Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with grandcanyon

How to make the most of a very brief trip to Arizona

horses, of courses — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 18:55:09 -0800

I am looking for advice about places to stay and things to do on a trip through Phoenix, Flagstaff, the Grand Canyon and Sedona. My mom is going to be in Phoenix for a conference soon and since neither of us have spent much time out west we decided to make a little vacation out of it. Help us make the most of it! After two days on my own in Phoenix, on Sunday afternoon/evening we are going to drive to Flagstaff. Monday we will drive to the Grand Canyon for the day and then return to the same hotel in Flagstaff. On Tuesday we want to see Sedona on our way back to Phoenix. Tuesday night we will sleep somewhere in Phoenix (probably just close to the airport) and then Wednesday morning we will both fly home.

As these are the biggest areas where I lack knowledge, can anyone help us out with…

1) More than anything else, we are looking for suggestions for what to do in Sedona. With only one day, what would you do? I have read suggestions in previous threads but most of those askers had more time! We are mostly looking to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors. Walking and light hiking would generally be our preferred activity.

2) Any suggestions on places to stay and things to do in Flagstaff and Phoenix? As it’ll be largely unused, we’d rather not spend much on our room, but we’re flexible on cost. Are any of the museums worthwhile? Any cool coffee shops or unique shopping districts? What about solo excursions, as I’ll have two days on my own while my mom is at her conference?

3) My mom injured her knee recently and while she is fine for all normal activity and even moderate hiking we certainly won’t be trying to make the trek down into the Grand Canyon. How can we make the most of our trip while mostly staying along the rim?

4) Also, as a bonus, my mom is a pescetarian and I rarely eat meat, so any suggestions for good vegetarian food in any of these locations will be greatly appreciated.

Meteor-watching at the Grand Canyon

pluckemin — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 20:37:07 -0800

I'll be at the Grand Canyon during the peak of the Perseids. Help me make the most of the experience. For the first time ever, I won't be in a major city during a meteor shower -- in fact, I'll be camping with a couple of friends at the Grand Canyon on the night of August 11th, which is when the Perseids are supposed to peak. What should we do to get the most out of the experience?

From what I've read, the meteors gain in frequency after around 11 p.m., peaking right before dawn. But what does "right before dawn" mean? According to the U.S. Naval Observatory website, this is the sunrise data for the Grand Canyon on August 12th:

Begin civil twilight 5:17 a.m.
Sunrise 5:45 a.m.

I'm assuming that means the sky starts to get light at 5:17, and the sun actually starts to appear at 5:45. So then when should we aim to see the shower? Should we just stay up late that night and watch them at around 11? Should we wake up before dawn and watch both the meteor shower and the sunrise? (How early would we have to do that?)

And, on a more Grand-Canyon-specific note, where should we go to do either of those things? We'll be staying at Mather campground, and we'll have a car.

Finally, if we manage to screw this up and somehow miss the peak, is all lost or will there still be an impressive show the next night?

Thanks in advance!

One extra day for the most special park in the South West?

Jimmie — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:48:01 -0800

For an upcoming Las Vegas trip in May, I have an extra day in my Southwest tour- Zion, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, and Death Valley- which of those places would it be most worthwhile to spend the most time? I have planned a 7 day trip, with my flight arriving in Las Vegas. Las Vegas will only be 2 out of those 7 days. I have allotted one day each for

Zion National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon
Death Valley

I am quite sure two days for Las Vegas (or 2.5 if you could the half of a day on my arrival) is more than enough. I have one day free- at which of the four parks would an extra day be well spent? What could we do?

From what I see online, Zion and Bryce look the most amazing, but perhaps I won't have to spend as much time in those two places than I would at Grand Canyon... seeing as how they're not as vast and Grand(?) as the Grand Canyon? Death Valley seems do-able in just one day, but again I am not sure.

OR, if we spend a day at Red Rock Canyon, would that be a little redundant and have a similar feel after we go to the places above?

Typically, we're just walking and hiking sorta people and don't do group tours (we're cheap). But perhaps we could spend a bit more for a something different like one of those organized Mule ride trips?

Also, any recommendations on cheap places to stay overnight during the drives from Zion --> Bryce, Bryce --> Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon --> Death Valley (near Las Vegas, but not Las Vegas itself). We don't have any camping equipment and aren't really interested in investing in that sort of thing (esp since we live in a tiny apartment), so unfortunately that's not an option.

When in Las Vegas, where to stay?

Rabarberofficer — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 08:24:39 -0800

[your personal recommendations-filter] Stayin in Las Vegas in May. Help me find a suitable accomodation that won't break the bank. Bonus-karma-points for personal pointers to the best way to visit Grand Canyon, when we're in those necks of the wood. Girlfriend and I will be in Las Vegas in May. What's a suitable hotel to stay at - looking for your personal experiences. We're looking for a nice, clean and (yes) cheap hotel.

We're also trying to get out to Grand Canyon at some point: Will it be easiest to book a tour, rent a car or get there by Greyhound-bus (if that's even possible). Again: Your personal experiences and recommendations are most welcome.

Heck, anything that will make our stay enjoyable in the city of sin is welcome. We're just an ordinary European couple passing through the Nevada desert en route to some friends. Go ahead, throw us a curveball (if that's the correct use of the phrase).

Advice for a trip to Zion and Grand Canyon

postergeist — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 20:02:57 -0800

Travel Suggestion Filter: I need some advice about preferences, weather conditions and practical stuff relating to a trip i'm planning in Zion National Park and Grand Canyon Hi all,

My wife and I are leaving the big city in search of wide open spaces, quiet and serenity. Our plan is to fly into Las Vegas and head out immediately. We don't have much time (5 full days) and it will be between October 25 and 30, I've rented a 4wd SUV and am considering 2 options:

1. Northern Mojave Preserve and Death Valley - driving through dunes, canyons, old ghost towns, 4wd tracks. Sounds like fun but I hear the weather can still be brutally hot in the valley even in October. This is a safer option.

2. Zion National Park or Bryce Canyon and then driving down to the grand canyon at Tuweep / Toroweap. Both these options look amazing but can anyone tell me what kind of weather I can expect in late october in these places? Has anyone ever driven the small roads to Tuweep / Toroweap from southern Utah? How long would it take to drive those roads? Looks like I will head south via St. George on I-15 then Route 5. If I take the drive down there I would spend 2-3 days there to make it worth the trip.

I really really want to do option 2 but want to hear your opinions. If its going to be really cold and take all day to drive these roads then I may be dissuaded.

Thanks everyone!

Good Times in the Southwest

slowfasthazel — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 13:24:01 -0800

What should we see during our week in the Southwest? My boyfriend and I have planned a week long trip to New Mexico and Arizona.

We will be there the third week in May and the itinerary is:

-Saturday afternoon: fly into Albuquerque, pick up rental car, drive to Santa Fe, we'll be staying with family

-Wednesday morning: drive to the Grand Canyon, we'll be staying at a hotel at the South Rim

-Friday morning: drive to the Phoenix area, staying overnight with more family

-Saturday night: fly home from Phoenix

We would love some recommendations for awesome places to visit, good places to eat, other cool stops to check out along the way. We are anticipating doing at least one day trip when we are in Santa Fe and spending Thursday hiking around the rim.

We like off-beat, crazy roadside attraction type of fun, if that helps. (Having said that, we are staying at the touristy South Rim, because previous Grand Canyon posts said that was the best way for a first timer--in this case me--to get the full blown Grand Canyon experience.)

Bonus points: I really want to see a ghost town, but the internet is giving me mixed reviews about which ones are worth it. Something within a 3 hour radius of Santa Fe, or on on the way to the Grand Canyon would be ideal.

Thanks!

Going West with Young Men.

Dave Faris — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 12:06:33 -0800

Summertime Roadtrip : My brother and a couple of my nephews have been contemplating trying to make the quintessential western american road trip this summer. We're planning on flying into a major city ... probably Denver or Las Vegas (though we're open to other suggestions) and renting a convertible, then driving to some major destination, but taking our time doing it. We were talking about either the Grand Canyon or maybe Yosemite. We're willing to devote as long as a week for the whole trip, and ideally, we'd use camp parks for part of the trip and cheap motels every couple of days to wash off the road grime.

Have you ever done such a trip? Are there pluses or minuses to any of the thoughts I've laid out above? Do you have any advice to make the trip better? Thanks in advance.

Help me make the best of two days in Arizona

saraswati — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 08:52:33 -0800

I'll be in Tempe, AZ for a week on business in late October and I get the weekend to myself. What would you see if you had two days and two nights to yourself in the area? I've been before several years ago and saw Sedona and Flagstaff. I plan to pass through Sedona again and also visit the canyon which I missed last time. I'm nerdy and enjoy nature and American history, if that helps.

Since I plan on going to the canyon I'm thinking about visiting southern Utah (specifically Zion National Park), is it worth it?

Any restaurant suggestions are also appreciated. Thanks!

have car, will travel

cwhitfcd — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 06:45:26 -0800

What is a good LA > Vegas > San Fran roadtrip itinerary that incorporates some national park visits? I'll be doing a roadtrip in November from LA (Victorville) to Vegas then eventually end up in San Fran on the 16th. We have 10-11 days available and aside from spending a couple nights in Vegas we would like to visit some of the fantastic state and national parks in the area. Death Valley, Bryce, Zion and the Canyon all look interesting but I'm not sure what is feasible given the time available, distances involved and the weather that time of year.

Rim to Rim at the Grand Canyon?

ph00dz — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 18:49:56 -0800

What's it like to run/hike from rim to rim in the Grand Canyon, all in one day? I'm in pretty good shape and I live in Arizona, so I figure that I'll run from one side of the Grand Canyon to the other. Might as well, considering it's close by and I've always wanted to try it. I have all the requisite gear -- a camelbak 'n' all that good stuff, as well as a wife who will pick me up on the other side of the run.

I figure it'll be about 20-24 miles... which is well within my running range.

With all that said, I guess I'm just curious to hear from other folks who might've done it. When's the best time of year to go? What trails did you take? Did you go South to North... or vice versa? Was it more brutal than you expected? Is it a horrible idea to do it alone? (And if it is, how the heck can I find other folks who want to do this?)

Is there anything else that I should keep in mind?

Looking for short road trip ideas from Los Angeles with a photography theme

willnot — Thu, 04 May 2006 09:42:46 -0800

I have some vacation time coming up. Rather than one big trip, I'm thinking about taking 2 or 3 short little road trips (3 to 5 days each). Los Angeles is my starting point. Photography is my main activity. Where should I go, and where should I stay when I get there? I tend to stay in my hotel room if I'm not scheduled out the wazoo when traveling, so I'd need a list of activities that I should do in each area.

I'm definitely thinking about the California central coast area because I've never been to Hearst Castle, and I'm pretty interested in seeing it. I found a few questions/threads dealing with that area, but the focus was on romance more than photography.

Those threads all contained several recommendations for staying at the Madonna Inn, but it looks a bit too kitschy for my tastes. I'd be looking for comfort, value and if possible free WiFi in that order.

I've also considered Joshua Tree. I've never done any desert photography. I'm interested, but also concerned about my lack of desert experience and the fact that I'd be alone.

I've also considered the Grand Canyon which I've seen from the top Chevy Chase style, but didn't actually ever hike down into.

I've also considered Carlsbad Caverns, but that seems like it's farther than I'd like to drive unless it's really, really worth it.

What else should I consider, and what else should I know about those various destination choices? Trips are last minute and would be happening sometime in May.

Grand Canyoning

inigo2 — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 12:21:32 -0800

I need some help finalizing plans for a Grand Canyon trip. I'm just having some trouble finding good solutions for a couple things. I've checked out two of the better previous Grand Canyon askme's (4 days in Las Vegas and Grand Canyon and Grand camping?) but I still have some questions based on my specific trip. My girlfriend and I are flying into Vegas late evening (land at 9:30pm or so) May 9th (coming from DC, if it matters); the entire purpose of the trip is the Canyon (or surrounding area), and we have little to no interest in staying in Vegas (we've both been there before). We have camping gear, and want to do as many nights camping as we can. Our schedule right now consists of camping at Havasupai Reservation (Indian reservation) on the nights of 5/11, 5/12, and 5/13. We fly out (of Vegas) at 12:30AM on 5/16. So, I have a few questions:

First, when we get into Vegas should we just go straight from the airport to pick up our rental car, and start driving at night? We're thinking about driving to the Grand Canyon Caverns & Inn, and spending (what's left of) the night there. Is driving overnight like that a bad idea? One of the earlier questions linked above noted spending the night at Boulder City; better or worse idea than mine?

Second, where should we try to spend the night of 5/14? Some more background on our trip, and our original plans (since the answer to this question might involve changing other nights, too, which I'm not against). We definitely definitely want to spend time at the Grand Canyon itself. Our original trip plan was to go to the South Rim, and then take a 3-day hike through to the North Rim. Unfortunately, there's no transportation from the North Rim back to the South Rim until 5/15...grrr.... Our next plan was to hike in from the South Rim, and go down to the river, camping for a night or two at some of the campgrounds. But, apparently we had to send our application in more than 4 months in advance (not that I'm bitter or anything)... So, that fell through, which is how we ended up with three nights at Havasu.

What do you think is the best way for us to spend that other night (5/14)? Is there any other way you can think of where we would be able to obtain camping permits, besides the standard application procedure?

We're also thinking about getting one of the helicopter rides out of Havasupai (save us the 8 mile hike, plus it'd be neat). Comments?

And should we try to schedule in time to hit Hoover Dam on the way back to Vegas?

Hopefully this all made sense. I'll participate in the thread as much as possible to clear up anything that may be confusing...

Thanks a ton for any suggestions.

4 days in Las Vegas and Grand Canyon

darsh — Wed, 09 Nov 2005 06:54:02 -0800

We're spending 4 days in Las Vegas after thanksgiving, and would like to drive to the Grand Canyon. Need advice on how long to spend in each place. I know it's a 5-6 hour drive from Vegas to the South Rim, and we're planning on staying at the Canyon. However, is it worth staying for 2 nights? We can't do a long hike down into the canyon, but we're definitely up for longish walk, horseback rides etc. We're vacillating between 2 nights in Vegas and 2 at the Grand Canyon, or 3 nights in Vegas and one at the Canyon.
additional info in case it's relevant - arriving on a monday evening, leaving on a friday night.

How should I go about visiting the Grand Canyon?

autojack — Sat, 08 Oct 2005 18:34:01 -0800

How should I go about visiting the Grand Canyon? My friend and I will be driving from Boston to L.A. three weeks from now. Along the way, we plan to stop at the Grand Canyon because neither of us have ever been there. Can anyone who has been recommend places to stay (we'll be there two nights, and just have one day at the canyon itself), parts of the canyon to see, or other things we should keep in mind when visiting? It has been many years since I have been to one of the really huge national parks, so I don't have a sense of how easy it is to just walk up and look over the edge, so to speak. We'll be driving to the canyon from Denver, if that makes a difference.

Grand Canyon reward trip

growabrain — Sun, 14 Aug 2005 16:47:31 -0800

We want to take our company’s employees for a bonus trip to the Grand Canyon. We are based in Southern California, and there will be about 15 people, going for 4-5 days in mid-September. Any suggestions as far as extra special things to see or do for them? We are thinking helicopter ride, nice hotels, things like that... Thank you for some crazy ideas -

American West road trip

inviolable — Thu, 18 Dec 2003 21:51:41 -0800

A buddy and I are going on a road trip starting the 28th of December for 8 days. Our first destination is the Grand Canyon but after that, who knows. Being the anal retentive that I am, I sort of plotted out a route that took us from the GC to Zion then Bryce then Salt Lake City then across upper Nevada to Tahoe. I was wondering, is this too ambitious? Are there cooler things to see or places to visit? How about places to avoid?