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Last September we spent a week in Sedona, AZ. We spent a day at the Grand Canyon, a day in Flagstaff and the rest of the time in Sedona. My recommendation would be a 2-3 days in the Grand Canyon, a day or two at Havasu Falls, a couple of days in Sedona.
Hello,
Williams, Arizona is about 30 miles south of the Grand Canyon, and is a great little town to stay in while exploring the area. It offers a wide range of accommodations and restaurants, beautiful Ponderosa pine trees, clear, crisp air, and a variety of outdoor activities.
Absolutely go to Sedona. Drive downhill from Flagstaff. It's a beautiful drive. When you get to Sedona, go up to the airport for a view of the whole town. If you do it at sunset, you will see a really nice sunset and a large crowd. If you go in the morning, you will have the view almost to yourself. I recommend both.
Absolutely go to Sedona. Drive downhill from Flagstaff. It's a beautiful drive. When you get to Sedona, go up to the airport for a view of the whole town. If you do it at sunset, you will see a really nice sunset and a large crowd. If you go in the morning, you will have the view almost to yourself. I recommend both.
And when you're at the airport, take the Bi-plane ride to see the red rocks from the air. (It's on my Bucket List. )
Ideally make sure you are at the Grand Canyon for either the Sunset or the Sunrise as the colours are just astonishing. The walk down to Phantom Ranch is managable for anyone who is relatively healthy and fit ( Mule ride will ease some of the more strenuous aspect otherwise) and I would count on a couple of days to enjoy the whole experience. I did it when I was healthier and it was a very memorable experience. Camping overnight makes you feel a lot closer to the people who came before us , the Native American people and first pioneers. The Whitewater rafting is also pretty special and not too demanding physically.
We were there last year and loved the area around Flagstaff as the landscapes varied grealty in all directions.
Sedona (the town) to me would have been perfectly pleasant had it not been in one of the most spectacular natural setting ( and thus destroying it IMO) and I personally prefer Flagstaff which is a nice little laid back town with an easy charm as a base. Red Rock Country all around Sedona is simply stunning , another place to see at dawn or dusk.
We just loved visiting Walnut Canyon, beautiful and with great Native American cliff dwellings , fantastic for anyone with an interest in Archaeology , flora and fauna.
Also close by was Montezuma's Castle , Tuzigoot and Wupatki National Parks, all fantastic for Native American history and archaeology and fascinating and for anyone who has a little more time I would seriously recommend the wonderful Canyon de Chelly , you basically drive down the dried river-bed of a beautiful canyon with cliff dwellings , all the tours are Native American led and I would personally recommend the "Antelope Tours" , we were shown by Ben Teller who lives still at the bottom of the canyon and it was one of the most magial special thing we did on our whole trip.
I would avoid the "shake and bake" tours . They were there when we visited and tourists did not have enough time to enjoy the peace and beauty of this sacred place. Ben takes you down to his house , and you get to spend some time there whilst the tourists have vanished in a cloud of dust. He will tell you about the Dineh and their ancestral stories. His Daughter sells pretty jewellery she makes but there is no pressure whatsover to buy and their Indian Frybread was so yummy as was the home made cider.
After the tour of the Canyon I would strongly recommend doing the self drive rim tour of both sides of the two Canyons ( Canyon Del Muerto and Canyon de Chelly).
A trip to Monument Valley is also really worth the drive, another stunning landscape and one which anyone who grew up watching Westerns will recognise !
I did the Hualapai Hilltop to campground and back hike a few years ago, and it was something I will never, ever forget. Amazing views and breathtaking views the entire way. The soak in the icy cold water at the very end of the 10 mile hike was almost the best part.
I cannot wait to go back and do this hike again soon.
There are some good suggestions here but wondering if anyone has any suggestions for someone on a short trip to the Grand Canyon (2 days) who also has some mobility issues? I'm a bigger person and although I think I am more mobile than many overweight people my size, I often need to sit quite regularly and I would think that would be an issue on most hikes/trails. I like the idea of white water rafting. I have done it before with friends but since this is a solo trip for me, it would feel awkward I think plus the short amount of time available would be an issue since I don't see many half day trips.
I really want to do more than just peek over the side of the canyon, take some pictures and then leave. I'm planning on doing either a sunset/sunrise visit and seeing the Native American cliff dwellings in Walnut Canyon seems interesting too. Any other suggestions? Also where to stay? I like the suggestion of Flagstaff or Sedona. Just hoping it's not too far out. I'm not into camping at all. I'm going Memorial Day and May 31st.
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