where to go??

never been to AZ. thought about visiting NM on the same trip. what town should we go to? we like a nightlife, spas, unique shopping/resturants. we would like to see the grand canyon, but want to visit the part that is less touristy. can%26#39;t remember which part is less touristy??? thanks!!

where to go??

The Grand Canyon, while visited by a lot of tourists, is not %26#39;touisty%26#39;. If you%26#39;re looking to go where there are fewer people, then you probably want the North Rim. however it is only open during the summer months and you will not get to see nearly as much as you will at the South Rim (aka GCNP).

You haven%26#39;t provided any information about when you%26#39;re coming or how long you%26#39;ve got for the trip.

What if I said i want to go to Pennsylvania. I think I want to go to New York too. Which part of Pittsburgh is less touristy?

BTW, if you enjoy nightlife and spas and shopping, you%26#39;ll probably have to put up with some tourists as well.

where to go??

well, we are thinking we will want to go on this trip for 10 days. it is for our ten year anniversary, which is 2010. so, i know i am planing way ahead, but you gotta start sometime....i guess i just wanted to inquire about what types of things there are to do at the grand canyon...any interesting towns near by? i am not familiar with AZ in any way, i dont even know where the GC would be on a map, so....and we will probably be taking our trip in june. i want to explore the grand canyon, and i also want to see other things/do other things besides the grand canyon. you know? am i making sense. i have a friend who reccomends flagstaff or sedona. are these places anywhere near GC?

thanks for your time!!

First suggestion for your planning, get a good large map of this area and find out where things are. Walmart sells a tabloid format US road atlas by Rand McNally for $5. Flagstaff and Sedona are very close to the Grand Canyon. If you have 10 days, you can see much more: Monument Valley in northeastern AZ, Bryce Canyon NP and Zion NP in southern Utah. Near GCNP are numerous historic sites related to native people of the area. Tell us more about what you are interested in. There%26#39;s no real nightlife anywhere near GCNP. For spas, you want Sedona. Albuquerque and Santa Fe are a day%26#39;s travel from northern Arizona. As you develop your plan, Phoenix is the best airport to fly into, however Las Vegas may have lower fares.

Get a map of AZ. This will really help you to get a visual of where everything is. Grand Canyon is in northern AZ, near Flagstaff AZ. There are 2 rims in Grand Canyon National Park, South and North. The South rim is open year round, and the North rim is closed during the winter. Not sure when in June you are visiting, it may not be open in early June.

There is no nightlife (other than stargazing and a beer at the El Tovar), spas or much shopping at the Grand Canyon. Sedona has some of this and Scottdale has a lot of this.

Visit www.nps.gov/grca for information on Grand Canyon.

Day 1 arrive Phoenix. Stay at a nice hotel in the area.

Day 2 drive to Sedona.

Day 3 Sedona, stay in Sedona

Day 4 stay in Sedona another night

Day 5 Drive to Grand Canyon south rim. Stay inside the park. Visit the many overlooks, visitor centers etc.

Day 6 Visit GC. Maybe a short hike into the canyon. Stay at GC

Day 7 Depart GC out the east entrance. Stop at Tusayan Ruin, Desert Watch Tower inside the park and Cameron Trading post outside the park. Visit Wupatki and Sunset Crater Nat Mon. Stay in Flagstaff.

Day 8 Visit Flagstaff. Nice museum, lots of trails etc.

Day 9 Head to Scottsdale. Spend 2 nights at nice resort.

Day 10 Scottsdale night again! Golf, swimming, shopping etc.

June tends to be very hot in most of Arizona. That%26#39;s why the snowbirds from the Midwest and Pacific Northwest start heading home about 1st of May.

Grand Canyon on the South Rim will also be very crowded during the summer months.

I am from arizona and now live in Arkansas but a nice area to visit in southeastern arizona is safford and make sure go check out ElCornados on Main street and have some wonderfull Mexican food. The service is great. Also there is am observatory in the area and a lot of hot springs too. There is Mt. Graham that is a wonderfull place to go. The skys are so clear at night that its like you can touch the stars.