Phoenix/Grand Canyon/Las Vegas
 

I've been reading this forum and am interested in people's opinion regarding a possible itinerary for an anniversary trip in January.

Hubby and I will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary.

At first we thought we'd go to Las Vegas (never been), drive to the Grand Canyon (never been) and then go to Palm Springs to visit family.

After calculating the mileage, I think it'll be too much driving. We'll be leaving Friday January 18 returning home to NC Wednesday January 23rd. We've decided we probably will not be able to squeeze in the family on this trip. That'll have to wait until another time.

A friend suggested the Phoenix/Grand Canyon/Vegas idea and maybe that would be a good possibility. I'm thinking we fly into Phoenix, rent a car, drive to the Sedona area, maybe spend the night there or in Flagstaff (opinions?), then on to Grand Canyon then on to Las Vegas.

What is the best way to break this up? Spend two nights in Sedona or Flagstaff? Or two nights at the Grand Canyon? I'm pretty sure we want to end the trip with two nights in Vegas.

Any suggestions for stops along the way on this route? OR, do you have an idea for a better route/itinerary? I'm open to suggestions.

I enjoy photography, so anything with a photo opp is always good.

Thanks in advance for your help! It's much appreciated.

Depending on what time your flight gets into Phoenix on Friday, either get an airport shuttle to a hotel for the night (Marriott Courtyard and Fairfield Inn are relatively close) and then pick up your rental car on Saturday OR pick up your rental car after you arrive in Phoenix on Friday and start driving to Sedona.

Spend Friday night either in Phoenix or in Sedona. Check www.tripadvisor.com for Sedona hotels. They range from budget hotels to luxurious and expensive resorts.

Spend Saturday looking around Sedona and driving through Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon. In Flagstaff have lunch and enjoy walking around this western style, university town. Then drive to the canyon. You will likely arrive at the canyon after dark.

Spend Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights at the Grand Canyon. This will give you two full days at the canyon. Depending on your taste and budget, try to get a Bright Angel cabin with a canyon view or a room at El Tovar. Wherever you stay, the main thing is to stay inside the park. For availability and prices of available rooms, call Xanterra Parks and Resorts.

On Sunday take the shuttle bus along the western rim or take a tour bus (check the Bright Angel Transportation Desk inside the lodge for details). Be sure to visit the new geological exhibits at the Visitor Center and also be sure to view the Imax movie about the canyon outside the park in Tuscayan.

On Monday get up for sunrise at the canyon and continue to explore the canyon from the rim. For a great walk that is relatively flat, go to Shoshone Point. For a spectacular day hike, go to the South Kaibab Trail and hike as far as Cedar Point. Take lunch and enjoy the views. Then hike back up.

On either Sunday or Monday night, go to the El Tovar Hotel for a more formal anniversary dinner.

You mentioned that you love to take photos. You will go home with a camera full of the most beautiful pictures you've ever taken.

On Tuesday, drive back to Phoenix via Flagstaff.

Spend Tuesday night in Phoenix unless your flight is late enough on Wednesday to allow you to spend Tuesday night in Flagstaff or Sedona. Make sure you have enough time to return your rental car and get the airport shuttle back to the airport prior to your flight home.

On Wednesday, fly back to North Carolina.

Happy Anniversary!
Jane

If you can work in a helicopter ride at the Grand Canyon it would be cool. one other option would to be to take a plane from vegas to grand canyon. there you can take a helicopter ride to the bottom and float a mild part of the colorado. I got this for my parents anniversary a couple of year ago and they loved it. It takes up most of the day. The negative thing about that, is it really isn't enough time to really see enough of it. They price that trip base on plane, helicopter, and boat. usually around $400-$500pp. you can also through in a bus, or jeep tour. If you are in decent shape you might want to consider hiking part of Bright Angel trail. We raft the Grand Canyon this summer and it was just a fantastic experience. You will love it no matter what you do.

The suggestion to fly into Phoenix is a good one. It'll save you a couple of hours of driving. The only disadvantage is that rental car prices tend to be higher out of Phoenix than Vegas and you're also paying for a one-way rental. You could even look for a flight into Flagstaff.

I'd probably do two nights at the Grand Canyon. In January, the weather may not be cooperative, so you'll want an extra day in case you can't actually see the canyon itself (fog, snow, whatever). Also, bear in mind that it'll be cold and some of the trails will be icy. It's a good time to go, though. It won't be crowded and you may get a good deal on a nice hotel on the rim. And, the snow will make for lovely images of the canyon. Given your limited time, I second the recommendation to stay in the park.

The last two nights in Vegas are also good timing. Sun-Thurs are traditionally the cheapest days for hotel rooms, so you'll be able to stay someplace nice for not too much.

We did this trip in February 2004 and I will have to warn you that we missed the Grand Canyon because of a snowstorm--we could not get into the park--the roads were closed.

We arrived in Phoenix and actually picked up our car offsite--at the time Hertz did not charge a one way fee to drop the car in Las Vegas. Sedona is only a 2 hour drive.

The good news is that Jan. is the offseason in Sedona and they have great rates at the Enchantment Resort. We paid $195. We ended up extending our stay for another 2 nights at the Enchantment. We stayed in the fabulous room with the huge patio---it has a Murphy bed/ kitchen/living area/fireplace--very romantic and right in Boynton Canyon.

We drove from Sedona to Las Vegas--left at 8:30 a.m., drove through Oak Creek Canyon--stopped at the Overlook where the vendors were shoveling snow off their tables, stopped at the Hoover Dam and arrived in Las Vegas at about 1:00--there was a time change here--you gain an hour.

We flew out of Vegas.

Thanks for the replies. I can always count on Fodor's to help me plan.