raynhamquilter

Many years ago hubby and I took our son and his buddy out to see the Canyon. We did it as economically as possible so we flew into Vegas on a "package" trip and picked up our rental car. Had lunch at a buffet then North we went. It was about a 3 hr. drive to St George, Utah where we stayed the first night. It was about 106 degrees so we were glad to have a pool (inside). We saw rock formations and country so different from home(Boston area) We saw Zion and Bryce Canyons, and stayed in the place they film the cowboy movies and then on to the North Rim. It was a LONG ride but it was beautiful. It took us a week to do all that and then some. Rode back to Vegas and stayed 2 nights (part of the package)and then flew home. We all loved it and we would go again. Have a wonderful time!

jitkaau

The time that I went, they had quotas on how many people could go into the Canyon every day and as I had made no booking, I was out of luck for a number of weeks. Don't know if this is still the case in any area of it these days?

gramipam

5 years ago my husband & I took an early retirement. Of course I had a bucket list of places I had to see. The Grand Canyon was one of them. We bought a 5th wheel & took a trip right across our beautiful country. Went from Connecticutt to California & back to Ct the southern route. If anyone has a little adventure in their heart this is the trip to take. We took our time & saw what a beautiful country we have. Favorites, Bryce Canyon in Utah, Yellowstone, Yosemite. Digging for Opals, We took a helicopter ride over the Canyon. Loved loved it. Took a parasailing trip ovr the turtles in Aruba. My advice, don't think just do it. We have since purchased a 2nd 5th wheel & we are still traveling. If your traveling in a 5th wheel or bus you get to see sooo much more. Now we don't travel as much becasue we purchased a manufactured home in florida on the Caloosahatchie river. I quilt every day & have met many quilters. Learned lots of things from these talented quilters!

ShirlinAZ

We go quite often. Since it's only an hour away we like to run up for lunch. The El Tovar is the original hotel and has a very nice dining room. Taking the train from Williams is something I've wanted to do, but it is quite pricey. There are quite a few nice motels in Tusayan, the little town right outside the entrance to the South Rim of the park. Also from Tusayan you can take helicopter or airplane tours of the canyon. Flights are not allowed below the rim for safety reasons. Enter the park and leave your car in one of the first parking areas and ride the bus if you are physically able to get on and off the bus. Buses are free and arrive/depart at each stop about every 15 minutes, so no worry about getting stranded anywhere. See the entire South Rim. There is nothing that is not worth seeing. There are LOTS of great photo spots. Walk as much of the rim as you are able. You can get off the bus at one stop, spend time looking and taking pictures, get on the next bus or walk to the next stop, etc. Be sure to take the bus to the Hermit's Rest and take advantage of the bus stops along the ride. We vacationed at the park a few times before we moved to northern AZ. We love every trip we take there. There is so-o-o-o much to see. Grand Canyon is beautiful in the snow too, and there aren't nearly as many visitors during the Winter. Try to avoid spring break (schools) as it is horribly crowded at that time. Here is a link to Grand Canyon National Park information.

http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/index.htm

If you have plenty of time you can go the both South and North Rims, but it takes most of a day to drive from one to the other, and no mass transit that I know of. North Rim is less visited and much quieter. At 1000' higher elevation than South Rim, it is also cooler.

Don't be in a hurry. Take time to enjoy all the beauty and you will have a great trip.

romanojg

Over 20 yrs ago my kids and I were driving across country and we were so close that we had to go. It was so cheap to get in; one price for my vehicle at that time $5 was all it cost for 4 of us. It was amazing to see. I have a lot of indian in me and to see the huts and all was great. I would love to go back without infant and small children and really enjoy it. Take it all in.

imdelagarza62

We visited the North Rim during the last week in June and there was still snow on the ground. The lodge there is so nice. Take clothes for all temps from summer to winter as it will vary dramatically even in summer. You need to see the Vermilion cliff dwellings as well. The North Rim is not commercialized like the South Rim, no McDonald's etc.,but really spectacular.

Janette

If you're driving along I-40 and have the time, stop in Amarillo, TX and go up to Canyon, TX (about 20 miles). There they have a smaller version of the Grand Canyon. It's a state park (I think it's called Canyon State Park). You can drive down to the bottom and then around the park, can take a trailer and stay for a while (although going down can raise your blood pressure a bit). In the summer they have an awesome outdoor musical theatre show in the bowl formed by the cliffs. The Canyon was the place where the Comanche indians spent their winters as they were protected from the prairie winds and had lots of water from the stream that runs through.

TanyaL

We stayed in a cabin on the North Rim. It had a wonderful lodge right by it and we totally loved the whole experience. We sent the kids on a mule ride escorted by park rangers and we hiked by ourselves. On the South Rim we camped in the campground nearest the park hotel. and spent our time hiking. I would take the mule ride to the bottom if I were doing it again. Both times we drove the roads along the rims and saw every outlook. I would recommend you see the waterfall at the western end of the canyon and definitely see Vermillian Cliffs at the eastern end. I think that perhaps the best way to see the canyon is the rafting trip down the river. Don't miss that.

skaduzy

We visited the North Rim in July. I think it's closed October -May. It was beautiful. Stayed at the Kaibab Lodge, about 15-20 miles from the park. We were lucky to get a reservation and only did because someone cancelled. It was a great trip. North or South Rim....just do it! Awesome!

Caswews

only thing I can tell you about visiting the Grand Canyon is absolutely do not go on a holiday or in the summer months !!!

When we went- busses of tourists and people.. galore !!! and inability to get some nice pictures with all the people there