Grand Canyon Nat’l Park

[CycleTex87 2991]

I’m sure there’s a GCNP thread somewhere but the search is borked up and I didn’t find it in the first seven pages.  

Wife and I are heading to Flagstaff in late September as a jumping off point to the Grand Canyon as well as Sedona and other stuff. My wife is not particularly a hiker nor a rafter nor an aviator. So what’s the best way to fully experience and see the Grand Canyon given those limitations?  Any food recs in the area particularly Sedona (especially vegan)?  We have an AirBnB in Flagstaff for four nights so can do some home cooking as well.  Bring me your Surly knowledge. 

Edited May 27 by CycleTex87

[thrillhammer 684]

You don’t need to hike or raft. Lots of scenic overlooks, most you have to park and walk to so there’s your exercise.  

[Butch Had Not 3019]

They have plenty of shuttles to different view points at GC at south rim. Expect it to be really busy. 

Park downtown flag and walk to the multiple breweries.  Cornish Pasty has a lot of Vegan options. Sedona I can't tell you too much about vegan but do book Elote if you can. Check for reservations today.  Creekside and hideaway house have great shady views. Dahl and DeLuca is good. Sedona brewing company has real nice patio views as well. 

[CycleTex87 2991]

Cornish Pasty is a nice recommendation.  That fits the bill. 

[dmtx 159]

The top of GC is easily walked. There's a path to each view point. Take a shuttle to the first viewpoint. Walk to the next. Etc. Pick the viewpoints you really want to see. In case you don't want to Walk to it. 

If you will be there for sunset, interweb the popular spots. Get there an hour early. Sunrises are cool too. 

Toasted Owl Cafe was good brek/lunch spot in Flagstaff. 

Edited May 28 by dmtx

[mininghorn88 2320]

You can take the Grand Canyon Railroad from Williams to the Grand Canyon. Once there you can take the shuttle to the major overlooks. You will be on site for two to three hours before the train takes you back to Williams. The train and shuttle can be booked together.

My GF and I did this a couple of years ago and will be doing it again late October.

[Lat22 4051]

If you’re a vegetarian, the short rib at Ken’s Creekside in Sedona will fix you. 😆

[RPM 26426]

4 hours ago, mininghorn88 said:

You can take the Grand Canyon Railroad from Williams to the Grand Canyon. Once there you can take the shuttle to the major overlooks. You will be on site for two to three hours before the train takes you back to Williams. The train and shuttle can be booked together.

My GF and I did this a couple of years ago and will be doing it again late October.

The train is really a waste unless you're into riding trains. You only have a few hours to explore and if the park is busy you won't see much. You can't see the canyon from the train except for a few seconds when you arrive. I was underwhelmed.

[CycleTex87 2991]

8 hours ago, Lat22 said:

If you’re a vegetarian, the short rib at Ken’s Creekside in Sedona will fix you. 😆

That sounds delicious.  I’m a carnivore.  My wife is the vegan. 

[Lat22 4051]

16 minutes ago, CycleTex87 said:

That sounds delicious.  I’m a carnivore.  My wife is the vegan. 

We rarely eat at a restaurant twice on a trip. We ate twice at Ken’s. 

[Brisketexan 105569]

For mixed palates, there's a Himalayan Grill in Flagstaff.  Non-descript, FANTASTIC grub.  Plenty of vegan options, and great non-vegan stuff as well.

We did GCNP in January one year, and it was great -- snow still on the ground, not hot outside.  It is going to be warm for y'all, so plan accordingly.  But yeah, there are plenty of trails, parking spots, etc. all along the S. Rim where you can see everything you want to see.  And you'll be there after peak tourist season, so that will help.

Also, if you can, staying a night in the park, at the lodge on the S. Rim, and getting a dinner reservation at El Tovar, is a cool thing to do.  Bring binoculars and such -- stargazing out there is great as well.

[Butch Had Not 3019]

3 hours ago, Lat22 said:

We rarely eat at a restaurant twice on a trip. We ate twice at Ken’s. 

One caveat,  if you can't get on the back patio, it is not the same experience if you are indoors. 

Forgot to add The Hudson. 

[Butch Had Not 3019]

For flagstaff breakfast... go to Martannes.

[Gene Parmesan 4022]

We did a family road trip to GC during the pandemic.  With my fear of heights I had a really fun and relaxing time.

[CycleTex87 2991]

4 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

For mixed palates, there's a Himalayan Grill in Flagstaff.  Non-descript, FANTASTIC grub.  Plenty of vegan options, and great non-vegan stuff as well.

We did GCNP in January one year, and it was great -- snow still on the ground, not hot outside.  It is going to be warm for y'all, so plan accordingly.  But yeah, there are plenty of trails, parking spots, etc. all along the S. Rim where you can see everything you want to see.  And you'll be there after peak tourist season, so that will help.

Also, if you can, staying a night in the park, at the lodge on the S. Rim, and getting a dinner reservation at El Tovar, is a cool thing to do.  Bring binoculars and such -- stargazing out there is great as well.

So far, we booked a guided sunset tour and the IMAX which are later in the day (obvs).  If it was just me, I would start with the 12 hour raft trip down the Colorado, followed by the hike up, and camp out on the ledge, but it's not.  We can't go anywhere that's more than 30 minutes from a bathroom.  So I'm working within those constraints.  My brother just came back from GCNP, and said if he had it to do over again, he would go to the bottom.

Binoculars is a great tip that I might not have considered, I'll add them to my list.  Also looking at a wide angle lens for my camera to see if I can better capture the vista.  We'll have a rental car, so will be mobile.  Himalayan Grill is a good idea.  We like Indian.  

Edited May 28 by CycleTex87

[Brisketexan 105569]

3 minutes ago, CycleTex87 said:

So far, we booked a guided sunset tour and the IMAX which are later in the day (obvs).  If it was just me, I would start with the 12 hour raft trip down the Colorado, followed by the hike up, and camp out on the ledge, but it's not.  We can't go anywhere that's more than 30 minutes from a bathroom.  So I'm working within those constraints.  My brother just came back from GCNP, and said if he had it to do over again, he would go to the bottom.

Binoculars is a great tip that I might not have considered, I'll add them to my list.  Also looking at a wide angle lens for my camera to see if I can better capture the vista.  We'll have a rental car, so will be mobile.  Himalayan Grill is a good idea.  We like Indian.  

If you've got those restraints, definitely see if you can get a night or two at the lodge right there at the top of the S. Rim.  It's worth it. Again, we went 1) in the winter, and 2) kinda in the middle of COVID, so it wasn't super crowded.  Also had kind of a wild experience - well after dark, I left the lodge to go get something I'd left in the car.  These two flashlights pop over the canyon rim (right at the Bright Angel trailhead) and start heading my way.  It's two college-aged dudes with headlamps on, looking damned tired.  They asked if I could help them - they'd decided to hike down and back up that day, and it took them a bit longer than they expected AND they ended up popping up a few miles away from their car.  Could I give them a lift to their car? Sure.  Had them hop in our jeep and drove them a not-short distance to their car.  They were wiped, and very grateful for the lift, my good deed for the trip.  One of em left his trekking pole in the jeep, we still have it.

And as we noted how scary many of the overlooks were, my daughter bought this book in the gift shop:

She then proceeded to read all the horror stories aloud to us on our drive back.  Lotta dumb people out there, dying.

[CycleTex87 2991]

I would have probably been one of those guys earlier in my life.

[Carl Spackler 3522]

When I was 30 and in reasonably good shape, I did the south rim to the bottom and back in one day.  This was in April and the weather wasn't too warm, but I nevertheless bonked as I got close to the rim on the trek back up.  That last mile or so SUCKED.

Unfortunately, my time in GCNP was so long ago that I don't really have recommendations . . . other than don't do a down-and-back in warm weather and don't do it unless you're in good shape.  The elevation loss/gain is no joke.

[miguelito 11337]

Get some Navajo Fry Bread somewhere along the way. 

Definitely go outside and look up at night.

The north rim is a LONG drive further, but it's quieter and not as crowded. 

[Macanudo 13081]

You said she's not an aviator but the helicopter tour is worth it.   I had to talk someone in my party into it who hate the fly and she was 100% glad she did it.  

As for Sedona, check out Sedonuts for breakfast one day.   

Elote is crazy hard to get a reservation last minute but you can sit at the bar and eat if you get there early enough.   We did that and ended up sitting next to the owner's brother and got to talk to the owner quite a bit during the evening.   Jeff Smedstad is the owner/executive chef and knows his shit.

Cress on Oak Creek is a pretty spot to eat at the L'Auberge.

Hideaway House is kind of like the Oasis in Gruene of Sedona.   The location is excellent.   Food is good not great but the view can't be beat.

 

[Chico_SA 521]

There is a nice off the beaten path overlook called Shoshone Point.  You park your car and hike to it (not sure if that makes it a no-go), but we only saw a few people on the path, and less than ten at the point. 

My then fiance and I stayed at a Bed and Breakfast in Flagstaff and then made it a day trip on New Years eve 2011.  I proposed to her at the Point, so it holds a special place with us. 

[CycleTex87 2991]

I’ve seen recommendations for Elote several times and from independent sources.  I look at their menu and don’t particularly see anything I can’t get in Houston or Austin.  And they don’t have any specific vegan options.  I get that the location is different and unique but Southwestern/Mexican is pretty well represented across Texas and New Mexico.  What am I missing?

Edited May 29 by CycleTex87

[CycleTex87 2991]

Shoshone Point might be the perfect hike distance.  2.2 miles round trip and 137 ft of elevation.  Just right.  Thanks for that suggestion. 

[Chico_SA 521]

https://hikingguy.com/hiking-trails/grand-canyon-hikes/hike-the-shoshone-point-trail/

[Gil Bang 26099]

since you've got an airbnb, I recommend that you pay some attention to the wife's "South rim"...if you catch my drift. 

[idigTexas 2297]

On 5/28/2024 at 6:23 PM, CycleTex87 said:

I’ve seen recommendations for Elote several times and from independent sources.  I look at their menu and don’t particularly see anything I can’t get in Houston or Austin.  And they don’t have any specific vegan options.  I get that the location is different and unique but Southwestern/Mexican is pretty well represented across Texas and New Mexico.  What am I missing?

What are you missing?  Nothing.  Skip Elote.  It is really good interior Mexican cuisine, but nothing that you can't get in Texas, and it is a pain in the ass to eat there.  That said, dining in Sedona is less about the food, and more about the ambiance.  There is decent dining here, but if you are looking for food that you cannot get in Texas, you are missing the point.  Here are a few places worth hitting.  

For vegetarian dining, this guide is still relevant.
https://manifestingserenity.com/drool-worthy-sedona-restaurants-worth-trying/

Taking vegetarian out of the equation, Creekside (already recommended), is a sold choice.  A few others I like for decent food and ambiance are The Pump House, The Hudson, Casa Sedona, Indian Gardens, and Mesa Grill. 

For pizza, Picazzo's is probably tops in Sedona proper, but Bocce and Merkin Trattoria in Cottonwood are just as good, not as pricy, and may be easier to navigate depending on timing.  Both Picazzo's and Bocce have vegetarian and gluten free options.

For more casual fare, Señor Bob's has some great burgers, hot dogs, and a cony dog that will make you forget all about Fletcher's.  Hillside Deli is great for sandwiches.    

I hesitate to recommend anything Mexican, as you get as good or better at home, but if you want a nice upscale experience, Mariposa is decent.  

If you have more than a day to spend in Sedona, don't sleep on Cottonwood and Jerome.

If Native American ruins interest you at all, Tuzigoot and Montezuma Castle are worth a stop while you are in the Sedona area.  You can skip Montezuma Well.  

[Jerry Callo 8828]

Hike down the Bright Angel Trail - don't have to go too far and its not very steep.  There is a couple rock tunnels within a 1.5 mile round trip, with the first being only .75 mile round trip.