Driving north from the Grand Canyon, we made a short stop in Page, Arizona. What’s here you ask? This amazing gem called Horseshoe Bend and Lake Powell.  Last year, I saw Sherry’s photo of Horseshoe Bend and was stunned by the dramatic emerald waters of the Colorado River, and of course, the horseshoe-shaped bend.

Horseshoe Bend is located just a few miles south of Page on I-89. There is a turnoff to a parking lot, and then a hot, half-mile walk to the overlook. After photographing the site, in all its magnificence, we drove into Page and decided to try to take a quick dip in Lake Powell before driving on. We pulled into a parking lot, saw a construction worker sitting in his truck with the window down, and asked about where we could go swimming in the lake.

His response was, “Do you want to pay or do you want to swim for free?” Well, who chooses to pay if you can swim for free? He told us the place you pay has a sandy beach, while the free spot was rocky. We opted to check out the free spot, which we were later told was where the locals go to swim. It’s called the Chains. If you head north on 89, you turnoff before the dam and drive down a gravel road until you reach a parking area near the water. We were pleasantly surprised. The swimming area was a quiet alcove with a beautiful sandstone entry. When our source told us it was rocky, I expected pebbles. Instead, it was a smooth entry into the water. We pretty much had the alcove to ourselves, with the exception of a few people here and there. A couple told us about a cliff jumping spot, which I thought looked shallow so I made him jump first. Then, I couldn’t resist doing my usual back flip and taking a couple of jumps as well.