Go West! Day 2 Phoenix to Grand Canyon

[CrispyA]

We all slept well - not surprising as we had been up for over 24 hours! Watched some baseball news in bed (love American TV!) before getting up and heading over to reception for breakfast.

Wow - the heat was intense! It was a short walk - a couple of hundred yards - but we were all trying to stay out of the sun. Considering it was 100 at night, it was no surprise that the daytime temps were high as well. As we passed a couple of young men, one of them said "Good morning Ma'am" to me and it really made me smile - I love that politeness.

Breakfast was included and it was bagels and muffins which was just fine. The Econolodge was one of cheapest of our stay and I didn't have high expectations but it was fine - clean and comfy.



We then set off for Walmart to stock up on snacks and drinks and to collect the satnav we had pre-ordered - a great Dibb tip! We did our usual running around getting excited about American food - Cheetos! Jerky! Chex Mix! and also grabbed some bargain t-shirts and other clothes. We also got ice for the cool bag we had brought with us ad stocked it with drinks etc. Then, satnav in place, we set off for Grand Canyon.

It was a fantastic drive through the desert - the scenery in Arizona was just stunning - cowboy cacti and coloured rocks. Our ears were popping as the elevation increased. We also started noting licence plates to see if we could spot every state (spoiler - we didn't. We did get Alaska and Hawaii which were unexpected, but it seems the folk of Kentucky and Mississippi don't get out all that much . . . )

We stopped for lunch at Sedona, which was just beautiful and a worthy detour. We all got excited at the soda fountain in Burger King as the choice was much better than you get in the UK and the novelty of free refills just never wears off.



Then we were on our way again, having been finally allowed to put the Road Trip CD on, which I had painstakingly put together and which we had to listen to once a day! It was a winding but beautiful road around Oak Creek Canyon out of Sedona and then we carried on, eventually arriving at Grand Canyon.

We had already decided on the America the Beautiful pass as we were planning on 5 National Parks, so that made the most sense at $80. Having got it, we found our way to Maswik Lodge and checked in.

The room was pretty cramped and had no aircon - just a couple of fans. Coming from a country where you rarely need aircon, we didn't think it would matter too much, but really this room was too hot. It was okay and you are paying to be in the National Park, but it could have done with a bit of an upgrade.

However, you aren't here for the room, you are here for the scenery and we headed off to view the Canyon. Paul and I had seen it from a light aircraft on honeymoon but that was nothing compared to just looking over the rim into the vastness. With more time, we would have loved to have hiked to the bottom and back up again but with only an afternoon and morning, we had to be content with walking along the rim and taking it all in.





We watched the sunset with a picnic but it wasn't great as it was pretty cloudy and I don't think we were in the best spot, but nevertheless, the sheer size of the canyon and the way that you can really feel the stillness and silence made it a memorable experience.

Highs: Satnav - proved invaluable on the trip, especially as it never gets the face on with the driver when he ignores it and it has to recalculate . . . unlike human navigators!

Arizona scenery - the desert, red rocks of Sedona, Grand Canyon - all stunning

Lows: Some reluctance from the kids to walk very far along the rim - guess it's hard for them to appreciate what they are seeing sometimes!

[Cyclospora]

Oohhh! Lovely day! We did this and also enjoyed lunch at Sedona! Lovely memories

[Pussycat Doll]

Lovely day, we've stayed in Sedona several times, so beautiful. Pussycat

[abiknox]

Great day, we absolutely loved our time at the Grand Canyon but agree the Maswick lodge needs an update!

[Ruthy1604]

A great day
DH has just started talking about a trip starting in New Mexico and working our way over to the Grand Canyon, Vegas etc. I'm already making notes!

Are there any other hotel options at GC? Ones with air con lol?

[CrispyA]

There are quite a few! We went for the bargain option but I'd pick somewhere else next time!

[katiebaz]

Sounds great - although the lack of aircon sounds a bit or a nightmare