# Sedona/Grand Canyon Trip



## New2time (Jan 24, 2012)

I am currently planning a trip to Sedona/Grand Canyon for the summer. Trying to work out some kinks and make some reservations. (I Know! I'm a planner!).

Few questions for those of you that might have stayed/been there-

1. Do I need to make any room request for Sedona? Anything in particular to look for in room placement?

2. Want to book a half day smooth water rafting trip and a helicopter ride over the canyon- has anyone done any of those and if so, what company and price range am I looking at. Family of 4

3. How many days do I need to plan to be in the canyon itself?

4. How far is the drive from Sedona to the canyon?

5. Any other sightseeing that is MUST while I am there. TOtally unfamiliar with the area so any suggestions will be appreciated. 

Thanks for your help.


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## rrlongwell (Jan 24, 2012)

New2time said:


> I am currently planning a trip to Sedona/Grand Canyon for the summer. Trying to work out some kinks and make some reservations. (I Know! I'm a planner!).
> 
> Few questions for those of you that might have stayed/been there-
> 
> ...



It is hot hot hot in the Summer in Az.


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## New2time (Jan 24, 2012)

Another question-

Are there any bus tours that go out from Sedona to the Grand Canyon or even helicopter rides going out from Sedona?


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## Chilcotin (Jan 24, 2012)

There is a train that goes to the grand canyon from Williams (1 hour 15 minutes from Sedona).

http://www.thetrain.com/


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## Passepartout (Jan 24, 2012)

New2time said:


> Another question-
> 
> Are there any bus tours that go out from Sedona to the Grand Canyon or even helicopter rides going out from Sedona?



You would probably want to drive at least to Williams (train to GCNP from there)- or possibly Flagstaff if you want a larger city. It's a fair distance (110 mi, 2.5 hrs) to GCNP from Sedona. One thing I have seen and wanted to do is a classic biplane scenic tour around Sedona. Much more bang for the buck than helos.

Jim


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## Rent_Share (Jan 24, 2012)

rrlongwell said:


> It is hot hot hot in the Summer in Az.*Phoenix *


 
Sedona is just Hot


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## WinniWoman (Jan 25, 2012)

New2time said:


> I am currently planning a trip to Sedona/Grand Canyon for the summer. Trying to work out some kinks and make some reservations. (I Know! I'm a planner!).
> 
> Few questions for those of you that might have stayed/been there-
> 
> ...



We stayed for a week in Sedona and drove out from there. Plenty to see- ancient ruins, Red Rocks (we hiked); we drove the 2 hours to the Grand Canyon; we also drove 2 hours to Petrified National Park, which I highly recommend. There you see the Blue Mesas, the Painted desert, and of course, the petrified trees.

There is a "crater" in Flagstaff with an observatory - forget the name of it. 

There are plenty of tours from Sedona. My son and husband went on an ATV desert tour. 

Plenty to do and see. You won't be bored. By the way, we went in July - it was hot, but very tolerable.


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## Whichway (Jan 25, 2012)

My family of four went to Sedona last April. The weather was really nice but in the afternoon there was a decent wind that made the pool a bit uncomfortable when you got out. In the summer I'd expect it to be warm but not bad.

We went hiking, used the pool, used the game room, horse back riding, helicopter tour, off-road buggy, and went to Slide Rock.

My girls were 6 and 8 at the time, so they loved horse back riding at the Dead Horse Ranch. The cowboys were great and we really had a good time.

I'm into aeronautics, so I liked the helicopter ride and so did my oldest. The headset made my wife nauseous and I think the whole thing was too much for my youngest. We did a half-hour tour and I think it was around a hundred bucks.

The off-road buggy was a bit disappointing. It was slow, loud and ours ended up breaking down halfway through our journey. The owner towed us out and gave us half our money back. He was a real decent guy and very apologetic.

Slide rock was fun, but the water is cold cold cold. The weather was probably in the high 70's to low 80's and you didn't want to stay in the water long. My oldest and I enjoyed jumping off the cliff into the pool of water (~10' high). My girls had fun wading in the pools of water. I was the only one that went down the actual water slide, which was fun, but don't expect too much from it.

Hiking is great here just because its so beautiful. You pretty much can't go wrong in Sedona for outdoor hiking as there are so many great things to see.

The drive to the Grand Canyon is about 2 hours and we swung by the Grand Canyon on the way home to Southern California. After Sedona, the Grand Canyon was a bit of a disappointment. We were there about an hour and everyone was pretty much done. Yes, the grand canyon is majestic, but its muted colors pale in comparison to the vibrant beauty of Sedona.

We had a two bedroom deluxe and it was probably one of our favorite suites we have stayed at with Wyndham. We have been to 9 different Wyndham resorts and Sedona and Alexandra in DC are probably our two favorite suites. Our patio faced the northern mountains so we had a decent view, however just go for a walk if you want to see some great scenery. I wouldn't worry too much about the placement on the actual resort.

We are talking about going back to Sedona this summer. I suggested Flagstaff to my family, but they all want to go back to Sedona.

Dave


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## Delexed (Jan 25, 2012)

I would second the notion that Sedona is much more fun than the Grand Canyon.  So many more varied and up-close hikes that you can do.  Don't get me wrong - by all means DO go and see the GC for a day.  But I've been there and done that...whereas I keep coming back to Sedona!


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## New2time (Jan 25, 2012)

Thank you all for the responses. I am so excited. Can't wait.

I keep seeing info about flying over Sedona. Is that better than flying over the GC?

And as the the rooms, I am glad to hear that you love them. I was a bit concerned. They look a little dated on the website.


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## Passepartout (Jan 25, 2012)

There is a similar active thread (except the Wyndham part) in the Travel forum. Here's a link from there to an air tour outfit that another TUGger said was good. http://www.papillon.com/popris/show_categories.aspx?category_id=15&lang=en-US

Obviously Sedona isn't GCNP, but landing there, because the airport is on a mesa above the town, is a bit like landing on an aircraft carrier.

Jim


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## momeason (Jan 26, 2012)

Did I read that seeing the sunset from the airport is cool? We are going April 7.


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## Passepartout (Jan 26, 2012)

momeason said:


> Did I read that seeing the sunset from the airport is cool? We are going April 7.



You may have. It is. There is usually quite a gathering there. Be a few minutes early for parking.

Jim


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## momeason (Apr 3, 2012)

Any new Sedona tips. We are going on Saturday..I am excited!


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## Don40 (Apr 3, 2012)

As for room suggestions I would take an upper floor unit and they have some that you look out at Thunder Mountain. forgot the room numer ask at the front desk.  (The resort staff are the most freindly in any Wyndham Resort) went for Spring Break.  The airport Mesa has a wonderful Sunset make sure you get there about 30 minutes before susnet as it gets crowded. 

If you rent a Jeep you can drive on the unpaved roads to see the indian cave dwellings, etc.  (Kids loved the ride) the dwellings are neat to look at.

If you are taking kids ask about Devils Bridge, neat place to take pictures as you stand on the ovehang.  When we went there ther were a good number of visitors and we asked another family to take picture of us and we did the same for them.

The resort does hiking tours for free, excellent way to learn about the area, make sure you sign up early as they only take 10 per tour.  The also do a bus tour on Monday to the church in the mountain and to the shopping areas nice free tour.

The resort has maps to most of the hiking spots and they have it graded as to easy, moderate or difficult.  For people from sea level remember the elevation is 4,500 feet so drink pleanty of water and you will notice that you get winded more easily.

Excellent vaction for the family especially in the spring weather was cool not cold and not too hot.

Horseback riding at the dead horse ranch was fun, wear shades and carry sunblock, long ride great value for the money.

Best thing about Sedona - the people are very friendly or did i say that already.

They have the Verde canyon railroad great fun saw golden eagles and bald eagles, deer oand other animals ofor the train.  great ride on a train good family fun.

In the summer do not forget to do Slide rock the water is too cold at other times.


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## JimMIA (Apr 3, 2012)

rrlongwell said:


> It is hot hot hot in the Summer in Az.


Not necessarily.

It's hot as blazes in central and southern AZ, but Sedona, Flagstaff, and Grand Canyon are in the north and quite different in climate.   The Grand Canyon can be downright cold at night, even in midsummer, because the rim is +/- 7,000 feet elevation (think Denver @ 5,280).  Most of the area is +/- 5,000 feet and there is a 12,000+ ft mountain just north of Flagstaff.


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## jlwquilter (Apr 4, 2012)

New2time said:


> I am currently planning a trip to Sedona/Grand Canyon for the summer. Trying to work out some kinks and make some reservations. (I Know! I'm a planner!).
> 
> Few questions for those of you that might have stayed/been there-
> 
> ...



We went a few years ago - in June. It was hot but bearable in Sedona.

As far as I recall there's no flat water rafting in the Grand Canyon itself. And all the rafting trips offered inthe GC were 'adventures' that lasted at least 2 days. We did do a flat water rafting experience but it was out of Page - where the beautiful Antelope Slot Canyon is as well. If you are looking at this summer then you may actually be behind on some planning options - which you may not even be interested in of course.

We flew into Pheonix, drove to the GC that evening (long drive after an exhausting travel day but you do what you have to do sometimes) and stayed at the Thunderbird Lodge for 2 nights. Then we drove north to Page, taking an impromptu detour to the north rim of the CG - so totally worth it even though it again meant a very long day! We stayed that one night in Page so we were there for the morning flat water raft trip out of the Dam. In all honesty, that was probably my favorite part of the entire 10 days spent in GC-Page-Sedona. A totally wonderful magical experience. After the flat water trip we grabbed sandwiches and did the Antelope Slot Canyon - which was again breathtaking. After that we headed to Sedona making a pit stop at Horseshoe Canyon Overlook. It was dangerously (and I mean that seriously) hot walking back from the rim. After leaving there we continued to Sedona and made another stop at the lava field not too far from Seonda limits. Which was other worldly cool as we'd never before been to a lava field. It was a long day but filled with wonderful once-in-a-lifetime sites.

Just some ideas!


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## Karen G (Apr 4, 2012)

jlwquilter said:


> After leaving there we continued to Sedona and made another stop at the lava field not too far from Seonda limits. Which was other worldly cool as we'd never before been to a lava field. It was a long day but filled with wonderful once-in-a-lifetime sites.


Maybe these lava fields were ones we saw just off Hwy. 89 a few miles
north of Flagstaff. There's a short loop, road number 545 and on that loop is the  Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument and the  Wupatki Nationional Monument , both of which are extremely interesting and don't take much time to see.


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## New2time (Apr 5, 2012)

@jlwquilter- Have booked a smooth water rafting trip that leaves from Flagstaff (at 6:45 AM!)- It also goes to Antelope Canyon which looks amazing! Have also booked a jeep sunset tour. So far, haven't had any trouble booking the tours even though only a couple months away. Of course, rental car and everything else have been booked for a while. 

Someone mentioned a heli ride for less than $100- was that for the whole family? If so, what company?


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## shagnut (Apr 5, 2012)

Passepartout said:


> You would probably want to drive at least to Williams (train to GCNP from there)- or possibly Flagstaff if you want a larger city. It's a fair distance (110 mi, 2.5 hrs) to GCNP from Sedona. One thing I have seen and wanted to do is a classic biplane scenic tour around Sedona. Much more bang for the buck than helos.
> 
> Jim



Jim, Kelli & I did the biplane. It was really really COOL!!!! Much better than the hot air balloon ride as that didn't take you near the red rocks. I tok the tour at the GC and enjoyed it very much.   shaggy


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## pacodemountainside (Apr 6, 2012)

Jim:

You are right on. Denver is the Mile High City. As a fine point,   a couple years ago those people who have too much time and other people's money decided to verify the offical "spot" at  Capitol  Building. After consulting with their 21st century "tools'  they decided it was the third step up  rather than second and duly noted so tourists  would  photograph right spot.

Apparently they needed something to do after  recalculataing how far it was to the   sun and  moon.

Having lived in Phoenix for  seven years it does get so hot in summer if one has leather upholstery must  put towels on seats  and  wear cotton  gloves to touch steering wheel if parked in the sun. However, up North is beautiful and made for great week end get-a-ways.

Paco


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## jlwquilter (Apr 6, 2012)

It probably was those lava fields.  I had to get out my map to see where everything was again. We proably didn't spend much over 30 minutes at the fields... there was a walkway/boarwalk to stroll and not much else. But it was cool for us.

I doubt that the flat water raft trip you have booked goes to as far north as Antelope SLOT Canyon... which is just under the north state border - it's FAR from Flagstaff. And the slot canyon is limestone 'caves' and there's no water there at all - until the flash flood comes thru and maybe kills a few people (not joking on that). It's one of the most photographed calendar pictures seen. I checked my notes and the flat water we did was launched at the Glen Dam (which is on government property guarded by soldiers - you can only get access thru the tour company). The pull out is just above where the Colorado gets fiesty heaidng into the run up section into the Grand Canyon.

I was thinking that if you could wrangle the time and arrange to stay at the Grand Canyon itself for a night (or two), then it was late planning. They book at 365 days and are sold out at 364 days - after that you are then calling evey day hoping for a cancellation.

Helicoptor rides are usually at the $100 per person price. You should (if you haven't already) start checking the daily deals offered by Groupon and LivingSocial for Arizona. Some very good price savings can be had thru those sites (and others as well I am sure).

Your trip sounds wonderful and you'll have a great time! Oh, just remembered - we also did the train ride at Verde Valley not far from Jerome, which we visited after the train ride. We all enjoyed that very much too - saw bald eagles in particular. The drive up to Jerome is uhmm... interesting.


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## New2time (Apr 8, 2012)

@jwquilter- The smooth water trip is supposed to stop at the Antelope Canyon. That is the reason that I chose that particular trip- It leaves from Flagstaff at 6:45 and is an all day trip.

I have booked two nights at the rim of the GC- one night at the El Tovar and one night at the Maswick- booked those about 10 months ago.

Thanks for the info on the two coupon websites- will definitely check those out!

Any other advice would be greatly appreciated!


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## New2time (Apr 8, 2012)

wait.....is Antelope SLOT Canyon and Antelope Canyon the same spot?


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## New2time (Apr 8, 2012)

Here is the rafting trip description from the website:

Enjoy a peaceful float down the Colorado River. This Rafting trip offers 15 miles of scenic wonder as it travels through the Inner Gorge of Marble Canyon. Towering cliffs, cool Emerald Green water, the smell of the Colorado, and the sound of a Great Blue Heron are just a few of many to arouse the senses on this nature experience. This tour also includes a slow pace hike through Antelope Slot Canyon, a photographers Paradise. This full day package includes lunch at the Point on Lake Powell as well.


These tours are available from May 1st to Sep 30th

Departure Information:

     Flagstaff: A shuttle is available to pick you up at your hotel at no extra charge. Pickup time for the shuttle in Flagstaff is 6:30 am, and the tour departs from the Grand Canyon Store at 24 W Route 66.

     Williams: Departure time is 6:30 am from our Williams Tour Office, located at 202 W Route 66.

This full day tour is now only $229.


Prices are all inclusive. Gratuity is not included.


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## JimMIA (Apr 8, 2012)

Not sure if they're the same, but Antelope SLOT Canyon, where this tour apparently goes, is the spectacular site you're thinking of.  Go to Google IMAGES and look it up to see what I mean.  Amazing place.


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## Karen G (Apr 8, 2012)

New2time said:


> wait.....is Antelope SLOT Canyon and Antelope Canyon the same spot?


The Antelope slot canyon is the one you walk through with the incredible colorful sights that are shown here.  The day after we went through Upper Antelope Canyon we were a boat tour on Lake Mead. One area we went by was referred to by the boat tour narrator as being Antelope Canyon & it was a rock wall that was up against an inlet in the lake. There is an Upper and a Lower Antelope Canyon. You can walk right into the level Upper one, but you have to climb down through the slots on a ladder to get into the Lower one.


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## jlwquilter (Apr 9, 2012)

Ok, pulled my papers again as I can't remember anything these days! We went in June 2008.

I used the Colorado River Discovery company for the flat water float trip. I paid $70 per adult and $60 per child (plus an additonal national park service fee that was another $30) for a half day float trip. Launched at the base of the Glen Dam*.

I used the Antelope Slot Canyon Tour by Chief Tsosie for the slot canyon tour. I paid $32 per adult (tour charge plus a Navajo hiking permit fee plus tax) and $20 per child total. Tour was about 90 minutes long, led by a Native guide (as the confirmation states).

*It was also pretty cool to launch literally at the base of the Glen Dam. None of us had even been so close to a dam like that. It's startling to see how huge those things really are in person, when you are in a raft looking WAY up.

You may want to call your tour company just to verify exactly what you are getting/seeing. It's beautiful country - I am sure that you'll have a great adventure!


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## jlwquilter (Apr 9, 2012)

I am glad you booked a few nights at the GC Rim!

At night the elk come onto the hotel grounds to 'cut the grass'. On one of our nights I was giving my daughter her shower and my dad had gone out to smoke his cigar. He calls me on the cell and says "come out right now". I yank DD out of the shower, dress her at warp speed (soaking wet) and we dash out of the hotel. On the grounds are 20+ elk. We position ourselves behind trees, around corners of buildings etc. These are HUGE animals! At one point I started to move from one tree to another and my movement caught the eye of an elk. He turned his head and took half a step toward me. My feet were back pedaling before my brain even knew what was happening. I guess I still have a few survival instincts! It was a very cool experience for all of us. Just remember to be safe - these animlas are not pets!


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## New2time (Apr 10, 2012)

@jlwquilter- Wow! Prices sure have increased in 4 years! 

We will be on the lookout for the elk


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## momeason (Apr 17, 2012)

Karen, amazing pictures of Antelope Canyon. Your pics make me keep adding places to my bucket list. Next time we come out west I want to visit there.
Also Bryce and Zion are on the list now thanks to you. 
Back to planning Sedona/Grand Canyon trip.
We just finished our week in Sedona. I would not recommend day trips from Sedona unless you do not like to hike. I wish I had 2-4 weeks there. I will definitely return and next time I hope to stay longer. It is a gorgeous place and each hike is so different. It is amazing all the different ecosystems you can see n a small area. The restaurants we ate at were all good also. We loved it!
We had an overnight at the Grand Canyon. We had beautiful weather in Sedona but a blizzard started as we were leaving and we had a scary drive to Flagstaff. There was lots of snow in the Grand Canyon also. We did see Elk all around the GC village. Very shaggy this time of year.
By the time we got to Hoover Dam on our way to Vegas it was 70 degrees.
Interesting weather!


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## Karen G (Apr 17, 2012)

momeason said:


> Karen, amazing pictures of Antelope Canyon. Your pics make me keep adding places to my bucket list. Next time we come out west I want to visit there.
> Also Bryce and Zion are on the list now thanks to you.


I've got some more places in Utah for you to add to your bucket list. I'll tell you all about it at lunch on Saturday.  We had a great road trip last week that included a couple of nights in Moab, Utah, and a visit to Arches National Park, Canyonlands Nat. Park, and Dead Horse Point State Park. There's an amazing "scenic by-ways" route between Moab and Bryce Canyon. You may want to consider it in your plans for your next trip west.


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## spencersmama (Apr 17, 2012)

While you are in Sedona, you may want to visit the Palatki Heritage site.  I really enjoyed it the couple of times I visited.  

http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recreation/outdoorlearning/recarea/?recid=55368&actid=119

I have been to the Grand Canyon 4 times and I definitely enjoyed my last visit the most.  We stayed in the canyon for 2 nights. (Myself, DH, my mother, and 2 kids)  I signed up and paid for two tours - I believe it was the desert tour combo.  We did a sunset tour in the morning to the west and the desert tour all the way to the east of the park at sunset.  We were also there in July.  Even though there is a cost associated with the tours, it was nice to have a reserved seat on a bus instead of waiting at the crowded shuttle stops.  (Kids are free, so it isn't too bad.)  I personally enjoyed the sunrise tour the best.  We were up and out very early.  In fact, it was so dark I nearly walked into an elk eating grass next to the sidewalk.  It was so early, it seemed like those of us on the tour were the only ones in the park.  We were definitely the only people at the lookout.  We stopped and saw the sunset on the later tour, and it was very crowded.    It was nice to be able to tour the park during off times and relax in the room during mid-day.  My kids and hubby did a mule ride as well while we were there, which they really enjoyed.  

Another thing I didn't realize until we stayed in the park is that even though you have on site hotel reservations, you are not guaranteed a parking spot.  There are spots right outside the lodges, but day trippers can park there to go and view the canyon.  We got lucky that we found a spot relatively close to our room making it easy to unload our bags.  

Also, we did the Grand Canyon Railway out of Williams when our kids were younger.  I wouldn't recommend that, unless you are staying overnight in the park and returning the next day.  We didn't feel like we had enough time to really see a lot of the scenic spots going up and back in the same day.  And we were worried about taking a shuttle out and not being able to get back to the train station in time.  The shuttles were so busy on that trip that we waited for quite a while to get a shuttle with space.


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## New2time (Apr 18, 2012)

thanks Palatki is on my list of things to do


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## sunnyday1 (Apr 18, 2012)

We flew our family to Phoenix 1-1/2 years ago.  We drove to Williams since we had a reservation with the "Grand Canyon Railway".  We spent the night at their hotel and the next morning were treated to breakfast and then an outdoor western show.  The train took us to the GC. 

While in GC, the GCR took us to lunch and a bus tour which stopped at a few different locations for views/photos.  Then we spent in the GC.  On day two, we were on our own and took a hike in the canyon and a 1/2 hour helicopter tour.  The helicopter was expensive but so worth it.  Our only regret is that we didn't spring for 1 hour because 1/2 hour really wasn't enough.  I highly recommend it, it is awesome.  

If you go, I highly recommend a meal (breakfast is good) at El Tovar hotel restaurant.  Upscale and delicious compared to some of the cheaper restaurants there on the south rim.

On the way back to Williams on the GCR, we experienced a good old train robbery, complete with cowboys on horses making the train come to a complete stop.  Great video and photo opportunity.

We've been to Sedona twice but have never stayed overnight there.  Some of the shops are interesting but lots of art galleries and artsy-stuff is not my interest.  It is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen though.


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## New2time (Apr 19, 2012)

We do have dining reservations at the El Tovar for one evening while we are there-


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