Well, I messed up. I’m not talking about visiting the Grand Canyon in January, this national park is not only a pride of the United States but within the seven natural wonders of the world. It is magnificent at all times of the year. It was stunning around each rim and I feel lucky to have had a full week here; according to a chatty park ranger I met, most tourists only stay for a few hours.
I messed up for 2 reasons.
- I did not go stargazing on one of the clearest, darkest nights of the month.
- I somehow found myself on a mule trail as my final hike while trying to finish the west rim and then some. I won’t do you the disservice of including it in my recommendations. Womp womp.
Misadventures aside, we still had a fantastic week in the canyon. I feel very fortunate to be on this year-long road trip, but there was something about seeing the Grand Canyon during its least visited month that instilled this feeling in me even more. Most people’s biggest concern here was heat, ours was snow.
Where We Stayed
My fiancé and I opted to stay right outside the Grand Canyon Village, only a 5 minute drive into the park. As expected after Bryce Canyon, there wasn’t all too much to do in town, but we’re not here for the excursions.
Some of the things you can do in town on a rainy day include an IMAX theater (to see the park in IMAX if hiking just isn’t enough). They also launch helicopter and Pink Jeep tours from town. A helicopter tour over the Grand Canyon would be incredible if I had a disposable couple grand, but until then I’ll see it from land.
We opted to stay at the Holiday Inn in town. My rewards card once again came in handy and we were upgraded to a suite for the week at no extra charge. Hooray! My best travel recommendation for you all is to take out a hotel credit card, free nights and upgrades make the $95 annual fee more than worth it. I currently use IHG but have also been a Marriott girl in the past, both are fantastic options. The hotel we were in also had free breakfast, parking, and a pool.
What We Ate
At some point in everyone’s life, they will be faced with the uncomfortable scenario of making small talk in the dimly lit jacuzzi of a Holiday Inn. It may be in some roadside accommodation while a construction team stains your floorboards, or on a ski trip in the Poconos, or in our case, in a small town called Grand Canyon Village.
“So, what is there to eat around here?” Asked our new friend Tom, a 72 year old Korea vet drinking a nonalcoholic Busch Lite in said hot tub. After another week of Lean Cuisines, our options were rather slim.
We Cook Pizza and Pasta
It was our first full day in the park. The Commanders versus Eagles were in the NFC championship (Joe and I were rooting for rival teams, I grew up outside Philly and he is a born and raised Skins fan). We had just finished a 6 mile morning hike and were headed back to the hotel room to watch the game.
Anyways, all that said we wanted Buffalo chicken wings, and the next best thing we could find was the hot wing pizza from We Cook Pizza and Pasta. It looked good, but was essentially a sweet, somewhat chicken-y concoction that left us both nauseous. Maybe other things they cook are fine, but don’t get the hot wing pizza.
Rating: 2/10
The Yavapai Lodge Tavern
It was our final night in the park and we were out of food in the mini fridge. While we left the park we decided to stop in for a bite to eat. The tavern is fully counter service and was reminiscent of the high school cafeteria on the wealthy side of town.
Ambiance aside, everything we ate and drank was quite good. We each got a seasonal IPA and the elk melt. The burger was served on sourdough with spicy bacon jam, 2 cheeses, and roasted red peppers. It was accompanied by potato salad and a crisp pickle. We were both shocked by how palatable everything was, it was great!
Rating: 8/10
Our Hikes
Grand Canyon Rim Trail
Length: 26 miles (out and back)
Elevation gain: 700 feet
Rating: 10/10
after my dismay toward canyon hikes in Bryce Canyon I decided to set a new goal for myself this week: walk the entire West Rim of the Grand Canyon. I didn’t hike the entire thing in one go, I usually walked 6 miles each day. Each was a relatively easy walk with incredible views. I split it up as such:
Day 1: Bright Angel Trailhead to Mather Point
Day 2: Bright Angel Trailhead to Hopi Point
Day 3: Mather Point to the South Kaibab Trailhead
Day 4: Hopi Point to Hermit’s Rest
In the off season there is no bus between Bright Angel and Hermit’s rest, but I tackled Hopi Point to Hermit’s rest as a point to point trail and my fiancé picked me up at the end. The Orange Line runs year round though, so hypothetically you could walk point to point on the other trails and catch the bus back to your car.
Bright Angel to 1.5 mile Rest House
Length: 3.5 miles
Elevation gain: 1,300 feet
Rating: 7/10
This was Joe’s first canyon hike. He reported back that it was worth it, although it was all switch backs, had a difficult climb back up, and pretty much had the same view for the entire walk.
The South Kaibab Trailhead to Cedar Ridge
Length: 4 miles
Elevation gain: 1,500 feet
Rating: 10/10
This was Joe’s favorite hike of the week, I almost wish I joined him! He told me that it had beautiful, varied views all the way down and the lookout point at Cedar Ridge was absolutely serene.
