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We had to go to Las Vegas to cheer on family at a basketball tournament so I thought I would take a detour and to go see the Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon and Sedona. What an amazing trip! Keep reading and scrolling to see our highlights!
First stop from Las Vegas, the Hoover Dam. All I can say is get there early. We were fine and we went in July. But by the time we were done at lunchtime, it was a-blazing outside! You do have to park a little ways from the entrance and it can be dangerously hot if you aren’t hydrated and able.
There are two types of tours. Unless you are a engineer nerd (nothing wrong with that), the basic tour is good and informative.
From the Hoover Dam, we decided to take the longer but more historic Route 66 to the Grand Canyon.
There are few stops on the drive so make sure you are stocked up on water and snacks just in case.
Needles? I think this was a town but my first thought was that it was a place to dispose of intravenous needles đŸ˜¦ So I was like, “peace out”.
The scenery was at times beautiful and it paints a picture of a different landscape of America, not one that I am use to coming from the east coast. And I added a quarky stop along the way…Grand Canyons Caverns.
Very interesting back history here. It’s amazing what risks people use to take. This beauty greets you upon entry. It doesn’t look like much from the outside but I will say this was a great little stop and lots of fun. If you can get past the dodgy looking elevator, you are in for a simple, little treat. There was also a little diner and shop inside for refreshments and tourist gifts.
This is where you can book a night stay inside the cave (NOPE). Apparently people get married here too. Whatever floats your boat.
Wide open paths that any beginner could navigate.
I think this was a replica of an ice age groundhog? Haha.
Grand Canyon Southern Rim
Next stop the Grand Canyon. We stayed in the Grand Canyon Village. If you aren’t taking a tour, I would definitely recommend that you book a hotel here early and stay in the village. Guided tours don’t have to wait in a big line but individual cars do. By staying in the village you have a jump start on early morning visitors and can get it early. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express and it was clean and comfortable. They have an indoor pool which we enjoyed and offered coverage from the sun.
We decided to go beyond the look out sites and do some guided hikes. Again, I was traveling with a child under 8 and did not want to do anything dangerous or too extraneous. We chose All Star Grand Canyon Tours and we had a wonderful guide, lunch (provided) and day https://www.allstargrandcanyontours.com/ . We did a 3- hike day tour and would have done more if we had more time. The three different hiking trails were uniquely different and we were able to see a variety of landscapes and walk down into the canyon (not all the way down!). We also got to see some fossils.
I want to caution hikers, if you have unruly children or think you may fall or slip, DO NOT do any hiking tour into the canyon. There are no handrails, etc. so if you jump or fall off, that is the end of you. I am scared of heights and there were times that I was hugging the wall side with my child in between me and the wall. He was fine. And when the donkeys come by you have to move over for them, and not to the inside but the outside! Don’t let me alarm you though, most accidents happen with rafting inside the canyon.
Our guide showing us some points at the Grand Canyon visitor center.
One reason I like tours, besides the safety of traveling with others, is that tour guides are so informative and they are usually experts on the locations. That and tour guides can gain your child’s attention better than we can. Why stress yourself out trying to educate yourself before a trip only to have your child tune you out? Try and tour, save yourself stress, learn a lot and make friends!
There was so much to do and see that it all won’t fit into one blog post! So continue reading more from Flagstaff to Sedona to the Meteor Crater Natural Landmark in the blog post “Continued…Grand Canyon to Sedona Road Trip.
TigerlillyMama 