Grand Canyon Trip report
Sep 8th, 2009, 09:39 AM
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Grand Canyon Trip report
Did the Grand Canyon South Rim over the labor day weekend.
Drove from LA to Tusayan on the I15 and I40 with no traffic. Caught the IMAX movie and also got the park tickets(thanks to the tip from other Fodorites) at the Visitor center in Tusayan which saved us quite a bit of time.
We parked at the Village parking and had our first encounter with the grand canyon at the Mather point! Truly, the best spot to start your trip ! Took a shuttle to the West rim Route. The west drive, like others mentioned, is shuttle only. No cars allowed. Out of all the spots, I particularly liked Hopi which is supposedly the best spot for sunset. Although on that particular day it was cloudier than usual so we were not blessed with the typical breathtaking sunset.
The entire west rim took us about 3 hours, of course we lingered longer in some spots coz we just couldn't resist
Later that night, checked in at the Yavapai Lodge - West. Decent rooms - pretty basic but value for money. Rooms do have the musty smell but it did not bother us at all. I would stay at the Yavapai Lodge again if I had to.
Next day, after breakfast, about 9am we hiked part of the South Kaibab trail until Cedar Ridge and back. This is a 3mile hike and is moderately strenuous esp on the way back from Cedar Ridge to the Ooh Aah Point. The total hike took us close to 2.5 hours. Preferred to do it before 10am so that you can take advantage of the shade in the early hours.
I would highly recommend doing this hike to get a feel of the grand canyon and its beauty and immensity.
As you hike deeper in the canyon, views get even better. Be sure to take lots of water and some high caloried snack bars - also not advisable if you have any respiratory or heart problems.
After lunch, we did the Desert View drive(East Rim drive). About 27 miles. The best point was the Grandview Point, mindblowing views and views of the Colorado river as well. although both east and west routes offer different and beautiful viewing angles, If I absolutely had to choose between the two due to time constraints, I would choose East. We watched the sunset at the Lipan point, again spectacular. The Desert View Point - including the watchtower, offers great views.
Some general reviews:
IMAX : Did not enjoy it that much, too hyped up. Views were good, esp of the Colorado river but other than that I wasn't too impressed.
Breakfast at Bright Angel Restaurant : Highly recommend, they have lots of variety and excellent food.
Lunch at El Tovar : Fine dining experience. Yes, it is pricey but you get what you pay for. Very nice views outside and tastefully decorated interiors. Food was excellent.We are vegetarians and I must say we were pleasantly pleased.
Dinner at the Canyon Cafe, Yavapai Lodge - Again, this is a good place for a value meal. They had Chili Bread in a bowl that was very filling and reasonably cheap.
Yavapai Observation Point - Very informative and has tall glass-walls that offer expansive views.
Yavapai Point - Excellent lookout for Sunrise. Highly recommend!
Grandview Point (east Rim) - Not to be missed
All in all, a great 2 night-3 days at the Grand canyon south rim
Thanks Fodorites for the useful tips that helped me plan better.
Drove from LA to Tusayan on the I15 and I40 with no traffic. Caught the IMAX movie and also got the park tickets(thanks to the tip from other Fodorites) at the Visitor center in Tusayan which saved us quite a bit of time.
We parked at the Village parking and had our first encounter with the grand canyon at the Mather point! Truly, the best spot to start your trip ! Took a shuttle to the West rim Route. The west drive, like others mentioned, is shuttle only. No cars allowed. Out of all the spots, I particularly liked Hopi which is supposedly the best spot for sunset. Although on that particular day it was cloudier than usual so we were not blessed with the typical breathtaking sunset.
The entire west rim took us about 3 hours, of course we lingered longer in some spots coz we just couldn't resist
Later that night, checked in at the Yavapai Lodge - West. Decent rooms - pretty basic but value for money. Rooms do have the musty smell but it did not bother us at all. I would stay at the Yavapai Lodge again if I had to.
Next day, after breakfast, about 9am we hiked part of the South Kaibab trail until Cedar Ridge and back. This is a 3mile hike and is moderately strenuous esp on the way back from Cedar Ridge to the Ooh Aah Point. The total hike took us close to 2.5 hours. Preferred to do it before 10am so that you can take advantage of the shade in the early hours.
I would highly recommend doing this hike to get a feel of the grand canyon and its beauty and immensity.
As you hike deeper in the canyon, views get even better. Be sure to take lots of water and some high caloried snack bars - also not advisable if you have any respiratory or heart problems.
After lunch, we did the Desert View drive(East Rim drive). About 27 miles. The best point was the Grandview Point, mindblowing views and views of the Colorado river as well. although both east and west routes offer different and beautiful viewing angles, If I absolutely had to choose between the two due to time constraints, I would choose East. We watched the sunset at the Lipan point, again spectacular. The Desert View Point - including the watchtower, offers great views.
Some general reviews:
IMAX : Did not enjoy it that much, too hyped up. Views were good, esp of the Colorado river but other than that I wasn't too impressed.
Breakfast at Bright Angel Restaurant : Highly recommend, they have lots of variety and excellent food.
Lunch at El Tovar : Fine dining experience. Yes, it is pricey but you get what you pay for. Very nice views outside and tastefully decorated interiors. Food was excellent.We are vegetarians and I must say we were pleasantly pleased.
Dinner at the Canyon Cafe, Yavapai Lodge - Again, this is a good place for a value meal. They had Chili Bread in a bowl that was very filling and reasonably cheap.
Yavapai Observation Point - Very informative and has tall glass-walls that offer expansive views.
Yavapai Point - Excellent lookout for Sunrise. Highly recommend!
Grandview Point (east Rim) - Not to be missed
All in all, a great 2 night-3 days at the Grand canyon south rim
Thanks Fodorites for the useful tips that helped me plan better.
Sep 8th, 2009, 12:50 PM
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The Grand Canyon is Grand, isn't it? I agree - to really appreciate it, you have to get IN it. That doesn't mean necessarily hiking to the bottom (although that's amazing, too), but even just hiking a bit under the rim let's you really experience the awesome-ness (is that word?) of the place.
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