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Wednesday, July 18, 2012

somewhere over the rainbow

Another post about red rocks and blue skies but this time I'll throw some water into the mix for good measure. On our second day in Page we took a boat tour on Lake Powell with Rainbow Bridge being our destination. It is in the middle of nowhere and you can only reach it by boat or if you like you can hike but that takes about 2 to 4 days depending on your speed.

The whole tour took about 5 hours and most of the time I braved the sun and the heat on the upper deck deck, most people spent the whole time below deck, where it was air conditioned and beverages were being served. I only went there to cool off once in a while because the scenery was just too spectacular to miss or just see it through a tinted window and off course I needed to take lots of photos to document our adventure. Once you hit the dock at Rainbow Bridge you just have to take a short walk (the website says 1.25 miles but it felt shorter than that) on a paved path to see the natural arch in all its beauty. Looking at the photos now it somewhat reminds me of half a McDonald's arch. Pop culture ruined me ;) But actually I can see why the Paiute and Navajo had called it rainbow turned to stone.

Being on the lake almost all day with temperatures above 100° F I was tempted to jump in more than once. But I find swimming in lakes scary. The fact is I do not like it when I can't see the ground below and this lake is very deep. What's also weird about swimming in lakes is that the water where your feet are is always a couple of degrees colder. It just creeps me out...What about you? Do you have weird fears like that?

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

14 comments:

  1. I took a Geology course in college to satisfy a prerequisite, but for the life of me I can't recall how rocks can form arches like that. I know it's a natural erosion over thousands of years, but all I see is the McDonald's arch, too :) These pictures are fabulous, Rainbow Bridge sounds like the most magical, secret place. I can't believe someone would hike 4 days! That to me is scarier than swimming in a lake. Though I'm with you I get freaked out if I can't see the bottom, too. More pictures coming, right??

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    1. I talked to one of the park rangers and if I remember correctly there was a river below the arch and the water started to wash out the soft spots in the stone, very simply put. At one point the river broke trough and the arch was formed over the course of a very long time ;)

      After our trip to the Rainbow Bridge we headed back home so I don't have any more pictures of red rocks but still have some more photos from the trip I want to share..

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  2. Rainbow Bridge is beautiful - I've never seen pictures of it before and it's cool that you guys made the journey. I am with you on swimming in lakes / oceans. It freaks me out that I can't see below the surface and I'm always afraid some water monster is going to come out and grab me around the ankle or eat me. The product of watching too many movies, I'm afraid

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    1. Yeah, with me it was watching Jaws. Shudder!

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  3. Oh, stunning. Just so beautiful. I can't get over it. I would love to take that trip. Cal and I would leave Neel and home, sadly. But I'm like you. I'd brave the heat and be up top, watching the scenery go by. Oh to feel the wind in my face. Lucky you.

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    1. Oh, if you have the chance to take this trip you should! There are a lot of other great places to visit in that general area. Btw. the wind felt like somebody was holding a blow dryer in your face ;)

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  4. Oh it's a rock! I was wondering why anyone would want to build a bridge in the middle of nowhere :D

    But holy... the rainbow bridge is amazing! It feels odd to think that is not man made. Nature can be really surprising.

    How do you like swimming in the sea? I have some similar feelings about swimming in lakes or the sea. I'm always afraid to put my feet on the bottom if I don't know what it's like. I also hate if a water plant hits my leg when I swim.

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    1. lol! ;)

      Nature can definitely create some amazing and sometimes weird things! I can swim in the sea when I stay close to shore but I had to work on my fear for a while to get that far. Even took a couple of surfing lessons to take me further away from the shore. So much fun and you do not even have the time to think about what could lurk below...

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  5. Right about now, I would love nothing more than to jump into that water. Beautiful images Nina.

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    1. Thank you Santa! Yesterday was really one of those days to jump into the water and stay there all day. I got my wish to cool of with water but not in the way I wanted it though. I got caught in the rain after work ;)

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  6. So beautiful, Nina! It's also interesting to see how the water has receded over time. Yes, I totally understand and can relate to your fear of lake swimming. There IS something scary about not being able to see the bottom...Especially if your foot touches something slimy or prickly.

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  7. Thanks you! It kind of looks like a giant bathtub ring doesn't it? ;) Oh and yes it's really scary when sometime touches your feet and you can't see what it is...

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    1. of course I meant to write something not sometimes ;) I guess I wasn't fully awake yet...

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  8. Wow .. another set of HOLEY MOLEY .. gorgeous photos!!! Thanks for sharing them ... sooo serene!

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