Buckeyejudy

Hi,

I'm looking for suggestions. We're not the kind of tourists who need to see every nook and cranny of an area. We are more interested in just getting a taste of the area, and actually, more of a relaxing vacation. Our plan is to fly into Las Vegas on a Sat in Sept, and out of Phoenix the following Sat. We do have tickets already for Sun to see Celine in Vegas. We're thinking of staying at the Bellagio, Sat and Sun night. Just getting a little idea of what Vegas is. Then on Mon driving to the Grand Canyon. Mon night, stay on the southern rim. Leave the area later on Tues and drive to Sedona. Then, Tues to Fri stay in Sedona. I feel that might be the more relaxing part of the trip. Fri, drive to Phoenix, and we'll fly out on Sat. Does this all sound reasonable? Any suggestions or ideas are greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!!! Judy

LindainOhio

We did a similar trip a couple years ago. The only thing you need to check on is your car rental. The one way drop off fees can be steep. When we went a couple years ago, Budget allowed a one way rental and did not charge a fee.

We enjoy the Bellagio. We also have stayed at Paris, Alladin, Mandalay Bay. We usually stay wherever I can find the best rate. Bellagio is beautiful though and I love the rooms overlooking the fountain--the accompanying music is played on a channel on your tv. If you can stay there during the week Sun.-Thurs. you will get a better rate. Research your preferred lodgings in Las Vegas and then sign up for their "specials" which will be e mailed to you a couple months prior to your visit. I have cancelled prior reservations and rebooked an e mail special. We also loved "O"

On our last trip, a snowstorm actually caused us to cancel our stop at the Grand Canyon but we spent 2 extra nights in Sedona, which we loved. We were staying at the Enchantment Resort(the room with the Murphy bed, kitchen,firplace, huge deck). The resort sits in Boynton Canyon and you look out of your room and see the fantastic canyon walls--it was a "wow". See www.hikearizona.com for some great reviews of hiking in the area. We really enjoyed our hikes there.

Enchantment can be quite expensive in season but there are many really nice places to stay in Sedona. The town is not impressive so don't judge Sedona by the downtown area--you need to get out and hike--there are several easy hikes. If you really don't like hiking the jeep tours are an alternative.

We are returning to the Grand Canyon in a couple of weeks. My husband and several of our friends are hiking down to Phantom Ranch. I have done a lot of hiking but I am only hiking partway down. I am a wimp on continuous uphill climbs. I am going to do the rim trails.

Enjoy planning your trip.

Buckeyejudy

Thanks Linda (looks like you're another buckeye) for the information. I especially appreciate your suggestion of booking Bellagio now, and always being able to cancel later, after receiving e-mail specials. Any other info you can think of is greatly appreciated!! Enjoy your trip . Judy

rm_mn

Unless you have a very early flight out of Phoenix, why not take an extra day at the Grand Canyon and then plan on driving from Sedona to the airport on the last day. It's about 120 miles, mostly on freeway. Shouldn't take more than 2 1/2 hours.

Grand Canyon is huge with lots of places to stop and view different areas. Giving yourself an extra day allows you to learn the shuttle routes and make it to one of the overlooks for a sunset or sunrise picture. The canyon changes throughout the day too as the angle of the sunlight changes. Make sure you look for the California Condors that are roaming the park. There is a Condor talk given each day by a park ranger that is fascinating.

hugglynn

Buckeyejudy
I agree with the last poster about driving to the airport on your last day from Sedona.
We have spent several vacations in Sedona flying in/out of Phoenix and the drive to/from isn't that bad, just be sure if you are driving through Phoenix in rush hour that you allow extra time. If you have a lot of time before the flight leaves, you could drive through Jerome on the way back to the airport, neat drive up a mountainside to get to the vista town and some eclectic shops and eateries there.

The recommendation about Sedona's downtown is fairly accurate. Sedona is all about getting out to see the beauty. You can see the beauty of the red rocks from easy or challenging trails or taking drives just about anywhere.

We picked up the Top Ten Trails book on our first visit there (at the airport--also worth a trip for the view). We've now done all but one of the trail, plus many other trails we found in a book where we were staying.

We always rent a house while there. Newer property with trails right out the back door...I can direct you if it is something you are interested in. If you go to www.vrbo.com, it is the property under Sedona called Windows on Sedona.
Whatever you do, you will love it.
Oh, and check out the Wildflower Bread Company in the center of town--great breakfasts and lunches on the go!

elnap29

Previous posters have good suggestions. A very pleasant alternative to Enchantment Resort is the Inn on Oak Creek. It's a B&B but the rooms seemed very private, especially those facing the creek. It's a relaxing place with a fabulous breakfast and excellent concierge service. You can easily walk into town or relax on the private grounds on the creek bank.

mel710

We did a similar trip in reverse, from Phoenix to Las Vegas.It,s a great trip as it combines stunning scenery with the bright lights and fun of vegas. When we reached Sedona we were very disappointed as there were no vacancies to be had in the area.(it was June) We ended up staying in what looked like the Bates Motel on the edge of town. However it was very clean and our second story room overlooked the red rocks.It was only for 1 night and we actually enjoyed it, but maybe you would be better pre-booking your hotel in Sedona.Also try to stop off at Hoover Dam and if you have the time, take a detour to Oatman, a small mining town with wild horses(burros) roaming the main street.Oatman is about a half hour detour from the main route between Hoover Dam and Flagstaff (heading towards Phoenix).The scenery is well worth it.Have a great time!

Myer

I'm doing something very similar this June.

My hobby is photography and travel. I started this whole thing because of some photos I saw of Bryce Canyon. That's why I have it in for 2 days and out of order somewhat. Things have been added and in-park reservations are difficult.

I arrive in LV at 2:40 and immediately pick up a car and leave for Bryce Canyon. I may even bring with a box of water and snacks in the hope of not stopping enroute and getting to Bryce at a reasonable time.

I'm not a hiker but will do some easier trails for the photographs. In fact, i can see myself possibly doing the same trail(s) twice at different times of the day.

Then I drive to Zion for a day. The reason I'm going to Zion second is that originally I was planning on driving directly to Sedona and wanted to shorten that day's driving.

I have since been convinced to add a day and stop at the Grand Canyon. No hiking. Just the Desert View Drive views, evening walk, sunset and sunrise.

Then 2 days in Sedona to do various hikes and the scenery.

I have a 12:45PM Flight from Phoenix and expect to leave Sedona about 8:30AM or so.