Trip Report | The Grand Canyon

Thanks for the encouragement on yesterday’s Laundry/Mudroom progress! I’m working on some final details on the Mudroom side now, and should have it for you next week. Constant tripping over backpacks and instruments has helped me speed things up!

Today I’m sharing another park from our Spring Break trip of National Parks (see Zion here and Bryce here), the Grand Canyon itself! Interestingly enough, the trip started with just the Grand Canyon, but the more planning and research we did, it became a smaller and smaller portion of the week as our itinerary grew to include the other parks. It was amazing, awe-inspiring, overwhelming, and well, grand!

There are two main portions of the Canyon that are accessible to travelers…the North and South Rims. The North Rim actually closes for the Winter season due to so much snow and ice, and was still closed when we visited in March. When we were planning this stop, we were a little overwhelmed by the sheer size and number of options, so we booked a guide for one day, to be sure we made the most of our time there.

He was very good, and it was a fabulous day, but it was pricey…and now that we’ve scanned the basics of the park, we realize we could have managed just fine on our own! What was surprising, is the complete accessibility of the South Rim. You could literally see it all from your car. There’s a two-lane road from entrance to exit, with clearly marked lookouts along the way. The Rim Trail itself is 14-miles of paved, flat sidewalk that follows the edge of the canyon (with railings), and a free shuttle bus runs the route continuously throughout the day.

Interestingly enough, of the six million visitors to the park last year, only three-percent actually hiked below this level! Our guide’s initial plans were simply to take us to the more popular lookouts…because that’s what most people want. Um, no. We wanted to hike, and see different angles of the canyon, so he was super helpful in leading us to trails that were manageable for our family.

And yes, I was worried about someone getting too close to the edge, but as long as you’re mindful of where you’re walking, it was mostly safe. The majority of trails were wide enough to pass, and none we took actually went along steep ledges.

Hoodie Sweatshirt | Jogger Pants | Pullover | Leggings

Tunic | Favorite Athletic Leggings | Best Trail Shoes Ever

Fleece Twisted Top (short-sleeved version) | Similar Cap | Sunglasses | Best Trail Shoes Ever

My favorite was seeing all the layers of rock, and trying to comprehend just how many hundreds of thousands of years it took to carve this canyon. Each layer has a distinct color, too, that changes and glows depending on the time of day. It really is almost too much to take in, and we spent a lot of time just sitting and staring. Dumbfounded.

The mule trips to the bottom book a year or more in advance, and everyone we ran into said they were an amazing experience. I’ve always been a little suspicious of them, and worried about the poor animals…but they have been bred for just this type of trek, and are well cared for.

Fun Fact: There has never been a death associated with a mule trip! Most rescues in the park are actually healthy young men who don’t bring enough water, and mis-judge the strenuousness of their hike. #insertsarcastichashtag

The biggest perk of the guided tour was the picnic lunch! He took us to an amazing spot, away from the regular tourist route, and set up a huge lunch and telescope. Obviously my photos don’t do the Grand Canyon justice, and the scale is impossible to gauge, but to give you an idea…the Colorado River was full and raging during our trip, but it was completely invisible to the naked eye. Even viewing it through a high-powered telescope, it looked like a trickling stream. That’s how vast and deep the Grand Canyon is!

Sunglasses | Similar Boots | Backpack

Sunglasses | Windbreaker | Cowlneck Tunic

Backpack

Mr. SP pushed it a little for my comfort zone, going beyond the paths on occasion, but nothing is off-limits here. As accessible as it is for all level of travelers, the park service has done an amazing job of preserving the integrity of the Canyon…you can go pretty much anywhere you’re dumb enough to venture. #moresarcastichashtags

Sugarplum Travel Tip: Athletic sneakers are fine for the majority of paths here. In fact, most people we encountered in the Village were wearing regular street clothes and shoes! But if you plan on venturing below the rim much, I’d recommend a good shoe like these. I realized just days before leaving that I had no suitable shoes, and no surprise that Nordstrom actually has a huge selection! I ordered several pair to try, and these were by-far the winners. Also, they’re significantly less expensive than the hiking shoes sold at specialty stores!

Athletic Pullover | Sunglasses

{Where We Stayed}

Maswik Lodge
Located in the Grand Canyon Village, this quiet motel-style lodging consists of several two-story buildings nestled among pine trees. It’s the most affordable of the Canyon Lodges, and obviously the last to book up (we planned our March trip in January!). But the North buildings are recently renovated, and were full of authentic character, very clean, and quite comfortable. Plus, we had a balcony overlooking the trees.

It’s an easy 3-5 minute walk to the rim of the Canyon, and the Bright Angel Trailhead. So while there’s no actual Canyon view, you’re inside the park, and away from the bulk of the crowds. And not to be overlooked, the free parking that comes with lodge accommodations!

Sugarplum Travel Tip: The Grand Canyon Village is essentially a mini-town (it has a full-time population of 2,000!), with several lodges and hotels, restaurants, and even a mini-mart. Pretty much everything you’d need on your visit, and you can’t beat being mere steps from the rim!

We were really happy at the Maswik Lodge, but my top choice would be a Rim View room at the El Tovar. There’s even a few stand-alone cabin-like rooms overlooking the rim.

{Where We Ate}
We stayed in the Grand Canyon Village for all our meals. Tusayan is the closet town (only 7 miles) with a few restaurant options, but we preferred to just walk everywhere.

Arizona Room
Large menu of Southwest-inspired items, with a view of the Canyon. We always watched the sunset from outside, but this would be a great spot if you prefer to be inside. Like the rest of the Village, this place is busy, pricey, and books up fast. Reservations recommended.

Maswik Food Court
Steps from our lodge, we ended up grabbing virtually every meal here. It’s got a little bit of everything, including made-to-order meals (Mexican, Italian, Pizza, Southern, etc), as well as, prepackaged quick-grab food and snacks. It was perfect for allowing everyone to get what they wanted, and we could eat fast and run, or linger.

{Trails We Hiked}

*You’ll receive a detailed trail and park map at the Entrance Booth ($30 per car for your entire visit). It will mark all the overlooks, each with visible signs and parking. There really is no ‘best view,’ it’s all phenomenal and similar from every spot. We stopped to check out several on our arrival day, then watched the sun set from the Village.

*Kaibab Trail to Ooh Aah Point ~ Located off Yaki Point Road (closed to private vehicles), and accessed via the Rim Trail, or the free shuttle bus. A series of fairly steep switchbacks lead you down about 1 mile, to the Ooh Aah Point (named from the common reaction of hikers). From here, you have a clear view of the eastern Canyon. We turned back, but continuing down this trail to Skeleton Point would give you a 360-degree view of the Canyon.

*Hermit’s Rest ~ Beautiful picnic spot, on the quiet end of Hermit Road

*Hermits Trail ~ A more-strenuous, steep and rocky trail, but with unique views and fewer hikers. We hiked until tired, then headed back up. Slowly. You could follow it all the way to base of the Canyon and the Colorado River.

*Bright Angel Trail ~ This trail starts at the Grand Canyon Village, and descends over 4,000 feet to the Canyon floor. But the average grade is only 10%, so you can really enjoy the hike and views. Like most of the trails, you can go to the bottom, connect with other trails, or simply turn back when you start getting tired. Or run out of trail mix. This was my favorite trail, for both the views and relaxing pace.

Sugarplum Travel Tip: We booked our guide through All Start Grand Canyon Tours, and he picked us up at our hotel at 9:30 for six hours of exploring and lunch. He was extremely knowledgeable about the history and formation of the Canyon, and was able to answer all our questions.

{Packing Tips}

*The temperature can fluctuate by 20-degrees depending on where you are in the canyon, so wear layers! It was incredibly bright too, so be prepared with sunglasses and/or hat. And don’t forget sunscreen!

*The elevation at The South Rim is about 7,000 feet, so you’ll need waaaay more water than you think. Having a small backpack came in handy for holding extra jackets, and plenty of water.

*The kids both wore comfortable athletic wear (ordered last-minute, thanks Nordstrom for that fast, free shipping!), and tennis shoes. They were also manned with caps (these are my son’s favorites), and sunglasses. They’d shed several layers during the day, but bundled up for evenings. Everything in the Park is casual!

*I wore my go-to workout pants, with hoodies, tunics, and light jackets. And I’ve raved about them before, but I couldn’t have made it through the week without these shoes!

*Speaking of shoes, knowing now that these trail shoes literally saved my trip, I wish we’d invested in specific trail shoes for the kids, as well. They did fine in their everyday athletic shoes, but waterproof, hiking shoes would have been best.

We held back from going to the Grand Canyon for years because it overwhelmed us, and we felt like it required a full week to really experience it. Maybe because it came on the heels of Zion and Bryce, both of which we hope to return soon, but two or three days was more than enough time in the Canyon. Our trip was far more enjoyable by combining it with the other parks.

I’ve got one more stop to share, then I’ll compile the entire itinerary for those of you making your own plans! Have you been to the Grand Canyon? What tips can you share for others planning a trip?

{Kids Spring Break Essentials}

{Mom & Dad Essentials}

{Hiking Essentials}

It wouldn’t be #SugarplumTravel without a little video from Mr. SP! Enjoy!!

[More National Parks Posts]

*This post was created in collaboration with Nordstrom, but all ideas, opinions, and feelings of smallness are my own. Thank you for supporting Hi Sugarplum sponsors!*