Grand Canyon

Between us, my husband and I have been to all ends of the earth and almost every continent (Antarctica here we come!), but somehow we had never seen the Grand Canyon almost in our own back yard.  Why?  Honestly I was sort of avoiding it, thinking it was going to be majorly overcrowded, touristy and underwhelming.  Well, we finally took the plunge and literally had one of our best trips ever.   We visited the Grand Canyon for a few days with our kids, and then toured a bit around some of the historical and geological sites of northern Arizona.   We had a week but really could have taken so much more time!   I know a lot of people are making summer plans now, so here are our notes from the adventure:

GRAND CANYON

The two main websites to visit as you are planning your trip are the National Park Service and Xanterra Resorts which operates all hotels, mule rides, Grand Canyon Railroad and other concessions within the park.   The nicest hotels in the park and closest to the canyon rim are the El Tovar Hotal or the Bright Angel Lodge, but there are several lodging options are all price levesl.  Seriously you need to reserve asap because everything books up like crazy.  You can cancel anything up to 72 hours before your trip so it’s worth it to go ahead and reserve.

Catch the Grand Canyon Railway into the park from Williams, AZ. Your ticket includes park entrance fees, and the train drops you right in the middle of the Grand Canyon Village, with FREE luggage transfer to whichever hotel you have booked.   There is a silly cowboy shootout show before you board, and great entertainment and historical canyon information en route during the approximate 2 hour ride.   The view is not that spectacular for a lot of the trip, but do book a dome car for more fun and luxury aboard.  You can park your car and stay at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel in Williams the night before so it’s easy to catch the train.  You do not need a car at the canyon – there are tons of free shuttles all along the canyon rim and most areas don’t allow private cars anyway.

Highlights of our visit

Hitch a mule ride:  If you can get a reservation, definitely book the thrilling mule ride, an incredible two-hour adventure along the very EDGE of the canyon.  The ride is totally safe, offers breathtakingly gorgeous vistas around the bend of the canyon inaccessible to most visitors , great wildlife viewing (we saw a California Condor, and a herd of rather large elk). It’s a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.  We learned a lot about mules too. They are unexpectedly large, have weirdly wide flat hooves, and turn out to be much more compliant than their reputation suggests…

They also offer overnight mule trips down into the canyon to Phantom Ranch. You have to put your name in a lottery at least a year in advance to get a reservation.  

FYI: There is a height requirement for children, and the ride is probably not for people with serious acrophobia.

Learn from the experts:  Check in with the Park Ranger station for updates on current programs including free Ranger guided nature, geology, cultural and historical walks along the rim and into the canyon.  There are a couple of great ones for kids too, who can earn their Junior Ranger badges for attending.

Shuttle: There is a fantastic shuttle service all along the South rim of the canyon that will bring you to a bunch of gorgeous overlooks. You can walk part or all of the way and hop a bus back too!

Descend!  The vast majority of visitors to the park only view the canyon from the rim, but it is worth it even to take a short walk down one of the trails that leads into the canyon.   The Bright Angel trail is the most accessible, and amazing petroglyphs are viewable just a few minutes into the walk.  When you are hiking, be sure to remember that you are at almost 7,000 feet above sea level, and it is over 4,000 feet down to the canyon floor.  Be smart – bring water and don’t underestimate the steep climb back out!  Rangers have to rescue well over 200 people a year, mostly because of poor planning.