Grand Canyon News

When folks ask what I do for a living, my answer can vary.  To some, I’m a “travel counselor.”  To others, I’m a “reservationist.”   Depending on when you catch me, I’m also a part time journalist, part time concert promoter and a part time bass player in a classic rock band (story for another time).  Some of you have called me an “educator,” others have called me a “lifesaver.”  This time of year, though, is when a lot of you call me something else: a “professional party pooper.”  

What’s up with that?  Well… ‘round springtime, I get a lot of calls from folks who’ve got it into their heads to just up and go to the Grand Canyon.  Great idea, right?  The days are getting longer, the weather’s getting nicer, we’ve been cooped up inside all winter… What’s not to like about a spontaneous jaunt to a beautiful place?   That’s something that’s about as American as apple pie.

Well, picture this: you’ve been driving through the desert for what seems like an eternity.  Up ahead, the lights of a town glisten.  Finally, you’ll be able to get a room and some much needed sleep!  Imagine your disappointment when the front desk clerk tells you that there’s “no room at the inn.”  So you go to the next motel – and the desk clerk says the same thing.  And so on, and so on… In fact, there are no rooms anywhere to be found because they’ve all been booked up for weeks.  Your best hope, says the desk clerk, is the next town up the road – 3 hours away. 

I know, because that desk clerk was me.  I’ve born that bad news to many people over the years, and I’ve been bearing that bad news to a lot of you lately.  So to all of you, let me say – I’M SORRY!  But Spring Break marks the beginning of peak travel season for the Grand Canyon and nearby attractions, and Grand Canyon hotels typically get booked up anywhere from 6 months to a year in advance.  If you want to come here next week, with all due respect, folks, don’t bother to ask which hotel is best or which one we recommend.  At this point, that doesn’t matter one bit.  Because it’s not a question of what’s best; it’s a question of what’s left.   

Just for giggles, I did a random query of Grand Canyon hotels for March 16th for a 3 night stay (though 2 nights is typical for most Grand Canyon family vacations).  I found that, miraculously, there are some rooms available at Yavapai Lodge, which is in-park at Grand Canyon South Rim, 1 mile from the Rim.  Outside the park in Tusayan (10 minutes from the canyon rim), I found some rooms left at the Canyon Plaza Quality Inn.  Other than that, it’s gonna be Williams, which is 1 hour South of the park, Flagstaff, which is 90 minutes away, or Page-Lake Powell, which is 2.5 hours away. 

So while that spur-of-the-moment road trip may sound great in theory, in reality, well… sometimes reality bites.  I say this to you from experience, having gone on a spontaneous spring break trip to the Grand Canyon in college, where me and 3 other girls barely lucked out on a campsite, froze our tookuses off ‘cause we didn’t know the Grand Canyon was at 7,000’ (which means nights get cold even in springtime), nearly killed ourselves hiking in the canyon because we didn’t realize we had to pace ourselves (it’s MUCH easier going downhill)… let’s say I’ve made a career of helping folks like you avoid the same pitfalls ever since. 

Speaking of things like dreams, reality, the two melding into one, etc., we here in Northern Arizona are anxiously awaiting what promises to be the event of the year, if not the century: the opening of the new Grand Canyon Skywalk over at Grand Canyon West.  Once considered an “urban legend” (I received many e-mails over the last two years asking about the “Grand Canyon Skywalk Hoax”), it finally looks like the Grand Canyon Glass Skywalk is poised to become a reality.  Today, construction workers at Grand Canyon West begun the “jack and roll” process, lifting the massive steel and glass structure off the ground and slowly inching it out over the canyon rim.  It will eventually be attached to footings anchored deep into the canyon wall at Eagle Point.  

For those unfamililar, the Grand Canyon Skywalk (pictured above right) is a cantilevered steel and glass walkway that will jut 70 feet past the lip of the canyon… those bearing the price of admission (and lacking the fear of heights) will be treated to the surreal sensation of floating high in the air, hundreds of feet above the Colorado River – TRIP-PYYYYYYY!  How this attraction will fare remains to be seen (understandably, it has not been without controversy).  Admission prices ranging from $25 to $75 a head have been bandied about all over the media, but still, I certainly intend to try and walk on it as soon as I possibly can!  I’ll let ya know if I chicken out. 

‘til next time, Happy Travels – Alley Kaye

P.S.  Hey!  Have you seen our brand new Grand Canyon Travel Planning Video?  Did I mention it’s got 80 minutes of GREAT information and it’s ABSOLUTELY FREE?  Hmm…. I just did.  Get yours now by going to Google Video and type in “get the most out of your Grand Canyon vacation,” or sign up on the homepage for your free e-mail link.  I promise you’ll get answers to all your Grand Canyon questions and then some! 

Good morning to all ~ it’s 23 degrees and kinda gray outside as the Grand Canyon makes ready for President’s Day Weekend.  Typically a busy time, we’ll be greeting a lot of folks from Phoenix, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and other Western cities taking advantage of the opportunity to enjoy a long weekend away from the hustle and bustle of urban life.  For those of us who live here, this weekend usually serves as a “dress rehearsal” for what’s ahead: the spring break rush.  

As that sage philosopher Bob Dylan once said, “the times they are a-changin’” and that’s definitely been the case over the years with the Spring Break Holiday.  With Easter occuring on April 8th, and with many schools switching to year-round schedules, spring break rush at the Grand Canyon has been starting earlier and ending later than in years past.  We’ve helped many spring break travelers with their Grand Canyon hotel and tour reservations over the last few weeks, and the dates of their holidays are varying from early March to late April.  More alarmingly, though, we’ve also spoken to a lot of people who were surprised by this. 

So, at the risk of sounding redundant (I think this is the 3rd time we’ve discussed this subject), if you’re planning on visiting the Grand Canyon anytime soon, GET YOUR RESERVATIONS IN NOW!  Many a Grand Canyon vacation has been ruined by people who make the assumption that they don’t need reservations for a hotel room or for seats on a popular Grand Canyon tour. Trust me, I’ve seen it happen, and I don’t want it to happen to you, especially if you’ll be coming over from abroad.  I remember distinctly dealing with a very irate lady back in the late ‘80’s who was flabbergasted that she couldn’t get a room at the El Tovar when she showed up without reservations on a day in early March – her rationale for not booking ahead of time?  “It’s supposed to be the off-season!” 

Truth is, Grand Canyon National Park doesn’t really have much of an off-season any longer.  Gone are the days when the park would only be busy from Memorial Day through Labor Day and eerily quiet in fall and winter.  Nowadays, the park gets busy in March and stays busy until Thanksgiving.  We get a bit of a reprieve during the “dead of winter” months like December, January and February, but then again, holidays like Christmas, Martin Luther King day, and President’s Day are busy.  Once the spring break rush begins, we’re “off to the races” until November. 

A quick note about a popular travel route from Sedona, Arizona: a section of Highway 89A just South of Flagstaff was recently rendered unstable after a winter storm, so one lane of the highway is closed at the moment.  Traffic is “stop and go,” which can be a drag if  you’re in a  hurry to get to the canyon.  There is an alternate route you can take that will save you a bit of hassle and won’t add much to your drive time, and that is to take AZ-179 to Interstate 17, which you’d take to Flagstaff.  From there, you can choose to go up Highway 180 through the San Francisco Peaks, which joins with AZ-64 in Valle, or you can get on Interstate 40 to Williams and catch AZ-64 North from there.  For road conditions all over the state, visit www.az511.com

…Boy, that’d take an awfully big pool cover!  Just playin.’  

Sorry, guys, but when folks ask “do you close up the Canyon at night?” one’s mind just tends to form these funny little pictures of two guys in gray overalls turning this huge crank….“OK, Bernie, let’s cover it up!”  Or…maybe it’s just MY mind that forms the funny pictures. 

Anyway, today’s question – which, by the way, is a perfectly legitimate question – is about the hours of operation of Grand Canyon National Park.  Grand Canyon South Rim is open year-round.  The entrance gates are staffed during the day by the rangers of the National Park Service, who collect your entrance fees, distribute park maps and guides, and answer your questions about the park.  They’re there during the daylight hours, which of course, vary with the season.  The actual park gates, though, are open 24/7, which means you can enter and exit the park any time of day or night.  Grand Canyon North Rim is only open for about 5–6 months a year (mid-May through mid-October, weather permitting), but during its season, same rules apply (rangers at the gate during daytime, gates open 24/7). 

So, for those of you not expecting to arrive at the park until late at night, you won’t be shut out… but you might get shot down IF you don’t have reservations for those Grand Canyon hotels.  Have you made yours yet? 

Wow.  2007 is barely 3 weeks old and already it promises to be a year full of change!  It truly is the only constant in this world, and it’s certainly a constant here at GrandCanyon.com.  We’ve been busy helping lots of you get your Grand Canyon hotels and tours reserved – clearly, you’ve taken our advice to heart about getting your ducks in a row ASAP for your Grand Canyon vacation and you’ll definitely be glad you did.  We’ve also been posting a lot of new Grand Canyon tour videos.  We’re particularly proud of our Grand Canyon Railway video – take a gander if you get a minute!

Getting back on the subject at hand … well, I have a few subjects on the agenda…  One thing I wanted to discuss today was Grand Canyon camping.  You may think that if you’re camping, you don’t need to plan ahead like you would if you were staying at hotels.  Let me tell you – from 20 years’ experience – that that assumption is just flat out W-R-O-N-G!  During the summer months, campgrounds can be every bit as busy as hotels, and reservations are every bit as necessary (with a few exceptions – keep reading), and next month, the place to go to make those reservations will change. 

Effective February 7th, the National Recreation Reservations Service will take care of National Park camping reservations: online, visit www.Recreation.gov  If you prefer to make reservations by phone, call toll free 877–444–6777.  Apparently this service will take care of all the National Park campgrounds in the country, which is good – one stop shopping!  So if you’ll be visiting our campgrounds, make your reservations soon, but don’t try to make ‘em today – the systems are in transition mode until the 7th and will not “go live” until then.  RV spaces are still managed by Xanterra South Rim LLC, who can be reached at 888–297–2757, 303–297–2757 or www.grandcanyonlodges.com  To every rule, there is of course an exception, sometimes a few.  In this case, there are a few car campgrounds that operate on a first-come first-served basis.  To learn more about these campgrounds, take a look at my post-script to this entry.  

This change WILL NOT apply to camping in the inner canyon, such as Cottonwood, Indian Gardens or the Bright Angel Campground near Phantom Ranch.  These reservations are still taken care of by the Backcountry Office of the National Park Service.  Backcountry permits for Bright Angel Campground and elsewhere open four months ahead of time for the proposed month of your trip (i.e., if you want to camp in September, you can make reservations as of May 1), and they typically get booked up as soon as they become available.  For more information on how to obtain a backcountry camping permit at the Canyon, click here.  Dorms, cabins and meals at Phantom Ranch are still manged by Xanterra (see contact info above). 

Speaking of Bright Angel – the Lodge this time – renovations are underway at this historic property designed by famed female architect Mary Jane Colter.  Dating back to 1935, Bright Angel Lodge  (a Xanterra property as well) consists of European-style rooms with shared baths and others with private bath.  My favorites are the charming cabins, some of which are located right on the canyon rim!  From now through April 30th, the lodge rooms will be closed as furniture is  refinished, fixtures are replaced, and walls and ceilings are repainted.  The boardwalk that connects some of the rooms to the main lobby is also scheduled for replacement.  The main lobby of the lodge, including the Transportation Desk, Coffee Shop, Lounge and Gift Shop will remain open.  The Arizona Room is closed through February (which is their usual seasonal closure). 

What does this mean to you?  Well…. it means that 80 or so of the area’s most economically priced rooms will be out of commission over Spring Break, making it even more important that you get hotel reservations made if you’re visiting us then.  In March, you can still take advantage of off-season rates at several Grand Canyon hotels, including our preferred hotel, the Best Western Grand Canyon Squire Inn.  Standard rooms, for example, are $89/night, deluxe rooms are $109/night through March 31st, which is a $50 per night savings over peak season.  The Squire is actually a really nice hotel (I’ve stayed there myself several times) and an excellent choice for families with young children since it has an on-site play center with a bowling alley, video games and pool tables.  They even have spa-type services by prior arrangement (can we say massage after a mule ride?  Yeeeeeeeeah BOY!).  Sound good?  Book a room right now! 

Up the road a ways in beautiful Lake Powell, we’re making ready to bid “adieu” to a local institution: the Canyon King.  A genuine paddle-wheel boat that made its first splash in 1979, the Canyon King ferried thousands of people around the lake as they savored juicy prime rib or munched on bacon and eggs.  I’ve been on this boat several times myself (my first rock band played its first gig on this boat) and have made many a cherished memory with friends and family as we glided past Lake Powell’s trademark towering rock formations (that tower even higher now with water levels lower than in years past).  Now, the old vessel simply can’t be brought up to modern safety codes without it costing an arm and a leg, so Lake Powell Resorts decided it was time to retire her (or is it a him since it’s a “king”?).  According to the Lake Powell Chronicle, speculation has already been made about turning the Canyon King into a roadside attraction at the new visitor center scheduled to go in on US 89 near Page, Arizona.  If our friends in the UK will pardon us just this once for stealing one of their phrases: “Long Live the King.”

As we say “good-bye” to a King, we’ll say “hello” to a Princess: the Canyon Princess, a modern luxury yacht-style vessel featuring richly appointed cherry wood salons, a curved grand staircase and an open air deck.  She’s gorgeous and due to arrive here in a few weeks.  She’ll be available for breakfast cruises, sunset dinner cruises, and maybe even nighttime star gazing parties, not to mention private events like weddings and such.  I can’t wait to meet her. 

Lake Powell is just 2.5 hours away from Grand Canyon South or North Rim.  In addition to our line of Grand Canyon tours, we can also book you on a Lake Powell Scenic Cruise Adventure.  Just give us a call or drop us a line at info@grandcanyon.com 

Til next time, Happy Travels! 

Alley Kaye

P.S.  Oh hey!  We just posted our seasonal Grand Canyon Travel Guides for 2007 – yaaaay!  We decided to put ‘em all up at once because so many of you have already decided when you’re going (good call).  For those of you who have yet to decide when/where to go, we’ve put up our very first Grand Canyon Annual Travel Guide.  All are available as Adobe pdf downloads (about 2 mgs) and they’re even better than last year’s.  They feature an extended camping section (which discusses first come-first serve campgrounds), more information about Grand Canyon West, and our Annual Guide has a special “You Asked We Answered” section that discusses things like fireworks (forget it), weddings (possible with a permit), ski areas (don’t laugh), even where to watch “March Madness.”  You’ll find the links underneath the videos section just “under the fold” on the homepage, GrandCanyon.com.  Thanks in advance for reading! 

Hey, everybody, Happy New Year! 

So what are YOU resolving to accomplish in the New Year?  Get organized?  Get thinner?  Get richer?  Whatever it is, I wish you the best, BUT, if your family is visiting Grand Canyon National Park in 2007, let me strongly suggest this: resolve to get on the stick with your Grand Canyon lodging reservations, like, NOW.  From what people are saying on travel forum sites like TripAdvisor, Fodor’s, etc., many Grand Canyon hotels are already getting full, and not just for upcoming holidays like spring break.  Summer’s shaping up to be busy, too.  All perfectly normal – getting your Grand Canyon hotel lined up is probably the most important element of your vacation.  It’s pretty much the “linchpin” around which the rest of your plans will revolve. 

So – get on it, pronto!  Trust me on this.  Like they say on “Monk” (USA’s having a marathon), “you’ll thank me later.”

For in-park hotels, you want to check Xanterra South Rim LLC, www.grandcayonlodges.com 888-297-2757 (toll free in US) or 303-297-2757 (outside US).  If you can’t find lodging in-park, check Tusayan (7 miles away), Williams (60 miles away) or Flagstaff (85 miles away).  For availability and pricing of hotels in those areas click here or call 800-916-8530. 

If you’re saying “hooooooooold on, I haven’t gotten that far and I don’t know where to begin!” take a look at our newest contribution to the world’s largest, most useful ‘How To’ Manual, wikiHow.com: “How to Plan a Grand Canyon Vacation.”   It’ll break down the process of planning your Grand Canyon trip in 10 steps! 

Oh, yes, we are technically closed today.  But this information was too important not to pass on via the miracle of modern technology.  :) 

Talk to ya tomorrow, folks!