

Jackie: No, I might go.

Jon: But, you’re afraid of heights.

Jackie: Sometimes you need to be brave. Charles are you coming?

Jon: The sounds of silence.

Jackie: Ok, so Page, Arizona-

Jon: Page, Arizona is about 24,531 acres which is about 49 Disneylands and the population as of 2019 was about 7,529 people, so it’s quite small.  Page is way up north in Arizona. You are just about in Utah and you aren’t that far from Zion National Park. It’s only about 2 hours away by car.

Jackie: Also- Page is only about 2 ½ hours from the Grand Canyon! This is such a great area to visit with a car because you could definitely spend a couple of days at each of these places all in one trip if that’s your travel style. 

Jon: That would be an epic trip. So, something I’ve noticed while creating this podcast is that sometimes when you google a city or a town an actual photo of the town comes up and sometimes it’ll just be landmarks and amazing things that you can see in the area. When you google Page a large majority of the photos are of horseshoe bend, lake powell, and the slot canyons.

Jackie: Yeah I honestly didn’t see many pictures of their downtown area. Even their tourism websites are all about the outdoors, so people definitely are traveling to this area for the amazing sights and adventures. Speaking of adventures- Let’s start with horseshoe bend!

Jon: Wait- we need to start with Glen Canyon.

Jackie: But horseshoe bend is in Glen Canyon. 

Jon: Exactly. But, we need to tell everyone what Glen Canyon is. So, Glen Canyon is a canyon that is 1.25 million acres and is the length of the entire Colorado River. Most of Glen Canyon is in Utah, but part of the Canyon is in Arizona and that is what we will primarily be covering today. All of the sights we will be covering today are in Glen Canyon Recreation Area. 

Jackie: Not once in my life had I ever heard of Glen Canyon before we started researching this episode, but now I am so excited to go visit. Especially- horseshoe bend! 

Jon: Horseshoe bend! Who knew a u-bend could be so breathtaking! 

Jackie: Not me! Horseshoe bend is a u-bend on the colorado river. A U Bend is when the river takes a sharp turn in the opposite direction and makes a u shape. The u-bend is shaped like a horseshoe, so the name is very fitting. Because of the years of erosion, it looks like there is a giant rock formation coming out of the ground. This formation is made out of Navajo Sandstone like most things in the area. Navajo Sandstone is absolutely stunning bright oranges and browns. Since I grew up on the east coast, it kind of looks like outer space to me.  The view is so vast and open.  I’d love to bring a little picnic lunch and spend an afternoon there. 

Jon: I did see that you can hike the bend.

Jackie: Oh that- I want to do that! 

Jon: And important note- Horseshoe bend is the most popular destination in the area in regards to tourism because social media has really given a lot of attention, so I would suggest trying to visit during and off time and of course- please be really respectful to the natural wonder.  With more people visiting every year, there is greater concern about maintaining the area. Also, please be mindful that part of horseshoe bend is on Native American land and that is private property, so do not leave the designated tourist area. 

Jackie: And please be very VERY careful. If you would like to get close to the edge use the areas that have railings, so that you can do so safely. Not all parts of horseshoe bend have railings and people have died there.

Jon: Yes, safety first, always. That also goes for the other places we will be exploring in this episode. Always read posted signs and follow their directions. 

Jackie: Shall we head to Lake Powell?

Jon: Yes! Lake Powell! Let’s take a quick break and talk about that when we get back.

Jackie: Ok, sounds good.

Ad 1 

Jack: Hey there, I’m Jack !

 Welcome to Jump with Jack where I teach you to do world class Jumping Jacks!

 My class- Jumping Jacks with Jack is a full time, fully immersive jumping jack experience that will CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

  If you commit just 10 hours every day for two years to the jumping and to the jacks you will grow 3 inches taller and all of your problems will be solved. 

ALL OF THEM!!

Jen: Um… Ok, ignoring that you said this is a 10 hour a day commitment for two years to note that I haven’t grown in over 2 decades. I’m pretty sure I’m not supposed to grow anymore… and how are you supposed to solve all of my problems?

Jack: Well, we saw great success in our double bind study.

Jen: Did you say double bind? Aren’t studies supposed to be double blind?

Jack: This was a double bind study.  We used two binders.

Jen: Ok, that’s not science. 

Jack: Jumping Jacks With Jack- IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

Jen: Ok, no, actually it probably won’t. Don’t buy this product.

Let’s Get Into It 2

Jon: Ok, so Lake Powell. This seems to be a popular place for tourists and locals alike.

Jackie: This lake is HUGE and the water is super blue. It’s actually the second largest man-made lake in the United States! 

Jon: It seems like the perfect place to be on a hot summer day in Arizona. You can go swimming, fishing, boating-

Jackie: SO many boats! They have big boats, little boats, and I even saw a boat with a slide on it, so you can slide right into the water!

Jon: Very cool. The shoreline is 1,960 miles. That is longer than the west coast of the United States. 

Jackie: If you’re not sure where to start in regards to Lake Powell- Marina Village seems to be a good place. 

Jon: Do you mean the Lake Powell Marina Village?

Jackie: Yes.  Also- I love the idea of a marina village. Like, what if the village was a bunch of cute little houses that were decorated in a nautical theme?  The houses could be next to the water or they could build a dock and put the houses on that. I don’t know how structurally sound that would be, but it would be so cute with all the stripes, and anchors, and captain’s hats! What do you think?

Jon: I think you’re getting off track. 

Jackie: But don’t you think it would be so cute?

Jon: So, Lake Powell Marina Village is a place where you can eat and shop right on the lake. There are also boat rentals and tours. I would imagine that the tours could help you with a lot of what the lake has to offer and it would be a nice outing. 

Jackie: There is a restaurant on the water and a visitors center. You can even rent a houseboat! Maybe that’s a better idea than floating houses for my nautical village. What do you think, Jon?

Jon: You can also see Rainbow Bridge from Lake Powell.

Jackie: You really don’t like my village idea do you? But yes- Rainbow Bridge National Monument! This is really cool. 

Jon: It is one of the largest natural bridges in the world. What that means is that the rock is shaped like a bridge. When I am looking at it, it honestly looks like an arch to me, but it is technically a natural bridge. Just imagine a huge bridge that looks like an archway that is naturally in the middle of the desert and right off of Lake Powell. 

Jackie: And with the bridge being a whopping 234 feet high it is definitely a sight. Rainbow Bridge is considered sacred to a number of native american tribes and it has been designated a Traditional Cultural Property by the National Park Service.

Jon: If you would like to see Rainbow Bridge for yourself the location is very remote. The simplest way to visit it by taking a boat tour. 

Jackie: Yeah, a boat tour definitely seems like the way to go. There is no access via car and the hike is 14 miles each way, so it would be a multi-day adventure by foot. Also, the weather can be extremely harsh, especially in the summer. Plus flash floods are always a possibility. 

Jon: Plus, if you needed another reason to NOT hike there, the National Parks Service and Navajo Nation do not take responsibility for search and rescue efforts if something were to happen to you.

Jackie: So, boat it is.

Jon: Boat it is. Let’s talk about the slot canyons.

Jackie: Slot canyons! Definitely plan to go on a slot canyon tour if you are visiting Page! It seems well worth it! 

Jon: The most famous slot canyon in the Page area is definitely Antelope Canyon. This slot canyon was created through the erosion of Navajo sandstone. The primary cause of erosion is flash flooding. 

Jackie: The reason they are called slot canyons is because of the narrow passageways. Because of the water erosion over millions of years, the walls of the canyon are smooth and wavy. Sun peaks through the tops of the slots at different times of day to highlight the beautiful sandstone. 

Jon: Even though it is really different in a lot of ways, slot canyons reminded me a bit of The Narrows at Zion National Park. 

Jackie: I agree with that. Especially because they both have flash flood warnings. 

Jon: Yes. Just like The Narrows, slot canyons are prone to flash floods.

Jackie: Yes. Antelope Canyon specifically, and most other slot canyons in the area are on Native American land and only accessible with a tour guide. All tours are run by Native Americans who live on the land.  You also need a permit to visit most of the slot canyons, so it makes total sense to plan and book a tour ahead of your trip. I think this is really great in a lot of ways, but especially because I could see how visiting slot canyons without a permitted tour guide could be really dangerous. 

Jon: Yeah, you definitely don’t want to be in a slot canyon during a flash flood, so best to leave this one to the experts. 

Jackie: Let’s talk about the recommended slot canyons.

Jon: Ok, so even though Antelope Canyon is the most popular slot canyon, there are others in the area.  

Jackie: We can’t go through every slot canyon, but I found a great blog post about the 9 best slot canyons in Arizona and I’ll include the link in the show notes. 

Jon: So, Antelope Canyon is broken up into different sections. 

Jackie: The most popular parts of the canyon to visit- at least according to the internet anyway- are the upper and lower canyon. Apparently these tours can be really, really busy, so multiple people actually recommended taking a Canyon X tour instead.

Jon:  The reason it’s called canyon X is because when you look up at the sky, the rock formation creates an X.

Jackie: If you are lucky, you may see beautiful light beams shine into the canyon. Your best bet for seeing the light beams is to take a tour midday.

Jon: Also, the Canyon X tours seem to be taken in smaller groups as well.

Jackie: Oh, I just love a small group tour! It’s so fun to make friends!

Jon: Ok, so I think that’s all I have from this end. Anything else from your end, Jackie?

Jackie: Page, Arizona has a local newspaper called the Lake Powell Chronicle. Anything else?

Jon: Antelope Canyon- the now famous slot canyon- was not discovered until 1997.

Jackie: And on that note let’s take a quick break before our community shoutout. 

Jon: See you soon.

Ad 2

Announcer: Coming this fall- A reality television event unlike anything you’ve ever seen before... 

Laura: Hi- I’m Laura and welcome to A Gentle Declutter where we gently help you declutter your home with compassion and empathy.

Announcer: If you watch reality television for the conflict, sleasious plot lines, and drama- this show is NOT for you.

Laura: Oh, I see that you’ve decided to donate a few shirts. That’s so great (claps) yay for you! Let's take a break- you deserve it! I made tea!

Announcer: A Gentle Declutter- so kind the only thing that suffers is the ratings. 

Community Shoutout: 

Jackie: Every episode we like to research and highlight something special in the community that we are exploring.

Jon: Today’s community shoutout is the Grand Canyon- 100 Years Of Stories youtube series!

Jackie: We know that this podcast is about Glen Canyon and not Grand Canyon, but we came across this series of stories on the Peaks, Plateaus, and Canyons Association website and we had to share them.

Jon: 5 different people who have a close connection to the Grand Canyon share a story about their unique relationship with the canyon.

Jackie: This series was filmed in April 2019, but they just released the stories on youtube, so this was all put together before covid which is why there’s a room full of people.

Jon: You can feel the energy in the room and everyone does such a great job with their storytelling. All 5 stories are brilliant, but my favorite story was the one told by Kyle Mitchell.

Jackie: Yes, all 5 stories are well worth the watch, but I think my favorite story was Floyd Alvin Galloway’s tale about how him and a friend got lost in the Grand Canyon.  Of course they made it out safely and it was surprisingly funny. There were actually quite a few laughs along the way, but the stories are so sentimental that I still have chills thinking about it.  

Jon: I will warn you though- it may make you want to run off and become a park ranger. That’s how great this series is.

Jackie: Yeah I definitely thought about it! We will include a link in the show notes so that you can have the chance to watch the series yourself.

Jon: We will also include a link to the Peaks, Plateaus, and Canyons Association website which supports public land across the Colorado Plateau.

Jackie: Yes well will. Alrighty- well, that’s our show. Thank you so much to our caring producer Charles.

Jon: Thank you so much Charles. And thank you to Liana for suggesting this episode!

Jackie: Thank you so much for the great suggestion, Liana! 

Jon: And thank you so much for listening to the show!

Jackie: Yes, thank you so much! We hope you enjoyed today’s episode!

Jon: If you’ve been enjoying this podcast please take the time to subscribe, rate us, and write a review on apple podcasts. It helps the show, so we’d really appreciate it!

Jackie: Also, make sure to tell your friends! If there is anyone you know who you think would enjoy this podcast please make sure to share! 

Jon: You can also follow us on Instagram @cozynookexplorers or send us an email at cozynookexplorers@gmail.com. 

Jackie: We love getting to hear from you and we are always looking for travel suggestions! 

Jon:  We will be back Wednesday with our next exploration.  

Jackie: Yes, on Wednesdays we explore!

Jon: Stay cozy, and we’ll see you soon.