IGX

Have an opportunity to take a 1-1/2 to 2 day trip driving up from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon in July.

Besides dying like a bloated orca on the banks of the Colorado, I need advice on what to do and where to stay.

It's just me and my 16 yr old son, so the more minimalistic/rustic, the better.

Hikes, yurts, out of the way sights, etc... are on my mind. Obvious, packed, touristy crap is best avoided unless really worth it.

Any knowledges out there?

Helicopter tour was pretty sweet

I would suggest a hike down on the Bright Angel trail, but might be too hot in July.

Agree with Alfred. Bright Angel.

That is a quick trip to catch sights, try to hike and to do the driving. The drive plus a decent hike is going to take most of one day. With that in mind here are some suggestions:
Veer off I17 up to Jerome and visit http://www.goldkingmineghosttown.com/ It is a ghost town that a crazy, master mechanic, donkey lover, Obama hater, race car building, steam powered saw mill havin' sumabitch runs. More than likely he is an IGXer. There are hundreds of old classic vehicles turning to rust there, old buildings, the old power station (that Don will start up, it is very loud, for 10 or 20 shekels). I find it really fun and weird. You can walk through everything in an hour or so maybe more if you get in a conversation with Don.

Arcosanti was designed by some hotshot named Paulo Soleri (architect, designer, artist blah blah). It is a beautiful design and you can stay there for 30 dollars a night or so. You can read more about it here: https://arcosanti.org/

Devil's Bridge is a decent hike near Sedona. It is picturesque and you can walk over the natural bridge for a good photo op (there are usually some people around that will take the pic for you if you and your son want one together. Oak Creek is the most popular trail but you have to pay 10 dollars or so to walk it and deal with idiots so probably best to avoid. If you want to see some petroglyphs check out Palatki http://www.arizona-leisure.com/palatki- ... ruins.html When I have gone there aren't too many people there but you have to go on a tour to see them. The tour lasts 45 min or so. Montezuma's Castle is a quick stop that is pretty neat to see near Sedona http://www.sedona.net/cliff-dwellings. It might take an hour or so to walk through it all but there will be more people here.

Walnut Canyon just outside of Flagstaff is a quick and really interesting place to see some cave dwellings. https://www.nps.gov/waca/index.htm

Lava River Cave might be neat to see. It is near Flagstaff. I have not been there so I can't say if it is worth it.

There are a lot of bars, breweries and restaurants in Flag. I can't remember the name of the place I enjoyed going. Just head near Humprey street in the center of town. You will find something.

Also, as I mentioned in another thread, there is Bedrock City on your way up to the Grand Canyon. It is dilapidated and weird, just the way I like things. More than likely it probably isn't something you would like but maybe?

No Grand Canyon advice but Sedona is not far off track on Interstate 17. Downtown tourist area is less than meh but hiking is plentiful & quite beautiful & accessible. Don't know about remote stuff. Pink Jeep tour was a lot of fun and a kid would like it. Consider it a side trip or a Plan B if there is some problem w/GC.

Hwy 89A from Sedona to Flagstaff is some winding curvy beauty. You won't see it because you won't be able to take your eyes off the road but your son may enjoy it.

Give him a budget and let your son plan everything. You just show up with the credit card and your camera to document it all.

Good stuff everyone. Thanks

South rim Angel(?) trail. From memory I did jog down to river and back in about 6.5 hours but that was in November. You can just head down about a third of the way to a lookout and turn back. This turnaround can be seen from up on the south rim.

Stay at the (Angel?) cabins right on the south rim. They are basic but clean and son may enjoy the barrack like feel of the place. Good food at the cabins restaurant too.

Also can drive east from the south rim tourist area to an awesome lookout for sunset (very memorable sunset). I think it was called grand view or grande point lookout? From memory you can also keep hearing east from this lookout then turn south if heading home down through flagstaff.

If you need to stop on the way to or from canyon. There is a little town called Williams that has a 'Happy Days' type of route66 Rock and roll cafe, they have some cool home brew beer and big meals. Also the American Flyer Cafe had the ONLY good coffee in America.

Flagstaffs monte vista hotel at the old city centre is good for (off the dial) ghostly creepiness if you need to spend a night there. Also decent food and cafes in vicinity of hotel (seemed to be the cool student area?).

Sedona Is worth it, even if you only have time to drive through that way. Great roads and scenery. There is a short walk up to the airport 'vortex'. With a good outlook over the area.

I'm not from US and the info is all 5 years old but they were the standouts for me.

terra wrote:Sedona Is worth it, even if you only have time to drive through that way. Great roads and scenery. There is a short walk up to the airport 'vortex'. With a good outlook over the area.

I did this last summer. Very easy access and the scenery was as you said. Were quite a few people there. There was an additional trail along a ledge but party pooper wife's constant yelling not to go took away the fun.

If you want to be a gentleman camper/trail walker, Sedona is really good. I hope to go again.

Don't go there. You might hurt yourself.

I went to the GC last May 2015 (pretty sure I have a thread on here somewhere). Wife and I got scared by all the warnings, both posted and verbal from rangers, telling us not to try to hike to the river and back in one day. We opted to hike the Bright Angel trail down to the plateau tip, basically the tip of the trail in the photo below. It took us about 6 or 7 hours I think, that's with a pretty decent stop in the camp near the plateau and on the rocks overlooking the inner gorge. This was not an exceptionally challenging hike, especially with trekking poles which you can rent at the general store for two bucks. I was/am very pissed about the warnings. I should have known they were playing to the diet coke swilling flipflop clad fatties from flyover land with all that shit. (Note, I saw several out of country tourists w/ fuckin hockey helmets on like there were gonna fall down the canyon, shit you not). Also, less Asians than Yosemite.

If it's not going to be hot and you're in decent shape, you should be able to easily get down and back in a single day. I was so un-tired from that hike I conceived a child afterwards.

We stayed at the only non-Xanterra lodge in the park (can't remember the name), but it was booked at least 6 mos out and was the only place with rooms still open. There is a little town close by with several hotels though. Gonna be tough to hike if you need to drive, catch a bus to the trailhead, etc. by 4 or 5 am start time.

We also rode one of the bus lines, I think the red one, which went west one afternoon. It's hiking and sightseeing for chicks and old people. Basically, you hop off at each of 10 or 12 different points along the s rim and can walk out to different lookouts, etc. couple hundred yards max at each stop. I think there is also a walking path if you don't want to use the bus.

My parents loved the helicopter tour, they are old and cannot hike.

We also went to Sedona for a few days... Pink Jeep tour was cool. Stopped by the HikeHouse (possibly on someone's rec here?) and they gave a several quick red rock tour trails to hike, talking 2-4 hour loops. There was a really good Mexican place, Elote Cafe, as well, little touristy but I think it's just a great restaurant that is no longer flying under the radar.

Here was the original hiking thread, not much there. I will say that the experience is much more positive with a bit longer termed hindsight. http://irongarmx.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.p ... and+Canyon

Had a great time. Entered from the east rim to avoid crowds. 3 hikes (6 hrs). Sunset at Shoshone point. Sedona the next day. Cool drone footage