Grand Canyon, 1 week, What to do/see???

Searched and learn alot, not the least of which was that Powslut manwhored for tata's about 4 years ago... :fmicon: but I digress...

Family Vacation this summer is a week in the Grand Canyon area. We are flying into Phoenix and staying in Sedona the first night then heading up the South Rim for a couple days before returning to Sedona Thursday night for a Friday flight home. Caveats: Focus is on seeing sights, and having fun. A short hike < 3-4 hours would be cool but this is a family event so serious hiking is out. North Rim is out of scope for this trip.

Planning on checking out Sedona / Red Rocks, Slide Rock Park and Canyon.

other reccos? Must see's?



Thanks!

"Every year, the blanket of smog over the canyon draws dozens of tourists from all over the world."

I like the North Rim. But it is a very long drive from the south Rim

Grand Canyon South Rim is a 1 day deal. Maybe take a mule ride to the bottom and back, buy the t-shirt head back to Sedona. Jeep tours around Sedona is a nice family thing. Maybe cut over to flagstaff before heading back down to Sedona?

I would like to ride The Grand Canyon Railway


http://www.railsnw.com/tours/grand/g...ions.htm#grand

The Train might add something extra that was not there last time I visited

Prudy country enjoy

Edit the big deal on the south Rim is to be there for a sunrise.

Find some of these and you could see God:

http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/trave...oul3peyote.jpg

Go for a heli tour with papillon heli tours. Good way to get a different perspective of the landscape and you will see a lot more than riding on a sweaty ass.

Jet-a smells better than mule shit;)

Check out "city of the future", Arcosanti, south of Sedona: http://www.arcosanti.org/

It's kinda dated, but a cool concept for green-living started in the sixties. It's a painfully slow process, funded by donations and selling cast bells. It probably will never be done, but China's really building a similar city now, so maybe we will see if it works in our lifetime.

Reschedule for October, then spend the whole week in the canyon.

You should take whatever you have budgeted for the trip and go to Pittsburgh for tomorrow night's Red Wing victory.

But if you still end up going...
Driving up Oak Creek from Sedona to Flag is gorgeous. I think there's a way to make a loop on the way back through Strawberry, not sure. The little town of Jerome is worth checking out too.

At the Canyon, a great family friendly hike is down the South Kaibab. Ceder Ridge is about 2 miles down, and unfortunately 2 miles back up. There's a composting restroom there. The views are much better than the Bright Angel trail, but you have to take a free shuttle to get to it, which further diminishes the crowds.

Take the bus out to the East Rim. You can get off several times to walk a section then jump back on. My fave spot for sunsets or picnics is just west of the Yavapai observation station. Nice big flat rocks to hang out on, great view. Bright Angel lodge is best family dining, the two cafeterias aren't bad, and breakfast at the El Tovar can be fun, bit fancier. If you feel like another road trip Page is 3 hours or so, maybe less. Cool flatwater motor raft trip down the last remaining section of Glen Canyon is pretty impressive for non-western type folks...I'm sure i'll think of other stuff later.

You do realize that Summer is about the worst season to go to the desert, right?

Summer=worst / Reschedule to Oct etc: Understood but unforetunately not an option.

Tye - Good stuff, thanks and by all means keep it coming.

Heli tour - if eco unfriendly is appealing. Foretuneately for Al Gore, I'm unlikley to pony up the coin for 4 heli rides.

Cliff, thanks for the postive contribution and amazing insight.


MTT: One day for serial? This is important as we were thinking 3 days up that way... might have to make some other hotel reservations...

Tipp, I grew up in Mexico... :D


Keep the beta coming folks... and thanks!

Wierd... I repleid but it did not bump the thread nor did my bump post show as the last post in the Padded Room Thread menu...
Anyway - times runing short so I'm bumping for more beta...

I posted yesterday but despite all of our cool new features on TGR (yeah...) the post accuracy seems to be less than 100%.

Anyhoo, I would suggest hiking and the North Rim but they're obviously, unfortunately out. If your family, or parts of your family, are nature-inclined I think that looking up the ranger walk/talks for the day before you get there or immediately uponarrival would be excellent. Throughout the day on the South Rim there are rangers giving lectures, walk & talks, kids activity sessions, etc. I think they average 3-4 per any given hour. Some of the rangers around there are extremely interesting and/or kid-friendly. If you have a chance to learn about the California Condors, do it. The Grand Canyon is home to either the largest or second-largest population of them. They like to watch tourists on the South Canyon Rim to see if any keel over. You may get to see a few.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tippster

Find some of these and you could see God:

http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/trave...oul3peyote.jpg

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those are typically found in the Chihuahuan Desert and not the Sonoran Desert.

A couple hundred miles too north to even be close to finding any of those, but I'm sure you'll see plenty of opunta engelmanii and larea trydenta

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MTT

I like the North Rim.

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Ditto North rim. I don't like a crowds North rim is more isolated and very close to Lees Ferry, The best trout fishing in the world!

Does the Flintstones Village still exist on the drive up to the South Rim? That ought to kill at least an hour. There's a goat in one of those Flintstone's houses. Highly recommended.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FJ62

Does the Flintstones Village still exist on the drive up to the South Rim? That ought to kill at least an hour. There's a goat in one of those Flintstone's houses. Highly recommended.

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That's the one at Valle, about 20 minutes south of Tusayan, where the roads from Williams and Flag meet. Not sure if that's still open or not. Could also stop at the ski hill in Flag and take the chair up to the top. There's a really cool hike just north of Flag, if you are heading up toward the east entrance to the Canyon at Desert View. It's up the Inner Basin in the Coconino forest. Cool forest, looking up at Humphrey's Peak, highest point in AZ. http://www.arizonahikingtrails.com/h...nnerbasin.html

Check out the Tonto Natural Bridge State Park. I studied geology at the U of A and was fortunate enough to see a lot of Arizona and this is a little known state park with water year round and some great swimming holes. One of my favorite spots in AZ and fairly close to Sedona, short hike to the water and bridge and kid friendly.

http://www.americansouthwest.net/ari...tate_park.html

Sunset crater just north of Flagstaff is a good hike. Much higher, and cooler then the Grand Canyon. There is a cool Anasazi(sp?) village just down slope from Flagstaff, on the way to the south rim. The Indian ruins scene from "Easy Rider" were filmed there. Cool place to get stoned or shroomed, but alas it is a family trip.

Thanks all, some interesting ideas here... any more? T minus 6 days...

If you are into artsy shops and stuff, I thought Jerome was kind of cool last time i was down that way. 20 miles west of Sedona.

http://www.azjerome.com/

Hey now that I think about it You might kill two half days?

In a perfect world, Show up in the afternoon, Check into Hotel.

Drive to various look out spots (OHH AHH) thats purdy.

1.5 hours later. Buy T-Shirts and (Insert Tourist junk) you prefer.

Then Figure out where to eat. Eat a fastish food dinner finish before Sunset.

Go to Various Senic overlooks a second time to Watch the Sun set into the Grand Canyon.

Next morning GET UP EARLY. Go to Eastern Side of Grand Canyon Watch the Sun Rise into the Canyon (I found this best) Very romantic got the wife real reved up for the entire day.


Anyway, Watch Sunrise, Go eat nice breakfast at place on the Canyon.
Go back to Hotel Check -Out. Then?? What Mule ride of hike to the Botom?
Buy some more tourist shit? LEAVE!

24 Hours Tops