starrs

With that long drive, maybe staying in Williams for the first night and maybe Cameron or Sedona on the second night. Sedona IF you don't plan on backtracking to the GC.

Depending on where you are heading in SE Arizona, you may be interested in staying in a wigwam on Route 66 -
http://www.galerie-kokopelli.com/wigwam/

If you stay in Holbrook, you can see Meteor Crater and/or Petrified Forest NP

Another option is to go to Sedona for two nights and let someone else do the driving back up to the canyon -
http://www.pinkjeeptours.com/jeep-to...perience.shtml

My 1st choice would be to keep calling Xanterra to see if rooms become available IN the park due to cancellations.

Given your long drive, my second choice would be to spend the first night in Williams, get an early start into the park and spend the second night in -
Cameron and then continue on to drive through Monument Valley - if I'd never seen it, or
Holbroook - and see Meteor Crater and/or Petrified Forest - if I'd never been there
Sedona - if I'd never been there
Scottsdale - if I'd never seen Taliesin West before

BTW, the drive through Tonto National Forest (map it from Winslow through Strawberry to Scottsdale) is a delightful COOL drive which I found very surprising in AZ.

Sorry if the above suggestions are all over the place. I'm just not sure what you've already seen in AZ - or not.

Myer

Call, call, call. Don't bother with online as cancels don't get in there fast enough.

The tours will release rooms in the last 30 - 45 days.

You'll get you days if you try enough.

lincasanova

will let you know how this goes. thanks a lot for all the advice. don't think there can be much more to give !

teacherCanada

Hi lincasanova - Our paths may cross once more. I plan to be driving from San Francisco to Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon (and then home) in mid to late July. What a shock to the two of us if we ran into each other on the edge of the Grand Canyon.

tC

lincasanova

My son and his friend.. sorry! I am helping him figure this out as they were having accommodation problems and asked me if I knew anywhere or what I would do under the circumstances.

Of course I said "I don't know.. but my Fodor friends will!".

I had warned them long ago to get the GC dates figured out or they would lose the less expensive lodging in Tusayan. Well.. exactly what happened. All these suggestions are helpful and they have given up on the idea of staying IN the park even if someplace would come available because of the price.

They have all the info.. and I hope they enjoy wherever they decide to stay.

teacher.. our paths WILL cross. I am sure of that! Nice to see you.

MikePinTucson

"they have given up on the idea of staying IN the park even if someplace would come available because of the price. "

Actually, Maswick has rooms for under $100 per night. I'm not sure they could find anything in Tusayan for much lower than that. So they should keep trying for inside the park.

Dayenu

Lin, I've noticed, Expedia now has Nat'l parks lodging listed, try for your dates.

lincasanova

yavapai lodge in park $207
red feather (tusayan) $159
Williams hotels from $65+ up actually found fairfield inn on one website for $79.

Not my money, so, I see their possibilities of being anywhere except Williams getting slimmer and slimmer They are also considering one night Williams, then drive through park.. enjoy all day, and one night Cameron Lodge ( thanks everyone for bringing that place to our attention.)

I couldn't see Maswik rooms/ cabins, even off season , for those prices.. where did you find that? I agree that would be a very good price, even a bit more.

MikePinTucson

Maswick cabins and rooms as low as $90

http://www.grandcanyonlodges.com/gra...lodge-412.html

Yavapai -- rooms as low as $107 (not $207)

http://www.grandcanyonlodges.com/lodging-413.html

emalloy

The web site indicated that there were cabins at Bright Angel that were available tomorrow night for $79 to $90. It really helps to keep checking and making reservations that you can cancel. Wouldn't hurt for the kids to check for availability when they arrive at the park.

Bill_H

They are also considering one night Williams, then drive through park.. enjoy all day, and one night Cameron Lodge

Coming from San Diego it would also work to break it up by just driving to Sedona and staying there the first night (some expensive places, some cheaper ones, but Sedona is much much nicer than Williams), then touring the park and on to Cameron for the 2nd night.

This assumes the drive from SD on I-8 to I-17 via Phoenix, which Mapquest sez takes 7:19. From SD to Williams is 7:29 on Mapquest via I-15 and I-40, so Sedona is actually a bit closer, though you'll have an extra hour drive into GC the next morning.

I would leave SD early enough to get to Sedona mid-afternoon and enjoy Sedona for a few hours ... lovely place with the red rocks et al. Williams is basically just a very small town in the pine trees off the interstate.

lincasanova

Don't know where my post went so here goes again.

Now they are driving only from Vegas, as they are stopping there to see an exchange student we once had.

So.. thank you for the correct Xanterra prices.. since there was no availability through that webpage I didn't even look. I did telephone some other organization just to see, but they really jack up the prices on what they have in stock. $100 more?! Wow.

Will keep checking things out and call Xanterra directly now daily as you have suggested.

Will let you know if there is success.

armywifey

There are often last minute cancellations at the Canyon so you can keep trying for a lodge and then go to Flagstaff or Williams if not or you could take your camping gear and see if the campground in Grand Canyon Village is open. You should expect to pay a bit more for a room then in Flag/Williams it is a tourist trap and summer! If you really want to experience the canyon then get a backcountry permit and camp at Indian Gardens.

Also if you wind up staying at Bright Angel the whole thing is on the rim so don't pay for a room with a "view" which can be almost twice the price of one with a view of the parking lot, just walk around the building!

lincasanova

We have begun our call marathon to Xanterra. Hopefully one of the cheaper rooms/lodges will have an opening for either or both of the two nights they need. There is one available now but close to $200/night with tax at Thunderbird. Hopefully , although the reservation specialist said that the cheaper rooms are harder to get on a cancellation , will come up.

Thanks again for all the possible logistics and places to stay, It has been very helpful. It gives them a lot of ideas they can work on as this progresses or comes to a standstill!

We would never have heard of Cameron Trading Post, for example, if I had not posted this question.

Since there should be no problem with lodging in Williams or Sedona, they will just work on this as suggested and see what comes up almost to the day of.

lincasanova

You guys are the best! I would not have called so insistently if you hadn't suggested it. They have secured one night at Maswick. Thunderbird was also available but at twice the price.

I am really happy for them! Thanks again for all your great ideas!

starrs

Yay! They will love Maswick. We had a mule deer grazing right out the window one morning. It was a memory maker for the 10 year old boy on the trip.

Glad you stayed with the calls.

lincasanova

They are estatic.

happytrailstoyou

I never give up on those places in national parks that claim to be completely booked--I keep calling and I invariably find what I want if I start soon enough.

Just last week persistence paid off again when I called for the upteenth time and finally, for August 1 and 2, booked a one-bedroom unit with a balcony overlooking Jackson Lake and with views of the Tetons.

One very reliable strategy is to find out when others must cancel reservations to avoid charges if they don't show up. For instance, if the cancelation deadline is 30 days before arrival, I start calling the lodging of interest over and over about 35 days before your arrival date.

HTTY

lincasanova

This was a very good lesson learned!

LakesideChick

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