Staying at the Grand Canyon (1 Viewer)

[Steve Zatkoff]

My wife and I will be flying to Mesa in mid-October to visit some friends. From there we want to go to Sedona, Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon. Can you recommend some good places to stay and some sites to see in those areas?

TIA,

Steve

 

[Trey Fletcher]

Grand Canyon
Place to stay: El Tovar (if you can get a reservation)
Sites to see: Duh, the Grand Canyon!
Sedona
Place to stay: Depends on what you want to spend. Options will range from Enchantment Resort ($$$$), to your basic Best Western.
Sites to see: Take a jeep tour of the red rocks, shop (Tlaquapaque), hike, golf, etc.
What to do, where to stay
Flagstaff
Place to stay: Much like Sedona, there's plenty of options depending on your price range.
Sites to see: The view from San Francisco peak, Sunset Crater, Shop/eat/drink, golf, etc.
Also, definitely take 89A (Oak Creek Canyon) between Flagstaff and Sedona, a beautiful drive.
Sorry for the short post, but I'm in a hurry. If you have any questions or need additional info, let me know.
TF

 

[Andrew Chong]

There isn't much that can surpass the Grand Canyon. Anyway, you might like to check out this feat of engineering, Hoover Dam. When I visited Las Vegas, my family and I took a tour of both.

 

[Steve Peterson]

A completely different way to get to the canyon:
www.thetrain.com
I personally enjoy the north rim of the canyon more, but to get there it adds an additional 200 miles of driving.
Steve "Other to see around Flagstaff: Walnut Canyon, Meteor Crator, Petrified forest" Peterosn

 

[Steve Zatkoff]

Thanks for your suggestions guys, Please keep them coming. We are on a limited budget, so if you can recommend some lower price lodging that would be helpful(No dumps please ).
Steve

 

[ChristopherJ]

I can also highly recommend www.thetrain.com as a great experience for the Grand Canyon and additional entertainment. Sometimes they include a good package deal as their is a hotel associated with the the train right next door to the station. As a side note, in December the train takes families to the "North Pole" to see Santa Claus.
On your way from Mesa to Sedona you will pass something called Montazuma's castle. This is an Anasazi cliff dwelling that is in pretty good shape. If you have never seen anything like it, it is worth the additional 5 minute drive and I think $3 entry fee (National Park). As an added benefit, there is a casino/hotel right by it.
Before you plan on visiting the national parks, call the national park service first. Oak Creek Canyon was closed during the 4th of july (fire hazards) and I don't know if it is opened again or not. Oak Creek Canyon is still the best way to get from Sedona to Flagstaff! Bring a swim suit and play on Slide Rock as well.
There is a lot to see from Mesa to the Grand Canyon so bring lots of film and have fun!