We took a break from our road trip home from our winter in Yuma to visit the Grand Canyon and Sedona. Our ‘home’ for this segment of the trip was in Williams, Arizona, a convenient spot between the two.
The Grand Canyon
First up – the Grand Canyon. We drove to Tusayan and took the shuttle into the National Park. We (and the park officials) highly recommend taking the bus since it bypasses the long line of cars waiting to get in and avoids the trouble of finding a parking space. That dropped us off at the Visitors Center where we got our first look at the canyon. You see pictures in magazines, travel books and the internet but nothing can really prepare you for that first glimpse into the canyon from the rim. Our first glimpse was completely overwhelming and truly awe-inspiring and something you really have to see for yourself. These pictures are our best effort to capture the grandeur but can’t begin to do it justice.
Yaki Point
Next, we hiked east along the Rim Trail to Yaki Point, the easternmost on the Kaibab Rim Route. It’s the only viewpoint on Desert View Drive that is not accessible with a private vehicle. You can take a shuttle from the Visitor’s Center or walk, like we did. If you chose to walk, there were plenty of overlooks and rock outcroppings providing spectacular views of the canyon along the way. We’re told that Yaki Point is a great place to watch the sunrise or sunset. We didn’t get here early enough or stay late enough to find out.
South Kaibab Trail
Just south of Yaki Point is the South Kaibab Trail, which leads to the canyon floor. There are wonderful views all along the trail making it very easy to lose track of how far down you have hiked. Additionally, the steepness of the trail is very misleading on the way down. Plan on taking twice as long to hike up as it took to hike down. We started down the Kaibab Trail headed for Ooh Ah Point, another fabulous spot for photos. It’s almost a mile down the trail but, after walking for a little while, decided the steepness was going to make the hike back a bear. We have to save some energy for tomorrow. For those more prepared than we were, Cedar Ridge has great views and is an ideal day hike.
The hour was getting late so we headed back to the Visitor’s Center to catch the shuttle back to our car. On the way out, we were fortunate enough to see some elk lounging in the shade.
Grand Canyon – Day 2
We headed west form the Visitors Center on second day in the park. This side of the park is much more developed and crowded. We hopped on the shuttle to the Bright Angel Lodge and hiked down the Bright Angel Trail to the first rest house. We were much better prepared than yesterday, carrying some food and water. In addition we started much earlier. On the way down we met several backpackers hauling huge packs hiking up from the canyon floor. Most of them looked exhausted. I’d like to give it a try if I had a mule or sherpa carrying my gear. I’d probably still have the same look on my face. The rest house has toilets and water. It’s a great place to turn around point for first-time canyon hikers, like us. A walk down the trail gives you a much different perspective of the canyon than standing on the rim. Definitely plan a hike if you are able.
The first tunnel is only about .2 miles down 
The second tunnel about a 3/4 mile down 
Hermits Rest
After an ice cream break at Bright Angel Lodge, we took a shuttle out to Hermits Rest, the westernmost point of the park…
…and started hiking the rim trail back to Hopi Point to watch the sunset, passing several picture-worthy points along the way.
Sunset at Hopi Point
There are no words to describe seeing the sun go down over the canyon walls. The colors are stunning. Make sure you look back towards the east as the sun sets to catch a totally different perspective of the sunset. It’s pretty crowded at that time so either get there early to claim a good spot or get up early and watch the sunrise at Yaki Point. Which ever you chose, you won’t be disappointed.
It’s only 21 miles on foot from the South to the North Rim but it’s a 220 mile drive. That makes visiting both sides of the Grand Canyon difficult in the two days we had planned. Next time through, we’ll be exploring the North Rim. But for now, it’s time to head to Sedona.
Sedona
Since we’re in the area, we thought we would head to Sedona, the land of red rocks and mystical vortexes. To get there, we drove through the Oak Creek Canyon on AZ Rte 89A. This has to be one of the top scenic roads in the US with canyon walls on either side and switch back roads through the Coconino National Forest. Just a beautiful drive.
Upon arriving in Sedona, our first stop was Red Rock State Park. TripAdvisor has this as the number 1 thing to do in the area. It didn’t disappoint. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out how the park got its name as it’s located amid the famous red rock escarpments. There were plenty of easy hiking options throughout the park offering spectacular views of the surrounding rock formations.
Along our hike, we came across the old Smoke Trail Ranch. Helen and Jack Frye had purchased the Ranch in 1941. Jack Frye was the president of Trans World Airlines. He and his wife used the site as a retreat from the East Coast where they lived. There are a variety of panoramic views of the red rock formations from here. It looks like it was a great place to get away from it all for the Frye’s. It seems like, with a little restoration, it could be a great conference or retreat center. Call your Arizona State Representative.
Afterward, we rested by taking in the short informative movie in the Visitor Center theater that described the history of Sedona and some of the geology of the area (the rocks are red because of the amount of iron oxide in them). We wandered through the downtown area, looking in some of the shops and then decided on a spot for dinner. Our visit to the Grand Canyon and Sedona is over now. We headed back up 89A through Oak Creek Canyon (definitely worth a second look) and back to base to continue our road trip home via Route 66.
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