The word vacation means different things to different people. To some people it might mean relaxing on the beaches of Hawaii, to others it may mean touring all over Europe, but to me it means a week of fun in the sun at Lake Powell. By fun, of course I mean inner tubing, wakeboarding, swimming and exploring. What better place to do all those things than the world renowned waters of Lake Powell? This year, just like every year, my family and I camped at Lone Rock, a very popular beach that borders a nice bay with a very large, lone rock in the center of it. With all of our family coming up that first night to meet us, the anticipation was great, anticipation for an all out extravaganza of good food, good company, and good old fashioned fun.
â–º QUARTER FINALIST 2012 TEEN TRAVEL WRITING SCHOLARSHIP
Lake Powell is very expansive, and with more than 2,000 miles of shoreline and with countless canyons and crevices to explore it seems impossible to soak in all the beauty and mystery of the place, even in a whole lifetime of visits. This year my family explored West Canyon, Navajo Canyon, and Antelope Canyon, and because of the always changing water level, even Navajo and Antelope Canyons which we explore every year were unfamiliar and new.
West Canyon, the most spectacular of the three, goes on for three to four miles before the water is too low for boats and then eventually gives way to dry, or more often, marshy ground. As we neared the end of the canyon, we saw an enormous tree standing tall in the middle of the water way. It was at least 24 feet tall and seemed to have weathered the ages. The tree seemed wise and ancient and you couldn’t help the sense of wonder and amazement that crept into you at the sight of it. Past the tree the water only went on a couple hundred more yards and then it gave way to a hiking trail with a small stream leading to the canyon. We hiked back a mile or two and saw a small trickle of a waterfall, tadpoles and frogs, and a dead bat. The deeper we went, it seemed the higher the canyon walls rose and the more insignificant we felt in that other-worldly place.
With majestic red walls that rise two to three hundred feet above the tranquil blue-green water, Lake Powell inspires a sense of wonder and peace that no other place I have ever traveled to has inspired. It’s not only all of the water sports (that you could do at any old lake) that make Lake Powell amazing, it’s the incredible scenery and the friendly people that make it my favorite vacation spot. There is no end to the variance of activities that make it ideal for all different kinds of people. On our last night there, we feasted on fresh caught walleye, stripers, and smallmouth bass tacos (the fish were compliments of two of my great uncles, it was definitely the highlight of their trip) with rice and beans, fresh made salsa, and an abundance of good company.
“Expect the unexpected” is my personal motto at Lake Powell. The unpredictable weather, the low lying rocks just two feet below the water’s surface that we accidentally wrecked our prop on, the changing water level, all these things add to the grand adventure of it all and make it all the more alluring. So take it from me, when it comes to a fantastic vacation with gorgeous scenery, Lake Powell is the ultimate destination.
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