SKYEG

Hello,

I'm in PHX landing 9:10AM and leaving 8:30PM. I wanted to rent a car and drive to the Grand Canyon to take a look. Does this give me enough time? If not, anything I can do in the area that is interesting(with car rental or no car)?

Thanks in advance.
Sam

Loren Pechtel

Weather permitting (I have had a very unpleasant drive on the road to the canyon once--unseasonable snow. No chains but that wasn't an issue. What was a big issue was the snow really wrecked visibility. If I stopped I was afraid of being rear-ended but going forward the only indication I had of where to go was tire tracks in the snow that were fading--if I had lost them I would have been forced to stop on the road as I couldn't tell if it was safe to pull off or not. Turns out the highway department had closed it just after we passed the gate.) you are looking at at least 7 hours on the road.

SKYEG

Did that happen in March?! That's an insane story wow. Glad you were okay. Thanks for your comment

7 hours-8 hours on the road would be fine, assuming my flight lands on time. Would only give me an hour or two to sightsee but I just want to take a quick look! Will grab some snacks/sandwich to eat on the way so I don't have to worry about stopping for dinner. It seems a bit crazy(7 hours+driving and 7 hours flying all in 1 day) but I think it should be worth it. Thoughts/comments would be appreciated if there are other risk factors to take in!

djp98374

in all honesty I think grand cnayon is too far to do an out and back in 9 hrs. It takes about 4 hrs each way.

If this travel is Feb/Mar you also have weather issues in play with snow chances.

Alternatives....

Sedona-- 5 hrs driving there and back, 4 hrs there. With this you could do Oak Crreek Canyon if no snow.
Tuscon--5 hrs driving there and back , 4 hrs there

Lost

I wouldn't chance that. I-17 has issues with staying open when there's an accident, and alternative routes would add an extra 2 hours (at least) getting back to the airport. I've been stuck behind more than a few of these closures.

Two alternatives:

-As said above, Sedona might be a good alternative. About 1:30-1:45 each way from Sky Harbor. Great hiking and a nice little downtown (but slightly touristy)

-You said you'll be here in March?? Leave the airport, have a nice late breakfast at Scramble or Matt's, then head to a spring training game. I would do this as you don't have to leave town so you can get back to the airport quickly if something goes sideways. Maybe also if you have time take a late morning walk through the Desert Botannical Garden. You could do all of this either in a rental or by ubering.

darthbimmer

SKYEG, I understand your desire to see the Grand Canyon. It's an iconic place and it's beautiful. But I agree with others here that it's simply too far to squeeze in during your layover at PHX airport.

Sedona could be a great alternative for you. Not only is it half or less the distance from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon, but it features a number of short yet still stunningly beautiful hiking trails. You'd have time to pick up a car, drive out there, hike to the top of a rocky spire or do a loop around the base of one, take lots of pictures, and get back to the airport in time for your next flight.

Best wishes!

Loren Pechtel

Note that I said "at least" on the 7 hours--that's assuming nothing goes wrong, not even rush hour.

PilgrimsProgress

I would also recommend Sedona and the surrounding areas rather than Phoenix or Tucson or Grand Canyon. Lot of hiking trails, state parks, scenic drives, etc. Must do: drive 89A from Sedona to Flagstaff. One of my favorite drives!

WRCSolberg

You just don't have the time to do it. Even on a perfect day you'd be cutting it close and 17 can be treacherous at that time of the year with bad accidents that can shut down the road in one direction.

SKYEG

Thank you for all your advice!!! I have to make a decision now if I should take a day off and stay a night to do Grand Canyon and Sedona... If not, I'll do Sedona as recommended!

One question about spring training:

Do they play all day? Or is it evening only?

Thanks again evereyone!!!

Lost

Most all of the games start at 1pm, with a couple odd exceptions. Sometimes you'll see one game a day be a night game (usually Thu-Fri-Sat), but day games are standard. A 1pm start means about a 4pm end.

Also, one thing that helps you is that spring training games end after nine innings even if the game is tied, so you're very likely to be able to catch a whole game and get back with plenty of time. The managers can agree beforehand to play a 10th inning if it's tied, but that has seemed to be much less common than a decade ago.

Here's the full schedule. There are some games against national teams because the World Baseball Classic is this year.

The closest stadiums to the airport are the Angels, Cubs, Athletics, Giants, and Diamondbacks/Rockies (they share a stadium).

http://mlb.mlb.com/springtraining/ca...ague/schedule/

WRCSolberg

You can forget about seeing a Cubs game in their stadium in Mesa unless you want to pay out the nose for it.

SKYEG

Thanks for all the advice. Decided to keep the 11.5 hour layover. Going to drive to Sedona right after the flight for some sightseeing/hiking, get to the Angels/Dodgers game late about halfway through hopefully. Was surprised how expensive tickets were($75 for good seats). Will go to Scrambles for breakfast as recommended. Have a C63 AMG Sedan and a Convertible Stingray booked for the cruise. Can't decide which to take but I'd say it's a pretty good problem to have

Going from -4F to 91F lol!!!

Lost

If you go to Sedona today you probably won't have much time for the game. Don't forget to get a Red Rock Pass for the Sedona trailhead parking. The busier trailheads have automated pay stations where you can buy a pass, otherwise you can get one at the USFS visitor center on Highway 179 just south of the Village of Oak Creek.

Also if you're on Twitter, follow @ArizonaDOT. They're fantastic about providing travel/accident updates. You are especially concerned with I-17 milepost 298 and lower, and all of Highway 179.

Have fun! The weather is going to be perfect in Sedona today! Use sunscreen!

SKYEG

You were completely right. Traffic was brutal and I missed the game wasted ticketed first row too ! Went from -4F to 90F haha! Beautiful but definitely touristy. Bought the trail pass! Can't wait until next time to visit Grand Canyon