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Planning 6 day vacation in/around Grand CAnyon

Planning 6 day vacation in/around Grand CAnyon

Old Feb 10th, 2013, 08:46 PM
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Planning 6 day vacation in/around Grand CAnyon

Could use some suggestions on what to do in and around the Grand Canyon. Read a lot of suggestions for families with children, but that is not the case with us. Me, sis, and brother-in-law, all over 50 yrs of age and brother- in-law is disabled, so we will be doing no hiking. He does have a motorized w/c for any assessible trails. I read where the South rim has lots to offer families and children, the North not so much and not as crowded, and that the south rim view has more to offer. We want to be very laid back, relaxed, and enjoy the views. Suggestions are appreciated and from what I am reading, shouldn't plan more than a day or 2 at Grand Canyon...We are planning our trip this Sept, driving from Arkansas, and will have 6 days once we arrive.
Thanks
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Old Feb 11th, 2013, 04:23 AM
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i would suggest that the south rim is much more handicap friendly than the north. On the rim you can drive in both directions in your own car if you have handicapped plates or plackard (. There are places to stop and look at the views either from the car or a very short distance from the parking area. In some places the rim trail is paved and you might be able to go a way along it in a motorized w/c. The area in front of the hotel and lodges is also ok for it.

If you drive east along the rim, you then have a choice of driving south on 89 with a stop to look at Wupatki (a Native American village ruin) and Sunset Crater, both of which can be seen a bit from a car. If you then go east on I-40, you could go to Petrified Forest/Painted Desert.

Another option would be to go south to Sedona and drive to all the beautiful red rock areas and along Oak Creek Canyon.

Another option would be to go north to Page and visiting the Dam, and boating on lake Powell.

In any case, you need to make reservations for lodging in Grand Canyon and make sure they are handicap accessible. Some of the rooms in el Tovar and Bright Angel are not. We stayed in a room in el Tovar that had a step down into the bathroom and was way too small for a wheel chair.
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Old Feb 11th, 2013, 04:34 AM
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You can get a permit to drive on Hermit and Yaki Road. I think 6 days is way too long at the Grand Canyon so yes, you'll want to plan to visit other areas. What kinds of things are you interested in?

Here's a link to the accessibility page for the Grand Canyon:
http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/accessibility.htm

You can find that link for other parks under the "Plan your visit" then "Things to Know before you come" tab.
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Old Feb 11th, 2013, 04:35 AM
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Sedona is beautiful and about two hours from the GC - and a short detour on your way is the big Meteor Crater - which is about a half hour east of Flagstaff. http://www.meteorcrater.com/

You could also take a two and a half hour drive over to see the incredible Monument Valley - and stop on the way at the nearby Navajo National Monument to see some Cliff Dwellings. http://www.nps.gov/nava/index.htm

If you wanted to do that in one day - get up early to see the sunrise on the west side of the GC - and continue on.
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Old Feb 12th, 2013, 04:34 AM
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Six days is a very long time for the Grand Canyon.

Maybe a loop thru Page and Zion.

You could call Antelope Canyon and see if they permit wheel chairs. It's very level and wide enough. It's just a matter of policy.

Also, in Zion the valley is spectacular and the Riverside Walk hike is as well. That trail is actually paved with a slight dusting of sand for effect and very level. It is definitely w/c accessible.
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Old Feb 17th, 2013, 09:52 AM
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You may want to check out Sonoran Excursions. They organize groups and will take care of you. In 6 days you could see the canyon, Sedona, Phoenix and Tucson if you'd like a full AZ experience.
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Old Feb 17th, 2013, 07:09 PM
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Thank everyone for suggestions. They have given me a great beginning for planning six days in and around the canyon. Zion comes highly recommended so pretty sure we will spend time there. Monument Valley is of interest to me, but some reviews with condition of road has us a bit concerned. My brother in law only uses W/C for distance. Smooth surface for very short distances he can manage. Sounds like 1-2 days at Canyon is plenty and then we should venture out to other areas. Probably staying at South Rim. All recommendations for overnight stays appreciated. Again, thank you for suggestions. Keep them coming. Thanks!!
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Old Feb 17th, 2013, 07:56 PM
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The observatory in Flagstaff is worth a stop. Very historic and interesting. Also, if you go to Sedona, Oak Creek Canyon is quite beautiful and Slide Rock State Park has, if I remember correctly, some paved trails. From Sedona, you can visit Jerome and there is a scenic train that might be of interest. On the way to the Grand Canyon, you can stop at the Petrified Forest, which, I believe, also has paved trails. There is no end of things to do in the area.

The south side of the Grand Canyon is definitely accessible. I took my daughter in her stroller and we were able to cover a lot of ground.
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