Help With Planning

My wife and I are planning a trip to Arizona in mid to late April. We are both in our mid 50%26#39;s and enjoy relaxing, shopping, and sightseeing. We%26#39;re especially interested in experiencing the beauty of the soutwest. We%26#39;re not big hikers but short ones are within our level of comfort. Having never been there before we are planning to spend two nights in Scottsdale, one in Sedona, one at the GC and two in Vegas. Marriott Camelback in Scottsdale and Hampton in Sedona are possibilities right now. We%26#39;ll probably spend a night in the GC. Having said all this, is this too ambitious? Should something be cut or extended? I don%26#39;t want to shortchange an area but we only have a week. (April 20-26th)I know Vegas doesn%26#39;t fit into the beauty experience but my wife hasn%26#39;t been there in 15 years and we%26#39;d like ot take in a show and walk around a bit. Any suggestions on this schedule and on what are ';must sees'; while there would be appreciated. As always, thank you for your help.

Help With Planning

You won%26#39;t be ';relaxing '; with that itinerary!!! I find the more relaxing trips are when you don%26#39;t have to check-in/out, repack, etc so much.

Two nights in Scottsdale is fine, don%26#39;t know if you necessarily need to spend the night in Sedona AND the Grand Canyon. If you%26#39;re not into hiking, honestly, you can only look at the Grand Canyon for so long...I mean, it%26#39;s a must-see, but you wouldn%26#39;t spend more than 4-5 hours...you might want to head out to Vegas rather than spending the night (if you HAVE to go the Vegas..honestly, it hasn%26#39;t really changed, but I know some people just have to go there). Sedona itself, the town, is just that, a town, very touristy (hate to say it), but the surrounding area is just beautiful. You might want to stay here a bit. Oak Creek/Slide Rock/Sedona..they are all great for walking around (what I do...not quite hiking!), absorbing the beauty. Alot of poeple like to do the Pink Jeep tours, where they drive you around to different views %26amp; formations. I would splurge in Sedona for something special...it really is a place like no where else...

So, it%26#39;s do-able, but my biggest suggestion would be to drop the Vegas part and just enjoy the Southwest without the Vegas glitz %26amp; do that on a different trip.

Help With Planning

It takes more than 4-5 hours to see the GC from the various viewpoints in the park. There are also exhibits to visit, good fit shops. Many people never make it to the east rim drive and the Desert View tower .... some of the best views of the canyon. Overnight allows you to see sunset and sunrise.

If you want to see Vegas, spend less time in Scottsdale.

that was supposed to be .... good gift shops

I think that, if you want a great sightseeing trip, you%26#39;ve planned well.

While you are in Scottsdale, go visit the Botanical Gardens in Phoenix (adjacent to Scottsdale). What a fascinating place to enjoy the beauty of the southwest. You will do a lot of walking but it should be okay for your level of comfort. Also check out Taliesin West (Frank Lloyd Wright%26#39;s place) or the Heard Museum (indians).

Sedona: Gorgeous. Must Do. Pink Jeep Tours is popular, but I prefer The Adventure Company (yellow jeeps).

You%26#39;ll get your relaxing done in GC. If you can stay at the Lodge, I would highly recommend it. There%26#39;s a new glass tube for GC viewing that is supposed to be amazing.

You%26#39;ll have a great time...cheers!

Do you mean you are flying into Phoenis and out of Las Vegas? If so, I understand one way car rentals are much more, so you may want to go to Las Vegas another time. Other than that, your itinerary sounds fine - you can always make cancelable reservations (ie stay at Tusayan not at the canyon) so that if you fall in love with someplace you can change your mind!