Page

About two hours drive to the east and slightly to the south, just across the state border we arrived in Page, Arizona. The major tourist destination Horseshoe Bend is located close to this town. We went there at sunrise, right when the gated parking lot opened. It was a smart choice to visit this popular lookout that early, so we were able to avoid the crowds and the heat and to take pictures in nice morning light. 

Horseshoe Bend

During our hikes around the Glen Canyon area, we observed some cool critters. Besides the common lizards it was very nice to see a bunch of Red-spotted Toads (Anaxyrus punctatus) and a super cute juvenile Long-nosed Snake (Rhinocheilus lecontei).

Uta stansburiana - Common Side-blotched Lizard

Common Side-blotched Lizard - portrait

Tiny Butterfly - unknown ID

Rhinocheilus lecontei - Long-nosed Snake

Long-nosed Snake - portrait of this little beauty

Anaxyrus punctatus - Red-spotted Toad

Another very famous and popular place to go close to Page is the Antelope Canyon. Samira convinced me to go on a tour in the Canyon X and even if it wasn't cheap, I have to admit that it was a great experience.

Canyon X

Canyon X

In the dark, we found a Western Rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus) in the middle of the road. Samira was driving and quickly stopped the car on the side off the road. I jumped out of the car and moved the snake off the road. That was perfect timing, since shortly after this some cars (including huge trucks) drove by... in a safe distance to the road, I took a couple of pictures of the snake. I trembled a little with joy and excitement and was thrilled with our happy ending of our time in Page.

Crotalus oreganus - Western Rattlesnake

Western Rattlesnake - dorsal view

Western Rattlesnake - eye contact