Any Oppo's been to the Grand Canyon?

"blacktruck18" (blacktruck14)
05/11/2015 at 14:37 • Filed to: None

We are going to drive to the Grand Canyon when we move back to Illinois in July. Mrs. Blacktruck and I have never been, we are planning on spending 2 days there we are going to go check out the Skywalk but, I am not really sure what else there is to do there. I started looking online yesterday for some stuff to do. Any tips or cool stuff anyone else has done there?

Oh ya, we will have fatoldblackdog with us, so, we will to have to go back to the hotel a couple of times through out the day to walk her. I know that will rule out some stuff.

DISCUSSION (41)

Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole > blacktruck18
05/11/2015 at 14:43

It’s a hole in the ground. Skywalk is overpriced bullshit. Spend the extra time in Vegas

Full disclosure: I went once, wasn’t worth it.

Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis > blacktruck18
05/11/2015 at 14:46

I went last summer.

We were going to check out the Skywalk last summer, but a bartender advised us not too. Said, there is a time limit, you are not allowed to take your own pictures, and you get gouged to hell on the prices. If you go to the state park part of the grand canyon there is a decent amount of stuff to do, nice moderate hiking trails down into the canyon and some history based stuff. But seriously, nothing will prepare you for how beautiful the Canyon really is. We exausted what there was to do in around three days, spent the other four days of our vacation in Vegas.

blacktruck18 > Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole
05/11/2015 at 14:47

That’s pretty much what I am expecting but, Mrs Blacktruck wants to go. I hadn’t thought of Vegas. Maybe I can talk her into that. Thanks

cornerslide > blacktruck18
05/11/2015 at 14:47

Been to the Grand Canyon but only for a day. Not that much to do unless you intend to descend into the canyon. This usually means spending the night. I don’t know how far off your path it might take you but outside of Sedona you have Oak Creek Canyon. Pink Jeep tours are fun as well as the helicopter tour.

Grab Paddle > blacktruck18
05/11/2015 at 14:48

I went. Rented a jeep and went off roading. Flew over it in a helicopter. Both awesome. BUT what I wish I had done was taken or rented a boat and cruised the river. I saw some people swimming and boating and said THAT’S what we’re doing next time.

7:07 > Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole
05/11/2015 at 14:49

The same is true of Vegas.

Go to the Grand Canyon. It’s freaking amazing.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > blacktruck18
05/11/2015 at 14:49

Have been, have not been to the skywalk. Relevant would be “which side are you going to”? IMO, most of the views were better from the north side, and that’s where Bright Angel Point is - which is worth walking out on.

OPPOsaurus WRX > blacktruck18
05/11/2015 at 14:51

you could hike it if thats your thing. I’d wanna do that. There are also helicopter rides. I think you can ride an ass too (the donkey does all the work instead of your legs)

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > blacktruck18
05/11/2015 at 14:51

I checked, and see that the Skywalk is on the south side. Meh. Bright Angel Point does the same thing as a natural formation, and does it better. There are also more standing rocks and such on the north side, seems like.

Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole > blacktruck18
05/11/2015 at 14:56

You’ve got to go via 93/95 to hit the skybridge thing. You could try the Dam tour. I heard it’s worth a dam.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > blacktruck18
05/11/2015 at 14:58

Yes. Can confirm: is awesome.

Went when I was younger, on a road trip out west, so no SkyWalk.

blacktruck18 > Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis
05/11/2015 at 15:01

WTF, we can’t take our own pics. That sucks.

I just looked into the tickets. It’s going to be almost $150 for the 2 of us. Plus $30 per picture. F’ every bit of that.

StoneCold > blacktruck18
05/11/2015 at 15:04

Went there for a day. It really was amazing hiking down there, but I was 16/17 and a varsity athlete, while my parents were pretty sedentary in their lifestyle.

They nearly died hiking down to the first checkpoint. Bring lots of water. LOTS.

The coolest part of the whole thing was the astronomy club that came out at night, though. These folks were very nice and super excited to tell you about the planet or star or galaxy they had their telescope focused on. One gal even had a set up about mid-day the next day with a special filter to look directly at the Sun and see sunspots on the bigger flares.

Definitely see if you can look up when they’re out there, and don’t drive right up to where they’re setting up; the car headlights ruin night vision and make them grouchy/annoyed. :)

Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger > blacktruck18
05/11/2015 at 15:06

I’ve been. I think Black Canyon of the Gunnison is more impressive visually.

Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis > blacktruck18
05/11/2015 at 15:07

Yeah, we were surprised when we heard that. What we did what fly into Vegas and rented a car, drove to the Arizona part of the canyon, which admittedly is a long drive. Spent three days at a hotel just outside the canyon, there is also a shuttle that will take you into the canyon. We spent three days there doing random stuff. When driving back to Vegas we detoured and drove a bit of Route 66 and made a pit stop at the Hover Dam. Made it back to the rental car place, dropped off the car and did three days in Vegas. Polar opposites, but a very fun trip.

blacktruck18 > Grab Paddle
05/11/2015 at 15:07

That sounds awesome. Do you remember where you rented the Jeep? The only stuff I can find online is tours where they drive you around in a Jeep.

Also the helicopter tour would kick ass. Mrs Blacktruck can “check ride in a helicopter” off her bucket list.

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > blacktruck18
05/11/2015 at 15:08

I went once about 10 or so years ago. It wasn’t to the national park, though. The branch we went to was part of the Havasupai Indian Reservation. We hiked down, camped at a campground at the bottom, and hiked back out the next day. It was beautiful and inexpensive, and if you didn’t have that old dog with you, that’s what I would recommend.

Dang. I want to go back there.

Cixelsyd > blacktruck18
05/11/2015 at 15:11

The Grand Canyon is awesome, but if you go, do it on the south rim, where the national park is. That is top notch. The views are incredible and the transport system throughout the park is really good and easy to use.

The Skywalk is on the West rim on the Indian reservation. It is not run by the government. It is a commercial operation that specializes in putting as many people as possible through it and separating you from as much of you cash as they can in the process. They want a minimum of $80 to do the bridge, and you can’t even take your camera with you.

Take the southern route back to IL on I-40 and spend a few days on the South rim instead.

blacktruck18 > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
05/11/2015 at 15:14

We had planned on going to the west side for the Skywalk but I think I may have ruled that out as it seems super tourist trappy and a ripoff.

I just googled Bright Angel point and it looks beautiful. We might have to go check that out.

blacktruck18 > cornerslide
05/11/2015 at 15:21

The helicopter tour sounds awesome. Mrs. Blacktruck can check off “helicopter ride,” on her bucket list.

We haven’t really set a real path/plan yet, the movers are coming to get out stuff on July 15th and it won’t get to Illinois until August 2nd. Our rough plan is 8-10 days driving at most. That will still give us at least a week to find a place when we get there.

I am flying out there next month to see family and check out apartments and stuff, we should have a pretty good idea of where we are going to live. We will just have to finalize whatever paperwork there is for our house/apartment.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > blacktruck18
05/11/2015 at 15:23

If you like hiking it's a great place and takes a day to hike down and up (2 if you're not in pretty good shape). If you're just going to stay at the top...about half a day is all you really need. It's beautiful and I would recommend to go at least once in your lifetime. But, if you don't care much for nature it may not be worth it for you. Where are you coming from? There may be other things to see that may please the Mrs. while being more along your planned route to Illinois.

CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) > blacktruck18
05/11/2015 at 15:27

The road to skywalk is all dirt. Hint hint dirt rallying.

Klaus Schmoll > blacktruck18
05/11/2015 at 15:32

Been there in ‘97 and it was a great experience. We went down into the Canyon which is awesome, but with having to watch an elderly dog you can probably only go down half way before heading back, which still is nice.

Hoover Dam (we got the tour of the greasy bits inside) is nice.

Vegas was a bit too artificial for my liking, but it’s still a place that one has to see once.

The most fun was riding jetskis on that artificial lake that Hoover Dam creates, and riding quads in the desert.

Grab Paddle > blacktruck18
05/11/2015 at 15:38

I actually rented it from budget - they have a couple jeeps in AZ. the helicopter was pretty cool, but on the slightly expensive side - i think it was around 250 a person. I’m telling you, to see the canyon from down, there AND ben able to swim..... i want it

TheRealBicycleBuck > blacktruck18
05/11/2015 at 15:47

You can get a lot of information from the Grand Canyon National Park page.

I spent the day on the southern rim a number of years ago. I wished I had the funds for the helicopter tour. I also really wanted to float the river, but again, time and funds prevailed. I wanted to walk one of the trails down, but going down and up again in one day, while possible, makes for a very long day. They do have mules that will do the hoofing for you, but that will keep you from taking care of your dog unless you board him at one of the local vets.

One day, I shall return with my kids in tow. The driving can be epic, but watch out for motor homes.

blacktruck18 > Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole
05/11/2015 at 16:14

I didn’t even think about that, the dam is really dam close. We might have to check out both of them.

blacktruck18 > Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis
05/11/2015 at 16:15

Nice. We will be driving the whole way and, we will have plenty of time so I think we might check out both thanks.

blacktruck18 > Grab Paddle
05/11/2015 at 16:29

Ahh, I don’t think I could talk Mrs. Blacktruck into renting a Jeep just so I can go off-roading. It’s definitely worth a try though. I checked out the helicopter tours, they are kind of pricey but I think it could be worth it. Mrs. Blacktruck will love it. I might have to figure out tours that go to the bottom of the Canyon. A full day tour would require a dog hotel though and we really hate putting fatoldblackdog in those, last time we did it so we mad at for like a few days. Also, I think the vet got tired of Mrs. Blacktruck calling every 3-4 hours to make the dog was okay.

blacktruck18 > StoneCold
05/11/2015 at 16:32

The hike sounds like it could be fun but, we would have to but the dog in dog hotel we might have to look into it though.

The astronomy club sounds awesome. I am definitely going to have to look them up.

CaptDale - is secretly British > blacktruck18
05/11/2015 at 18:07

I went as a kid and we took the train from the hotel to the canyon. It was totally awesome! If I ever go back I want to do more stuffs there.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > blacktruck18
05/11/2015 at 23:33

I have. stayed in Sedona, AZ when I saw it. great vacation. worth the trip

Transit > blacktruck18
05/12/2015 at 10:33

I was on the North Rim side back in like 2002. The roads are pretty nice and twisty up that way, just take care to avoid the open range cattle. There’s also the Jacob Lake Inn. Too bad North Rim hours from anywhere.

It had just rained before we got there, and we spent hours watching clouds roll up to the canyon and flow down over the side.

blacktruck18 > TheRealBicycleBuck
05/12/2015 at 15:10

Ya, I have been all over the nps website. I was just hoping some oppo’s had been there and could provide some tips. I think right now a helicopter tour sounds awesome. I really don’t want to board the dog. She is going to be stressed-out enough from the car rides and I don’t want to make it any worse for her. I think a helicopter tour and should be short enough that it won’t be to big of a deal to leave her alone.

blacktruck18 > Cixelsyd
05/12/2015 at 15:15

We have not decided on which rim we are going to yet but, we are taking I40 to Illinois. I have never been to Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, or Oklahoma, so that is definitely the one we are going to take.

blacktruck18 > Klaus Schmoll
05/12/2015 at 15:16

Jet Ski’s? Yup definitely going to Hoover Dam now. Thanks.

blacktruck18 > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
05/12/2015 at 15:19

We are coming from Tacoma, Wa. Our planned route as of right now is I-84 to the Grand Canyon then I-40 over to IL. I think we will hop down onto Route 66 at some point of off 40, just to say we did it.

blacktruck18 > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
05/12/2015 at 15:21

Ya, the more I look into it the Skywalk seems like a giant rip-off. Also, I am guessing the hotels around there are expensive. I searched yesterday for Bright Angel point and it looks awesome, I am thinking that is where we will go.

blacktruck18 > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist)
05/12/2015 at 15:39

Funny you should mention rallying on road trips. The last time we took a road trip one of my buddy’s that grew up off of I-90 in Montana (I think) told me about a little trail right behind a gas station that him and his buddy’s used to “rally” on in their cars. We stopped to “just look at it I promise.” About 30 minutes later Mrs. Blacktruck’s S60 looked like this.

Kinja'd!!!

I was threatened with divorce many times for the rest of the day. Apparently Mrs. Blacktruck has no appreciation for Volvo’s rich rally history.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > blacktruck18
05/12/2015 at 15:50

you're driving right past some of my favorite national parks through Utah. Zion is my favorite, but you definitely need to hike there to really appreciate it. Bryce Canyon is beautiful too, and much like the Grand Canyon you drive up to it at the top.

blacktruck18 > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
05/12/2015 at 15:52

I might have to check out Bryce canyon, if we can drive up there we won’t have to worry about leaving the dog. Thanks.

CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) > blacktruck18
05/12/2015 at 19:55

Umm.....ok. But you’ll have to replace your air filter for sure.