Community Chat

[GCR18]

It's been a number of years. My BFF won an all expense trip to Scottsdale and took me. We went in February and it was cold. Flew into Phoenix and went to Flagstaff and Sedona on the way there. Stayed in a cabin at the GC. On the way back to Scottsdale, we went to the London bridge and the Hoover dam. We hit every tourist/historical place we could in four days, then stayed at a resort for the rest of the time. I'd like to do it again one day.

[missy1]

On 1/9/2014 Linders Back said:

On 1/9/2014 missyw1 said: Don't go to Grand Canyon Skywalk. Go to South Rim. Spring time, too cold. Go after April. Lots of hotels, shops and food.

Is there a reason why you suggest not going to the Skywalk? I think it looks amazing.

Very expensive. Also, you can't take pictures on it. On the south rim you go where you want to go. It depends what other places you want to see. West Rim Skywalk- Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, Lake Mead or South Rim- Flagstaff, Sedona and Snow Bowl.

[deeva]

I would not go to the Grand Canyon in February, too cold. April is a nightmare with all of the kids on Spring break. We went the week before Memorial Day. The weather was great and it wasn't too crowded. And stayed in Sedona but took a day trip to the Canyon. We plan to take another trip to see the North Rim, which is less crowded.

[Financialgrl]

My SIL and I went in October a few years ago. We stayed overnight in Williams and took the Grand Canyon Railroad in (about a 2-2.5 hr train ride in). It was very nice - it had about an hour of onboard entertainment (old cowboys singing old cowboy songs and storytelling) - and on the way back a staged train robbery. None of that was really my thing but the older people and children onboard seemed to like it. It was very relaxing. The train depot is located directly behind the El Tovar Hotel. You get off off at the platform and you walk up a lot of steps (or the ramp) and at the top the canyon lies before you. The day lasted from about 10 am to about 4 or 5pm. It was plenty of time for us. You can make your train ressies and coordinate it with staying in the park at one of the lodges and take your return train trip back to the train station a few days later if you so choose. They offered light snacks going there and coming back.

October was beautiful - we woke to ice on our car windows. We drove to the train station, parked and they had a cowboy show before we boarded the train. It was probably 60 degrees when we arrived at the canyon and by 1:30 or 2pm the temps were absolutely perfect.

[Linders Back]

On 1/9/2014 missyw1 said:

On 1/9/2014 Linders Back said:

On 1/9/2014 missyw1 said: Don't go to Grand Canyon Skywalk. Go to South Rim. Spring time, too cold. Go after April. Lots of hotels, shops and food.

Is there a reason why you suggest not going to the Skywalk? I think it looks amazing.

Very expensive. Also, you can't take pictures on it. On the south rim you go where you want to go. It depends what other places you want to see. West Rim Skywalk- Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, Lake Mead or South Rim- Flagstaff, Sedona and Snow Bowl.

WOW, just read the YELP reviews. Guess we can scratch the Skywalk off the Bucket List. THanks.

[missy1]

On 1/9/2014 BeanCounter17 said:

My SIL and I went in October a few years ago. We stayed overnight in Williams and took the Grand Canyon Railroad in (about a 2-2.5 hr train ride in). It was very nice - it had about an hour of onboard entertainment (old cowboys singing old cowboy songs and storytelling) - and on the way back a staged train robbery. None of that was really my thing but the older people and children onboard seemed to like it. It was very relaxing. The train depot is located directly behind the El Tovar Hotel. You get off off at the platform and you walk up a lot of steps (or the ramp) and at the top the canyon lies before you. The day lasted from about 10 am to about 4 or 5pm. It was plenty of time for us. You can make your train ressies and coordinate it with staying in the park at one of the lodges and take your return train trip back to the train station a few days later if you so choose. They offered light snacks going there and coming back.

October was beautiful - we woke to ice on our car windows. We drove to the train station, parked and they had a cowboy show before we boarded the train. It was probably 60 degrees when we arrived at the canyon and by 1:30 or 2pm the temps were absolutely perfect.

At Christmas the GC railroad has the Polar Express with Santa. The Deer Farm is also close by. You can freely touch and feed deer.

[Marienkaefer2]

On 1/9/2014 BeanCounter17 said:

My SIL and I went in October a few years ago. We stayed overnight in Williams and took the Grand Canyon Railroad in (about a 2-2.5 hr train ride in). It was very nice - it had about an hour of onboard entertainment (old cowboys singing old cowboy songs and storytelling) - and on the way back a staged train robbery. None of that was really my thing but the older people and children onboard seemed to like it. It was very relaxing. The train depot is located directly behind the El Tovar Hotel. You get off off at the platform and you walk up a lot of steps (or the ramp) and at the top the canyon lies before you. The day lasted from about 10 am to about 4 or 5pm. It was plenty of time for us. You can make your train ressies and coordinate it with staying in the park at one of the lodges and take your return train trip back to the train station a few days later if you so choose. They offered light snacks going there and coming back.

October was beautiful - we woke to ice on our car windows. We drove to the train station, parked and they had a cowboy show before we boarded the train. It was probably 60 degrees when we arrived at the canyon and by 1:30 or 2pm the temps were absolutely perfect.

Thanks for mentioning this. I was going to if you hadn't. I lived in northern Arizona for many years. We used to take our middle school students on field trips on the train.

Other things to see in that region: Camp Verde andMontezuma' s Castle, Walnut Canyon , Meteor Crator, and Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff.

Also, if you take the scenic ride in Highway 89 from Sedona to Flagstaff through Oak Creek Canyon, or vice versa, at the top.of the highway just before Flag, there is a marvelous Market of Native American jewelry . It's very informal in a small park, but it's been there for

decades., and the jewelry is spectacular. You must not miss it!

[missy1]

The famous Slide Rock and the Chapel of the Holy Cross ( church in the rocks) in Sedona is a must. I have been to the Crater.

[Lotus]

On 1/9/2014 missyw1 said:

On 1/9/2014 Linders Back said:

On 1/9/2014 missyw1 said: Don't go to Grand Canyon Skywalk. Go to South Rim. Spring time, too cold. Go after April. Lots of hotels, shops and food.

Is there a reason why you suggest not going to the Skywalk? I think it looks amazing.

Very expensive. Also, you can't take pictures on it. On the south rim you go where you want to go. It depends what other places you want to see. West Rim Skywalk- Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, Lake Mead or South Rim- Flagstaff, Sedona and Snow Bowl.

I was shocked at how close my son was to the edge in one of his pics.

[Shelbelle]

We had our car, so we stayed in Flagstaff and drove over to the park.