Talk to Me About Arizona.

[tarheelmjfan]

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.

Thanks for the tip. We'll try to make sure to do that.

 

[jimmymc]

The hotel is a tough decision. There is very limited availability in the park, which gives us only a couple choices. We can stay at Best Western in Tusayan on points. It has a similar rating to the in park hotels. My biggest concern is dining in Tusayan, but I'm not sure that alone is a good reason to spend the extra money. Decisions, decisions. I wish I had a crystal ball, so I could be assured we made the right choice.

Dining is pretty limited both inside the park and out. I liked the Big E Steakhouse, even though it doesn't have the best reviews. The El Tovar dining room is probably the best restaurant in the area, but it's expensive and you should get reservations. I think it's worth having things like sandwich supplies and cereal in the room to cover some of your meals.

For the hotel, it's really hard to beat a trip booked with points. The park hotels definitely fill up fast. I think I booked mine 11 months out. As long as you're willing to wake up early to beat the crowds, I think you'll be good staying there.

 

[bcla]

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.

Moab has a lot of areas, but it's really hard to see that much unless hiking in. The star is obviously Arches National Park and Delicate Arch. There are things you can see from the road, including Wall Street.

And yes I've been to Yellowstone. It's not bad for someone with limited mobility depending on where. The Old Faithful area isn't perfectly flat, but it's not that bad compared to other geyser basins.

The Grand Canyon is pretty good for accessibility. They have all those viewpoints near parking lots and bus stops and it's not a whole lot of walking.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Dining is pretty limited both inside the park and out. I liked the Big E Steakhouse, even though it doesn't have the best reviews. The El Tovar dining room is probably the best restaurant in the area, but it's expensive and you should get reservations. I think it's worth having things like sandwich supplies and cereal in the room to cover some of your meals.

For the hotel, it's really hard to beat a trip booked with points. The park hotels definitely fill up fast. I think I booked mine 11 months out. As long as you're willing to wake up early to beat the crowds, I think you'll be good staying there.

Lack of availability is making the decision to stay offsite a little easier. Maswik Lodge is the only place with two nights available for our entire week. That doesn't appear to be the best choice. We'll plan to eat at El Tavor dining room one night, then watch the sunset. Thanks for the heads up on making a reservation. I'll do that as soon as we decide what nights we'll be there. Obviously, we need to decide on our itinerary ASAP, before the offsite hotels sell out. I'll check out Big E Steakhouse as well.

Speaking of getting up early to beat the crowd, will there be a big difference in weekend & weekday crowds? We can do either.

Moab has a lot of areas, but it's really hard to see that much unless hiking in. The star is obviously Arches National Park and Delicate Arch. There are things you can see from the road, including Wall Street.

And yes I've been to Yellowstone. It's not bad for someone with limited mobility depending on where. The Old Faithful area isn't perfectly flat, but it's not that bad compared to other geyser basins.

The Grand Canyon is pretty good for accessibility. They have all those viewpoints near parking lots and bus stops and it's not a whole lot of walking.

Thanks for the additional accessibility info. I was able to walk out to Old Faithful. It sounds like GCNP will work for us.

 

[fly girl]

The Desert Botanical Garden sounds lovely. I'm glad you mentioned South Scottsdale. Is the entertainment district the area you're suggesting? We'll probably only have at most 2 nights in the Phoenix area, before flying back home. I was thinking we'd take a tour of the city (if I find a good one) & go to Under Tow bar at night. We'll also try to work in the Botanical Garden. Would you still recommend staying in that area? FWIW, we're not big shoppers. Our shopping consists of a souvenir for our adult DS, treats for his little dog & a Christmas ornament for our travel tree. We try to target those stores specifically, so we don't have to spend much time shopping. I should have included that earlier. We do enjoy unique &/or fine dining.

YES! You won't need to go to Fashion Square, but the Old Town Scottsdale area has unique shops, restaurants, and nightlife. I don't think you would be disappointed staying in that area. It is active and fun. Weekends will be busier, obviously. And if you want to get to downtown it is a 20 minute car ride.

Edited to add Old Town Website:
https://oldtownscottsdaleaz.com/

 

[jimmymc]

Lack of availability is making the decision to stay offsite a little easier. Maswik Lodge is the only place with two nights available for our entire week. That doesn't appear to be the best choice. We'll plan to eat at El Tavor dining room one night, then watch the sunset. Thanks for the heads up on making a reservation. I'll do that as soon as we decide what nights we'll be there. Obviously, we need to decide on our itinerary ASAP, before the offsite hotels sell out. I'll check out Big E Steakhouse as well.

Speaking of getting up early to beat the crowd, will there be a big difference in weekend & weekday crowds? We can do either.

Maswik is basic and not right on the rim, but it's nice and still a good location. If I had enough points, I would stick with the Best Western.

There will be lighter crowds on the weekdays, but you still want to get in early for either. And on your arrival day, the line is usually pretty short if you just want to drive in and see the sunset.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

YES! You won't need to go to Fashion Square, but the Old Town Scottsdale area has unique shops, restaurants, and nightlife. I don't think you would be disappointed staying in that area. It is active and fun. Weekends will be busier, obviously. And if you want to get to downtown it is a 20 minute car ride.

Edited to add Old Town Website:
https://oldtownscottsdaleaz.com/

Scottsdale it is. Now, I need to see how many nights I can fit in.

Maswik is basic and not right on the rim, but it's nice and still a good location. If I had enough points, I would stick with the Best Western.

There will be lighter crowds on the weekdays, but you still want to get in early for either. And on your arrival day, the line is usually pretty short if you just want to drive in and see the sunset.

We travel for DH's job. Points, we have. I just wish we could pay bills with them.

 

[bcla]

Maswik is basic and not right on the rim, but it's nice and still a good location. If I had enough points, I would stick with the Best Western.

There will be lighter crowds on the weekdays, but you still want to get in early for either. And on your arrival day, the line is usually pretty short if you just want to drive in and see the sunset.

I stayed at the old Maswik quad cabins. Nothing fancy, but the rooms each still had TVs and phones and was affordable. The current rooms there look reasonable and possibly even nicer than most national park accommodations.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

So, this is my rough draft itinerary.

Friday - Fly into Phoenix early AM. Drive to Sedona
Saturday - Sedona
Sunday - Drive 89A through Flagstaff, Sunset Crater, then continue to Grand Canyon
Monday - Grand Canyon
Tuesday - Grand Canyon, then drive by Horseshoe Bend on the way to Monument Valley
Wednesday - Monument Valley
Thursday - Canyon de Chelly, Four Corners
Friday - Petrified Forest & Painted Desert, then drive to Scottsdale (Under Tow Bar)
Saturday - Scottsdale/Phoenix (maybe Platform 18 bar)
Sunday - Flight home

Is this feasible? Should I add or remove anything? I'd love to add something on our Monument Valley day. Please feel free to critique this plan & suggest any changes we should make. It's entirely possible that I overlooked something or added more than we can possibly do. I'm really starting to stress that our flights & hotels aren't booked. Once that's done, I can relax & do some more in depth planning.

 

[Imzadi]

Tuesday - Grand Canyon, then drive by Horseshoe Bend

Maybe add a stop at Upper Antelope Canyon while you are at Horseshoe Bend, which the map says is only about 10 miles away?

But, I haven't been to those places so I don't know how long to spend at either place. Both of those are on my bucket list.

 

[Imzadi]

After you leave Monument Valley, make sure you drive north a bit past the entrance about 20 miles. THAT is the famous view in Forrest Gump when he stopped running. There is no actual marker for it. You'll just know when you see it.

Map:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Oljato-Monument+Valley,+AZ+84536/Forrest+Gump+Point,+U.S.+163+Scenic,+Mexican+Hat,+UT/@37.1041319,-110.1225231,11.13z/

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Maybe add a stop at Upper Antelope Canyon while you are at Horseshoe Bend, which the map says is only about 10 miles away?

But, I haven't been to those places so I don't know how long to spend at either place. Both of those are on my bucket list.

I knew I forgot something (maybe more than one thing). It's now added to Tuesday. Thanks

After you leave Monument Valley, make sure you drive north a bit past the entrance about 20 miles. THAT is the famous view in Forrest Gump when he stopped running. There is no actual marker for it. You'll just know when you see it.

Map:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Oljato-Monument+Valley,+AZ+84536/Forrest+Gump+Point,+U.S.+163+Scenic,+Mexican+Hat,+UT/@37.1041319,-110.1225231,11.13z/

Cool tip! I just told DH we'll have to watch Forest Gump again, before we go.

 

[jdb in AZ]

When you're in Sedona you might want to do a Jeep tour over the red rocks. There are several companies who do that -- using their driver and vehicles (instead of your rental).

What part of October are you planning to go? October is when AZ finally realizes it's o.k. to start cooling off. The end of the month is a lot more "doable" in the Phoenix area than in the beginning. The northern part of the state is generally cooler, but it's good to have a contingency plan. Right now I'm beginning to think it's never gonna cool down before December. But it always does.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

When you're in Sedona you might want to do a Jeep tour over the red rocks. There are several companies who do that -- using their driver and vehicles (instead of your rental).

What part of October are you planning to go? October is when AZ finally realizes it's o.k. to start cooling off. The end of the month is a lot more "doable" in the Phoenix area than in the beginning. The northern part of the state is generally cooler, but it's good to have a contingency plan. Right now I'm beginning to think it's never gonna cool down before December. But it always does.

We're going to be in Scottsdale/Phoenix on the 25th to 27th. Being South Floridians should help with the heat.

Thanks for the suggestion for the Jeep tour. We booked a hotel with a balcony that has a Red Rocks view, but I haven't gotten around to looking into tours yet.

Please, feel free to share any other tips you may have.

 

[Meriweather]

yes, do an off road jeep tour in Sedona. It was so interesting, much more so than the one just around town.
Florida heat is not the same.....we don't have the humidity, so I think the Arizona heat is easier to deal with.....but do keep hydrated

 

[irlandaise]

Florida heat is not the same.....we don't have the humidity, so I think the Arizona heat is easier to deal with.....but do keep hydrated

I remember being in Scottsdale one day when it was 112°. I thought to myself, "There are limits to the 'It's a dry heat' theory." But of course, it still was better than 112° with higher humidity would have been.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

DH's boss reminded him that the company he works for offers a substantial discount on locations they do business with. Apparently, that includes most, if not all, of the Grand Canyon hotels. Unfortunately, I still can't find two nights in a row anywhere, but Maswik Lodge. I think we'd rather stay at BW for free than pay the heavily discounted rate at Maswik. What are the chances there will be cancellations at the other hotels, if I keep stalking the site?

yes, do an off road jeep tour in Sedona. It was so interesting, much more so than the one just around town.
Florida heat is not the same.....we don't have the humidity, so I think the Arizona heat is easier to deal with.....but do keep hydrated

Thanks

 

[irlandaise]

How this city turned its scorching heat into a tourism draw​

Summer visitors to Scottsdale, Ariz., will find cabana misters and nighttime mini golf. But some worry there are dangers to selling triple-digit heat.

https://wapo.st/4fAMpdm

{Gift link will work for non-subscribers for two weeks.)

 

[tarheelmjfan]

How this city turned its scorching heat into a tourism draw​

Summer visitors to Scottsdale, Ariz., will find cabana misters and nighttime mini golf. But some worry there are dangers to selling triple-digit heat.

https://wapo.st/4fAMpdm

{Gift link will work for non-subscribers for two weeks.)

This is perfect for us, if it continues through October. We're night owls.

 

[Imzadi]

yes, do an off road jeep tour in Sedona. It was so interesting, much more so than the one just around town.

We went on one in which we really didn't get out of the jeep much. We were not impressed. After that, we preferred to visit the buttes on our own. Same for Monument Valley. Each one is so different and we got to spend the amount of time we wanted at each one, rather than what was arranged for us.