Grand Canyon Trip

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
firewhatfire

firewhatfire

Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2011
Messages
3,813
Location
Columbiana, Alabama
I and my family will be taking my in-laws to the Grand Canyon for their 50th wedding anniversary next year. I have already figured out its cheaper to fly into Vegas and drive over. Does anyone have any great tips for places to stay(bed and breakfast) or best side of the canyon to stay on. What other hidden gems are there that they would like to see. planning a week long trip:bulgy-eyes: and it will be the first time either of them has ever flown.:eek:

Any help at all will be greatly appreciated.

Phil
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
We went to Phoenix in '09 drove to Flagstaff, spent the night in a nice motel across from a '50s diner, where we enjoyed a fulfilling breakfast. Then headed to Sedona, where there are nice gift shops, and views of red rocks and mountains. Really neat place. Proceded to the south rim of the canyon, which was just awesome. I don't think you will find a bad view from anywhere. Sorry I don't remember what motel it was. Have a great trip.
 
That is my back yard (here in the southwest we view distances different than the rest of the country).

What time of year are you heading this way?
 
If it was me, I would skip the Grand Canyon and head up into Utah. Bryce Canyon, Arches, Zion plus dozens of other great places.

Also, don't plan on riding a mule down into the canyon if you or anybody in your party is "normal" sized. They told me the only way I was going down into the canyon with a mule is if I carried one on my back:rolleyes:! Weight limit is around 200 - 220lbs. The needle on my scale hasn't pointed anywhere near those numbers in 40 years.

Ed
 
If you ck with AAA , they advetise a train trip that is fairly priced . It leaves out of Willits and you spend the night at the motel at the canyon and return the next day. I think they have family packages. It's there off season , or its about ready to start. AAA members get a discount.
ps: I just reread you in quirry and see this is planed for next year. You might be able to book ahead for a better rate.
 
Frank Nemke sr. said:
If you ck with AAA , they advetise a train trip that is fairly priced . It leaves out of Willits and you spend the night at the motel at the canyon and return the next day. I think they have family packages. It's there off season , or its about ready to start. AAA members get a discount.
ps: I just reread you in quirry and see this is planed for next year. You might be able to book ahead for a better rate.
Click to expand...
Google" Grand Canyon Railway"
 
firewhatfire said:
My wife says we are gonna stay in Sedona.
Click to expand...


Book ahead... when my wife and I visited Sedona a few years back, we drove in late in the evening and there wasn't a motel to be had, they had been booked up for weeks..... we actually wound up staying in Cottonwood about 15 or 20 miles out of Sedona.... but definitely see Sedona... it's a gorgeous place and if I had any money at all, would love to live there.
 
firewhatfire said:
My wife says we are gonna stay in Sedona.
Click to expand...

Sounds like this trip may be easier than you thought!!!!

How does your wife say you are going to see the Canyon?
Which side does she say you will be on?
Did she mention when you will be going to bed, yet?

See, planning these trips can be very simple!!!!!

"YES, DEAR!"


That's all you need to know:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
​
 
Getting her to decide the hotel was easy. All I have to do is suggest a bed and breakfast and next thing I know we are booked at a Hilton or Hyatt. Her idea of roughing it is a place that does not have room service.

Its gonna cost me more for the hotel rooms than for 6 round trip airline tickets.

She has decided I get to drive them everywhere we go. Gonna ride the Verde Train as opposed to the Grand Canyon railway.
 
The Verde train will be nice. I have wanted to do that for some time!

I would recommend the North Rim. It is much quieter there (fewer people) and it is beautiful! One of my better memories was having dinner with my Wife at sunset in the lodge at the North Rim. What a view! You can still see the sights along the south rim - you should, it's the thing to do. But if you can make it around to the North Rim for at least one night, you will be glad you did!

Scott.
 
Hey Phil,
You are a good man/husband.
Doing the trip with the in-laws is a good thing. We went with my in-laws(2003) for a short trip to Natural Bridge, VA. 2-3 days. It was such a great time and memorable trip. My in-laws took an out west trip by car before that and were gone almost a month. However, they ran into snow and some of the parks were closed. We didn't go but do have some video they took. My in-laws are both gone now(2004 & 2005). We cherish our memories of those good times and wish they were still here. Enjoy while you can.
 
Sedona

While in Sedona, check out the Pink Jeep Tours. We have had fun when we did them. By the way, as you travel north out of Phoenix, you come to Sedona, Flagstaff, then Grand Canyon.
 
Well the trip is scheduled. I will be in Sedona from May 29-Jun 3. We booked a Villa somewhere on Oak Creek. Doing the Verde Canyon Railway and booked the caboose on it. My paw-in-law is a car guy so I made him a pen from a piece of wood that came from a building on Route 66 and set a route 66 button in the finial. We are of course doing the Grand Canyon. THinking we may ride up to Winslow AZ and be part of an Eagles song(Take It Easy) not set in stone there.

What else should we do?

Reckon I better pack any pens just in case I run into a pen guy or girl to swap with?

Phil
 
I got engaged when I decided to change jobs and move from VA to AZ back in 97. I flew back to VA got married and then brought the wife back to AZ and we spent our honeymoon in Sedona at a bed and breakfast. Then drove up to the Grand Canyon for one of the days.

In Sedona there are a ton of gift shops. My favorite spot turned out to be a gallery in town called the BearCloud Gallery. I'm not really into art but this is an indian that does these paintings and you can stare at them for 20 minutes and keep finding hidden objects. Some things are obvious like the clouds forming an array of galloping horses but there are other items that really blend in and you don't notice them at first.
Welcome to Bearcloud's Gallery

By the way I had more fun driving around and photographing the rock formations in Sedona than I did at the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon all starts to look the same. I think I would prefer to get in shape and hike the canyon.

When my parents came to town one year we took them up to Sedona for part of the day and then stayed at a hotel near the Grand Canyon. The next day we got stuck with one of those days where clouds filled the Canyon and there were no views. So I talked them into driving east and then north up to the Utah border where we got to see part of Monument Valley. The drive getting there is quite scenic. Then drove south and stayed in a hotel for the night. Got up 3rd day and drove to the Petrified Forest which was a drive through park and then onto Meteor Crater which is 35 miles east of Flagstaff. Then back down past Sedona to where we lived in Tucson. So we kinda did a whirlwind tour making a big loop in AZ.

Good luck with the trip.
 
Kayenta, AZ --- Monument Valley

Phil,

You can research this a bit and find the real deal on it.

Monument Valley, is near the town of Kayenta. Northeast on 160 if memory serves from Grand Canyon. Remember some of the old John Wayne films, if you're a credit reader like me you would have seen "filmed in Monumnet Valley." Tall, magnificent rock formations. It is conducted by native Indian guides, they supply the vehicle. Half day or full day trip, at the time was offered.

If your family are Railroading Fans, you can ride via rail from a town nearby right into the Grand Canyon. Steam in off season (polution), and diesel in tourist season.

Enjoy,

Charlie
 
El Tovar hotel on the south rim is pretty neat. Book way in advance! Gotta go to Jerome, AZ and Prescott, AZ besides Sedona.
 
Phil, If you are going to do the
Grand Canyon I recommend the North Rim rather than the South Rim. It is not as commercial and less kids. Ed, was also correct about taking in Utah and their state parks like Bryce and Zion. Zion's appeal is that it is the only one where you are at the bottom looking up instead of at the top looking down. A nice prospective
 
If you are staying in Sedona, then plan on visiting the south side of the canyon. I read somewhere that most people only stay at the canyon for about a hour, which seems too short a time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom