Talk to Me About Arizona.

[tarheelmjfan]

A trip with me is not a vacation, it’s an adventure!

The UnderTow group runs a few other thematic bars: https://bartershake.com/the-concepts

For the Grand Canyon, I liked having two days, but I could see someone doing it in one day. We did some small hikes down into the canyon (just not too far). I think with the shuttle route and Visitor Center, you can get your fill in one day.

Go, you! I would do the same, if my health allowed. Enjoy it, while you can.

Thanks for the link. Now, I want to try both Phoenix area locations. I'm going to have to do some mapping to see if that's possible.

If you decide to travel from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to Sedona, head out the East Entrance, and drive along Rt 64 towards Cameron, then down Rt 89 to Flagstaff, then Rt 89A to Sedona.

Rt 64 has some of the most gorgeous scenery, a small section of the vast Painted Desert. (Not to be confused with the Painted Desert National Park site which is a lot further east.) This way, you will get to see some of the Painted Desert without making a special trip to there.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/East+Entrance+Station,+Grand+Canyon+Village,+AZ+86023/Cameron,+AZ/Sedona,+Arizona+86336/@35.4761069,-112.8667569,8.42z/

It looks like a colorful patchwork quilt made up of the landscape.

Your pictures are really getting me excited for the trip. I appreciate your route suggestions. We could use your mapping skills, when we compile our final list of things we want to see.

A self-driving tour might work for the Grand Canyon, but for Canyon de Chelly, consider guided tours.

We plan to book the 4 hour driving tour at Canyon de Chelly, unless there's a better option. The 8 hr. tour doesn't appear to be available now.

 

[DaisyDuck001]

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attract...usical_Instrument_Museum-Phoenix_Arizona.html

 

[bcla]

I would have suggested Moab, but that might be difficult if accessibility is an issue.

The Grand Canyon means different things to different people. Some just go there, have a look for a few minutes, and leave. I'd say October can be interesting because occasionally there might be snow. There will be snow in December.

There is the Grand Canyon Railway, which starts in Williams and actually goes into the park. They have a hotel in Williams, and you might be able to arrange a stay in the park, although I'm not sure if it can be coordinated with the rail trip (they're operated by Xanterra).

https://www.thetrain.com/connect/fall-for-the-grand-canyon-railway/

If you have time, I'd think Zion would be great. You might not be able to hike much, but there's a lot to be seen from the Zion Canyon floor.

 

[StarCruzer]

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attract...usical_Instrument_Museum-Phoenix_Arizona.html

I came here to suggest this! We loved the Musical Instrument Museum! Highly recommend.

We lived in Tucson for four years and loved it. Absolute foodie town. Lots of great brunches, Japanese food, and breweries. We did the drive up Mt Lemmon once and really enjoyed it--not sure if the Cookie Cabin is still up there. Saguaro National Park is nearby too.

We loved the Petrified Forest, more specifically the Painted Desert (beware that many folks alter their photos to make the colors seem a bit brighter. We still found it impressive).

We also made the drive out to Prescott but that was pretty specifically to visit the meadery, and stopped at Watson Lake. It is a pretty small town but has it's own charm.

 

[neverlandsky]

Wanted to add in The 4 corners if you’ve never been. The Northern Rim of the Grand Canyon is pretty too. More hiking if you’re into that and a prettier drive if it’s in the cards.

 

[hertamaniac]

Mt. Lemmon near Tuscon is breathtaking. The drive up and down is not for the anxious driver (perfectly safe and paved on both sides). But those overlooks and change in temperature was amazing to me. Not to mention the transition of various vegetations within a few miles was not expected. I had to do it two days in a row hoping the rental car's brakes were fully operational (I did run it in a lower gear descending).

 

[mom2rtk]

How committed are you to Arizona specifically? The most amazing scenery in the southwest is in southern Utah (Arches, Bryce, Zion, Canyonlands). It would be a shame to get that close and miss it.

Horseshoe Bend in AZ is spectacular and not to be missed.

 

[mom2rtk]

Everyone's opinion varies, but I didn't find Canyon de Chelly or Four Corners to be that impressive compared with the things in southern Utah.

 

[mom2rtk]

We've been to the desert Southwest 5 or 6 times you. My favorite place on Earth. But my absolute favorite is the scenic back drive into Arches National park. Well worth the extra time it takes. It winds along the Colorado.

 

[mom2rtk]

Monument Valley is in AZ and is where they have filmed countless famous westerns and it's well worth a visit.

 

[mom2rtk]

So here's the lowdown on southern Utah. Arches, Bryce, Zion and Canyonlands. In that order.

 

[ddluvsdisney]

Definitely going on the list. It looks like we can do this one day & Canyon de Chelly National park the next. I hope I can access a view to see this: View attachment 882150

That sounds like a great trip. We really want to be able to work in at least one city with great restaurants & entertainment to go along with the parks & monuments.

I just came back from a cross country trip. Our first adventures were GC and Horseshoe Bend!! I was so surprised that no one else had mentioned this.
It is absolutely breathtaking!!! it!

 

[Imzadi]

Everyone's opinion varies, but I didn't find Canyon de Chelly or Four Corners to be that impressive compared with the things in southern Utah.

From photos Horseshoe Bend looks similar to Canyon de Chelly. Why didn't you like Canyon de Chelly?

 

[irlandaise]

I would have suggested Moab, but that might be difficult if accessibility is an issue.

I had thought of mentioning the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, but since the OP hadn't said anything about Utah, I didn't. If they can get up to Utah, then in addition to the Moab and North Rim areas, there are Zion and Bryce. Also the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary near Kanab, which is not only impressive for what they do there but also is in a gorgeous location.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

We visited Arizona for a week in September 2022. We flew into Phoenix because our son lives there, then took a road trop.
We visited:
SEDONA - this is a beautiful area - very worth a visit just for the scenery in my opinion. They have a quaint downtown with shopping/dining/hotels. A good option with mobility issues. Plenty placed to sit, etc.

We hiked devils bridge - this is a long hike with a lot of elevation. We also visited the chapel of the holy cross. The drive and parking are uphill all the way, but I did see that they have golf carts to take people up to the church, you just may have to wait your turn for a bit.

We did a balloon flight over Sedona and it was amazing. You would have to be able to stand in one spot for a couple hours.

SCOTTSDALE - it had your standard "quaint" shopping/dining areas also. Another good option for mobility issues. There are places to sit, etc.

GRAND CANYON - We did the south rim. There are buses to the various viewing locations (we e-biked instead). I noticed that they must offer some sort of pass for people with mobility issues allowing them to drive their own vehicle in the park - not sure if this would be available/helpful in your situation but I thought I'd mention it.

PAGE - Another pretty area with some nice dining options.
We did a slot canyon and horseshoe bend tour. Horseshoe bend has a short walk from the parking lot. The slot canyon we did was quite a hike over uneven ground.
We also checked out the Glen Canyon Damn overlook at sunset. There were a good number of steps but they had handrails. Once down at the overlook, you have to watch your step, there were piles of sand here and there, I ended up tripping and falling as it got dark. lol

SAN TAN VALLEY - Another beautiful area. This was the end of our trip so we ended up enjoying our airbnb's backyard more than going out to do things. lol. We were tired.

SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK - They had a small paved path near the visitor center. You can drive through to park and stop to walk short walking paths. These are just packed dirt paths, some had steps, some were flat.

Your trip sounds wonderful. I'll definitely look into visiting the church, since we can take a golf cart up there. It's good to know about the possibility of driving our own car. The shuttle would be easier for DH, but I always worry about making people wait for me. It's also good to know that Horseshoe Bend is a short walk.

If you go to Winslow, stay here. If you can't stay, at least have a drink at the bar and have dinner. It's a walk back in time.

https://laposada.org/

Welcome to architect Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter’s Southwest masterpiece, La Posada (the resting place), Fred Harvey’s Last Great Railroad Hotel.

Thanks for the suggestion.

We’ve been to AZ several times, including 3x this year. I was too exhausted on the back end of our recent road trip to do much of anything, but we still got some nice views from the road.

On the southern end, we’ve stopped in Tucson and explored the western side of Saguaro NP a couple of times. A couple of weeks ago, we drove all of I10 through Arizona.

The greater Phoenix area is a big city environment. I know there are things to do in the area, but for us, it’s more like a return to civilization.

Just this past Monday, we drove on I40….west to east. Due to sheer exhaustion, we just stopped in Holbrook and saw some of Petrified Forest and the Painted Desert.

In the past, we’ve stayed at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Lodging inside the park books up pretty quickly, but you might still have options if you’re flexible. We’ve stayed at the Kachina Lodge in the past and had a south rim view. I wanted to stay at the El Tovar, but settled for a couple of meals in the dining room.

Beyond that, we had a day where we drove into Page to visit Horseshoe Bend and then east to see Monument Valley.

Sedona and the North Rim are still on my AZ to do list.

It's looking like we'll be staying outside the park, but we can definitely eat inside.

Petrified Forest is on our list of hopefuls. I'll have to add Painted Desert, if it's nearby.

We love the Grand Canyon (we live in AZ), We've been 5 times. We always stay inside the park. For the two of us we like Bright Angel cabins. For more Maswick Lodge. Both close to the rim.
We park our car and never use it (except during the height of Covid, when the shuttles weren't running). We either shuttle or walk.
Sedona is not our thing.....we did enjoy our off road jeep trek.
Flagstaff (just there in June). We like the Lowell Observatory, Meteor Crater and Petrifified Forest. We stayed in the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook once time. Cute, but tiny.
We like Bearizona and Out of Africa.
Just driving between places and around is very scenic.

We like to Tucson too. Go fairly often. Sonora Desert Museum, Pima Air and Space Museum....and the Bone Yard, San Xavier Mission, Reid Park Zoo, Saguaro National Park, Botanical Garden. I like Bizbee too.....Copper Mine tour is very interesting, like the jeep ride that takes you all over town.
Tombstone.....like the museum, but the rest, not so much.

Phoenix....we actually don't do much there. Zoo and Botanical Garden are great.
My adult kids have done a lot of things from cooking classes to Escape Rooms.

We still don't know what to do about the hotel. As of last night, Maswik Lodge was the only accommodations available two nights in a row, during our entire trip. I'd really rather not switch hotels.

Thanks for all the tips.

One more suggestion! If you are into shopping for Southwestern and unusual items, the Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village, just South of Sedona is truly a gem of a place, a cultural experience, not just shopping or eating. It's like a little Mexican village plopped into northern AZ. All the shops and restaruants have carefully curated all the items they have chosen for their shops. Either way, coming from north or south, take a left at the traffic circle below Sedona and you will see the Tlaquepaque village.

That looks like a great place to go shopping. I love the architecture I'm seeing in Arizona.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attract...usical_Instrument_Museum-Phoenix_Arizona.html

Thanks. It's too bad DS isn't going with us. He'd love that!

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I would have suggested Moab, but that might be difficult if accessibility is an issue.

The Grand Canyon means different things to different people. Some just go there, have a look for a few minutes, and leave. I'd say October can be interesting because occasionally there might be snow. There will be snow in December.

There is the Grand Canyon Railway, which starts in Williams and actually goes into the park. They have a hotel in Williams, and you might be able to arrange a stay in the park, although I'm not sure if it can be coordinated with the rail trip (they're operated by Xanterra).

https://www.thetrain.com/connect/fall-for-the-grand-canyon-railway/

If you have time, I'd think Zion would be great. You might not be able to hike much, but there's a lot to be seen from the Zion Canyon floor.

Thanks for the warning about Moab. I had difficulties at Acadia. It's disappointing to go somewhere, then discover there's very little you can do. DH won't leave me to be able to see more, so we both feel like we miss out. I know you've been to a lot of the NPs. Have you been to Yellowstone? If so, how does it compare to Grand Canyon as far as accessibility? We were able to do/see a lot at Yellowstone.

I'll check out the Grand Canyon Railway.

I came here to suggest this! We loved the Musical Instrument Museum! Highly recommend.

We lived in Tucson for four years and loved it. Absolute foodie town. Lots of great brunches, Japanese food, and breweries. We did the drive up Mt Lemmon once and really enjoyed it--not sure if the Cookie Cabin is still up there. Saguaro National Park is nearby too.

We loved the Petrified Forest, more specifically the Painted Desert (beware that many folks alter their photos to make the colors seem a bit brighter. We still found it impressive).

We also made the drive out to Prescott but that was pretty specifically to visit the meadery, and stopped at Watson Lake. It is a pretty small town but has it's own charm.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Wanted to add in The 4 corners if you’ve never been. The Northern Rim of the Grand Canyon is pretty too. More hiking if you’re into that and a prettier drive if it’s in the cards.

DH wants to see Four Corners. We're going to try to drive by there, when we go to Canyon de Chelly.

Unfortunately, I'm not able to hike. It sounds like the South End may be better for us.

Mt. Lemmon near Tuscon is breathtaking. The drive up and down is not for the anxious driver (perfectly safe and paved on both sides). But those overlooks and change in temperature was amazing to me. Not to mention the transition of various vegetations within a few miles was not expected. I had to do it two days in a row hoping the rental car's brakes were fully operational (I did run it in a lower gear descending).

Thanks. We'll definitely keep this in mind for another trip.

 

[mom2rtk]

Thanks for the warning about Moab. I had difficulties at Acadia. It's disappointing to go somewhere, then discover there's very little you can do. DH won't leave me to be able to see more, so we both feel like we miss out. I know you've been to a lot of the NPs. Have you been to Yellowstone? If so, how does it compare to Grand Canyon as far as accessibility? We were able to do/see a lot at Yellowstone.

I'll check out the Grand Canyon Railway.


Thanks for the suggestions.

DH wants to see Four Corners. We're going to try to drive by there, when we go to Canyon de Chelly.

Unfortunately, I'm not able to hike. It sounds like the South End may be better for us.

Thanks. We'll definitely keep this in mind for another trip.

We first did all of this (including Moab) with a 4 year old in tow, so no big hikes for us. Lots of Moab can be seen from the car or areas adjacent to handy pull out spots. Sure it's nice if you can hike some of these parks, but it is still a ton to see from your car or very close to the road.

I will add that we did the Grand Canyon Railway on that first visit and left really frustrated. You are on their time table so don't have much time to linger where you want to linger.

And opinions vary, but we were really underwhelmed by Four Corners. It's a marker kind of in the middle of nowhere with a lot of locals selling stuff.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

How committed are you to Arizona specifically? The most amazing scenery in the southwest is in southern Utah (Arches, Bryce, Zion, Canyonlands). It would be a shame to get that close and miss it.

Horseshoe Bend in AZ is spectacular and not to be missed.


View attachment 882644

You're not helping. J/K. We happened upon Arizona, by me performing a bunch of random Google searches trying to find a good October destination that wasn't all about foliage. Phoenix popped up in one of the searches. We'd never been to Arizona, so we thought "why not". Long story short, we're not married to the idea of going to Arizona, but we're running out of planning time. We really need to get everything booked. Your pictures are amazing though.

Everyone's opinion varies, but I didn't find Canyon de Chelly or Four Corners to be that impressive compared with the things in southern Utah.

We saw the cliff dwellings on a travel show a long time ago & thought they'd be neat to see. Were they disappointing? I don't really know why DH wants to see Four Corners. I suppose it's the novelty of it. Is there anything in Utah that we could see in the same amount of time, if we skipped these two destinations?

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I just came back from a cross country trip. Our first adventures were GC and Horseshoe Bend!! I was so surprised that no one else had mentioned this.
It is absolutely breathtaking!!! it!

The pictures are beautiful. I can imagine how amazing it is in person.

I had thought of mentioning the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, but since the OP hadn't said anything about Utah, I didn't. If they can get up to Utah, then in addition to the Moab and North Rim areas, there are Zion and Bryce. Also the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary near Kanab, which is not only impressive for what they do there but also is in a gorgeous location.

I'm really wishing we had more time. It will be hard to be so close, but not see Utah. Thanks again @mom2rtk for showing us what we're going to miss out on.

We first did all of this (including Moab) with a 4 year old in tow, so no big hikes for us. Lots of Moab can be seen from the car or areas adjacent to handy pull out spots. Sure it's nice if you can hike some of these parks, but it is still a ton to see from your car or very close to the road.

I will add that we did the Grand Canyon Railway on that first visit and left really frustrated. You are on their time table so don't have much time to linger where you want to linger.

And opinions vary, but we were really underwhelmed by Four Corners. It's a marker kind of in the middle of nowhere with a lot of locals selling stuff.

Thanks. Good to know about the Railway.

 

[wabbott]

On your Grand Canyon part of the trip, try to manage to be out on the rim at sundown. It's really neat seeing the colors change as the shadows move up the canyon's walls. We were lucky enough to be there during a full moon rise, and got some really good pics.