Mitzyboy

Be gentle!

I am doing a whistle stop tour of California in October

SF, Carmel, Yosemite, Death Valley, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon Lake Havesu (for a stop over) Los Angeles ... will be a hell of a week! No, joking, 15 days!

I organised tours of Alcatraz, usual Universal experience in LA and going to see the Blue Man Group in Vegas, but the question is about Grand Canyon

Concierge at the Canyon Plaza Hotel has quoted me for a raft trip and as there are 4 of us I'm wondering if anyone has done these trips, or knows a company that they used that might do a similar one as its a lot of dosh to pay out. Also its a 6 hour round trip on a coach to get to Page

Would appreciate any input
Smooth Water Float Trip

This wonderful day trip includes transportation aboard a luxury motor coach or van to and from Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, transferring through the Grand Canyon National Park, the Navajo Indian Reservation and the Painted Desert. You will board an inflatable, motorized 15-22 passenger river raft at the base of the Glen Canyon Dam in Page and cover 200 million years while leisurely floating 15.5 river miles of spectacular scenery on the mighty Colorado River. Along the way you will enjoy lunch and can take a short hike to see ancient petroglyphs. This rafting adventure is great for all age groups and members of the family. (Seasonal – through October 15, 2008)

Cost $179.00 Adult $159.00 Child (4-11) Duration approximately 12.5 hours

Elvira

You want to hire a car rather than go by coach.

There are any number of outfits that do rafting trips from Page - we paid way less than $179!

Try to spend some time at Lake Powell - it's beautiful.

meauxna

Yo, Mitzyboy, what's with the title? We don't charge by the letter over here you know.
sorry, just had to give you a little bit of stick.

Bladerunner

Dunno if this is at all relevant, but I recently drove from Vegas to Grand Canyon West. Got a rental for 30 bucks a day from Fox's Car Hire on LV Boulevard. It took a little over three hours via the Hoover Dam. The final 15 miles is winding dirt road. The turnoff from the main highway is easy to miss.

They charged 85 bucks in all to go on the Skywalk, including the Indian reservation fee. Just to look at the Grand Canyon was 45 bucks. It was amazing though. Very impressive indeed.

There are also helicopter tours from Vegas.

Rete

And small planes. That's the way I went from Vegas.

Patrick Hasler

i wouldnt pay that to rent a boat for a week on there

Tourists get so ripped off ffs

Mitzyboy

Thanks for the suggestions

We already have a hire car, just that with all the driving we were doing we thought a day of rest might be good. But I found a raft company in Pace that did a half day for $75 each, which means that the hotel would be charging us $100 x 4 for getting to Pace from the South Rim & lunch!!

We cant fly as the daughter wont go up in one of the small aircraft after the experience we had about 10 years ago when we flew over the CG

md95065

Actually it does sound like about a week in California with a few days each in Nevada and Arizona ...

Steerpike

I would strongly recommend the inclusion of Bryce Canyon and Zion NP in Utah - VERY close to Vegas; I'd do that at the expense of Lake Havasu. Bryce can be appreciated on a 'fly by', as can Zion (as in, quick drive through). I would also strongly recommend a pass through Sedona. I did the Vegas/Death Valley/Yosemite drive a couple of months ago, it was fabulous. I tried to drive through Yosemite last weekend but 120 was closed (fire) and had to go via Lake Tahoe instead. The '395' road from Tahoe, 'behind' Yosemite, and past Death Valley is one of the best drives I've ever taken.

AdobePinon

100% agree. And if it makes things any easier, almost everyone who's been to the north rim of the Grand Canyon will tell you it's superior to the south rim. Zion - can be done as a 'fly by' but you could spend a day or two there if you want. If you do, take some shoes suitable for hiking in a river.

Jerseygirl

Done all those while staying in Vegas...but did stay overnight in the GC. Bryce is spectacular...Zion not so much. My husband loved Death Valley and Monument Valley.

Mitz take a tour of the Hoover Dam whilst staying in LV. Think you could do with more time in the LV area.

Mitzyboy

Thanks again all, its really helpful

I'll actually be driving over the Hoover Dam on the way if everything goes to plan. Ive flown over it a long time ago, but looking forward to seeing it close up.

Yes, have been a bit worried about how the fires might effect us to be honest.

I'll have to suss out where Bryce & Zion are, and I'm pleased to heat that the Yosemite / Vegas road is a brilliant drive. We're actually staying in Death Valley at some Ranch complex.

I dont really want to go to Lake Havesu tbh, but it was only really included as a stopover between GC and LA.

tonrob

What they said.

Have a great trip!

Steerpike

Be aware, the Hoover Dam is in the midst of a major, major road-works project - they are building a bridge over the whole thing, getting the traffic off the dam itself. There can be delays of several hours. I would LOVE to see the construction (this is a MAJOR project!) but when I had to get from PHX to LV for a show (ie, deadline), I bypassed it.

I would not be overly concerned about fires; just check the news/etc. There's always an alternate, just try not to get stuck in traffic. Any of the several roads through the Sierras are spectacular (Yosemite/120, 50, 80, Sonora pass, etc).

I just drove from PHX to Sedona this weekend. It was gorgeous. Driving in from the South gives you a wonderful perspective of the red rocks; driving in from the north (Flagstaff) gives you a tranquil drive amongst pine forest, not unlike a drive in the UK Lake District (on a sunny day ) .

Buy an 'annual' pass to the national parks if you plan on driving through more than a couple ... there's a break-even point you can work out yourself, but it's pretty low.

Steerpike

The North Rim is less touristy, more 'low key' (and thus appeals to those who take pleasure in avoiding 'tourist spots'!) but - the view was not as impressive in my mind - I visited both on one trip, and the 'expanse' is more apparent from the south. I may be mistaken now, but there are only a few 'vantage points' at the North Rim, while along the South Rim there are many, each offering a radically different viewpoint. I think the key to success at the south rim is to get away from the visitor center and the 'drive-by' view areas (though 'EVERY' view area is worth a look, as every one offers something different). There is a whole section that must be either hiked or reached by (very quaint/quirky!) free buses. A day wandering along that rim is a day in heaven! Watch out for flash storms - amazingly variable weather there.

If you go to Bryce, you CAN get a sense of it just by getting out of the car for 10 minutes - it's visually amazing - but taking a 2-hour hike down amongst the hoodoos is like nothing else on earth (that I've seen!). Zion is boring by comparison, but I like to think of it as 'Yosemite on steroids' - where yosemite is all gray granite, Zion is multi-colored rocks. And the weird 'lava' formations - something else!

Watch out while driving in Arizona ... I've been in the US for 27 years (all CA), and had a total of 6 tickets; 3 of them were in AZ in visits!