wife wants to visit the Grand Canyon and I’ve always wanted to go to Sedona, AZ.

Tell me what’s good.

>wife wants to visit the Grand Canyon and I’ve always wanted
>to go to Sedona, AZ.
>
>Tell me what’s good.
>
>

You can spend a lot of time in Grand Canyon and surrounding areas. Are you looking for a more luxury/relaxation place?

I did a cross country trip thru the areas o have a lot of input

so we want to hit up the arts and crafts and also get some more of that Vortex energy

sun moon and stars

and. some trees for when the kids go to sleep, lol

if you're driving, DO NOT let these assholes provoke you into a road rage that endangers your family lol

Went to visit the wife's best friend and her family that relocated out there (phoenix is a good place to relocate for value tbh), her husband was like "yo be careful about the tailgaters, don't let them set you off"

But on the road to / from Sedona I lost my shit a few times. Dudes really drive stupid out there, and I drive in NY, NJ and CA frequently.

As far as the Grand Canyon, the bougie ass restaurant they got there definitely make POC feel unwelcome. May went to check up on it before you reserve.

This is the type of info I need too. Its the little things that can ruin a trip.

Stayed in a suite at "Hilton Vacation Club Sedona Summit." It was the end of April in 2019 and the price per night was like $159. I think it is considerable more now.

Anyway, I loved it and want to go back. There is a star gazing area on the property, several hot tubs and several pools. BBQ gills and yard games to play.

Booked my Grand Canyon Tour with Pink Jeep Adventure Tours. The specific tour was "Grand Canyon Premier." They picked us up around 8/8:30 am at the hotel lobby in a pink sprinter van - air conditioning, charger plugs in the seats, etc. The tour was 10 hours with a box lunch included. Dave was my tour guide - he is great!

First they take you to the Pink Jeep Tour offices right there in Sedona to use the restroom and buys stuff, lol. Then there is a 2 hour ride to the Grand Canyon. The guide talked to us the whole way. Sit on the right side of the van for the best view on the way there. We went past the actual site where Will Smith did his sky dive. It wasn't actually the Grand Canyon.

They took us to several notable sites. We had our boxed lunch right at the edge of the canyon. He gave us blankets to spread out picnic style and water. Each group of guests kinda paired off - we didn't all eat as a tour group.

On the way back we rode through the Navajo Nation. Sit on the left side of the van on the way back for the best view. We were dropped off right back at the lobby of the hotel just before sunset.

Sedona has a night sky ordnance, so there are no street lights. It is dark and hilly. That hotel doesn't have restaurants or room service so after checking in, we drove back down the hill to the Safeway grocery store on the main drag and bought food to have during our trip. The hotel rooms have a counter top stove, microwave, full fridge, etc.

I actually really loved it and I want to do this exact same trip again.

and with the way flights are for a family of 4 we will probably stay 6 days.

wondering if that tour is kid friendly or if they would get restless.

having kids on the tour. Specifically a nine year old who was on his tour visiting the Grand Canyon for the first time.

As we approached our first stop and sighting of the actual Grand Canyon he asked each of us who had seen it before and who had not. For everyone who had not he asked us to close our eyes. Those of us who had not seen it before were hand guided off the van by him and lead to a railing. He told us to put one hand on the railing and wait for him to tell us when to open our eyes. He said when he did this with said nine year old, the kid's mouth dropped open when he opened his eyes and he almost fell on the ground - not in a dangerous way. We were in a very safe spot when all this occurred. So I could see that happening and it not being dangerous.

Now there are some spots he took us to with no railing and if I were a parent I would have been holding my kids hand and watching them hard.

The crowds are really crazy! Like at the Desert View Watchtower. It was shoulder to shoulder in a small space and ridiculous. International tourist bump into you and act like you don't exist.

The crowds are another thing that made me feel like if I had kids it would have been a challenge.

The van ride ... like I said it is air conditioned, you have charging plugs and he is talking to you the whole time. Your kids can listen to him, or look out the window, or do both, or engage with devices. I don't have kids so I am just throwing stuff out there.

At most of the places we stopped the van was right in front of us so we were not worried about leaving belongings on the van. The only time I remember not having the van at reach was when we went to the area where that fancy restaurant mentioned by someone above is. He dropped us off and went and parked the van somewhere then.

I haven’t been to the Grand Canyon but my wife and I did a few days at the Enchantment resort. That place is absolutely magical. It has everything you’d probably want to do - hiking trails on property, etc.

There are some must dos - the Pink Jeep tour is incredible. I’ve gotten into the habit of jotting down places/things we did in my phone on vacation so here are my recs:

Mafiosos is a cool restaurant. The food is solid but go here for sunset.
Doe Mountain Hike
Hideaway House has amazing views. Cool restaurant.
Boyton Canyon Trail - if you get good weather, do this. Take it to the “subway” rock. So dope.
Pink Jeep Tour - 100%

The other stuff we did was on property but it’s a really charming place. Everywhere has views that are just insane. Go veg out by a pool or enjoy the vortexes. It’s a great place to unwind.

(Not Mafiosos)

>(Not Mafiosos)
That had mediocre Italian food but nice sunset views

Wow.

>wife wants to visit the Grand Canyon and I’ve always wanted
>to go to Sedona, AZ.
>
>Tell me what’s good.
>
>

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=Fwx3t3PviIE&feature=share


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"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

this has always been a dream trip for us.

but it’s one of those magical places you never forget. I did a SW trip with my now ex-wife in May/June 2009 to Sedona and Santa Fe, NM. Growing up a geography nerd on the East coast, I always had a fascination with the SW. The SW did not disappoint.

It’s hard to believe it’s been 14 years, but here’s some things that stood out:

The drive from Phoenix to Sedona is awesome. You just build elevation before reaching this truly unique place - Sedona. Crazy red rock formations in the middle of a desert. Snoopy rock really stood out. Just a beautiful contrast of the rocks and sky.

Be careful speeding. There’s speed traps and you may get a ticket in the mail. I got at least a few on the trip.

Devils Bridge was my favorite hike. Probably much too dangerous for your kids though.

You feel so small and powerless against the environment. For all its beauty, the West is wild and you’re humbled by that.

There’s a lot of talk about the vortexes and spiritual energy. I didn’t dig deep into that, but there’s definitely a special energy there. Take in the sunsets - they’re magical there.

If you have time, take a pit stop in Flagstaff on the to or back from the Grand Canyon. It’s only like 25 miles from Sedona, but there’s no direct path and you’re going from 4,000 to 8,000+ feet in elevation. It’s completely opposite of Phoenix. Green, mountainous and like 30 degrees or more cooler. There’s definitely a granola vibe to it, but I remember it being a pretty neat city. Santa Fe Brewery had some incredible burgers and good brews too.

The Grand Canyon speaks for itself. Nothing to add there.

If you have time, traveling to Santa Fe is definitely worth your time. Take part on the old Route 66 and go through the heart of Native American lands in the 4 corners. The plaza in Santa Fe is truly something to take in. If you have time, Taos, NM is pretty neat too.

I hope to get back someday with my kids. It’s hard to gauge at this point how much they’d appreciate it though. My good friend just went with his wife and kids (aged 3-12) and they really enjoyed it. It should make for an awesome vacation.

and then I think we will drive up to Williams and take the train into the Grand Canyon and stay for a few nights.

Still trying to piece it all together.