Grand Canyon
Adjectives, superlatives, and even adverbs will ultimately fail to capture the true magnificence and, yes, grandeur, of the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. It truly is a sight to be seen in order to be comprehended in terms of its scale and timelessness. I am most surprised by how long it took before we would visit given that we had been in the general area before, sometimes quite close actually, and had even had brilliant fly-overs at least twice courtesy of Delta Airlines, completely coincidentally of course. But this was our focused on the Canyon trip; finally we were going to do it.
Getting There
Getting to the Canyon is deceptive and it might look like Las Vegas would be a great portal and it is fine if you don’t want to visit the actual Grand Canyon National Park, at least in less than the roughly 9 hours it would take you to drive from Las Vegas to the South Rim Park Entrance. Granted, the North Rim Entrance, only open in the summer, would be shorter but still a good drive. The Grand Canyon adventures and fly-overs promoted so heavily in Las Vegas on the streets and elsewhere actually take you to a section of the Canyon in an Indian Reservation and it is here you will find the Skywalk and other attractions but while these feature the geological Grand Canyon, it is not the National Park.
For us, the best route was to fly into Phoenix Sky Harbor International on non-stop Delta Airlines service and then drive north on easy to use Interstate 17. If you don’t mind connections, or happen to live in one of limited cities that has flight connections to Flagstaff (we hate them, and we don’t) you could fly in directly there. Private aircraft can fly to practically the gate of the Park, but I don’t think anyone reading this will find that information useful.
Flagstaff
Flagstaff itself is a nice small city, home of the Northern Arizona University and as such has a young, earth-friendly feel to it. It is easy to navigate and has all the services and amenities that any traveler could possibly need. We used it as a base, staying at the Embassy Suites, for further exploration. And we discovered a fantastic Thai restaurant, Pato Thai, and if you are in Flagstaff and remotely like Thai cooking, this is a great find in the scenic old downtown that has been extensively restored and modernized without killing its character.
Flagstaff is also part of the Highway 66 craze and if you are following the so-called “Mother Road” you will pass through, and likely stay, perhaps at one of the older, but still presumably serviceable, hotels that so famously lined the Route.
Remember that you are up in elevation here, 7,000 feet, so snow can be an issue later into the year. We had just missed a good sized storm so lots of snow was piled up in parking lots and about, but we were not inconvenienced by it. But if planning travel to the area, remember to check forecasts and consider layered clothing any time of year. It might look like desert, but it can still be cold!
On to the Canyon Itself and Back
We took off due north out of Phoenix on US 180 connecting to Arizona 64 which proved to be a decent road through lovely pine forest lightly dusted with snow. It is worth remembering that, unlike other approaches to the National Park, this route is routinely plowed and kept open, which won’t mean that you wouldn’t need chains or snow tires in the winter, just that it is kept open year round. The route to the North Rim via Utah is not kept open.
On arrival in the National Park itself, I could hardly believe that it was April! The place was rapidly approaching packed and there were even tour buses about. I felt confident that coming this early in the year would avoid crowds, so one can only imagine the packed madness that it must be in peak season. A word to the wise here as well; if you want to visit the Grand Canyon, try to do it off season, spring or fall perhaps better than winter depending on what activities you crave, but summer peak season has to be madness.
It is easy to see why so many people want to come to the Canyon since it is truly stunning it in its coloration and magnitude. We really had a good sense of scale when we could hear a helicopter doing a tour from the airport (expensive) but we had a hard time seeing the craft since it was so small in comparison to the scale of the canyon. It was a sight to see. But I had to laugh yesterday when I had a note from a dear friend who knew we had just been to the Grand Canyon and she said that while it really was pretty after about 20 minutes she was ready to go! I totally agree! For us the reality was that unless you were really good with LOTS of time spent on the shuttle buses or if you were not a serious hiker ready for at least 10 miles in punishing terrain, the attractions were limited. It was worth seeing but I would recommend seeing it in conjunction with other more accessible parks like Bryce Canyon and Zion, both in neighboring Utah. In fact, there are actually tour companies that do these routes if you don’t want to drive and rates are reasonable. Or just do it yourself in the summer seasons when all roads are open since the roads are well paved and maintained. It just didn’t strike as a specific destination park for us. The drive back out the east and then south to Flagstaff was at first pretty and then tedious, but it is the Southwest and there is always going to be some tedium no matter what they tell you!
Observing Flagstaff
The next day we took advantage of Flagstaff’s other big iconic sight which is the Lowell Observatory. It was from this location that Pluto was discovered, regardless of whether you think it is a planet or it isn’t (it probably isn’t L ). I thought the scale solar system walk was great and it was interesting to get so up close and personal with the actual equipment used for so many great observations. And the gift shop is pretty nifty too. If you are in the area, or even barreling by on I-40, give it a visit.
Back Through Sedona
The drive back to Phoenix is pretty tedious for certain so we really were looking forward to the much hyped Sedona. Now, it might really be your thing and you might want to spend a week at a spa here, but I didn’t even want to stop. That many fudge and taffy shops can only mean tourist trap to me, selling the same crap from the same factory in China as Walmart I suspect and I just don’t believe in energy “vortexes” that influence my life. Maybe I really am missing out but I just don’t think so. And the rock coloration and formation is MUCH better farther north in Monument Valley, and dare I say it again, Bryce/Zion. If all you have time and energy for is a short desert jaunt from Phoenix then maybe it would be all right but it left us flat.
Phoenix, Home, and Final Thoughts
Phoenix has all the big city amenities that you would expect including museums and shopping. It is also reported to have great spas for those so inclined. For us it was a base to spend the night to be rested for a mid-day flight home. Be careful where you are in Phoenix at night especially. The area around the airport was not nice and I am not too squeamish.
Overall I am glad we went to see the Grand Canyon if for no other reason than that I can say I did it and now I know what it is and what the hype is about. It might not be my personal all-time favorite but that doesn’t mean that another won’t find things to occupy at least a week or more of great and fulfilling fun and adventure. In the end, be your own guide!