Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Grand Canyon tips

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Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 09-16-2005, 11:39 PM:

Thanks again for the many tips for our big SW tour. A few more specific questions about Grand Canyon: What's the best way to see the Canyon, again extended hiking tours or mule riding trips are not a good idea since I want to take my mother (apart from that, no mule could carry me), so moderate hiking and tours doable by car are the preferred options. What about scenic flights? I already checked out the tours offered by Air Grand Canyon and Papillon which look interesting. Any tips about where to stay? My idea is that we will stay somewhere in the general area and take a longer approach into account rather than throwing a lot of money at a tourist trap. We don't need any luxury accomodations.

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 09-17-2005, 12:54 AM:

Take a look at Grand Canyon Airlines too. They are the sister company to Scenic, the company I used to fly for, and they fly the same Vistaliners (modified DHC-6 Twin Otters). Of the fixed-wing operators I think they provide the best presentation (ultra-reliable P&W PT6 twin turboprop power, huge down-to-your-knees windows, high wings that don't obstruct the view, and selectable language tour narration via headphones).

The helicopter trips can be very exciting, including trips all the way down to the bottom of the canyon for landings at Phantom Ranch or the village in Supai Canyon. Not to bad mouth anyone, but Papillon has been having a run of bad luck lately--several fatals in the last couple of years. Check out some of the other helicopter operators.

Any of the air tours will let you see things that you won't see from the rim. But the drive along the south rim is still beautiful and easy to do. The west half from Grand Canyon Village out to Hermit's Rest may or may not be open to private cars but there are the tour vans. The east half out to the Watchtower is open all year 'round. Both offer plenty of places to stop and gawk and picnic and hike. Best times of day to see the place are early morning or sunset. The lighting gets pretty flat at midday.

The El Tovar Hotel on the south rim in the village is spectacular but may be hard to book and pricey. Take a walk through it though or grab a meal while you're there.

Just south of the park entrance in Tusayan are several hotels and motels that are quite serviceable. After numerous bad experiences, I'm not a fan of the Squire Inn. Consistantly lot's of 'tude there over the years. Very snooty. My favorites are the Moqui Lodge and the Red Feather Lodge. There are lots of places to eat, including several decent buffets. Ask around for the one run by Frank (Franz) Rotter (sorry I can't remember which hotel), a German ex-pat who's been there for decades.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 09-17-2005, 01:25 PM:

Other than going to the more scenic north rim which one rarely gets to see the best way to get to the south rim would be to take the Grand Canyon Railway Train ride up to the lodge area. Once there you can do a guided bus tour of the area and or stay at the Grand Canyon Lodge. The train and lodge are world famous and both are amazing in their own right. The train runs from Williams AZ to Grand Canyon. If you hike down in watch out for yellow colored scorpions... they are the ONLY lethal poisionus scorpions in North America.

Posted by Bruce Hansen (Member # 281) on 09-17-2005, 03:22 PM:

Don't fall in! [Big Grin]

(Just kidding)
I haven't been there, but would like to go some day. Have a nice trip, but don't trip and fall in. Watch out for the yellow snow too.

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 09-17-2005, 09:21 PM:

The train looks like a great idea. I had actually planned to stay in Williams or around there, as I don't want to throw too much money at tourist traps in GC. Also, most hotels there are already booked solid. It's a good idea they made the evil scorpions yellow, so you can better see them. Wait...it's in the desert, so they might not stand out that much. They should make them flash red and blue, that would be better.
What is yellow snow? Sand? Quicksand?

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 09-17-2005, 09:40 PM:

Gotta brush up on American pop-culture musical references there Michael. Google for "Frank Zappa lyrics yellow snow." 'Cept there's no snow on the ground yet on either rim. Oh, and the ground up there is various shades of red--the little varmints should stand out fair enough. Not that I've ever seen one in all the hundreds of times I've walked or run through the forest between the airport and the numerous tour pilot dives in Tusayan.

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 09-17-2005, 09:52 PM:

Pilot dives in Tusayan sounds fairly romantic, kind of like late Old West. Were there loose women about?

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 09-17-2005, 10:48 PM:

Oh yes. Not that I partook though. Had a good thing going with a dancer from one of the 'Vegas shows I was working on at the time. No need to mess that up.

Posted by Jeffry L. Johnson (Member # 453) on 09-18-2005, 10:52 AM:

I enjoyed the North Rim more than the South Rim. Fewer tourists, different climate.

According to Xanterra Parks & Resorts: Grand Canyon North Rim Reservations - Check Availability the North Rim lodging is fully booked until it closes for the season on 2005 October 22.

Grand Canyon National Park Lodging
Plan Your Visit

East of Flagstaff is Barringer Meteor Crater. In Flagstaff is Lowell Observatory, where Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto in 1930.

Meteor Crater Visitor Center

There's also Grand Canyon Caverns on old Route 66.