Grand Canyon vacation

[nynole1]

Hoping to be able to get out there in the spring/summer of next year. I have never been before, but it's something I've always wanted to do. I know a lot of you have made this trip, so looking for some ways to get started and some ideas concerning logistics.

It will be me, my wife, our then 18ish month old son and at least one other couple.

Fire away!

 

[FSUTribe76]

Well it's not just my opinion, but the West Rim (ie the Native American reservation closer to Vegas) is nowhere near as nice as either the South Rim, North Rim and especially the "East Rim"/Desert View. The North Rim is ever so slightly nicer and far less heavily attended than the South Rim, but the South Rim is relatively close to the "East Rim"/Desert View. So you can more easily see two great portions of the GC by doing the South Rim and "East rim"/Desert View.

 

[Bartdog]

I went in 2009. We flew to Phoenix and drove up staying in Sedona, a couple of days, then on to the canyon. We actually stayed right there at the lodge in the park. We took a sunset bus ride around the south rim IIRC. After that we went up to Lake Powell, which is at its highest level since 2011. Right now it's only six fee below what it was when I went. We did a boat ride through Glenn Canyon, which was a lot of fun. That's where you see that iconic horseshoe formation:

Others stay in Flagstaff, I understand. I think you can take a train for a day trip. I'm sure someone will chime in with that, or coming in from Vegas.

 

[ReliableOstrich]

@FSUTribe76 gave me some fantastic recommendations before I went in April.

Listen to what he says and do it.

 

[BarryB1081]

@FSUTribe76 gave me some fantastic recommendations before I went in April.

Listen to what he says and do it.

"Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of Tribe was hovering over the waters."

 

[ReliableOstrich]

"Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of Tribe was hovering over the waters."

It's like he carved that magnificent canyon with the flick of a finger... hmm, that doesn't sound right.

 

[F4Gary]

The train leaves out of Williams AZ which is west of Flagstaff. Might be fun to ride the train up and back and spend a couple of nights in one of the lodges up there.
We stayed in Flagstaff and drove up 89, and 64 west across to the GC. Came back south on 64 and 180 to Flagstaff. Did it in one long day.

18 years ago, I did the 8 day raft trip down the canyon. Loved it but it's not cheap.

 

[JohnnieHolmesNole]

Southern rim is awesome. The chopper trip from Las Vegas is also worth doing, albeit a bit pricey if you have a load of people.

 

[FSUTribe76]

Hoping to be able to get out there in the spring/summer of next year. I have never been before, but it's something I've always wanted to do. I know a lot of you have made this trip, so looking for some ways to get started and some ideas concerning logistics.

It will be me, my wife, our then 18ish month old son and at least one other couple.

Fire away!

If you've done Vegas before and relatively recently, I think the best way to experience the area is to fly into Phoenix and do a little tourist loop through the area. Regardless of which routes you take make sure you 1) Grab some Apache or Navajo food at one of the restaurants in Phoenix (Frybread House is probably the best now as my favorite Sacred Hogan closed up); 2) Visit Montezuma's Castle one of the Cliffdweller cities, 3) catch a sunset from Airport Mesa in Sedona as well as hit the local breweries, hippie stores and scenic spots; 4) stop at the wineries in Verde Valley (especially Javelina Leap and Page Springs both have dry old vine Zins that beat anything in Napa or Sonoma) and then eat dinner and grab more wine (from Cadeucus) in Jerome which is a small tourist town at the top of a nearby mountain, 5) do the breweries and a late night tour of the observatory in Flagstaff, and 6) do a short driving trip stopping at each viewpoint in between the South Rim and Desert View at the Grand Canyon.

I enjoyed the trip I did doing what I suggested MUCH more than the trip where I started in Vegas and did the Hoover Dam and West Rim. The West Rim is nice (the glass walkway is a giant tourist trap and not worth the money AT ALL you get better views just walking up to the edge but I ignored those warnings so I'm sure you will too) if you haven't been to the Four Corners area before. But if you have, then there are other places (South Rim, North rim and Desert View GC as well as the Island in the Sky portion of Canyonlands, Bryce Canyon, Goblin Valley and Arches which blows the West Rim of the GC out of the water) that are much better. If you took a long trip (min of a week I would say) then you could start in Vegas and hit the Hoover Dam and west Rim before going over to the South Rim and Desert View and then down to Phoenix to fly back, but I wouldn't suggest it. That may be too much of the same to be truly enjoyable. Better to be awed by Sedona, Jerome and Montezumas Castle and then blown away by the GC South Rim and Desert view than just follow the GC the whole way.

 

[billanole]

I was just at the south rim on Friday. On a trip west, we got a chance to stay In a great little cabin staring up at Humphrey, which is the tallest peak in Arizona. https://www.nature.org/ourinitiativ...eprotect/hart-prairie-preserve.xml#directions
It was off of 180 up from Flagstaff, which we then took up to the park. I got a heads up on a gravel road to enter the park and missed lotta touron traffic. South rim was fantastic...wish I spoke Italian, Mandarin, or better French to know what was going on around us.
You could easily spend several days in that area and not double up on much.

 

[RunRonnieRun]

@FSUTribe76 gave me some fantastic recommendations before I went in April.

Listen to what he says and do it.

Was it tough for you to get the three weeks off so you could accomplish his day trip? I got tripped up between my lobster lunch in Maine and happy hour in San Diego.

 

[ReliableOstrich]

Was it tough for you to get the three weeks off so you could accomplish his day trip? I got tripped up between my lobster lunch in Maine and happy hour in San Diego.

We move quick, knocked out most everything in one day -- 4 or 5am wake up, made sandwiches and snacks, did sunrise on the rim, got a quick breakfast, hiked about 3/4s of the way down to the river and back out, hopped in the car, got some In & Out, and got to Vegas in time to hit the Chandelier Bar at the Cosmo by 12am.

Will have to return for Antelope, Bryce, Zion, etc... wasn't our intention to do all of that in April.

 

[goldmom]

Loved the canyon - have been 4 times! Went up to the South rim via the east side past that crater and went across west to Park HQ. have stayed at the Ahwahnee and Bright Angel Lodge.
The number of Asian tourists is mind boggling.

 

[F4Gary]

Will have to return for Antelope, Bryce, Zion, etc... wasn't our intention to do all of that in April.

Meh, you can do all that in a day...

 

[ReliableOstrich]

Meh, you can do all that in a day...

Yea no kidding man.

 

[RTM58]

I would go here.


NTIWM - M2: 7,5,6,2,1,4,8,3

https://huckberry.com/journal/posts/havasu-falls