Stop between LA & Vegas
 

Hello everyone. I plan on driving from Los Angeles to Las Vegas..I want to take Highway 10 East through Palm Springs and Quartzsite. After Quartzsite I plan on heading North East on the Red Roads( 60 or 93)..and then take that road through Prescott to Sedona/Flagstaff area. My question is where should I stay in order to wake up in the morning and check out the Grand Canyon and drive to Las Vegas. I was thinking near Flagstaff but I am unfamilair with Arizona so any advice would help. THANKS!

Depending on how fancy accommodation you're looking for, I'd say Williams, AZ is most convenient for Gand Canyon access, but not really any fancy hotels. Kingman, AZ and Flagstaff are the alternatives.

There's a nice Hampton Inn in Sedona that I like to stay at. From there it's a pretty easy drive to The Grand Canyon. The hotel is right on AZ-89A and the drive on 89A from Sedona to Flagstaff should not be missed.

Hi,

How about one of the lodges by the Grand Canyon rim itself so you can look at the canyon first thing in the morning before it gets too crowded?

CMK10's suggestion of Sedona is good too ( I will be in Sedona in 2 weeks time) and the drive up Oak Creek is wonderful.

Regards

TBS

Overnight in Kingman would necessitate a 100+ mile backtrack to the GC, unless OP is intending to do the West Rim.

Yes I have decided to not stay in Kingman because of the backtracking that would cause. And also, Willimas, AZ because I want to take that road through the Grand Canyon and then head out to Las Vegas passing through Williams on the way out. They are convenient places to stay but not for my route.

So this leaves me with Sedona or Flagstaff. I am not looking for a fancy hotel, but just something convenient and not a dump. Thanks for the Hampton Inn recommendation.

Another idea that I had just come up with last night is if I leave LA in the morning and make it to Sedona for dinner I could head east for a little and stay in Winslow, AZ so in the morning before Grand Canyon I could check out the Meteor Crater. Any opinions on that thing? Worth the extra miles??

do you think those lodges are worth it, if only crashing there one night??

I wouldn't waste my time (or money) on Meteor Crater. You're already going to see a giant hole in the ground so why bother with a second one that's not a wonder of the world.

What we don't know is why you selected this route, which is not the very quickest way to get to the Grand Canyon. Having driven from the Grand Canyon to Prescott, then on to Palm Desert then on to L.A., though not in one day, I didn't find it the most scenic route. We did enjoy Prescott. I'd rather get to the Grand Canyon as quickly as possible, and have more time at the GC, but each person's tastes are different.

The lodges at the canyon's rim are pricey, but, IMHO, are most worth the cost if your stay will be brief. Not all of the lodges in the park are on the rim. We stayed at the Kachina Lodge, and could see the canyon from our room. Williams and Kingman are not bad choices. Much depends on your ability and desire to do a lot of driving in one day. If you think you can drive as far as Flagstaff, it's not a bad choice, with a wide variety of lodging, and you could drive into GC Park and on to Vegas in one long day. You wouldn't have all that much time in the park, but if it's the best you can do, so be it. If you can push on a bit further, Tusayan is just outside the park boundary. That would at least give you more time in the park the next day.

If you are doing this in the summer, I'd even more strongly suggest just getting to the higher elevations of the Grand Canyon asap the first day, via I-40, rather than going via I-10, etc. In that case, staying in Williams (we stayed at the Days Inn) or Tusayan or inside the park would make sense. Yes, you would be backtracking some of the same route (I-40) on your way to Vegas, but you could always take Hwy. 66 (passing Grand Canyon Caverns) rather than I-40 part of the way.

Hi,

I have stayed there one night on two separate occasions and seeing the canyon at sunrise ( hopefully it will be a good day weather wise) before the crowds come to the more popular spots is great.

Regards

TBS

I almost think that you would be better off going the other way around. Go directly LA to Las Vegas. That is a 1/2 day drive minimum.

Do the Vegas thing (are you spending more than one night?).

Whatever day you want to leave, wake up early (especially if it's a Sunday, everybody leaves Las Vegas on Sunday) and then travel down US 93 over the Hoover Dam or over the bypass bridge through Kingman and then East on I-40. I'd stop and stay in Flagstaff. You can do Grand Canyon, Sedona, and Flagstaff in a single day (if all you enjoy doing is looking out car windows) but I think 2 is better. From Flagstaff go in the East entrance to the park, North on US 89A. You can make it a circle by going out the West entrance through Valle and Tusayan.

How many days are you devoting to this part of your journey? You have been all over the boards seeking advice for all manners of Western US travel.

I recommend Drury Inn & Suites in Flagstaff. They offer free Wifi, free afternoon snacks and drinks, and a free expanded hot breakfast. Brand new hotel walking distance to downtown Flagstaff with ample parking.
I would advice AGAINST visiting and staying at the Grand Canyon. I have done that recently and it was basically an expensive madhouse: overcrowding, nasty drivers, jaded workers, and nil parking space.
Instead, drive to Grand Canyon airport and do a helicopter tour for $250/hour!

Not even visit the GC? One could stay in Tusayan, right outside the park if they really didn't want to stay inside the park. Taking an expensive helicopter ride over the GC (and you need to be sure if it's going over the main part of the canyon or the western part, outside of the park) is not the same as standing at the rim. Whether or not it is a madhouse, with nil parking, at the canyon in the park depends on when you are there and exactly where you go. It was awfully crowded the New Years Eve we were there, and snow and ice limited parking spaces (won't be a problem for you), but we're still glad we stayed there. If you can go during the week, and not on a holiday, odds of a peaceful visit are more in your favor. What is sometimes called the West Rim is ouside the national park and is the site of the Skywalk (which has bad reviews on Tripadvisor, but which I have not personally visited).

The North Rim, which is closed by snow from about mid-November until sometime in May, is far less crowded (and is higher and cooler and greener) than the South Rim, but would be a significantly longer drive in your case and I would not recommend it (now, if you could drive directly from LV and then on to the North Rim, it might be doable). North Rim has far fewer options for accommodations, however (the lodge at the rim, Kaibab Lodge just outside the park, and Jacob Lake Inn 40 miles fromthe rim; otherwise would need to stay all the way out at Fredonia, Arizona or Kanab, Utah). Again, if you give the dates of your travel, that would affect recommendations.

I would take I-10 east to Palm Springs, then SR-62 to 29 Palms, Amboy, & Needles. Stay in Needles or Laughlin. Proceed east on I-40 to SR-64 and main GC entrance. Backtrack to Kingman and take US-93 to Vegas via Hoover Dam; or SR-64 to Flagstaff, SR-89 etc. back to Vegas via Mesquite. Winging it as far as places to stay is part of the fun. Pick only motels that advertise their rates on the sign. Fuel up at every larger town (Needles, Kingman, Flagstaff), as fuel prices in the MFN are usually (even more) eye-popping. When driving at night, listen to Coast to Coast AM and Native American dance broadcasts; stop to stargaze.

Wear good sunglasses; carry water and food. See you on US-66!
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