Pheonix

[chunkygal]

We are thinking of staying in October at Pheonix MVC. Has anyone stayed there before?

It looks pretty, but it is hard to tell if it is more of resort destination, city atmosphere, or base where there is a lot to do in the area.

We are going to a conference in Tuscon, but were thinking of going here first.

 

[pwrshift]

I assume you mean Marriott Canyon Villas in Phoenix? It's a great resort and you'd have privileges at the JW Marriott across the street. CV has studios, 1 bdrm, and 2 bdrm suites. While I like the weather for prime time I find Phoenix a little boring after about 5 visits...been there, done that, like the kids say. But first time visitors will love it...the Grand Canyon is a 4 hour drive (a long day if you don't stay overnight) but certainly worth it. Sedona is about 2 hours away...quite commercial but a delight to see. Very interesting country.

 

[dvc_john]

Sonoma is about 2 hours away...quite commercial but a delight to see. Very interesting country.

I believe you mean Sedona. (Sonoma is in the California wine country, next to Napa.) And yes, Sedona is definitely worth a trip, especially if you've never been there.

 

[Passepartout]

If it was me, and I had a conference in Tucson, and I wanted to stretch it out a week, I'd book at Sedona. Phoenix, while very nice is basically a large urban area. You'll pass through it between Tucson and Sedona. I don't know about exchange opportunities you have. The ritziest digs in Sedona is arguably the Hyatt, so that may be your choice. October there would be memorable, and you would want to spend a lot more time outdoors than in, and the Grand Canyon is just a couple hours away. I would want to overnight there if you haven't, because sunrise/set over the canyon are spectacular and you wouldn't want to miss either one driving back to Sedona.

Either way, you will make a good decision.

Jim

 

[pwrshift]

I believe you mean Sedona. (Sonoma is in the California wine country, next to Napa.) And yes, Sedona is definitely worth a trip, especially if you've never been there.

Ooops! Thanks for the correction and I fixed my post above.

 

[Quilter]

You might be able to pick up some tips from this recent thread:

http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=165962

As far as going to Grand Canyon, I would suggest taking the Detours tour. However, make sure they will pick you up in one of their newer vans with the large touring windows. Having someone else drive was nice. They make a stop in Sedona on the way up.

 

[m61376]

You might be able to pick up some tips from this recent thread:

http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=165962

As far as going to Grand Canyon, I would suggest taking the Detours tour. However, make sure they will pick you up in one of their newer vans with the large touring windows. Having someone else drive was nice. They make a stop in Sedona on the way up.

I second that- and we are never "tour" people, always opting to go and do on our own. The lighting on a lot of the roads are poor too, and it was nice to be able to be a passenger, esp. on the mountain roads.

There is a 20% AAA discount, better than the 10% from Marriott.

We went in December- definitely less than ideal weather for Phoenix, but we had a fabulous time nevertheless. Sedona is a great day trip, as is the Grand Canyon. There is lots to do in the Phoenix area as well, even without pool or golfing (we're not golfers and the weather definitely wasn't conducive to swimming when we went). The Sonoma Desert and the Apache Trail, a tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's home, the Botanical Gardens, Old Scottsdale, etc. are all sites worth seeing. Enjoy!