A Day trip to the Grand Canyon

While visiting Sedona and staying at the Hilton Sedona at Bell Rock on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 23, 2023, we decided to visit the famous Grand Canyon.

Though we have stayed in Sedona twice before, we never found time to visit the Grand Canyon, a mere 2.5 hours away by car. On one occasion, it snowed during Thanksgiving, and the roads to the Grand Canyon were closed.

Thursday, November 23, 2023

Today, after waking up, we initially intended to do the West Fork hike in Sedona. Still, the outdoor weather was freezing (40 Fahrenheit), and Inna did not sleep well. She still suffered from some remnants of dizziness, and we decided to postpone the West Fork hike for another day.

 

Instead, after eating a late breakfast at the Shadowbrook Tap + Table Restaurant at Hilton Sedona (where we ordered Avocado Toast and coffee), we decided to see the Grand Canyon. Alex was still unwell and chose not to join us.

We drove to the Grand Canyon's South Entrance Visitor Center around 11:00, making rapid progress, as the road was mostly empty on the way there. Arriving around 13:15, we parked our Toyota RAV4 at the South Entrance Visitor Center near Mather Point.

 

It was cold outside, and we had not expected the weather to be so frigid. I reviewed the weather forecast before planning the Las Vegas and Sedona trip. The actual temperatures were much lower than the ones predicted. 

I put on an extra fleece and jacket, and we started hiking on the Rim Trail. We immediately noticed the beautiful scenery and began to take lots of photos. Our walk started from Mather Point and continued eastward toward Pipe Creek Vista (which took an additional 25 minutes).

At Pipe Creek Vista Overlook, we took many photos and caught the park shuttle back to the Visitor Center, saving us valuable walking time. At the South Entrance Visitor Center, we found an eatery renting bikes - Bright Angels Bike & Cafe. We waited in a long line to purchase snacks, including the following items:

• Inna: "Everything" Bagel with Cream Cheese, granola bars, hot tea, potato chips (salt & vinegar)
• Boris: Blueberry Muffin, Mocha, potato chips (salt & vinegar)

Since Inna purchased a bagel, it came unsliced and untoasted. We had to slice and toast the bagel ourselves. I was surprised that the cafe did nothing before serving it. The blueberry muffin was tolerable. 

 

 

Inna found a table outside where we ate our food. The warm mocha helped prepare me for the next part of the hike. During one moment, a giant squirrel jumped on our table and refused to leave. I had to frighten it away with the bag of potato chips. It had no fear of people. 

 

We resumed our hike, walking eastwards this time. We continued taking lots of photos while walking toward the Yavapai Geology Museum. As it was already getting late, we had yet to reach it and turned back at 15:55. After stopping at the restroom, we started our long drive back to the Hilton Sedona.

There was much heavier car traffic on the way back, and I started getting tired. I pulled over, and Inna drove the Toyota RAV4 for the trip. It began to get really dark at 18:00, and it was hard to go in total darkness as the roads were not well-illuminated.

 

We reached our Hilton Sedona at 18:30. Alex was still unwell but improving. Inna was feeling much better, and her dizziness had subsided.

Grand Canyon Trip Report

Highlights

• Seeing all the gorgeous Rocky Hills of the Grand Canyon from multiple viewing locations
• Shuttles run every 15 minutes, making it convenient to quickly get around the park (even without a bicycle)
• Bike rentals are available, and the Rim trail is nicely paved for bike riding.

Lowlights

• Mediocre food at Bright Angels Bike & Cafe (next time, we may pack our own lunch)
• Freezing weather in late November. Next time, ignore the weather forecast and bring warm jackets, hats, and gloves.