Should we make the 10 hour+ round trip to see the Grand Canyon?

[TheScreamingHeebieJeebies]

DH and I have planned a California itinerary/loop in a hire car taking in the coast, San Francisco, Yosemite and Vegas, and hadn't factored in going to see the Grand Canyon, but everyone keeps telling us to go and see it! I don't want to do one of those day tours from Vegas when you pay $$$$$ to see it for an hour - I'd rather go properly and spend the night if we're going to do it at all. I guess we are not that drawn to see it as we didn't plan to in the first place - we mostly want to hike in Yosemite and see the coast - so am just wondering if you think we'll regret it!

Do it and also visit the Hoover Dam while your there.

I thought that Las Vegas was horrid but the Grand Canyon just blew me away. It was an experience that will live with me forever.

I agree with posters who have said that the road trip is part of the experience.

Actually - just go for it. I drove about 2K miles in 14 days on the one trip we did - driving is easy on the flat bits, with some scary hairpins going up/down from the plateaus to keep you awake.

The itinerary was: SF, Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Sequoia, Death Valley, Las Vegas, Zion, Bryce, Monument Valley, Grand Canyon then flew out of LV. A busy fortnight!

Photo 1 is Bryce Canyon, 2 is Monument Valley and 3 is Grand Canyon

OK last one!
This is the view from our balcony at The View hotel in Monument Valley.

Agree with everyone's recommendations.

We did 4 weeks about 1000 years ago in April 1997 and did all those national parks (April seems quite a good time of year for most places apart from a few high up which were still very cold (Mesa for example)). Most amazing trip.

I think afair that we drove 6000 miles in 4 weeks, with 3.5 yo DS, just 2 yo DD1 and a 7 month pregnancy (OK, we were younger then!) Grand Canyon well worth, especially if weather is clear --it wasn't when we went and only got a peak through the cloud for about 30 seconds). Agree that the road trip is part of the wonderful experience of travel in the US, as there are motels and diners everywhere and you can stop if you spot something that grabs your fancy.

Also agree that Las Vegas is horrid but still worth seeing for about 2 hours.

Just wanted to pop in to say Sedona is on the Smithsonian mag list of best small American towns to visit.

As well as to clarify my last post about driving the old Route 66... I meant the drive from LV to GC, obviously

We've hosted 8 exchange students and took each of them on a long road trip vacation. Several of those vacations included southern Utah. Only one included Las Vegas as I really don't like it. If you're thinking of going from Vegas to Zion National Park, you can drive through the park, then stay in a little town called Kanab. From Kanab, it's a 4 hour drive to the north rim of the Grand Canyon. I've been to both the north rim and the south rim and both are spectacular. We camped at a campground just outside the actual park when we went to the north rim. If you're in the area and you enjoy hiking, I would recommend a day trip from Kanab that includes a hike in the Wire Pass slot canyon. There is just nothing like a slot canyon hike and Wire Pass is wonderful! Make sure to drive past the road to Wire Pass and visit the ranger station to make sure there is no rain in the area for which Wire Pass is a drainage as you certainly don't want to be anywhere near when there is a flash flood. The hike itself is relatively short and afterwards you can drive past Lake Powell (near Page, Arizona) and then another 4 miles or so south on Highway 89 from Page to see Horseshoe Bend, which is simply spectacular. (Pics are from the Grand Canyon, Horseshoe Bend and Wire Pass slot canyon.)

Oh, and if you are going to be going to several national parks, it might be more cost effective to purchase an annual park pass rather than pay each entrance fee individually. The annual pass is $80 and will get you into any national park in the country for a year. I realize you won't be here for a year, but if the individual fees are going to add up to more than $80, it'd be worth it to get the pass.

We just got back from our California trip. We were a bit like you about the grand canyon, but decided we couldn't be that close and not go. I am so pleased we did. It really does stun you into silence. But as others have said get away from the main viewing point at the visitors center and you experience so much more. We hiked down to Cedar ridge (one stop after Ooh Ah point) and it was stunning. The hike back up is hard, especially as you are at altitude, but I would not want to see the GC from the rim again, you have to get inside it. We are now planning to go back and hike down to the river.

We met several people who urged to to go to Sedona. Unfortunately with the DCs another 2hrs drive was not possible, but we will definitely go next time.

We are off again to the US in September and will be revisiting our favourite places in California and Arizona. I would go to the Grand Canyon, but I don't think it's the most spectacular place you will see: Bryce Canyon is amazing, Monument Valley awesome and Sedona, well Sedona is unlike anything else you will ever see. We usually finish our US holidays in Scottsdale, Arizona but invariably do the three hour drive to Sedona while we are there because we love it so much. We always do the same thing: go and have brunch in the Coffee Pot restaurant and then drive up Oak Creek Canyon. If you do visit Sedona do try one of the Pink Jeep Tours, they are very good.

Last year when we went to California we visited the Sonoma Valley (the Nappa Valley's next door neighbour, I think) and really enjoyed experience. (We have friends who live in Santa Rosa and stayed with them - not an area we had visited before). We intend to go back to Lake Tahoe again as we had such a fantastic time last year: would certainly recommend hiring bikes and cycling round some or all of the Lake. I am feeling very nostalgic now, thinking about all the lovely places we have visited in the south west of the States.

Yes and stay in the Grand Canyon Lodge on the north rim :) :) :)

And go to Antelope Canyon for SURE

oh this is making me soooo envious, though I have been sooooo lucky to have done road trips to the West Coast in 1991/93/96 and 2007. The last one was so amazing, we took our trio who were just 9 at the time and we flew into SF did all the usual touristy things. Then 4 nights in Modesto to see my pen friend of 50 years! Then on to Yosemite, through Death Valley to Vegas where we had the most amazing stay at The Venetian! From there we went to Williams in Arizona, just the best place ever, stayed in a former brothel called The Red Garter Saloon, it is opposite the Grand Canyon Steam Train Depot, fabulous and funny 2 hour trip to the canyon with a 4 hour stay before back to Williams! Then we rented an artists house in Sedona it was called "Heavens Almost Ready"...hot tub in our own cactus garden, humming birds and surrounded by red rock canyons.......utter bliss but HOT! Then we went to Palm Desert for 2 nights and ended up in Anaheim in a cottage near Disneyland. We have been to Yosemite three times, Vegas three times and Canyon twice......................I`d give anything to go back but sadly my dh has cancer and insurance is a huge problem now. It is truly AWESOME!!

Yes Oak Creek Canyon too, I bought a beautiful silver necklace their from an Indian lady with her baby on her back :)

Not going to the Grand Canyon was our biggest regret of our California/Las Vegas trip. Unless you count going to Las Vegas at all. I tend to be a lone voice when it comes to Vegas and found the whole place to be an artificial unappealing dump.

Blackpool meets Meadowhall meets Gala Bingo would be my summing up!

i did exact tour as you. skip a day in vegas and go gc...such a beautiful and unique landscape. vegas is a hot Blackpool with more hookers. enjoy!

We did 3 weeks for honeymoon into Vegas out of la. Did GC which was good but agree with others that Zion is more than worth it, as is sequoia and Brice. Yosemite is great too. We did San Diego and loved it, the zoo is so much better than anything here. Don't be tempted by LA, it was the only place I felt unsafe and it's crap. We had allocated 3 nights there but headed off after 1. We didn't book any hotels other than the first night so we could stay if we liked or move I if we didn't. Never had any trouble with rooms.

I loved the GC much more than I expected. Try and take a helicopter trip if you can - truly amazing experience.

We also visited an abandoned gold mining town but I can't remember the name. That was just a bit different

Columbia is an interesting mining town on the way to Lake Tahoe, call at the Wells Fargo office and ride the stagecoach!

The one we went to was called Bodie

Marking my place on this thread - planning a similar trip in July and it's great to hear people's opinions!

Can anyone tell me whether Death Valley is worth seeing in July/August? Some people say don't go near it, while others say it's fine if you have plenty of water. What's the consensus?

I would read this website from the National Parks Service on Death Valley:-

www.nps.gov/deva/index.htm

I do know for a fact that the tour companies that go there from Las Vegas do not go there between the months of June and September due to the high temperatures.

And when I was in that area about 2 weeks ago, the daytime temp for Death Valley at that time was already in the high 90s.