Day 4 of the Ultimate USA Road Trip we drive the famous US Route 89 (US 89) from Cameron to Bryce Canyon. US 89 is a two-section highway; the southern portion runs from Flagstaff, to the southern entrance to Yellowstone National Park (1,365 km). The northern section runs from the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park and ends at the Canadian border (640 km).
US 89, also known as the National Park Highway, connects seven national parks. In addition, 14 other national park areas, mostly National Monuments, are also accessible from this “Back-Bone” through the Colorado Plateau, Wasatch Mountains, and the Northern Rockies.
US 89 is one of the “Most Scenic Roads in the USA” and National Geographic named US Route 89 the #1 Driver's Drive in the world.

Along the route there are several small settlements and a number of towns where you can stop for a drink and a meal, but it is still advisable to bring some extra provisions for the day. There is a small shop along the route after Willow Springs.

The “Antelope Pass” starts at Bitter Springs, a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1,875 m (6,151 ft) above sea level. The climb is very steep and you climb 300 meters over a distance of 4.8km. The road has a few narrow sections and is an incredibly steep and winding road. Trucks and vehicles with long trailers must use low gears due to the steepness, keep this in mind because overtaking is only possible on the "passing lanes". Along the way are some points where you can safely stop to enjoy the beautiful view.

After about 30 km you will arrive at the “Waterholes Canyon”, park on the right and visit this beautiful canyon. It is a branching drainage that forms several beautiful canyon canyons, right through the red Navajo sandstone rocks around Lake Powell. It empties into the short section of “Glen Canyon”. As with nearby Antelope Canyon, the watercourse extends on either side of a main road (US 89) and gets much deeper downstream, with some steep inclines.
Several narrow passages both west and east of the road have exceptionally beautiful rock formations with the sandstone curving and beautifully colored by the sunlight.
The best way to see “Waterholes Canyon” and the “Great Wall” is from the trailhead. To descend into “Waterholes Canyon” you need a permit from the Navajo Indians. You can get the permit for $12 per person, where you can also buy tickets for “Antelope Canyon”.

The next stop is at the Glen Canyon Dam overlook where we take some pictures of the beautiful canyon and the Dam on the Colorado river.

Lunch is scheduled at Big John's Texas BBQ, a well known and “Award winning” BBQ restaurant in a converted old gas station in Page.
Big John was born and raised in the Dallas, Fort Worth, Texas area. During his high school years he learned to barbecue. Big John's Texas BBQ started in Arizona in 2006 because you couldn't find authentic Texas BBQ in Arizona. Big John started going to events with a pop up tent and a Big John's Texas BBQ banner. Everywhere he went, he would sell out. Finally, he decided to invest in a custom BBQ trailer. The BBQ trailer allowed Big John to travel all over Arizona and California for BBQ events and cook-offs, now he has his restaurant in Page which is a must visit for an authentic BBQ lunch.
“Big John's Texas BBQ, a little taste of Texas in Arizona”.

After lunch, in Page, have the option to visit the John Powell Museum, with its unrivaled exhibits on the life of John Wesley Powell. As the museum's namesake, Powell's influence on the Colorado Plateau history and river culture in this region is felt throughout the museum. From his days as a soldier in the Union army to his prominent role in founding the USGS and the Bureau of Ethnology.

Just out of Page we drive over the Glen Canyon Dam, if you are interested you can visit the Carl Hayden Visitor Center which has exhibits on recreation and historic water use and you can join a guided tour.

We briefly leave US 89 to drive along Wahweap Bay for the beautiful panoramas of this water feature and the Navajo Mountains.
We leave Arizona and enter Utah where we stop in Kanab to see the “Little Hollywood Movie Museum”, a film set where approximately 100 films were shot between 1949 and 1967. Travel back in time as you walk on the film set. In Kanab there is also a Kanab Heritage Museum which can be visited.

We continue the drive and after about 10km you will see the sand caves in the rock walls on the right side, you can stop here briefly and walk the path to the caves if you want to see them up close. These sand caves were man-made when they started mining sand in the area. The mining process was short lived and these beautiful caves are what remains.

The next stop is just a few hundred meters further at the “Moqui Cave”, a natural history museum with Native American artifacts and a large collection of dinosaur tracks. The museum and gift shop are open during the summer season from 9am to 7pm Monday through Saturday. There is a large parking lot at the entrance.
Within the Moqui Cave is a large exhibit of Native American artifacts along with unique fluorescent rocks and minerals from around the world. There is also an extensive collection of pre-Columbian artifacts from Mexico and more than 1,000 arrowheads. Centuries-old ceremonial pots, pitchers, bowls, and working tools provide some anthropological clues to the early life of the Anasazi and Navajo Indians. Visitors will learn about more recent history from the collection of archives related to the original United Order and early communion system proposed by the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The word Moqui is an old term and is now commonly used to refer to the Hopi tribe of Native Americans who lived in the region that now includes parts of Arizona and Utah.

We continue to the end of this day. Along the way you can stop at the beautiful red rock formation Thunder Mountain for a few photos. We spend the night in Bryce Canyon City, there are some hotels where you can stay overnight. Rest well after this long day of driving and prepare to visit the beautiful Bryce Canyon (link with more information in this review) on day 5.