Dear Arizona Travel:

We are traveling from London 1 adult, 3 children- I do not want to drive. We would like to head for the Grand Canyon in late October -  maybe fly into Flagstaff and take the train. Then stay at a lodge, take a scenic flight and take the overnight mule trip. We then need to go back to Tucson where we plan to stay on a dude ranch. Can you help me build an itinerary?
Thanks,
Anne

Hi, Anne. I believe you’re in a position in which many potential Arizona visitors find themselves. It’s easy to misunderstand the geography of the area and be confounded by the array of available tours available at the Grand Canyon.  I’ll be honest and tell you that driving yourself yourself at least some of the trip is the most sensible way to go, but if you’re dead set against driving yourself, it’s not impossible to do it your way.

The Grand Canyon Railway does not depart Flagstaff; it leaves from Williams, which is 39 miles west of Flagstaff. Most people drive from Flagstaff to Williams, but you could take a taxi (try www.afriendlycab.com).  You can certainly stay in a lodge at the Grand Canyon rim, using the free shuttles to explore the South Rim itself, and take your scenic helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon from the South Rim area (flights depart from the airport near the Village of Tusayan. You’ll need a cab from the lodges at the Rim to go about 8 miles to the Grand Canyon airport helicopter pad for your flight.)

You will take the mule trip from the South Rim. Call Xanterra Parks & Resorts at (303) 297-2757 to reserve as soon as possible. Reservations can be made up to 13 months in advance and they fill up very, very quickly.

You may take the train back to Williams on a different day than your train trip up to the Grand Canyon rim, I believe up to 2 nights, 3 days between trips. If the Grand Canyon Railway folks give you the go ahead, note that the train goes back to Williams in the afternoon… just be sure to ask the mule trip folks if you’ll back back up at the Rim in time to catch the train back to Williams.

You’ll need to drive or take a cab back from Williams to Flagstaff and board your flight from Flagstaff, connecting through Phoenix to Tucson. As for transportation to the dude ranch in Tucson, I can only speculate that you’ll be able to take a cab from the airport to your final destination.

Thus, your itinerary might look something like this:

• Day 1:
  • Flight from (or connecting through) Phoenix to Flagstaff
  • Cab ride to Williams
  • Stay overnight in Williams (For your itinerary, I recommend the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel)
• Day 2:
  • Train ride up to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon
  • Explore Rim by shuttle and on foot
  • Cab ride to Grand Canyon Airport for a helicopter tour
  • Cab ride back to Grand Canyon Village at the Rim
  • Stay overnight in one of the Lodges (book up to 13 months in advance)
• Day 3:
  • Depart on Mule Trip from the South Rim
  • Stay overnight at Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the Canyon (book at least 13 months in advance)
• Day 4:
  • Return from the Mule Trip, back up the Rim
  • Take the afternoon train back to Williams
  • Cab ride to Flagstaff
  • Stay overnight in Flagstaff
• Day 5:
  • Flight from Flagstaff through Phoenix to Tucson
  • Cab ride to Dude Ranch (theoretically)

Hope this helps! Take care and enjoy this very full and exciting-sounding trip!

–ChristinaToo

Peak tourist season at the Grand Canyon is upon us. Nearly four of the five million annual visitors will descend upon the national park between May and September, and about half of them are seeking lodging inside the park boundaries. Are you one of them? One of our readers wrote in asking for information on Phantom Ranch, perhaps the most popular Grand Canyon National Park lodges. Read on to get tips about staying at Phantom Ranch and links to information on all the Grand Canyon National Park lodges.

Dear Arizona Travel,

I visited Phantom Ranch at the Grand Canyon back in 1995 and loved it; it’s definitely time to do it again. What are the rates at Phantom Ranch and what do I need to know about staying there? Also, I plan to leave a car at the North Rim and hike down the Kaibab Trail to Phantom Ranch. I need information on shuttle transportation from the South Rim back to the North Rim.

Best regards,

René from Toronto, ON, Canada

ChristinaToo says:
Hi, René.

A stay at Phantom Ranch, the only lodging located at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, is one of the most in-demand experiences at the Grand Canyon. Operated by Xanterra Parks & Resorts South Rim, Phantom Ranch can only be reached by Colorado River raft or by mule or on foot via the Bright Angel and Kaibab trails. Visitors stay comfortably in dormitories or rustic cabins, and reservations can be made up to 13 months in advance. Due to high demand for overnight stays at Phantom Ranch, advance reservations should be made as far in advance as possible. If you’re late to the party, don’t despair. If you have flexible dates, you could get lucky and nab a room if someone else cancels. Persistence is key, so call Xanterra every day and keep checking back. To reserve a stay and get detailed information about the Grand Canyon National Park lodges, you must call 888.29.PARKS (888.297.2757) toll-free within the U.S. or 303.29.PARKS (303.297.2757) outside the U.S. or fill out the reservation request form at Xanterra Parks & Resorts’ website: http://www.grandcanyonlodges.com/lodging-704.html.

Shuttle bus transportation between the South and North Rims of the Grand Canyon is available from mid-May through mid-October. This service is provided by Transcanyon Shuttle. Rates are available by calling Transcanyon Shuttle directly. The shuttle departs North Rim at 7:00am and arrives at South Rim at 12 noon. Shuttle departure from South Rim is at 1:30pm, arriving back at North Rim at 6:30pm. Special schedule arrangements can be made with advance notice. Reservation deposit is requested at least 30 days in advance (deposit is 1/2 of the total price). Deposit can be made by personal check, cashier’s check or money order. No credit cards are accepted at this time. Mail your reservation payment to: Transcanyon Shuttle PO Box 348 Grand Canyon, Arizona 86023 Or, call them at (928)-638-2820 for more information.

Enjoy your trip!
-Christina

After a long wait, the Arizona Republic has finally posted more of their picks for the top 50 places in Arizona. Giving credit where credit is due – please find the original article at azcentral.com

Don’t see your favorite spot on the list? Check out the top 50 – 30 and the top 10. If you can’t find it there, feel free to leave your comment here telling us where you think we should visit next.

No. 29: Apache Trail to 3 Lakes

The trail’s saguaro-covered hills and deep canyons stretch for miles, broken by red-rock cliffs and hoodoos. The area remains a favorite among local sightseers, boaters, hikers and anglers.

No. 28: Petrified Forest National Park

Visitors to the vast park (its boundaries, extended in 2004, encompass 218,533 acres) will see the petrified remains of trees that grew here millions of years ago.

No. 27: Grand Canyon’s Phantom Ranch

Nestled along Bright Angel Creek at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, Phantom Ranch is one of the world’s premier destinations. And for good reason.

No. 26: Picacho Peak

The redundantly named Picacho Peak (“peak” in Spanish is picacho) rises abruptly from the desert floor between Phoenix and Tucson and for centuries has served as a landmark for explorers.

No. 25: Havasu Falls, a watery gem

Little else matters, especially not the lawn that needs mowing or office desk buried with work, as I recline against a warm, smooth rock after a swim in the turquoise-hued pools of Havasu Creek.

No. 24: Monument Valley towers in lore

We know it from the movies as John Ford’s favorite stage. And yet Monument Valley feels like the most foreign of places, even exotic – if such things still can be said about a large piece of our map.

No. 23: Desert Botanical Garden rewards patient visitors

This 67-year-old Arizona treasure hosts events from the annual Music in the Garden concert series to winter holiday evenings that feature thousands of candlelighted luminaries.

No. 22: Canyon Ranch Spa

Voted best spa by Condé Nast Traveler magazine 10 times, Canyon Ranch may be the best-known resort of its type in America. It’s been a leader among destination spas in combining health and fitness, and it employs 3 staff members for every guest to ensure that customers leave happy.

No. 21: Offbeat Sedona

Had enough of viewing Sedona’s red rock beauty and searching for bargains at Tlaquepaque? Don’t leave yet. There are lesser-known, hidden-away places that are well worth exploring. And they don’t cost nearly as much as a foray into the upscale attractions.

No. 20: The sky’s the gimmick at Benson inn

At the Astronomers Inn in Benson, stargazers can stay all night and examine the heavens through a variety of telescopes, then enjoy a hearty breakfast the next morning.

No. 19: Globe-Miami renaissance

The twin mining towns of Globe and Miami are becoming destinations for Valley travelers, not just a passage to the White Mountains. The communities lay claim to spectacular views in the foothills of the Pinal Mountains and provide a glimpse into the state’s rich mining history.

No. 18: Sabino Canyon

There’s no off-season in Sabino Canyon, a desert oasis and spectacular canyon at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains northeast of Tucson.

No. 17: Montezuma Castle National Monument

Montezuma Castle, a five-level cliff dwelling in a limestone alcove above Beaver Creek near Camp Verde. The structure was home to Sinagua people more than 600 years ago. It’s one of three well-known ruins in the Verde Valley, about 90 miles north of Phoenix. Montezuma Castle, Montezuma Well and Tuzigoot National Monument make a scenic and informative day trip from the Valley.

No. 16: Old West comes alive in Wickenburg

Wickenburg is near the Hassayampa River, a rich riparian area that has sheltered the Yavapai Indians, lured there by its fertile planting ground. Gold wooed miners. Clear skies, uncluttered mountain views and the Sonoran Desert lure Valley visitors, who can escape urban life, journey into the state’s historic past and still make it home before sunset.

No. 15: Delightful bookshop in Benson

For more than 20 years, Singing Wind Bookshop has been delighting its visitors, not just from Arizona but also from around the world. Charmingly, the bookstore is plunked in the middle of a cattle ranch just north of Benson.

No. 14: Southern Arizona’s ‘White Dove’

Nine miles south of Tucson, the towers of San Xavier del Bac Mission rise unexpectedly from the sun-baked desert floor. Nestled in the Santa Cruz Valley, the mission is one of the state’s gems.

No. 13: Lake Havasu hums year-round

Forget London Bridge and spring break. The real fun of Lake Havasu lies, surprise, in the lake. From boating to scuba diving to wakeboarding, visitors to Lake Havasu have myriad choices when it comes to water-related activities.

No. 12: Old West meets art scene in Scottsdale

Downtown Scottsdale covers a lot of territory historically, from remnants of the Old West farming community founded in 1888 by Army chaplain Winfield Scott to the contemporary art interspersed with traditional pieces in galleries around Main Street and Marshall Way.

No. 11: El Presidio Historic District

Walking through El Presidio, Tucson’s historic, geographic and psychic center, you’ll see vibrant reminders of a past that’s still celebrated.

Miss the rest of the list? Check out the top 50 – 30 and top 10 places in Arizona.

After two years of fundraising and two months of training, Girl Scout Troop 119 from St. James Lutheran Church in Quincy recently returned from hiking the Grand Canyon with a sense of accomplishment.

Assistant troop leader Barbara O’Dear, who has been training athletes for years, knew it would not be easy to train 12- and 13-year-old girls to hike the Grand Canyon.

“As a trainer, I knew it would be impossible for us to accomplish this goal without a lot of hard work,” said O’Dear. “Practice was going to be the key to success.”

The girls began flat road training in June, starting at four miles a week. Eventually they hiked seven miles on Tuesdays and Thursdays along the hilly terrain near Clat Adams Park during the hottest times of day to prepare for the conditions at the Grand Canyon.

“It was tough,” said troop member Mia McNay. “But once your legs got built up, the miles got easier.”

At the end of training, the girls had to pass a 10-mile hike in high grade-hot climate conditions in order to ensure they would be ready to make the actual hike at the canyon. Katarina Bowles, Nicole Duesdieker, Valya and Roza Panos, Mia McNay and Audrey O’Dear were cleared to go, though Bowles had to ride a mule on the hike due to an ankle injury.

While planning the adventure, O’Dear and troop leader Patti McNay also wanted the girls to learn something about themselves and each other.

“The training they went through together really brought them a lot closer to one another,” said McNay.

The hike began Aug. 14 with a 16-mile trek from the north rim of the canyon to Phantom Ranch, a campground at the bottom of the canyon where they ate and slept in a dormitory. They awoke early the following morning to complete their adventure by hiking 10 miles from the South rim of the canyon back to the top.

“It felt like the training was for a reason and that reason became true to us,” said Mia McNay. “I learned about teamwork, trusting in people and to just have fun.”

Troop 119 recently made a 16-minute motivational DVD of their trip to the canyon that includes a song that the girls wrote themselves. Patti McNay said the video will be sent to 109 Girl Scout councils in the United States. Troop leaders can pick up the video up from their local council.

“We’re hoping to motivate other girls and show them that with a little hard work, they too can achieve their own goals,” said Patti McNay.

“It’s wonderful to have a dream, to work your dream and then to live your dream,” said O’Dear. “We are very proud of each and every one of them.”

The Girl Scouts of Two Rivers Council gave all six girls a Bronze Award Sunday night at the St. Francis Hills Boy Scout Camp for their work on the DVD.

Source: Hannah Flesner, Herald-Whig Staff Writer October 16, 2006

Bob and Ellie Haan, Lafayette, took a whitewater raft trip on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon Aug. 16 through 26.

ACCOMMODATIONS

A rafting trip through the Grand Canyon was something my wife and I had dreamed about for years. On two different occasions, I had hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back in the same day, but a rafting trip had to be booked a year in advance. Last summer we made reservations a year in advance for an 11-day trip through the canyon. We chose Colorado River and Trail Expeditions, a small family-owned rafting company. The guides were well-educated, polite, friendly, and added greatly to the enjoyment of the trip. The passengers helped set up camp each evening, doing such jobs as helping unload the rafts and setting up serving tables and lawn chairs.

FOOD

The guides did everything else, including providing hot meals for breakfast and dinner and laying out a make-your-own sandwich spread for lunch. Steaks, lasagna, salmon, French toast, bacon and eggs, cheesecake, and white cake were among the many items served. If you liked the hot oatmeal served at one breakfast, you would consider all of the meals delicious. Fortunately, they provided plenty of brown sugar for the oatmeal.

THE TRIP

For our trip, we started with seven guides and 13 passengers. At the halfway point at Phantom Ranch, four hiked out and six hiked in, so for the second half of our trip we had 15 passengers. Each oar boat had two or three passengers, and the paddleboat had six or seven passengers and one guide.

We started at Lees Ferry at mile marker zero and floated to Whitmore Wash at mile marker 188 where we were picked up by helicopter, flown to Bar 10 Ranch, and then flown by chartered commuter airline to Las Vegas.

We always thought a trip through the Grand Canyon would be about whitewater rafting but that turned out not to be the case. It was about the canyon. There were plenty of rapids, an average of about one every three miles, but it was anything but boring in between. The scenery was breathtaking. There were no distractions from cell phones, television, radio, or traffic noise. There was nothing to do in the evenings but enjoy the companionship of the other passengers in delightful conversation. We would sit along the river and just relax.

It was hot in the canyon, but in the rafts you would always be wet from the rapids. If for some reason you were dry, you simply dipped your helmet in the river and put it back on. The water was 45 degrees where we started and warmed up to 55 degrees by the end of the trip. We bathed in the river but didn’t take long. At night we slept under the stars without tents.

THE SCENERY

As a person always on the go, I wasn’t sure I would be able to shut down for almost two weeks. Once in the Grand Canyon, I was totally relaxed.

Each day was different. On many days we hiked into a side canyon. Waterfalls were everywhere. Some were more than 100 feet high. In many, we stood in the middle and let the water cascade down over us. Some were in a series with waterfall after waterfall. At one especially inspiring place called Thunder River, the water came out of the side of the canyon into a pool.

On the ninth day, it rained. While rain could put a damper on most vacations, it was a thrill to experience rain in the Grand Canyon. In Indiana, the ground absorbs much of the rain, but it’s different in the canyon. Within minutes after the rain started, water came cascading down from the canyon rim. Some would fall hundreds of feet and seem to evaporate in a mist. Some combined to form larger streams that ended with a powerful waterfall into the Colorado River. During the heavier part of the rain, Zak, the head guide, found a rock outcropping where we found shelter and stood in awe of the sights around us.

DON’T MISS

For the first nine days of the trip, the guides kept talking about Lava Falls Rapids, the largest on the trip. People had rotated in and out of the paddle boat for the entire trip, and Ellie and I thought we would not be able to board for the Lava Falls trip. On the morning of the day we were to pass through Lava Falls Rapids, many chose to ride in the safer oar boats, so both Ellie and I were able to experience the full power of the Colorado River.

Everyone should experience the Grand Canyon from the Colorado River. Standing at the top is amazing, but traversing the entire canyon is beyond words. Ellie and I don’t know what our next adventure will be, but it will be hard to top this trip.

From the Lafayette, Indiana Journal & Courier Online

Question: My husband and I would like to take a whitewater rafting trip through the Grand Canyon. Any advice on short hikes and travel, including a scenic flight to/from Las Vegas?

Arizona Travel says: When it comes to raft trips down the Grand Canyon’s Colorado River, ask yourself whether you want to go by arm or engine? “There are two ways to experience the Grand Canyon,” says Steve Markle, the marketing director of OARS (800-346-6277, www.oars.com), which organizes canyon trips, “by motored raft or oar-powered raft.”

Consider not only your fitness level but also your expectations. For the motorized trips, travelers spend six to eight days in a 34- or 38-foot pontoon boat and ride the rapids along the entire 280-mile canyon route, from Lees Ferry to Whitmore Wash or Lake Mead. The boats fit eight to 16 people and carry camping and cooking gear. Because of the long distance, though, most of the trip is spent on the water, with fewer hiking opportunities.

By comparison, an oar-powered 17-foot dory or 18-foot inflatable raft goes much slower, taking two weeks or more to complete the river run. However, companies offer shorter excursions, such as a six-day trip from Lees Ferry to Phantom Ranch. These trips include treks into areas inaccessible from the more crowded rims, with visits to waterfalls, swimming holes, and the like. “You can’t see the whole canyon,” says Markle, “but your canyon experience is much more in-depth.” In addition, some expeditions pair the rafting with a nine-mile hike into the canyon and a helicopter ride out.

As for air tours, physical ability level is usually unrestricted. Take a helicpoter or airplane tour originating from Las Vegas, Flagstaff, Williams, Phoenix/Scottsdale or Sedona. Seeing the Grand Canyon by air will truly take your breath away. The views are spectacular…beyond compare. You can even enjoy an exhilarating Grand Canyon helicopter tour that lands deep in the Canyon. Whether by Grand Canyon helicopter or airplane, be sure to see the Grand Canyon by air…and let your dreams take flight.

The park caps the number of rafting trips allowed a year, and many companies sell out a year in advance. Markle recommends placing your name on a wait list, since people often cancel at the last minute and spaces open up. He adds that September and October are more readily available on short notice. Air tours can be booked about a month out, with some companies offering last-minute bookings. For more information on seeing the Grand Canyon by river, by air or by land, check out thecanyon.com.