Who's visited the Grand Canyon?
 

DH and I are thinking about a spring holiday to The Grand Canyon. We would love some input on where to stay, what is a must-see/do, and what should be avoided. Thanks in advance for any info all you lovely folks can provide.

not I...would love to though!

Living in the desert, we've been to the Grand Canyon several times. One trip that was really fun-we stayed in Williams, AZ. There is a Grand Canyon Railroad that takes you right into the park. You can stay several hours, or make arrangements to stay over night and then ride back.(we were staying in our RV, but there is a nice hotel right there too) Another thing to do-- You can hike down into the canyon, or ride mules. There are also accomodations at the bottom to stay. It is quite a strenuous trip and I've never done that. I'm sure they have a good website that will give you an overview of the area. Good luck and have a great time! BTW, Zion's and Bryce Canyon in Southern Utah are also amazing to see.

Check the weather for the time of year you want to go. It would be a shame if those gorgeous colors were blanketed in snow. I've heard it said that the Grand Canyon is just a hole in the ground which may be, but it's a truly magnificent hole in the ground. By all means, go if you can. We stayed in Williams, which was less than hour away. There was a good looking lodge in the park - Fire Angel or something like that. With a handicapped sticker, I was able to drive both ends of the park. I didn't have to ride the bus, which was a plus.

One of my dreams!

We did a side-trip in March several years ago. We were in Phoenix for business and went out several days eaerly just to get to the Grand Canyon. We only did the South Rim (the North might have been closed). It was cold and there was snow on the ground but there were a lot of people there! When we got to the business meeting, so many people were jealous that we went to the Grand Canyon first. "why didn't I think of that?" was heard a lot!

Have been there twice and loved it both times. The South Rim was our adventure but would love to do the North Rim too. Also, we took a side trip to Sedona, AZ and it is breathtaking. I long to return. Think I saw somewhere that there is a quilt shop in Sedona. Hope your trip works out.

If you like the heat then by all means go in the summer. I have stayed in Williams and taken the train, it was awesome. And I have camped White Horse Lake and it was awesome too! Be aware that summer is monsoon season and it rains almost daily. Although it can be over in a few minutes, it varies. Last October we went to 'Bearazona' which is in Williams or very close and it was cute....a few animals, I'm sure it's grown by now. You drive your car through a small park with animals loose, reminds me of Lion Country Safari but on a miniature scale. Have a great time!!!!

We live not far from the Grand Canyon, just outside of Flagstaff. You'll LOVE it no matter how you choose to see the Canyon! Winter is not over here yet in March; the weather can be sunny and beautiful or snowy, just depends... (We're at around 7000 ft elevation; MUCH different climate than the desert Arizona most people think of.)
The Grand Canyon Railway from Williams is really fun but doesn't give you much time to spend at the Canyon if you just go up for the day, so you might want to consider either staying overnight in Tusyan if you take the train up, or staying in either Flagstaff or Williams and driving up to see the Canyon. Feel free to PM me if you need some local info! BTW, there's a WONDERFUL LQS in Flagstaff!!!

The lodge at the park is "Bright Angel" (you were pretty darn close!). If you want to stay at the Canyon, you probably need to be making reservations ASAP. When it snows in March the Canyon is gorgeous--a blanket of snow on the rim, but deep in the Canyon it's warmer the beautiful colors show through. :)

There are lots of other local attractions in the area too, depending on how long you're staying...