Page, AZ

My first day in Page, Arizona has not gone well. This is a very beautiful recreational area and as such is heavily commercialized which has led to problems I have not had to put up with in a while.

I started out by trying to make phone reservations to tour Antelope Canyon which is known for its photogenic slot canyon (access to the canyon is restricted by the Navajo Tribe and requires a guide). My first two calls to the agency I was put on hold and then disconnected both times. On the third try I got to speak with a representative. When I asked "which day of the week would be the least crowded", she responded "they are always crowded" and then put me on hold again. I gave up trying to make reservations.

Next I drove down to the Wahweap Marina to book a boat tour of the lake. When I pulled up to the park gate, I found four huge tour buses in front of me. I figure this is not good and decide to see what I can find via the Internet. I locate an online tour company but they require a minimum 48 hours advanced, non-refundable booking, a $5.95 processing fee, plus an entrance fee to the park. Once again, I gave up.

Now I am going to take a nap and then reconsider my options later. I guess I have gotten way too use to wide open spaces and friendly people and as a result find the above more frustrating than I used to.

PS - discovered their sales tax is 10.725%! Had I not paid the park for a week (non-refundable, of course), I would probably be moving on down the road. The feeling I am getting here is "we want your money, we just don't want you".