It’s been about a week since we got back from 5 wonderful days in the Grand Canyon South Rim Village! This was my first time seeing the Grand Canyon in person, and you guys, it took my breath away… literally! It was incredibly immense, colorful, deep, and soooo worth seeing (and checking off my bucket list!). E had seen the Canyon in his twenties, and was able to experience the views with snow. I must admit I would love to see it in the winter also.

While I share our travel with you, I thought I would also give some recommendations in case you also have this vast “hole” on your bucket list, too! The first evening we were in the Park, we met an awesome travel expert Ted through Pink Jeep Tours. He gave us advice on best dining, trails, and look-outs! This post is meant to share what we experienced and loved first-hand, not an all-encompassing guide. However, if you have any questions at all, definitely ask, and I’ll do my best to answer. 🙂

Our Lodging

I am off work for the summer, but E has a full schedule with his various clients which makes it hard for him to get away. So, I scrounged around in last minute planning mode once he secured some time off, and we lucked out with a room inside the Grand Canyon National Park. I definitely wanted to stay in the park at the South Rim Village to be walking distance from all of the historic sites, but unfortunately, the oldest rooms at the Maswik Lodge were the only thing available. We definitely don’t need 4-5 star hotel rooms, or even 3 star, and even though this was a nice, large lodge, building 6 is the oldest and doesn’t have air conditioned rooms! The first night we slept okay, with the overnight lows in the mid 50’s. But the second night we had a really hard time cooling off the room after the daytime heat was high 80’s. Needless to say, we ended up securing our final 2 nights right outside the Park in Tusayan at the Premier Best Western. That was a huge upgrade with onsite dining, pool, store, tourist info, and a pool! Tusayan is 2 miles outside of the park, and we easily walked the entire length of it from our Best Western to enjoy restaurants and markets.

Recommendations for Trails, Lookouts, and Activities

Probably my favorite daytime activity was jumping on the “red bus” and heading west along the South Rim. This route takes visitors out to Hermit’s Rest, which is about 7 miles outside of the Village. It starts at the Bright Angel Trailhead, and makes numerous stops at different lookouts on the way to Hermit’s Rest. There are also nice trails if you prefer to walk between the lookouts or all the way out to Hermit’s Rest.

Our favorite stops on the West Trails:

• Maricopa Point
• Hopi Point
• The Abyss
• Pima Point
• Hermits Rest

My favorite evening activity was the Grand Finale Deluxe Jeep Tour we took with Pink Jeep. I can’t recommend this enough! This Pink Jeep tour stays on the road, so if you’ve taken Pink Jeep off-roading (like we have in Sedona), this is very different. It is still open-air, but not as bumpy or “adventurous.” The reason this is definitely at the top of my list for things to do or experience is because you not only get a “guide” to take you to the best spots, but you get your own personal photographer at sunset! 🙂 If you go, ask for Ted – he’s the BEST!

Our favorite stops on the East Trails:

• Lipan Point – Our sunset spot
• Navajo Point – We saw the bend of the Colorado River
• Desert View Watchtower – 70 ft structure for a panoramic view
• Turn north after mile marker 244, and walk a dirt road a mile in for more “painted” views of the Canyon, especially right before sunset.

Recommendations for Food & Shops

Our favorite spots in the South Rim Village:

• El Tovar – They offer a fabulous sit-down dinner (among other meals) in a historic setting. Feel free to dress up, although you will see people in denim and casual clothes. We both got a filet with broccolini and it tasted amazing!
• Maswik Food Court – Pizza pub, plus vending with sandwiches, salads, and various bottled drinks.
• Bright Angel Lodge Restaurant – A casual great spot serving all meals. We went for lunch, and I would recommend their “Packer’s Stew in a Sourdough Bowl.”
• Yavapai Lodge – There’s a cute, newer coffee shop! Yum!
• Bright Angel Lodge Gift Shop & Hermit’s Rest Snack Bar & Gift Shop – These were my two favorite souvenir shops in the Park.

Our favorite spots in Tusayan:

• RP’s Stage Shop – We stopped here for sandwiches, smoothies, and lattes! What a gem. I highly recommend eating here, or getting your food “to go” for your hike/trail walking!
• WE Cook Pizza and Pasta: A restaurant started by “William Edward Cook” – we especially loved the lasagna! And locals rave about their pasta.
• Sophie’s Mexican Kitchen – We enjoyed chips & salsa for an afternoon snack! Their steak tacos weren’t bad, either. Slower service, but worked out fine because we were not in a hurry.

Recommendations for History & Art

Recommendations for What to Pack

I brought all sorts of things for this trip! Being it’s July, I knew to expect summer temps in the day, and cool temps in the evenings. Here are my recommendations for what to pack when going to the Grand Canyon South Rim in the summer:

Village site seeing days/nights:

• Shorts or jeans
• Nicer tops as you will go in and out of museums, lodges, and art studios. Eric wore a lot of polos & his favorite shorts, and I wore cute tops with denim shorts.
• Casual dresses
• Sandals or slip on sneakers
• Sunscreen & Sunglasses
• Cardigans/dusters to layer when it gets chilly

Shop my outfit ideas in bold above by clicking through the carousel:

 

East & West Walking Trails:

• Shoes for comfort/walking. I wore very sturdy flip flops (because I’m used to wearing them all summer in AZ) for our day going west on the buses because we didn’t have to walk very far at each look out. The day we walked a few miles on the east side of the rim, I wore sneakers.
• In July, you will want shorts & a summer shirt/tank. I wore gym shorts and active wear tops.
• Sunscreen & Sunglasses!
• Refillable water bottle
• Camera
• Bag with a zip or cinch closure
• Lightweight hoodie or track jacket

Shop my outfit ideas in bold above by clicking through the carousel:

 

Pink Jeep Tour:

• Wear layers. I started in a tank top & shorts, and ended by throwing on a sweatshirt for our open-air ride back in cool 66 degree evening air.
• Closed-toe shoes. I wore my slip on sneakers (in the carousel above).
• Bag with a zip or cinch closure
• Camera
• Refillable water bottle

Seeing one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World was an incredible thing to be able to do, especially with my husband. What a memorable trip this will always be to us!

XO