Planning a trip to the Grand Canyon. Any advice?

[marshall2288]

I've never been west of the Mississippi River and have a STRONG desire to see the Grand Canyon this year. I would like any advice on travel, lodging, must see things, things that are overrated ext. I'm going to fly out from Jacksonville, FL and hope to spend 4-6 days out there. It will be my wife and I and our 2 kids (almost 3 and infant).

BTW, I've never traveled by plane before....

[ACfixer]

You'll probably need to fly in to Phoenix. You might be able to fly in to Flagstff from PHX but the ticket prices will probably kill you. PHX is a major hub and nonstop tickets into there on several carriers are available. Probably a three or four hour drive from PHX to the south rim. You can fly into Vegas as well, a little farther drive BUT you get to see Vegas instead of Phoenix. Probably the way I'd go. If you are going in the summer, book early, there are a couple Hotels right at the south rim but they'll fill fast and you'll have to stay in Williams, an hour's drive or so away provided they have rooms... it only get farther from there!

Nothing about the Grand Canyon is overrated, it is jaw dropping and there is no way any picture you've ever seen can give you even a hint as to it's size. Enjoy your trip!

Oh, I take that back, there is one thing... don't bother with that stupid skywalk. Very expensive and very overrated IMO, and they don't let you take pictures from it. Jip.

[Matt Jones]

I suggest staying in Flagstaff and making it a hub for doing a whole bunch of stuff during your stay...Sedona, Flagstaff, volcanoes, Indian ruins, Grand Canyon, etc. With the age of your kids I think 4-6 days at the GC is too long and Flagstaff is a very cool town. (I went to college there ).

ACfixer is correct about flying into Phoenix and driving up. Flagstaff has a fairly small airport.

As for hotels, Little America in Flag is older but still pretty nice.

Whatever you do, you'll love the area.

[MrTAteMyBalls]

Nice! I went when I was just a wee lad and I still remember it. Quite mindblowing even for an 8 year old....lol. Specifically we did a rafting trip down the river that I really enjoyed.

[Boobala]

If you plan to see the Meteor Crater while you're in the area.. see it first, 'cause it'll be a little bit of a disappointment if you see it after you see the Grand Canyon.

[googoobaby]

Petrified Forest

[swartzfeger]

Originally Posted by googoobaby

Petrified Forest

In addition to the meteor crater and painted desert/petrified forest already mentioned, check out Monument Valley in the four corners area.

Monument, for me, is even more stunning than the Canyon because you're right there, driving thru the buttes/mesas, etc. Hitting monument just prior to sunset is glorious.

A pic from my latest trip to MV:

[marshall2288]

Wow! Thats what I'm talking about! Living on the east coast my whole life I'm ready to see some stunning sun sets instead of rises.

[claudel]

When I do this trip again I'm probably gonna go

Las Vegas > St George Utah first day
Zion NP > second day



Capitol Reef NP/Fruita > third day



Previous tourists @ Capitol Reef

Drive from Capitol Reef NP > Mexican Hat, Utah fourth day, rest & recuperate.



Monument Valley > fifth day
Monument Valley > Glen Canyon NP > North Rim GC NP ( North Rim = less crowded, but much more driving, tough to do in a day )



or
Monument Valley > Flagstaff > South Rim GC NP ( check out Wupatki & the volcano east of Flagstaff )
for a day at the Canyon
sixth day
and then back to Las Vegas

It's a lot for 7 days, would be much better and less stressful in 10-11
There's lots of relatively inexpensive places to stay and eat on the way.

If you're into camping ( tough with young ones ) I can especially recommend Kodachrome Basin State Park in Central Utah

http://www.utah.com/stateparks/kodachrome.htm

Very clean & quiet with nice hot showers. Cheap.



We saw this little guy. He saw us first...

Last time I did this loop we camped and motelled on alternate nights which worked well for us, but not everyone likes sleeping outside...

It was tolerable, weather-wise in late October/early November, but much later can be risky.

It's also possible to fly into Las Vegas and book a bus tour of the Canyon of varying length that will eliminate a lot of the hassle and might be better with kids and limited time...

That's simpler, but you're stuck with their itinerary and with whoever else booked the tour...

I agree with the poster who advised to avoid the Skywalk... Large dollars, small thrills...

[Flogger59]

Have fun observing (and not being) one of the suicidal tourists on the South Rim, the kind that step over the fence and turn their backs to the chasm so their friends can take a picture. Why they do this I don't know. It's not like the backdrop gets any closer. Rangers told us that on an average year 8 people go over the side.

[RupertB]

A trip like this is top of the list for MrsB & I.

I can tell you from searching flights that, depending on your travel days, flying into PHX and out of LAS frequently comes up cheaper than one or the other.

Thinking two days at the South Rim, two days in Zion and three in LV for R&R.

Thanks to all who have weighed in so far.

[twinrider1]

Skywalk...anyone done it?

[Toe]

Originally Posted by twinrider1

Skywalk...anyone done it?

Yes, did it last summer. Not worth it. Very expensive, not half as impressive as it looks on pictures and you're not even allowed to bring your own camera onto the skywalk. I'd stick to South Rim and rather invest your additional time into parks that are in the area such as Bryce, Zion, Monument Valley and the in my opinion vastly underrated Mesa Verde NP.

[claudel]

Originally Posted by twinrider1

Skywalk...anyone done it?

Search the web for reviews...

Highlights:

Long drive on gravel road to admissions gate - ~1Hr
Exorbitant admission charge - ~US$75/head (?)
Private photography prohibited, although one can buy pix at a similar bargain rate... Personal cameras confiscated...
Great view...

[ACfixer]

Originally Posted by twinrider1

Skywalk...anyone done it?

Not me, my best bud has.

Terrible road getting there. Horribly expensive, I think $45 per person to access the reservation, then another $32 if you want to walk out on the Skywalk. No cameras or cell phones allowed but they will sell you a picture of yourself for $35. He said the facilities were awful.

Reading the reviews it doesn't sound like he was too off base.