In a couple of weekends I will be visiting the Grand Canyon with my wife and two sons. We are driving down from Park City, UT which take roughly 10 hours.

Current thoughts are to either...

1. Stay in the park at a lodge (Maswik Lodge) 1/4 mile from the rim, 1/4 mile from the GC Village. Spend Saturday hiking and exploring. Check out Sedona (about an hour away) before leaving returning to Park City on Sunday.

2. Stay at a nicer hotel in GC Village (Best Western, upscale version) with the same itinerary.

3. Stay in Sedona at an even nicer hotel (Hilton Resort/Spa) with roughly the same itinerary but a longer drive to get there and some extra driving getting to and from the Canyon.

Just wanted to get any experienced Grand Canyon visitors opinions on things to see, things not to bother seeing etc. Is there any biking within the GC park near the village or is that more likely to be an option from Sedona?

Had you asked a lot sooner, I would have suggested a raft trip. However you would need several extra days (or weeks) and it is expensive. Still a great trip.

I've always camped so sorry I cannot make any suggestions as to accommodation.

Had you asked a lot sooner, I would have suggested a raft trip. However you would need several extra days (or weeks) and it is expensive. Still a great trip.

I've always camped so sorry I cannot make any suggestions as to accommodation.

Could have been an interesting idea. Surprised me that almost everything surrounding the canyon is already sold out for months and that many places are taking reservations for next May already. I know it's popular but, wow. I hope it's not too over-run and I'd really like to avoid as "touristy" as possible.

Could have been an interesting idea. Surprised me that almost everything surrounding the canyon is already sold out for months and that many places are taking reservations for next May already. I know it's popular but, wow. I hope it's not too over-run and I'd really like to avoid as "touristy" as possible.

Good on luck on that. You are going to the grand canyon.

We were there in mid May of 2009, (sorry, also camping so no help on accommodation). The north rim, our intended location, was not even open due to too much snow that year so we had to detour around to the south rim to see it and it was very busy. At that time the sky walk cost a whopping $75 per person to walk around the glass floor. Waaay expensive.

We were there in mid May of 2009, (sorry, also camping so no help on accommodation). The north rim, our intended location, was not even open due to too much snow that year so we had to detour around to the south rim to see it and it was very busy. At that time the sky walk cost a whopping $75 per person to walk around the glass floor. Waaay expensive.
And you can't take your camera with you also.

And you can't take your camera with you also.

Really? We never got that far when we discovered it was $300 for two couples to walk a few hundred feet it was scratched from our list of to-dos that day. :rolleyes:

And you can't take your camera with you also.

Found that out on my trip to Vegas.

Found that out on my trip to Vegas.

I took hundreds of pics in Vegas, just not inside any casinos is the only rule I recall. I shot pics in the lobbies of hotels with slots clearly shown in the background, streets, signs, outdoor shows etc. Never was an issue although that was a dozen years back. Is it different now somehow? I can't imagine them preventing people taking pics in a tourist trap like Vegas.

I took hundreds of pics in Vegas, just not inside any casinos is the only rule I recall. I shot pics in the lobbies of hotels with slots clearly shown in the background, streets, signs, outdoor shows etc. Never was an issue although that was a dozen years back. Is it different now somehow? I can't imagine them preventing people taking pics in a tourist trap like Vegas.

Sorry I meant when I went to Vegas I was going to go for a day trip to the Canyon, but decided against it. Thought would make a trip out to Sedona for a week and go from there.

I was able to take pictures while inside the casino on the floor. Now I don't know if I wasn't allow to or not but I didn't see any signs and no one stopped me. The lobbies are awesome.

Sorry I meant when I went to Vegas I was going to go for a day trip to the Canyon, but decided against it. Thought would make a trip out to Sedona for a week and go from there.

I was able to take pictures while inside the casino on the floor. Now I don't know if I wasn't allow to or not but I didn't see any signs and no one stopped me. The lobbies are awesome.

Ah, I see, now I get it and yes, those lobbies were and still are awesome I bet. I recall walking into the Mirage the week it opened and seeing an aquarium that occupied the entire wall behind the check-in desk. It was massive and contained thousands of sea life specimens.

Sorry I meant when I went to Vegas I was going to go for a day trip to the Canyon, but decided against it. Thought would make a trip out to Sedona for a week and go from there.

I was able to take pictures while inside the casino on the floor. Now I don't know if I wasn't allow to or not but I didn't see any signs and no one stopped me. The lobbies are awesome.

There's enough Cameras already in a Casino, I can't see how another one can hurt. But maybe they think you're going to use them to cheat.

Decided to hold off on the Canyon trip until next year. We can figure out what we want to do and see and book it well enough ahead to get what we want.