Hi all,

Off to the US in late Sept/early Oct. First week in Detroit/Chicago/Milwaukee, then we fly to LAS for the second week. Don't really know a great deal about this part of the US, so we're having a little trouble putting an itinerary together. We land in Vegas on Monday and fly home (to MAN) from LAX a week later (on the Tuesday).

We'd like to see the Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon, ride the Verde Canyon train and spend some time in Flagstaff, but aside from that we're a bit clueless. Is Phoenix worth a visit, or is a sort of 'figure 8' possible with Vegas in the middle and two loops out to Utah (Zion/Bryce) and AZ (Grand Canyon/Flagstaff etc)?

I don't know if we have enough time to drive all the way round the Canyon via rte 89, but that might be preferable to the option above, though I've head there's not a great deal in the way of lodging, etc.

We'll have a car, and don't mind driving a fair bit but I'd like to feel that I've been on vacation rather than a drive!

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

 

Are you flying LAS-LAX before your LAX-MAN flight?
Are you wanting to experience any of Las Vegas, or is it just an airport stop?

It's about 6-hours to the Grand Canyon South Rim from Las Vegas. Do you know how long you'd like to spend at the Grand Canyon? I'd suggest at least a couple of days, but each preference is their own. You may want to look at a package via the Grand Canyon Railway that leaves out of Williams, AZ.

You can't really "drive all the way round the Canyon" to the best of my knowledge. You can visit the South Rim and the North Rim, but they are about 5-hours apart (by car.) The North Rim is a sight to behold, but lodging is very limited.

Is Hoover Dam opened for tours yet? It's been years since I've been there as I generally stop at Laughlin, NV, and don't go all the way to LAS. If it is not open for tours, all you need to do is schedule time for the delay to get across the dam (unless the bypass has opened by time you are traveling.)

The Verde Canyon train is 1/2 day investment just for the ride. I don't know that I'd go way out of my way to take it.

My thoughts... assuming that you want some time in Las Vegas:

Mon - Arrive LAS
Tue - Drive to Grand Canyon
Wed - Grand Canyon
Thu - Drive back to LAS
Fri - LAS
Sat - LAS
Sun - LAS-LAX (via flying/driving/etc.)

More than anything... enjoy your trip. Don't try to do too much; distances are much further here than most Europeans realize.

 

Sorry, by "all the way round" I meant a loop going, vaguely, Vegas-Flagstaff-Cameron-Bitter Springs-Kanab-Zion NP-Vegas (sort of). This was suggested as a possibility on another forum, but I think it'll be too much driving to enjoy.

We plan to spend a day in Vegas (we land late afternoon on the Monday, we plan to pick up the car and head out on the Wednesday), but not really any more time than that.

Another option would be to spend a couple of days in/around the Grand Canyon and then drive to Los Angeles, spend a day at the beach and then fly home.

No flights booked between LAS-LAX yet, but it is an option.

 

This sounds like a much better plan. Definitely check on flying LAS-LAX; drop charges for rental cars can often off-set the cost of the flight.

If you head to GC on Wednesday, that will give you Wednesday afternoon through Thursday to enjoy the sights. (You definitely want to see the GC at sunset and, if possible, sunrise.) Drive back to LAS/LAX on Friday, enjoy the beach on Saturday, then home on Sunday.

 

Great, thanks - the more I think about it the more I want a day at the beach!

 

Phoenix isn't necessary or desirable as a stop, but Sedona could certainly be. It's just south of Flagstaff and absolutely gorgeous country.

Mon - Arrive LAS
Tue - Drive to Grand Canyon
Wed - Grand Canyon
Thu - Sedona, drive back to LAS
Fri - LAS
Sat - LAS
Sun - LAS-LAX (via flying/driving/etc.)

 

If it were me I'd forget the GC and go to Zion and Bryce Canyon. The scenery is ultra spectacular. Zion is a beautiful 2 1/2 hour drive from LAS and the ride from Zion to Bryce is really special too.

If you do go to the GC, I agree with DenverBrian when he says that Sedona is worth a stop. I wouldn't go out of my way to go to PHX.

Bobette

 

I'd go to the North Rim and Bryce and Zion.

 

Because it's roughly October 1 for the trip and to be safe vs. sorry, I'd keep myself south.

 

This might be useful

After reading it i noticed my trip summary is all about food...I think that's because I was very surprised by the food prices in vegas and that being from Toronto I hadn't been to most of the chain restaurants before. I was also expecting super cheap stuff everywhere but it's no different than anywhere else and at the time the exchange rate was still 0.75 so not stellar for canadians.

We didn't have enough time to get to Bryce Canyon, we might have had too much time in las vegas itself but then we didn't see a show and we didn't gamble. If you want to see O then book in advance. Also check what shows are playing before you go, a few shows I wanted to see were either sold out or on holiday break.

You don't need a car in vegas.

I have been down to Phoenix and as neat as certain things there were I'd probably stick to the Grand Canyon area, if you have extra time see more of the canyons. If you want to see Phoenix then I'd just fly down there and visit - less time driving.

Pictures
http://rockohorse.blogspot.com/2009_01_01_archive.html

Phoenix Trip:
http://rockohorse.blogspot.com/2007_03_01_archive.html

If you go to antelope canyon, bring a tripod (even a little one)

==

Day 1: Arrive LAS 10:30am, rented from enterprise(in retrospect a mistake due to the line), Drove to hoover dam � didn�t stop, traffic was pretty brutal, stopped a little while later for a photo op. Stopped in kingsman � pre-stopped, bought some stuff at the gas station, then discovered the rest of kingsman 1 min down the highway and went to safeway � got water, ice tea, bread, hummus, granola bars
Time change across the border (1 hour) forgot about this�
Was dark for a lot of the drive to grand canyon
Best western was a good hotel to stay � the restaurant was very nice � expensive, but the food atleast matched the prices (Coronado room)
Did not prepay and the hotel rates changed so we changed the reservations the week before and got the better rate

Day 2: Breakfast at the Best western was interesting � mostly bready things and fruit
25$ per car to get into the grand canyon � pass lasts 7 days
Drove the south side of the canyon with a few walks, both ends of the drive have hot choc, the hermits end had a little hole in the wall, the other end has a general store and a tourist store
Took sunset pictures from the desert view end
Thought about eating at the restaurant in the GC but there was no parking and the restaurants were even more expensive (30$ mains)

Day 3:Breakfast at the best western � got up for sunrise, but it was snowing so couldn�t see 100ft in front of you, they had French toast � seems to vary day to day and sometimes hour to hour
Drove to the various outlooks � but opted to continue on to page since you couldn�t� see anything
Bought a hot choc and a postcard at desert view
Stopped at a few places on the way for photographs � the other side of desert view and a few other places � they have pulloffs and signs for �scenic views�
Was cloudy
Also lots of little stands on the side of the roads � but winter they were closed � probably just jewellery
Noticed that gas is cheaper outside the park, but it gets cheaper as you get to page, then as you go to Utah
Drove to page
Holiday Express � prepaid, but it wasn�t busy so it might have been cheaper had we waited
The holiday inn express had free internet
The breakfast was a mix of hot and cold � but the hot went if you weren�t there early enough, we got there at 8:30, no seconds on sausage and they ran out of scrambled eggs, but they had �French toast� and regular toast, cream cheese, coffee and juice. The cups in the room were takeout cups � as were the ones at breakfast � which was useful
Ate at slackers for lunch � burgers � not cheap but not expensive and it was right across the street from the antelope canyon tour
The tour (photography tour) was long and in the winter there was no one there so we had ample opportunity to take pictures (2.5 hours, 50$us each)
The other tour is 1H and they seemed very rushed
Ate at the Mexican place (fiesta Mexicana) � reasonable price, size of portions, had deep fried icecream
Sunset pic from the top of the hill over the dam � good views of everything,
There was a restaurant in the rec area, but you have to pay 15$ per car to get in so we opted to go to the mexican place

Day 4:
Drove back to las vegas
Buy gas in hurricane � it was the cheapest anywhere
Washington and St George run into each other, but before hurricane there are some nice photo opts, all three have food and gas, but st George and Washington have many stops off the highway
Not much between them and vegas
Checked into the hotel - stayed at planet hollywood
- Safe was broken, no hair dryer (had to call for one), no fridge(possibility to call for one), pool was �open� but it was too cold to use it, we did have a nice view though � 28th floor, view of the strip and if you stood at the side of the window you could watch the Bellagio fountains
Ate at cheesecake factory � huge portions, good price
Walked through Mandalay bay ($15 to see the aquarium so we passed)
All the restaurants in Mandalay are very expensive
The luxor wasn�t that interesting
All hotels have these time share people out trying to get you to go and see their presentation

Day 5:
Slept in, hard to find breakfast, but after we walked downstairs into the mile we found a little place
Breakfast:
Walk towards the rainstorm, right there there are a few places that serve breakfast, one is a 4 piece for 6$ or something, but if you continue on you�ll hit a bunch of restaurant�s by �V� and there is atleast one that has 4$ breakfast, the others do cooked stuff for about 10$
If you are hungry go for the spice market buffet � 15$ and it has an amazing selection � omelletes, crepes(mini so not too filling), smoked salmon, desserts(we passed on this), eggs of all types, bacon, sausage, smoothies (these were good! Get them at the fruit bar)

Planet hollywood Buffet is 15$ up to 10:30
After about 10 they close it off and you have to wait for the lunch buffet at 11 which is 19$
Breakfast is the better bet, though the lunch desserts looked nice�
No idea how much dinner costs but all the buffets we saw seems to be 20$ lunch 30$ dinner.
There was a sushi one � but it was 30$ dinner and not sure what it included
Walked from PH up through the other hotels and took the deuce to Old Las Vegas � used all my nickels � only place to use coins any more � watched the light show � took the deuce back

Day 6:
Walked through TI, Monte Carlo, New York New York
Cheapest places to eat are off strip � the malls (across from the wynn), the mile and nearer the mgm etc all have fast food.
New York New York has a food court � looked reasonable for fish and chips, Monte carlo had one as well, Freemont street is very cheap � tony romas had specials. Price rib 9$ from 4-6 or something, �steak� and lobster 12$ from 9-11 � the lobster was fine, the steak was very thin, we asked for it rare but it was med-well, but for 12$ you still get meat and a lobster tail.
Pf changs in planet Hollywood has �lunch bowls� before 4pm or 6pm (the outside menu says 6, the inside says 4 but we got ours at 5 and the computer put it through). These are a good sized portion and come with soup for 7.5-9$

Pointers:
Gas is cheaper in hurricane � ie closer to the middle of Utah
Gas is also cheaper is you get off the strip and go towards downtown
Traffic on the strip is brutal � a cab fare can go up 2-3$ just waiting for traffic lights, avoid them if you can and take the deuce, its valid for 24 hours (i.e 5pm to 5pm etc)
Food can be expensive � plan before you go or shop around
Internet is not free, but if you wander around you can find wifi spots
Check the CAA rate for everything
Don�t book non-refundable rooms because you can�t change them if the rates go down
Don�t ever book anything on your credit card that might require refunding in foreign currency � the card takes 5% every transaction!

 

While I've had some problems going ~ November 1 (although was still able to visit; just most stuff was closed), I think odds are that October 1 will be fine. And it would make for a much shorter drive to Bryce/Zion.

 

Thanks for all the replies - I think! I've now got even more to think about now!!

I'd like to go to Bryce/Zion, but we also like the sound of Flagstaff (we like a bit of civilisation every now and then - bars/cafes/etc every now and then rather than roadside motels).

I'll get the maps back out!

 

I would too - but I'm not from the UK and making an once-in-a-lifetime trip like the OP is. I'm thinking of the trip through their eyes, not mine. While the weather should be fine around October 1, it's hardly unprecedented for there to be cold rain and/or snow in southern Utah that time of year. There is less chance for that the farther south you go.

My advice to the OP is to get your scenery fix from the Grand Canyon and Sedona and save Zion/Bryce for another time. As you can see, other advice differs.

 

Flagstaff is very much a college town these days or so it seemed when we were there in 08

 

I'm not sure if you consider that a good thing or not!

I spent 2 semesters at college in the US, so I quite like that small city/college town vibe, but I can see why some wouldn't.