Looking for Grand canyon help!

[PRINCESS VIJA]

We are planning a trip to Grand canyon but need lots of help!

What I know we want to do is hike down a little on Bright Angel trail, take a slow river raft tour out of Glenn Canyon Dam, and that's about it!

what else to do there? We don't want to do the helicopter or the walk way. We do plan on flying in to Vegas, see the lights at night, and drive to GC.

I know that most stuff has to be booked out 6 mo, so I need to get going on this. I would love any info you can give me!

 

[Snoozan]

If you can, stay at a lodge right on the rim of the GC. We stayed in one of the 'cabins' at Bright Angel Lodge. Very rustic, but comfortable enough. It's wonderful to be able to wake up and walk a few steps outside your room for a view of the Grand Canyon! The official site for the Grand Canyon hotels can be found on Zanterra.com.

 

[BKMETV]

On your way from Vegas to GC go off of Highway 40 onto Route 66 and stop in Seligman it's the village that claims that "Cars" is based on it. There is a drive in called the Snow Cap which is well worth the visit.

 

[OceanAnnie]

It's been a long time since I've been to the Grand Canyon. But I absolutely loved it.

I highly recommend this book:

Over the edge: Death in the Grand Canyon, by Michael P. Ghiglieri and Thomas M. Myers

I know it sounds morbid. It's an older book, 2001, but it is fascinating. The authors worked in the Grand Canyon for decades. They wrote in the foreword: There are no new accidents. This book is to prevent people from making the same mistakes as those before them.

There is great information about hiking in the Grand Canyon. Sage advice. There is a lot to be learned like how much water to bring with you. Flash floods. Things to know about trails and how to prevent getting lost. A number of people went for a day hike and didn't make it back. A day hike! They got lost, didn't have enough provisions. Those sort of things.

There is another book that looks interesting:

Grand Canyon, The Complete Guide: Grand Canyon National Park (Grand Canyon: The Complete Guide) by James Kaiser

HTH!

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...ripbooks&field-keywords=grand+caynon&x=7&y=16

 

[Amy]

I second what Snoozan said about staying right on the rim - we stayed at the Kachina Lodge back in 2004, and it was wonderful! There is nothing like waking up in the morning and opening your drapes to see the Grand Canyon right there!

You might want to check out the Grand Canyon Jeep Tours - it was a lot of fun! There is also horseback riding in the Kaibab National Forest (the Forest borders Grand Canyon National Pak) - this is horseback riding on flat ground, not down into the Grand Canyon on those skinny paths.

If you'll be traveling from Vegas to the Grand Canyon, be sure to spend some time at the Hoover Dam - what an engineering marvel!

And while you're in Seligman (Rt. 66), be sure to stop at the Road Kill Cafe. Their motto is "You Kill It, We Grill It". Yummy food!!

If you have time, don't forget that Disneyland is only an 8-hour drive from the Grand Canyon. We broke down the drive into 2 days - half-way between the Grand Canyon and Disneyland is Lake Havasu City, AZ. Nice little resort town, that has the London Bridge. Really! Back when they decided to rebuild the London Bridge, some rich guy bought the "old" London Bridge and had it shipped to Arizona and rebuilt in Lake Havasu City.

When are you planning to visit? We were there in July, and it was HOT!!!

The most important thing to remember: if you hike down one of the trails into the Canyon, you'll have to hike back UP. Unless you're in really good shape, you have to take it easy.

Have fun!! Our trip to the Grand Canyon was one of my favorites, second only to our recent trip to Mt. Rushmore and the Black Hills of South Dakota. We are very blessed to live in such a beautiful, beautiful country.

 

[Amy]

One other thing: don't underestimate how much time you'll want to spend at the Grand Canyon. It's amazing how much the view changes by just walking a few hundred feet along the rim. Be sure to get up for sunrise at least one day - every day you're there if you can. It is truly an amazing sight to watch the sun come up and see the colors of the rocks change.

 

[OceanAnnie]

We went to Hoover Dam. Well worth the trip.

We also went to Death Valley, I'm trying to remember if that is where we hiked to a place called, "Mouse Trap", I think it was. We walked about a mile to a rock formation that looked like a funnel. It was said that animals could climb down in it, but not out. Easy walk. Cool things to see along the way.

Red Rock Canyon, Lake Mead, Valley of Fire, Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion Canyon National Park (the last two are closer to Reno). All were nice excursions. Beautiful.