Melissa5

Hello fodorites! Thanks for all your help. We are all booked into our accommodations for our upcoming 3-generation family trip to the Grand Canyon south rim! Wooooooo!

I splurged for the Sante Fe suite at the El Tovar hotel for my husband and I. We are treating the family to this trip so we booked them into quad cabins at the Bright Angel Lodge.

Has anyone stayed at the El Tovar or the Bright Angel cabins? Any tips regarding meals, parking, activities, etc? Any advice? I do have guidebooks but like tips from fodorites.

I only got the Sante Fe room at the El Tovar due to a cancellation, I'm pretty sure. It was the only room available for our nights. It doesn't have a canyon view but that's ok. I have always wanted to stay at the El Tovar.

We are also stopping in Las Vegas on the way, and I have a condo for us there.

We need a 1-night stop enroute home between Grand Canyon and San Diego. Any advice on that? Maybe a small interesting town? or a hotel with a pool and good restaurants nearby?

THANKS EVERYBODY!

Tomsd

You can dine at the very fine El Tovar dining room - and also at the less expensive - but decent quality restaurant on the other? side of Bright Angel lodge. You can also go to the cafeteria at the other lodging - Maswik.

The cafeteria's fun and generally - has something for everyone.

You might request a Rim/Canyon view room at Bright Angel (which we enjoyed) for the rest of your family - although they are now charging a small premium I believe.

Don't know of any really cute place to stay between the GC and San Diego and I would just go for it.

Actually - you could take Freeway 10 to Palm Springs/Coachella Valley - and your family might like taking the tram ride up to the top of Mt. San Jacinto - and also they might like the Palm Desert Zoo/Living Desert/gardens.

http://www.pstramway.com/ and http://www.livingdesert.org/

Rich

Parking at el Tovar is at a premium . . the lot is right in front of the hotel and small . . We got there around 1:00 when folks were checking out and got right in.

The Dining Room requires a reservation for dinner so get one as soon as you can. We got up early so that we could watch the sunrise then went to Breakfast and it was easy to get in, as was lunch.

emalloy

You really lucked out with el Tovar. We've only stayed there once and that was as a walk in, probably also due to a cancellation. We stayed in the Bright Angel cabins once and the rooms were very small, but typical NP, clean, ok linens, I think we even had a TV. The ones we stayed at were actually two rooms attached. The linens in el Tovar were much nicer.

I think there was plenty of parking near the cabins, but as Tomsd said it is tight near el Tovar, if there is none available when you arrive, drop off your luggage and go across the tracks near Maswick there often is space, then when the day trippers leave, move to a closer space.

Have a great trip!