KathyM

My husband, (adult) daughter and I will be attending a family wedding in Phoenix in early October. We will have about a week after the wedding to see Arizona. We so far are planning to stop in the Sedona area for a night or two (although we don't have much specific yet), then on to the Grand Canyon. Lastly, on to Vegas, not for the sake of going to Vegas, but because it's easier to get home from there. I have been doing some research, including accommodations at the Grand Canyon; rooms there are pretty scarce, even 4 months in advance. I'd appreciate any advice, re: Sedona, the Yavapai Lodge at the GC and whatever else we should try to see along the way. What would you do if you had a week in this area? Fodors folks have always been very helpful to me, so thank you in advance!

ksucat

I would stay 2 nights in Sedona/2 nights in Grand Canyon and 2 nights in Vegas.
October starts getting busy for conventions so I would book soon.
Sedona, I like for reasonable hotels that are solid 3-4* are the
BW Inn of Sedona, Sedona Rouge Resort and spa, Hyatt Pinion, Hilton.
GC, its been awhile and enjoyed Yavapai lodge..hope others will chime in.
Vegas, I like the Wynn, Palms (off the strip), MGM, Bally's, Caesars and Paris.
Great food dining in Vegas.
Expedia.com is a good place to get prices, photos, opinions on hotels.
I have used them and have always had good luck with them.
Have fun!

MikePinTucson

Are you flying into PHX? If so, you need to check on drop-off fees if you are planning on a one-way car rental.

If the only reason to go to Vegas is because it is easirer to get home from there, I would definitely NOT spend any more time there than necessary. I would add to your time in Sedona. You won't regret it.

In Sedona:
Pink Jeep Broken Arrow tour (first day, it will give you a great overview of the area).
Chapel of the Holy Cross -- It is a special place, spiritual and moving in its simplicity, and I am definitely a non-religious person.
Bell Rock, hike as long or as short as you want.
Red Rock Crossing, with an easy hike to Cathedral Rock.
Visit Jerome
Take the Verde Canyon Railroad.
Eat at the Cowboy Club Silver Saddle Room and Dahl & DiLuca.

At the GC, try to get one of the rim lodges, if possible (El Tovar, Kachina, Thunderbird, or Bright Ange). Maswick is about 1/4 mile from the rim and Yavapai is a good 1/2 mile away (and not near the other lodges).

In Sedona, do you want to be right in town (uptown)? Or could you stand being a few miles away? In uptown, the Best Western Arroyo Roble would be a good choice. The Best Western Inn is in West Sedona. We have also enjoyed Sky Ranch Lodge, which is up on airport mesa. Simple but clean, great views, but a steep winding road getting up and down.

MichelleY

Check back often at GC for vacancies either on line or call, every day. Cancellations are pretty common.

You will also have to weight the round trip from Phoenix cost vs. out of LV & the one way drop off charge for a rental car.

Good luck.

KathyM

I'd love to hear more about Sedona - I have heard of the Chapel of the Holy Cross - I don't know where we want to stay there because I don't know enough about the area. What is the pink jeep tour?

MichelleY

It is a little old, but here is a link to our trip report:

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...rip-report.cfm

previous poster gives some good choices for places to stay. Do a search here for other recs.

LindainOhio

We have done this trip in and out of Phoenix and starting in Phoenix and ending in Las Vegas. Before you book your flights, check out the one way car rental. Car rental rates at the Phoenix airport are high and the extra charges for a one way rental can be steep. In 2004 when we did the Phoenix-Las Vegas trip, Hertz was the only company I could find that did not charge extra for one way rentals.

We loved hiking in Sedona. Sedona does not have a "cute" town like Santa Fe. It's just kind of a strip so there's no need to stay near the town.

Yavapai would be my last choice for lodging at the Grand Canyon. The other lodges, even the Maswik are all together in a little village. Definitely call for cancellations, especially look at the cancellation policy. When are guests charged for cancelling? I don't remember. Many posters on Fodors have found rooms at the Grand Canyon by calling. Why they don't just have a waiting list, I don't know.

smetz

We just got back from a trip to the area, including LV, Zion, Page AZ, Sedona, and Grand Canyon. We spent two evenings/nights in Las Vegas, 3 nights/2 days in Sedona, and 1 night/1.5 days in Grand Canyon. Since my wife and I don't gamble or party much, we found Las Vegas to be annoying & I would have skipped our first night there if I had it to do again. The last night there was necessary, since we were flying out the next a.m., and we did have a great meal at Emeril's Table 10.

We both wish we had a lot more time in Sedona. It's beautiful, and if you like to hike there is plenty to do there. The main hike we did was Cathedral Rock from Verde Valley School Rd, which was beautiful. We also hiked Bell Rock and the West Fork of Oak Creek, which is in Oak Creek Canyon north of town. We also took an hour drive up toward Flagstaff to Walnut Canyon NM, which is the location of a cliff dwelling community that was abandoned about 800 years ago, and is well worth the trip. But there was so much more we did not get to see in Sedona. We did not take the Pink Jeep tour, but anyone we talked to who did really enjoyed it.

Regarding Grand Canyon, I agree that you should stay in the village, because it's so convenient to everything, especiall the Canyon. We stayed at Maswik, which is about like a 2* motel - nothing special, but an easy walk to the rim and the main lodges. The main hike we did there was Kaibab trail down to Cedar Ridge, which was just fantastic. I would have liked another day there, so that we could hike down Bright Angel trail as well, but from what I could tell, I'm glad we picked Kaibab.

smetz

At Sedona, we stayed at Las Posadas Inn, which is south of Sedona in Oak Creek Village. It takes about 15 very scenic minutes to drive to the center of Sedona, and it's also convenient to some of the main hikes, like Cathedral Rock and Bell Rock. The inn itself is great, with large suites that include a kitchen, living room, bedroom, and large bath with dual sinks, a large shower, and a separate soaking tub. They also provide you with a served 3 course breakfast, and an appetizer left in your fridge every afternoon. We loved it there.

KathyM

I plan to keep calling, since there have to be cancellations. Someone also said that the tour companies book blocks of rooms and if they don't fill their tours they cancel out about 6 weeks prior so often there are rooms available closer to the date. I was looking at Yavapai Lodge because they are the only ones who seem to have anything at all at this point, but would love suggestions for a better Lodge to try to book... My husband & I don't mind "basic" as long as it's not too terribly rustic, but my daughter would like a little more upscale. She is suggesting that we stay outside the park. If we did that, would it be a big issue getting in & out everyday? We are planning be there about 3 days. Are we allowing ourselves enough time?

MikePinTucson

Do NOT stay outside the park if you can get lodging inside. The closest place outside the park is in Tusayan, and I don't think there is anything there that could be considered even remotely upscale. Not a huge issue getting in and out of the park, but just having the convenience of walking outside just a few feet to the rim is more than worth staying inside the park. Plus, it is so nice being able to pop back into your room to pick something up or drop it off, or to get that bottle of wine to have on a sunset stroll along the rim. Not to mention not having to search for a parking space each time you come into the park.

Inside the park, on the rim, the newest lodges are Kachina and Thunderbird. Both are very comfortable, and the rooms were renovated maybe 2 years ago. I would not at all consider them "rustic". Don't let your daughter convince you to stay outside the park.

If you are big on hiking, 3 days would be enough. If you aren't much on hiking, 2 days would be plenty.

Pink Jeep Broken Arrow Tour:

http://www.pinkjeeptours.com/jeep-to...en-arrow.shtml

In / around Sedona, there are 3 general areas:

Uptown (east of the "Y"), which is the main area for shops and galleries, is good for browsing and walking to some restaurants. You can also get on the free shuttle, which takes you to Tlaquepaque
http://www.tlaq.com/ (another place with expensive galleries and a few restaurants) and some other places.

West Sedona -- (west of the "Y")is more spread out. Lots of lodging and restaurants, but not really good for just walking around.

Village of Oak Creek (south of the "Y", along SR 179) is about 5 miles south of Sedona and is its own little community. Some nice restaurants, convenient for getting to Red Rock Crossing, Bell Rock, and Cathedral Rock.

I'm sure people here can help you with lodging suggestions, but we would need to know what price level you are comfortable with.

LSky

The only thing I can think to add after all this excellent advice is, that if you like art don't miss the Phoenix Art Museum. It was surprisingly good.
Also, Taliesin West is well worth a visit if you like architecture.