familythattravels

We are a family of 4 with two kids ages 11 & 13. We took this trip in mid November. We flew into Phoenix Friday night and stayed at a hotel in Scottsdale. Per Fodor suggestions (thanks Mike) we drove the long way and traveled through Oak Creek Canyon. This gave us the chance to drive through Sedona. The red rocks of Sedona provided an incredible back drop for our drive. We planned a stop for snacks at Indian Gardens Oak Creek Market. I can not recommend this place enough. The food was amazing and the staff was friendly. Then back on the road our next stop was the Cameron Trading Post. We ordered the Navajo Taco which is the stuff of legends. We prefer traditional tacos but the size was incredible - it fed four of us. Then back on the road to the East Entrance of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Our first stop past the entrance was the Watch Tower. Wow. Just wow. It's been said before and it will be said again....pictures can't capture the awe of this place. It is spectacular. I also enjoyed reading about Mary Elizabeth Jane Coltor who was the architect of the Watch Tower and several buildings on the South Rim. Fascinating woman who was a pioneer for female architects with grit to spare. After about 40 minutes we were back on the road. We stopped again at Navajo Point and got to see the Watch Tower again from a different perspective. After that we went straight to El Tovar to check in.

El Tovar is the "luxury" lodge on the South Rim. We had reserved two rooms with two double beds in each room. By some miracle we were able to upgrade from that to the Solarium Suite. Serious score. It was a spacious suite with one bedroom with a king size bed and a sitting area which held two cots with room to spare. It also had a large patio with a view of the train depot. Of course a view of the canyon would have been better but we were delighted to get this space. We checked in around 3pm and had dinner reservations at 6:30. After we got settled in the room we went out to explore. The lodge is set on the rim of the canyon so you are steps away from an incredible view. This is in the village area of the south rim so there are shops and eating venues a plenty. Dinner at El Tovar was good, not great and the service is extremely slow. It was rough the first night because we were on east coast time (2 hours ahead) so the sleepies were catching up with us.

The next day I was up early (the pro of being on east coast time) and I got to watch the sun play with different points in the canyon. I swear some of the formations looked like a gigantic gold brick while the sun was rising. It was beautiful. We decided to hike the Angel Bright Trail which was close to El Tovar. We went to the mile and a half rest stop and back it took us just over 2 hours. It was an incredible experience. We had lunch in the Angel Bright Lodge it was casual and much quicker than El Tovar. We spent the afternoon wandering the South Rim Trail (paved along the edge of the canyon). We spotted some mountain goats which was a nice surprise. We also saw several deer along the rim trail. We eventually wandered back to the lodge for another dinner at El Tovar.

On our last morning the weather changed from mild and sunny to instant winter with sleet, then snow. The kids and I watched the weather show over breakfast at El Tovar where we were seated next to a window facing the canyon. Breakfast took forever but we didn't mind much since the weather outside was uninviting. After packing and a last minute stop at the Hopi House to shop we were on the road.

We exited through the South entrance. Thought about stopping to watch an IMAX movie about the Grand Canyon but the timing did not work. We took the direct route back to Phoenix and were treated to seeing mule deer cross the road at one point. We also experienced several seasons as our drive took us through rain, snow and sunny skies. It was a memorable drive and Arizona is much more diverse than I ever imagined.

We stopped in Flagstaff to have lunch at Simply Delicious Cafe - so good. It looks like a hole in the wall from the outside and it is set far back from Route 66 do not let this deter you. I had a white bean and kale soup which was amazing. My daughters soup was late coming out so they gave her fresh fruit and free dessert. Quality food and humans running the place. Reasonable prices can not be beat. After lunch we stopped at the Lowell Observatory. We planned 40 minutes, stayed two hours. We caught a tour with a retired gentleman who captured our attention. Well worth the stop if you have the time and inclination.

Back on the road to Phoenix. Our dinner stop was Chelsea's Kitchen on N 40th Street. It is 20 minutes from the airport. Excellent food and a very eclectic, hip atmosphere. Our last meal in Phoenix then off to our red eye back to the East Coast.

Sometimes people put off travel because they think they need more time. We would have loved a week for this vacation but we had time for a long weekend. It was fantastic and I am so grateful that our family was able to take this trip. I also think November is an excellent time to visit the South Rim. It was not very crowded and the weather was favorable for our two days there (not on our departure date). The thinner crowd gave us the ability to get a better room and dinner reservations which tend to be difficult to get in the busier season. All in all a great experience.

MikePinTucson

Thanks for the great trip report. We always enter the GCNP through the east entrance because seeing the canyon from Desert View is my absolute favorite first view.

familythattravels

Thank you Mike for your excellent suggestions!

emalloy

It sounds like you made the most of a short time. You were so lucky on the upgrade at elTovar, another reason to go off season.

Thanks for the report.