would like to stay in a cond or a suite there are 5 of us. Willing to drive some. Realize distance is involved-- looked at map as far as Williams Arizona, or that area or have looked even up in utah-- will be there for 8 days. Grand Canyon a must, Hoover Dam a must, a ghost town, caverns, red rock? Any help would be wonderful i'm at a loss and the travel agents aren't helping. We could fly into Las Vegas and out of Flagstaff I think.
2006-11-21 13:30:24 · 4 answers · asked by betcovermont 1 in Travel ➔ United States ➔ Las Vegas
As you note, the Utah-AZ border is a big area with a lot of options and a fair amount of driving required (though much of it is through interesting country). Part of it depends on what you are most interested in and when you are going.
The north side of the canyon is higher elevation and the winters are more harsh (the North Rim of the Grand Canyon is actually closed mid-Oct to mid-May). If you are going in winter, I would recommend staying on the south side (Flagstaff, Williams area).
If you are going in summer (or late spring, early fall), than I would recommend Kanab, Utah. More details below.
=== FLAGSTAFF, AZ ===
Flagstaff, AZ is a historic lumber, railroad, and Route 66 town and the center of northern Arizona. The historic downtown has many old buildings now filled with great little cafes and shops. Lowell Observatory (where Pluto was discovered in 1930) overlooks the downtown and the Museum of Northern Arizona is one of the best in the area. You could spend a whole day exploring Flagstaff by itself. There many lodging and eating options here including some great local cafes and microbrews (Kathy's Cafe, Alpine Pizza, Macy's Coffee Shop and Beaver Street Brewery downtown come to mind, but there are many others).
As for it being a hub of exploration:
Grand Canyon (1.5 miles north) - A whole separate topic in itself. Try to spend one night at the canyon. I would recommend staying at one of the many historic lodges inside the park rather than in the chain hotels outside the park at Tuysan. There is nothing like being able to walk from your room to rim any time you want. My top lodge picks (in terms of quality, price and location are Maswik and Bright Angel, but they are all nice.
Oak Creek Canyon and Sedona (1 hour south) - The famous Red Rock country - home of hiking trails and spiritual vortexes. Sedona is a resort town with many fancy (and often expensive) art galleries, cafes and lodges.
Sunset Crater and Wupatki National Monuments (30 mins - NE of town) - Sunset Crater is part of a fairly recent volcanic field (lava flows, craters, cinder cones) and Wupatki is a prehistoric indian ruin that you can explore (very popular with photographers).
Walnut Canyon National Monument (15 min east on I-10) - 800 year old cliff dwellings in a beautiful canyon setting. Involves some stair climbing.
Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Monuments (1 hour east on I-10) - The famous petrified forest contains rows of fossilized logs - a very impressive other-world landscape. The Painted Desert (right next to it) contains colorful eroded hills. Along the way, be sure to stop briefly at Winslow to see the corner made famous by the Eagle's song and eat at the wonderful La Posada - a historic 1930s Fred Harvey Railroad Hotel and Resturant recently restored to its original grandour. One of my favorite Northern AZ places and one of the best resturants in the state.
Lava River Cave - This largely undeveloped cave is a lava tube (a place where lava drained out underneath the already cooled surface). It is a subway-like tunnel running almost a mile with many interesting formations. You are on your own here. Bring a couple of flashlights and a jacket (it is cold inside - even in summer). See link below.
=== WILLIAMS, AZ ===
About 30 minutes west of Flagstaff. Williams is sort of like a much smaller version of Flagstaff (fewer eating and lodging options). It is the home of the Grand Canyon railroad (take a train to the canyon).
Old Route 66 (2 hours west of Williams) - To the west of Williams runs the longest intact surviving stretch of historic Route 66. Turn off at Seligman (with a stop at the historic SnoTop Cafe) and follow the old Route 66 all the way to Kingman. Could be done as a day trip or on the way from Las Vegas to Williams/Flagstaff.
Grand Canyon Caverns - A large limestone cavern and old Route 66 tourist attraction. Along the old stretch of Route 66 mentioned above.
=== KANAB, UTAH ===
Kanab is a small town in southern Arizona that is a GREAT base of operations for exploring areas on the north side of the canyon. There are a number of hotels, a good bookshop/outdoor supply store and several surprisingly good places to eat (Rock V Cafe, Nedras Too). I usually stay at Aiken's Lodge (good prices, fridge in rooms), but there is also the fancy and historic Parry Lodge (where movie stars stayed in the 1930s and 40s). See links below. It is a nice, relaxed little town and is in a great central location to the attractions below.
Grand Canyon North Rim (1+ hours south) - The north rim is higher elevation (cooler) and much less developed than the south (only one small lodge at the rim). I prefer it in summer over the south (it is closed in winter). Along the way, stop at the little Jacob's Lake Cafe and Lodge for the best cookies in possibly the entire world.
Zion National Park (1 hour west) - Tied with Grand Canyon as my favorite National Park. Soaring cliffs, colorful rock, lush river valley, great hiking (and an uncrowded and often overlooked backcountry). Stay at the park lodge or one of the many eating/lodging options just outside in Springdale (highly recommend the Zion Pizza and Noodle Company).
Bryce Canyon National Park (2 hours north of Kanab) - Famous colorful erode cliffs with many odd formations and spires and several great day hike trails. Interesting, but probably don't need more than a day there.
Paria Ghost Town (turn off about 30 minutes east of Kanab on road to Page and Lake Powell) - Actually an old movie set (actually a reconstruction of an old movie set). Several classic western buildings (including a saloon with swinging doors) located out in the middle of nowhere. Good for pictures. The 'real' ghost town of Old Paria (a failed Mormon farming community along the Paria river) is a few partially collapsed stone cabins futher down the road near the Paria river (high clearance recommended).
Paria Canyon, Buckskin Gulch, Coyote Buttes and the Wave (about an hour east of Kanab on road to Page) - A must for hikers and photographers. Paria Canyon and Buckskin Gulch are among the most famous and photographed slot canyons in the world (in places they are over 500 feet deep and only 10 feet across). Coyote Buttes is a nearby area of bizarrely colored and erode rock formations (the most famous being the surreal 'wave'). Note that because of their fragil nature and popularity, all of these areas require hard-to-get permits from the Paria Ranger station.
Page, Lake Powell, and Antelope Canyon (2 hours east of Kanab or 2 hours north of Flagstaff) - Lake Powell is the large lake (with many interesting rock formations) behind Glen Canyon Dam. You can take boat tours out to places like Rainbow Bridge arch. Just south of Page (the town by the dam) is the famous and well-photographed Antelope Slot Canyon. This is a VERY COOL experience and easy to get to (just a 5 minute drive out of Page). It s on the Navajo Indian Reservation and they charge a small fee to enter. Page has a number of chain hotels.
I would highly recommend Moon Publication's 'Arizona Handbook'.
Have fun!
2006-11-22 03:52:03 · answer #1 · answered by sascoaz 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
OK fly into Vegas as there are many flights from all over to Vegas and its cheaper than trying to fly to Williams to go to the Grand Canyon. You can book your hotel on line or call the hotels directly. This time of year you can get good rates in Vegas at the hotels on the strip, or the RIO or Palms Hotels. The Rio is an all suites hotel and has huge rooms you could get two rooms there or ask for a high roller suite to accommodate all of you. Its a great hotel and I have stayed there many times.
I have been to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon many times. The drive to the Grand Canyon is 5 long hard hours on mostly two lane roads with trucks and campers (only a short way on I-40). You can drive there and back in one day if you leave early morning, like 6:00-7:00 AM. That will put you there about noon and you will have 4 or 5 hrs before starting back and getting back to Vegas about 11:00PM. I recommend staying overnight at the Canyon (there are plenty of motels near there, like Best Western, Ramada, Quality inns) and drive back the next day.
RED ROCK CANYON: Its about 20 miles west of Las Vegas out Charleston Blvd (you can pick up that street at the north end of the Strip) It’s a scenic drive-through park. Go early, not in the heat of the day; there's no shade.
HOOVER DAM: Drive about 30 miles southeast of Vegas and go to Hoover Dam. Go on past Hoover dam to Boulder City and then to Lake Meade for a swim and/or to visit the new casino there. Also, there are tour companies that will take you on a cruise of the river below Hoover Dam. Check the Vegas web sites.
VALLEY OF FIRE STATE PARK: Drive about 35 miles north of Vegas on I-15 and go to Valley of Fire State Park, another scenic park area.
ZION NATION PARK: It’s a long drive (about 2-3 hours), but you can drive North on I-15 to Zion National Park and back in one day.
DEATH VALLEY: If you like to visit National Parks, drive about an hour and a half south of Vegas on I-15 and take RT-127 to Death Valley National Park (total drive may be 3 hrs each way).
Go to a web site like Expedia or Travelocity and book a full sized car. You can pick it up at the airport. All of the hotels have free parking and even free valet parking, just tip the car hop when he brings your car $3 or $4. You can drive to most of the places you want to see in one day; easy with 2 or 3 drivers. Roads are all good roads. Hint: always fill up when your tank is half empty as gas stations are sparsely located.
2006-11-21 13:45:32 · answer #2 · answered by TINKERTOY ..... the 1 & only 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Leave early, there can be long delays at the dam. Follow the highway from the dam to Kingman, AZ. Get on I-40 north to Williams and turn left. Just follow the signs. Have a wonderful time. The Grand Canyon is something everyone should see at least once.
2016-03-29 04:55:18 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Laughlin could be an alternative. Hotel rooms are very cheap there, and you could get two rooms in Laughlin for less money than any other alternative.
2006-11-23 09:25:28 · answer #4 · answered by Michael M 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋