GREAT WEEKENDS

great weekends Slot Canyon Excursions, Dam Tours and Lake Powell Views Await Visitors to Page

What a view! Above us, Glen Canyon Bridge glitters in the sun against the vivid blue sky. Behind us, the massive concave expanse of Glen Canyon Dam backs up the Colorado River to form Lake Powell, the second-largest man-made lake (after Lake Mead) in the United States. We're in Page and, best of all, we're in Page in March. This is off-season, when the crowds are small and the prices low. But the endless views remain magnificent. My husband, Richard, and I start our visit at Glen Canyon Dam because without the dam, Page wouldn't exist. Named after John C. Page, a Bureau of Reclamation commissioner, Page started in 1956 as a construction camp. Now the town nestled among the sand, rock and sagebrush of Manson Mesa boasts a population of 9,200, and 3 million visitors annually come to play at Lake Powell and enjoy the grand scenery. Waterskiing, fishing, kayaking and relaxing are part of the area's appeal. Many visitors opt for boat tours to Rainbow Bridge, while others prefer an overall view from a scenic flight.

At Carl Hayden Visitors Center, we catch an hour-long tour of Glen Canyon Dam, a great travel bargain: It's free. For security reasons, no purses, backpacks, camera cases or similar objects are allowed on the tour, but cameras are okay. Our guide starts the tour on top of the dam. I peer over the edge at the expanse of concrete below. My stomach does a flip as I take in the immensity of this dam, all 4,901,000 cubic yards of concrete standing 710 feet tall. An elevator takes us down inside, and I worry about claustrophobia, but passageways prove spacious, an advantage of a dam built to accommodate tours. Exiting at the dam base, I get a crick in my neck taking snapshots of the Glen Canyon Bridge and the dam soaring high above us. Before us, two mallard ducks swim lazily in the Colorado River. Back on solid ground, we head for lunch at the Rainbow Room in nearby Wahweap Lodge, on one of five marinas on the lake. We opt for chicken salads and gape at the view from the glass-walled dining room. Lake Powell is a brilliant blue, and the white highwater mark contrasts sharply with the red rock walls encircling the lake. You also can get a box lunch at Wahweap to take hiking or boating. Some 568 feet deep at the dam, when full, Lake Powell extends 186 miles and encompasses countless canyons. Locals brag that its 1,960-mile shoreline is longer than the entire West Coast of the continental United States. In March, the water temperature averages 52 degrees, too cold for swimming, but through the restaurant's window I see a wetsuit-wearing water-skier taking advantage of a beautiful day.

After lunch, we check into the Marriott Courtyard Hotel, a relaxing hostelry with affordable winter rates and a nice gift shop. The Marriott is near the city-owned Lake Powell National Golf Course. The pictureperfect greens lure golfers like rabbits to cabbage patches. We spend the rest of the day discovering Page, a high-desert community surrounded by scenic wonders. A modest sign near the Denny's Restaurant on U.S. Route 89 marks a "Scenic Drive." At the road's end, a short walk leads to the edge of Glen Canyon where we see the lake, dam, bridge and, winding far below, the Colorado River. I keep watching for condors, those immense birds released over the nearby Vermilion Cliffs nearly two years ago, but all I see are ravens riding the air thermals.

Page borders the Navajo reservation, and local gift shops carry a nice selection of Indian jewelry. Blair's Dinnebito Trading Post in the center of town proves worth a visit. Glass cases display jewelry, concho belts and Navajo rugs. I'm interested in the "old pawn" - jewelry pawned by the Navajos, not redeemed and now for sale. Blair's has an interesting room upstairs filled with old rugs and memorabilia from the private collection of the owner, trader Elijah Blair. My favorite turns out to be an old red, black and cream-colored rug inspired by a can of Pet Milk. The Navajo weaver couldn't read English, but she liked the geometric designs on the can. In bold red letters, the rug design spells PET across the top and MILK across the bottom.

A steak at Peppers Restaurant at the Marriott ends a great day in Page. It tastes even better because we're seated on the patio with a fantastic sunset view of Lake Powell.

The next morning, we have reservations with Lake Powell Jeep Tours for a trip to Antelope Canyon. While in Page, we've noticed many pictures of this beautiful, ethereal slot canyon and know we don't want to miss it. Since the canyon is on the Navajo reservation, we must go with a tour company or with a Navajo guide. After a 20-minute drive, we are deposited right at the entrance.Entering Antelope Canyon, I feel as if I am walking into a cathedral and automatically lower my voice. The quarter-mile-long canyon offers an easy, flat walk through sand surrounded by swirled red sandstone walls. The canyon measures just 4 feet wide in spots; its walls rise 125 feet. Water has eroded the rock into fantasy shapes. Local legend claims the canyon name came from a formation shaped like

an antelope horn. The canyon fills with filtered sunlight between 10 A.M. and 2 P.M., which illuminates the soft, ever-changing display of glowing, coralcolored sandstone, making it a favorite spot for all manner of photographers. Back in town, we enjoy turkey sandwiches and cheese enchilada soup at Cactus & Tropicals Garden and Cafe. The warm spring air entices us to eat out on the patio here, too. On a long afternoon of exploring, we follow a small side road just east of the dam down to the water. Here we listen to the soft sound of waves lapping against the shore and watch fishermen casting their lines for bass. Driving around Page, we can tell the town started out as a "planned" community. Most of the businesses are clustered in one area, and churches line up piously on "Church Row." When we spot Zapata's, we decide we need Mexican food. The Sonoran-style enchilada, a delicious cross between an enchilada and a tamale with the meat encased in a masalike mixture, tastes spicy but it's not too hot for my taste.

(LEFT) Page's 12 miles of public bike trails with Lake Powell views. (BELOW) Upper Antelope Canyon.To cool our tongues after Mexican food, we try the Big Dipper Ice Cream & Yogurt but have difficulty choosing a treat. Richard eyes the Navajo Mountain Sundae with eight scoops of ice cream, but decides that's too much ice cream even for him. We settle for mint chocolate-chip cones and lick them while we watch the sunset highlight the rugged landscape.

We head home the next morning, but not before breakfast at the M Bar H Cafe. The locals told us to be sure we were hungry if we ate here because the food is good and the portions are enormous. They knew what they were talking about. I hate to leave Page. I'd like to stretch this weekend getaway for a few more days of fun. March is a great time of year in Page, but with scenery and fun like this, the lakeside town is great year-round.

Location: 282 miles north of Phoenix; 136 miles north of Flagstaff. Weather: March average temperatures: high, 61"; low, 36". (Lake Powell average water temperature in March: 52°.) Phone Numbers: All are in area code 520; 800 and 888 numbers are toll-free. Lodging: Marriot Courtyard Hotel, 645-5000; Holiday Inn Express, 645-9000; Best Western Arizonian, 645-2466; Best Western Lake Powell, 645-5988; Lake Powell Days Inn & Suites, 645-2800; Wahweap Lodge, 645-2433 or (800) 528-6154. Restaurants: Cactus & Tropicals Garden and Cafe, 645-6666; Peppers Marriott, 645-5000; Rainbow Room/Wahweap, 645-2433; Big Dipper Ice Cream & Yogurt, 645-1456; Zapata's Mexican Food, 645-9006; M Bar H Cafe, 645-1420. Attractions: Lake Powell Air Service and Sunrise Airlines scenic flights, (800) 245-8668. Navajo Village and Living Museum, (888) 261-7243 (chamber of commerce makes reservations). Carl Hayden Visitors Center, 608-6404. John Wesley Powell Museum and Visitor Information Center, 645-9496. Lake Powell Jeep Tours, 645-5501. Wahweap Boat Tours, 645-2841. Lake Powell National Golf Course, 645-2023. Wilderness River Adventures, 645-3279. Blair's Dinnebito Trading Post, 645-3008. Additional Information: Page-Lake Powell Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Information Bureau, 644 N. Navajo, (888) 261-7243, 645-2741 or e-mail: [email protected]. John Wesley Powell Museum and Visitor Information Center, 6 N. Lake Powell Blvd., 645-9496, will also help with reservations for motels, slot canyon tours, boat tours and raft trips.

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