Grand Canyon next June...

[Butterfly123]

We are thinking about a trip to Grand Canyon next June. We live in the Bay Area. I have never been before, and was hoping for a little vacation planning help. Would three, maybe three and a half days be a good amount of time to spend? Does anyone know of a nice, fairly economical place to stay on the South Rim? I saw that there was a Best Western in Williams, any thoughts? I would appreciate any and all tips, as I feel really out of my comfort zone.

Sorry...Best Western in Tusayan...Best Western Grand Canyon Squire Inn.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

We stayed at the Grand Hotel in Tusayan. That's two miles from the entrance to the park. We really liked it there, and they had a restaurant indoors that we also enjoyed.

 

[Butterfly123]

We are also thinking about a couple of days in Sedona, so any insight there would be helpful as well.

 

[Disney Vegas Couple]

We stayed two nights at Holiday Inn Express in Tusayan in June 2011. It was a good hotel and we would stay there again. There are other hotels in Tusayan and also some in the Grand Canyon Park.

We left the car at the hotel and walked over to the Visitors Center/IMAX. Bought park passes for $12 each which included entry for 7 days and shuttle rides from Tusayan into the park. You can also buy a vehicle pass for $25 for 7 days.

We didn't realize how much we would love the park and next visit will be for much more than one day. Pictures are great but nothing like seeing the real thing.

On a side note, the best steak I have ever had was at Rod's Steakhouse in Williams. It was recommended by a Travel Information Center in Nevada.

 

[kacaju]

if you can stay IN the park!!! There is nothing like seeing the canyon outside your doorstep!

 

[Butterfly123]

Thanks...this information is helpful. Is there a lodge you would recommend in the park? Also it seems like maybe two days for GC and two or three days for Sedona and the surrounding area might be a better plan?

 

[kacaju]

Thanks...this information is helpful. Is there a lodge you would recommend in the park? Also it seems like maybe two days for GC and two or three days for Sedona and the surrounding area might be a better plan?

http://www.grandcanyonlodges.com/lodging-overview-627788750-411.html

I have stayed at Kachina twice...rim side. It is a truly no frills hotel...but you cannot beat the view!! Totally worth the price!! I cannot tell you how wonderful it is..you have to see it!!
2-3 days at Grand Canyon is enough to see a lot, I could spend a week there and not get bored... I only drove through Sedona, but you can easily spend 2-3 days there too.
How long are you going for? What else are you interested in? We went for a week and still did not see enough of that area

 

[Butterfly123]

Since I don't know the area at all, I'm trying to decide on 2 days at GC and 3 days in Sedona, or 2 days in Sedona and 3 days in GC. We like hiking, but don't want to hike all the way down to the bottom of the canyon. We like half day hikes, broken up with other sightseeing. We really just want to take in all the beauty and history of the area, as our vacations up to now have been more about mountains, redwoods, and beach.

We will probably stay in Barstow overnight on the way to GC, as it is about the halfay point.

 

[kacaju]

go to trip advisor...their forums are awesome places to find advise about the Grand Canyon area...similar to these forums..you will get a lot of info.

 

[Butterfly123]

Thanks...I'll check it out. I appreciate your help.

 

[cagirl4life]

I currently live not far from the GC so I've only done day trips so I can't help with hotels. But I do go to Sedona quite a bit. Watch hotels for there cause they can be expensive. There are lots of hiking trails I would suggest getting info on that (I'm not much of a hiker so I haven't done any). Also the creek in Sedona/Oak Creek is fun. A lot of people from school do it as a day trip. There is a couple different spots to go swimming. Slide rock is one of the most popular but can get busy on weekends in the summer cause people are trying to get away from the Phoenix heat. A little bit south of Slide Rock on 89A is where I go. Its in a parking lot just north of the bridge into Sedona. Its like a 20 minute hike down and there is various places to swim along. Some parts are fast enough so you can ride the creek kinda like a water slide (wear stuff you don't care about getting dirty) and others you can just swim in. Since it's June it shouldn't be overrun with college students and the water is mostly snow melt so its cold in comparison to how hot it is. Another fun thing to do in Sedona is the Jeep tours and you go and tour the red rocks.