Patti

I,m Tring to plan a trip to the Grand Canyon for the end of May or even August. Someone suggested I sould fly into New Mexico and drive to the Grand Canyon and do some site seeing along the way. Does anyone know how I would go about planning a trip like this. They also said we should try and stay at the old lodge in the park. They forgot to tell me the name. Does anyone know?

Al Godon

Patti, I applaud your efforts to see some beautiful desert country. But I think you need to do a great deal more preparation before tackling your task. First, I really think you need to get a good map of the Southwest and do a little studying. You seem not to have a clear cut picture of where you might want to go or the distances you need to travel. You need to plan for yourself because you are the one paying the bills. <BR> <BR>Second you need to get a concept of possible arrival cities. You say someone suggested that you fly into New Mexico? Well, New Mexico covers 123,000 square miles which means it is twice the size of Georgia, larger than Alabama and Georgia combined, larger by far than North and South Carolina combined, and larger than New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware combined. Arizona is 113,000 square miles, so it, too, covers quite a bit of area. Of course the population of both states is relative sparse once you are outside of a few metropolitan centers like Phoenix, Tucson, Santa Fe and Albuquerque. <BR> <BR>If you fly into New Mexico, Albuequerque is the largest city in the state and undoubtedly has the most flights in and out. My guess, however, is that you can find a cheaper flight into Phoenix, Arizona. (That was my experience; we are headed for the GC in late May and we could fly to Phoenix from Atlanta far cheaper than we could fly to Albuquerque. But prices do shift around.) <BR>Also, I presume you anticipated renting a car and making a loop trip from your arrival city. I say that because dropping a rental car at another location usually results in a hefty drop fee. <BR>As for accommodations at the Grand Canyon, there are many lodges, hotels, and motels on the south rim. Your friends might have referenced The El Tovar Hotel which was built in 1905. But there is also the Bright Angel Lodge which has been there a long time. <BR> <BR>Unfortunately, I doubt very much is you will find a room in the park at the South Rim during late May, June, July, and August. <BR>You can try, of course. The web site for accommodations in the park itself is: http://www.fredharvey.com/ <BR>Then click on the Grand Canyon. <BR> <BR>Before I sent this reply, I checked the El Tovar Hotel and the Yavapai Lodge for 1 room for 2 days in late May. Nothing is available. <BR> <BR>I did not check August, but that is an even more popular month than May. <BR>To be honest, if you want to go the GC, you start planning 9 months to a 1 year in advance and make your reservations. <BR> <BR>You might be able to find lodging on the one of the roads leading north from I 40, to the canyon. I do not have a list of those places, but I know that around the canyon entrance there are quite a few places to stay. <BR>Even if you don't stay at the Canyon itself, there is no reason not to join the mob and take a peek over the side. <BR>It is beautiful and awesome. <BR> <BR>Perhaps someone can suggest a few motels outside of the park itself where you can find a room for a couple of nights.

Al

Not a big problem. Tusayan (too-sigh-yahn) is the community just outside the South Rim entrance. Check with any of the major motel chains; use their 800 numbers or web sites. Find if they have a vacancy that fits your dates. Or get yourself a place in Flagstaff (80 miles away) or Sedona (110 miles away).

Rob

A couple years ago a friend and I flew into Albuquerque, rented a car (convertible) and drove west to Arizona. We stopped at some nice places and I especially remember how interesting Bandalier National Park was with the cave dwellings. As far as the Grand Canyon goes, I don't know how much time you want to spend there, but a long day seems to suffice for most and it did for us. We arrived early and hiked all day and then drove to Flagstaff to spend the night. We covered a lot of ground in 6 days but it was an amazing trip!!

Diana Ohlson of Silver River Adobe Inn B&B

Dear Patti, <BR>The Lodge at the Grand canyon is The Bright Angel Lodge. <BR>Certinally there is much to see and explore in the area of the Grand Canyon, including Hopi Mesas, Canyon de Chelly, Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde and Monument Valley to name a few. You might fly in to Alburqueque, NM;Flagstaff, or Phoenix. <BR> Our B&B is in the northwest corner of NM and would allow you to visit Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde on your way to the Grand Canyon. <BR>Diana

Lupe

I grew up making this trip just about every summer. (My family is in Carlsbad, NM) You will love it! - It's serenity at its best. <BR> <BR>The largest city that is close by and that won't cost an arm & a leg to fly into would be Albuquerque. This is a beautiful city. Because it's in northern New Mexico you're in a more mountainous area that is very green. There are several Indian "villages"/shopping areas with great buys for turqoise and silver jewelry.- Make sure to try the Indian fried bread. <BR> <BR>The drive to the Grand Canyon from there is approx. 5 hours. Be sure to leave early in the morning to watch the sun coming up as you head west. The early rays really bring out the beautiful clay red and gold cliffs that contrast with the greenery around you. Someone once said to me of their trip to New Mexico that they had "never seen so much blue sky." Sun up or sun set are the best times to take advantage of this. <BR> <BR>If there are no lodgings within the Grand Canyon park itself, don't worry. These are overpriced (the least expensive being @$100/night) and are very rundown, with the exception of one or two which are outrageously expensive. I recommend staying in Tusayan, about 10 miles outside of the park, there is a Best Western that has nice rooms @ $80/night, complete with bowling alley/bar/lounge, etc. <BR> <BR>There is an IMAX theatre in Tusayan that gives a "Grand Canyon Experience" film. A little on the cheesy side, but really a kind of cool thing to do. They go into some great scenery shots (you actually feel like your experiencing the white-water rapids!) and they go into some history. <BR> <BR>Also, at the exit from the I40 towards the grand canyon there is a small restaurant (only open until 1pm) called "Old Smokey's" - or is it Smokey Joe's? - They serve the BEST breakfast with homemade breads and biscuits, yum! <BR> <BR>Sorry this is so long, but I have one last suggestion. Another option is to fly into Las Vegas (also about a 5-6 hour drive) spend the night there and enjoy. If you fly in during the week stay at one of the big fancy hotels for about have the price of a weekend rate. Some recommendations are Ceasar's Palace (the new tower) and, my favorite, Mandalay Bay. Driving from Vegas also gives you the option of making a slight detour through Sedona which has the famous "painted desert" and is also a great place for history, shopping and beautiful scenery. <BR> <BR>Hope this helps. Feel free to email me directly with questions.

promote

Diana with the B&B pitch, you might want to read the rules on this site before you post again. "No commercial promotion" is on the front page of the Travel Lounge, right there for all to read. That includes you. We come here precisely because this site is free of advertisers and agents with something to sell. <BR> <BR>I won't complain to Fodor's this time, but if I see you post an ad here again you can count on my complaint to our site host.