short trip to the Grand Canyon this week
Sep 28th, 2021, 02:45 PM
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short trip to the Grand Canyon this week
short trip to Grand Canyon this week.
My wife and I drove to the Grand Canyon from Phoenix by way of a few days in Sedona. We’ve been to the Grand Canyon before, both at the rim and running the river. For this trip we chose to stay 3 nights since we had the time.
Our room at Yavapai was just right. Clean, comfortable, nestled in the pine forest yet very close to the rim – 10min walk from our room. Elk grazing outside our window in the morning. I actually like the location of Yavapai better than the other rim hotels as you’re away from the crowds.
We walked several segments of the rim trail over several days – mostly in 3-4 mile segments. On one day we did a bigger hike on the S. Kaibab trail, about 1.5 miles and 1000’ elevation change to Cedar Ridge. That hike was a highlight of our trip – you get far below the rim and out into the canyon for amazing views that you don't get standing just at the rim.
Getting around the park by shuttle bus is easy, but can also be time consuming between the wait time and the need to transfer between buses. Parking at the visitor center we could hop on the orange shuttle to S. Kaibab trail without much delay. Going the other way, to Hermits Rest on the red shuttle requires you to get to Bright Angel area first, either by blue shuttle from Yavapai, walking, or driving. If you're staying at one of the rim hotels then getting to Hermits rest is easier.
The dining situation at GC is limited at this time. Both the Arizona Room restaurant (at Bright Angel) and the Yavapai cafeteria are closed. This means you have the same # of tourists vying for the reduced # of options. We had a reservation at El Tovar dining room one night which was excellent. You can make reservations up to 30 days in advance. Cancellations happen so even if you don't have a reservation before arrival be sure to check back frequently. You can book more than 30d ahead if you have a room at El Tovar. The line at Yavapai Café/Restaurant was about 1hr deep each evening so we passed, opting instead for grab ‘n go sandwiches from the General Store.
The nice surprise one evening was a free table at the El Tovar lounge/bar. Space is first come, first serve, no reservation or waiting list option, so when we saw it free we grabbed the available table on the porch overlooking the sunset. Menu is limited/appetizers only but between a bowl of chili and a pulled pork sandwich it was plenty for a meal. That, and enjoying a nice glass of wine as the sun set over the canyon was a bonus find.
Like everywhere else around the country it seems that the service staff at the GC is also short handed. An extra dose of patience and a nice tip for these hard working people trying to make a living is well deserved.
Aside from the dining options mentioned above nothing was terribly crowded so we had no concerns about social distancing. Masks are required in all indoor spaces and on buses and everyone complied.
There is a small grocery (general store) store at the Yavapai market. You can find just about anything you need there, albeit from a limited selection. Prices for most items were about 2x what you'd pay at a regular supermarket, but that's to be expected given the distance required to truck items in. It was handy to stop by in the morning and grab a sandwich to go, or in the afternoon for a bottle of wine and some cheese. If you're feeding a family 1, 2 or 3 meals a day on a limited budget you'd be well advised to stock up at a major supermarket (eg in Flagstaff or Williams) enroute. The room had a mini fridge and there are ice machines, so a cooler would work too.
All in all a great short trip. Late Sept is an excellent time to visit since it's cooler and less crowded. They days are shorter - it was pitch dark by 6:30pm each night, and the mornings cool enough to need long sleeves, but by 9am it was warm enough for shorts and a t-shirt.
My wife and I drove to the Grand Canyon from Phoenix by way of a few days in Sedona. We’ve been to the Grand Canyon before, both at the rim and running the river. For this trip we chose to stay 3 nights since we had the time.
Our room at Yavapai was just right. Clean, comfortable, nestled in the pine forest yet very close to the rim – 10min walk from our room. Elk grazing outside our window in the morning. I actually like the location of Yavapai better than the other rim hotels as you’re away from the crowds.
We walked several segments of the rim trail over several days – mostly in 3-4 mile segments. On one day we did a bigger hike on the S. Kaibab trail, about 1.5 miles and 1000’ elevation change to Cedar Ridge. That hike was a highlight of our trip – you get far below the rim and out into the canyon for amazing views that you don't get standing just at the rim.
Getting around the park by shuttle bus is easy, but can also be time consuming between the wait time and the need to transfer between buses. Parking at the visitor center we could hop on the orange shuttle to S. Kaibab trail without much delay. Going the other way, to Hermits Rest on the red shuttle requires you to get to Bright Angel area first, either by blue shuttle from Yavapai, walking, or driving. If you're staying at one of the rim hotels then getting to Hermits rest is easier.
The dining situation at GC is limited at this time. Both the Arizona Room restaurant (at Bright Angel) and the Yavapai cafeteria are closed. This means you have the same # of tourists vying for the reduced # of options. We had a reservation at El Tovar dining room one night which was excellent. You can make reservations up to 30 days in advance. Cancellations happen so even if you don't have a reservation before arrival be sure to check back frequently. You can book more than 30d ahead if you have a room at El Tovar. The line at Yavapai Café/Restaurant was about 1hr deep each evening so we passed, opting instead for grab ‘n go sandwiches from the General Store.
The nice surprise one evening was a free table at the El Tovar lounge/bar. Space is first come, first serve, no reservation or waiting list option, so when we saw it free we grabbed the available table on the porch overlooking the sunset. Menu is limited/appetizers only but between a bowl of chili and a pulled pork sandwich it was plenty for a meal. That, and enjoying a nice glass of wine as the sun set over the canyon was a bonus find.
Like everywhere else around the country it seems that the service staff at the GC is also short handed. An extra dose of patience and a nice tip for these hard working people trying to make a living is well deserved.
Aside from the dining options mentioned above nothing was terribly crowded so we had no concerns about social distancing. Masks are required in all indoor spaces and on buses and everyone complied.
There is a small grocery (general store) store at the Yavapai market. You can find just about anything you need there, albeit from a limited selection. Prices for most items were about 2x what you'd pay at a regular supermarket, but that's to be expected given the distance required to truck items in. It was handy to stop by in the morning and grab a sandwich to go, or in the afternoon for a bottle of wine and some cheese. If you're feeding a family 1, 2 or 3 meals a day on a limited budget you'd be well advised to stock up at a major supermarket (eg in Flagstaff or Williams) enroute. The room had a mini fridge and there are ice machines, so a cooler would work too.
All in all a great short trip. Late Sept is an excellent time to visit since it's cooler and less crowded. They days are shorter - it was pitch dark by 6:30pm each night, and the mornings cool enough to need long sleeves, but by 9am it was warm enough for shorts and a t-shirt.
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