Beautiful Colors: Sedona & Grand Canyon Trip Report
Aug 2nd, 2005, 05:32 PM
#1
Beautiful Colors: Sedona & Grand Canyon Trip Report
Our family: DH, DD(age 12) and I just got back from a week in Sedona with an overnight to the Grand Canyon. We had a great time and were able to pace ourselves and not come back tired. This is the first trip report I have ever written, so please be gentle.
Sunday, July 24:
We flew from Sacramento to Phoenix on Southwest Airlines. I had searched for months comparing car rental rates, so I finally booked with Fox. I was a bit apprehensive since their rate was SO much cheaper, but someone on this board had used them and was satisfied. They are off site of the airport, so extra taxes/charges don't apply. We took their shuttle, upgraded to a Jeep Cherokee and took off to Sedona.
Along the way we stopped at the Rock Springs Cafe for lunch. Very rustic place with pretty good food. Continued on to Montezuma's Castle. Very interesting. We spent about 1/2 hour since it was pretty hot. Eventhough it was about 100, which we are used to in Northern California, the humidity was a little more than we are used to. Arizona was just getting into their summer monsoon season with clouds coming in the afternoon.
We turned off I-17 onto Hwy. 179, heading north to Sedona. As we came over into the valley, what a site to behold. The red rocks are beautiful!! I never imagined how beautiful it would be. Truly a special place. We stayed in the Village of Oak Creek, just south of Sedona at the Bell Rock Inn. We had a special deal of $230 for the week. I was also apprehensive about this place too, since Trip Advisor had given good, fair & bad reviews. It turned out to be fine. Nothing fancy, but clean, quiet and with a pool. We lucked out too with a great room on the ground floor facing the pool. Very handy.
So, we did a little swimming to cool off. Later we headed to dinner at Javelina Cantina. My guide book says it is a chain, but we liked out dinners very much. It was rated #1 in Sedona for Mexican food.
Monday, July 25:
We were still stuffed from dinner, so we all skipped breakfast. We headed out to explore Sedona about 11. On the way we stopped at the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Amazing views. DD was disappointed that it wasn't all "fancy" like most Catholic churches. I explained that the church was simple as to not take away from the views and surroundings. The beauty comes from the outside. I really like the simplicity of the building, altar and candle stands. What we liked even more was the gift shop downstairs. Yes, we are shoppers. DD is already trained to shop for bargains. Unfortunately, Sedona is not the place to find deals.
We then moved on to Sedona, stopping at the Visitor Center. They were very helpful and we purchased the Super Pass book for $10. We moved up the street to have some lunch. Yes, Sedona is very touristy with a lot of shops. But not as junky as other places we've visited. It was better than I expected. We used a coupon, and had lunch at the Canyon Breeze. Food was fair, but we sat outside to enjoy the views. Then we did a little supply shopping and headed back to inn to rest up for our Sunset Pink Jeep tour.
to be continued.....
Sunday, July 24:
We flew from Sacramento to Phoenix on Southwest Airlines. I had searched for months comparing car rental rates, so I finally booked with Fox. I was a bit apprehensive since their rate was SO much cheaper, but someone on this board had used them and was satisfied. They are off site of the airport, so extra taxes/charges don't apply. We took their shuttle, upgraded to a Jeep Cherokee and took off to Sedona.
Along the way we stopped at the Rock Springs Cafe for lunch. Very rustic place with pretty good food. Continued on to Montezuma's Castle. Very interesting. We spent about 1/2 hour since it was pretty hot. Eventhough it was about 100, which we are used to in Northern California, the humidity was a little more than we are used to. Arizona was just getting into their summer monsoon season with clouds coming in the afternoon.
We turned off I-17 onto Hwy. 179, heading north to Sedona. As we came over into the valley, what a site to behold. The red rocks are beautiful!! I never imagined how beautiful it would be. Truly a special place. We stayed in the Village of Oak Creek, just south of Sedona at the Bell Rock Inn. We had a special deal of $230 for the week. I was also apprehensive about this place too, since Trip Advisor had given good, fair & bad reviews. It turned out to be fine. Nothing fancy, but clean, quiet and with a pool. We lucked out too with a great room on the ground floor facing the pool. Very handy.
So, we did a little swimming to cool off. Later we headed to dinner at Javelina Cantina. My guide book says it is a chain, but we liked out dinners very much. It was rated #1 in Sedona for Mexican food.
Monday, July 25:
We were still stuffed from dinner, so we all skipped breakfast. We headed out to explore Sedona about 11. On the way we stopped at the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Amazing views. DD was disappointed that it wasn't all "fancy" like most Catholic churches. I explained that the church was simple as to not take away from the views and surroundings. The beauty comes from the outside. I really like the simplicity of the building, altar and candle stands. What we liked even more was the gift shop downstairs. Yes, we are shoppers. DD is already trained to shop for bargains. Unfortunately, Sedona is not the place to find deals.
We then moved on to Sedona, stopping at the Visitor Center. They were very helpful and we purchased the Super Pass book for $10. We moved up the street to have some lunch. Yes, Sedona is very touristy with a lot of shops. But not as junky as other places we've visited. It was better than I expected. We used a coupon, and had lunch at the Canyon Breeze. Food was fair, but we sat outside to enjoy the views. Then we did a little supply shopping and headed back to inn to rest up for our Sunset Pink Jeep tour.
to be continued.....
Aug 2nd, 2005, 05:47 PM
#2
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Your trip report is bringing back Sedona memories. Our family visited two summers ago...we ate at Javelina Cantina, visited the Chapel of the Holy Cross and took a Pink Jeep tour, too. Look forward to reading the rest of your informative and well-written report!
Aug 2nd, 2005, 08:10 PM
#3
Thank you gotta for the feed back. I think I need to shorten this up. I don't want to bore anyone.....
Mon. evening, July 25:
Off to the Pink Jeep Sunset Tour. It had been very overcast all day, so we weren't sure if we would get a good sunset. There were 7 of us in the Jeep. We did the Broken Arrow tour and our guide was very good. Wow!!! This is a pretty wild ride. We climbed up rocks, splashed through mud holes. Man, my stomach wasn't feeling well. At our first stop we all took turns taking photos of each family. My tummy was getting worse!!! Everyone thought is has to be motion sickness -- which I hadn't had since I was a kid. On we go. Just then the sun pops through and we get great light on the rocks. Simply beautiful. On we go to our second stop, but by then our light wasn't as good and neither was my stomach. Then it happened: I got sick in front of everybody!!!! The guide said not to worry, the wild animals would take care of things!! We headed back to the headquarters. But now I was suspicious - my tummy was getting quezy again - could this be food poisoning??? I knew I was in for a LONG night.
Back at the hotel, DH & DD were great nurses, trying to help me out as much as they could. But this was something I could only do alone. Finally, at 2 a.m., the sickness stopped and I got some fitfull sleep.
Tuesday, July 26:
Bummer!!! Today is our overnighter to the Grand Canyon and I feel like crap. I still couldn't eat, but I was trying to keep hydrated. We got a later start than planned.
Up Oak Creek Canyon. I was feeling fair, but not really enjoying the sites. At the end of the switch backs, we stopped at the overlook and Indians selling goodies!!! We looked things over, and I perked up a little when I bought a lapis bracelet. But I had to get back in the car and crash.
Our ride to the GC was pretty uneventful. Everything was so barren and flat. DD kept asking "How much farther?" I didn't know so I just give numbers: "About another 20 minutes" etc.
We approached the entrance. Luckily, no lines. Thru my research, I had found that parking is a hassle and & the very 1st overlook,Mather Pt. is very busy. I felt so lousy I just wanted to get to our rooms at Bright Angel Lodge. We keep driving. DD and I spy the Canyon thru the trees. This can't be real!!! "Oh my Gosh, Oh my Gosh, Oh my Gosh" we keep saying. "Stop, stop, stop" (Do we always say things in 3's?)
DD pulls over. We all get out and hike thru some trees, the Canyon pulling us closer. Then we see it!!! Unbelievable! Incredible!! The Grand Canyon is more than Grand. I was so moved I started crying. This more than exceeded my expectations and ranks at the top of my list for the most impressive site I have every seen. We snap photos and walk a little ways to Yavapai Pt. The view a so wonderful. This place is wonderful.
We check into Bright Angel Lodge. I had to get two rooms when I booked in April, so DH stayed in the lodge and DD and I in a cabin. Time to rest up for our Sunset Tour at 6 p.m.......
We did the Sunset tour Xanterra. The bus was full, but it was fun meeting people from all over.
An aside: I think we heard more foreign languages at the GC than English. Most Europeans, and they were all loving it. I told my DH: this is the wild west to them, and there is nothing like it in Europe.
Getting back to the tour... the bus went west towards Hermit's rest and stopped at: Maricopa Pt., the Abyss, and back to Mohave Pt. for the sunset. Very nice views and light. I wouldn't do this tour again. The guide/driver didn't give as much info as I had hoped for. The woman in front of us had taken the Desert View tour that afternoon and said it was great and the guide very interesting. The luck of the draw I guess.
We ended up having dinner, very late, after the tour, at the BA coffee shop. My first real meal in a day. Then off to bed.
Mon. evening, July 25:
Off to the Pink Jeep Sunset Tour. It had been very overcast all day, so we weren't sure if we would get a good sunset. There were 7 of us in the Jeep. We did the Broken Arrow tour and our guide was very good. Wow!!! This is a pretty wild ride. We climbed up rocks, splashed through mud holes. Man, my stomach wasn't feeling well. At our first stop we all took turns taking photos of each family. My tummy was getting worse!!! Everyone thought is has to be motion sickness -- which I hadn't had since I was a kid. On we go. Just then the sun pops through and we get great light on the rocks. Simply beautiful. On we go to our second stop, but by then our light wasn't as good and neither was my stomach. Then it happened: I got sick in front of everybody!!!! The guide said not to worry, the wild animals would take care of things!! We headed back to the headquarters. But now I was suspicious - my tummy was getting quezy again - could this be food poisoning??? I knew I was in for a LONG night.
Back at the hotel, DH & DD were great nurses, trying to help me out as much as they could. But this was something I could only do alone. Finally, at 2 a.m., the sickness stopped and I got some fitfull sleep.
Tuesday, July 26:
Bummer!!! Today is our overnighter to the Grand Canyon and I feel like crap. I still couldn't eat, but I was trying to keep hydrated. We got a later start than planned.
Up Oak Creek Canyon. I was feeling fair, but not really enjoying the sites. At the end of the switch backs, we stopped at the overlook and Indians selling goodies!!! We looked things over, and I perked up a little when I bought a lapis bracelet. But I had to get back in the car and crash.
Our ride to the GC was pretty uneventful. Everything was so barren and flat. DD kept asking "How much farther?" I didn't know so I just give numbers: "About another 20 minutes" etc.
We approached the entrance. Luckily, no lines. Thru my research, I had found that parking is a hassle and & the very 1st overlook,Mather Pt. is very busy. I felt so lousy I just wanted to get to our rooms at Bright Angel Lodge. We keep driving. DD and I spy the Canyon thru the trees. This can't be real!!! "Oh my Gosh, Oh my Gosh, Oh my Gosh" we keep saying. "Stop, stop, stop" (Do we always say things in 3's?)
DD pulls over. We all get out and hike thru some trees, the Canyon pulling us closer. Then we see it!!! Unbelievable! Incredible!! The Grand Canyon is more than Grand. I was so moved I started crying. This more than exceeded my expectations and ranks at the top of my list for the most impressive site I have every seen. We snap photos and walk a little ways to Yavapai Pt. The view a so wonderful. This place is wonderful.
We check into Bright Angel Lodge. I had to get two rooms when I booked in April, so DH stayed in the lodge and DD and I in a cabin. Time to rest up for our Sunset Tour at 6 p.m.......
We did the Sunset tour Xanterra. The bus was full, but it was fun meeting people from all over.
An aside: I think we heard more foreign languages at the GC than English. Most Europeans, and they were all loving it. I told my DH: this is the wild west to them, and there is nothing like it in Europe.
Getting back to the tour... the bus went west towards Hermit's rest and stopped at: Maricopa Pt., the Abyss, and back to Mohave Pt. for the sunset. Very nice views and light. I wouldn't do this tour again. The guide/driver didn't give as much info as I had hoped for. The woman in front of us had taken the Desert View tour that afternoon and said it was great and the guide very interesting. The luck of the draw I guess.
We ended up having dinner, very late, after the tour, at the BA coffee shop. My first real meal in a day. Then off to bed.
Aug 2nd, 2005, 09:03 PM
#4
Wednesday, July 27:
We got up about 8 and had breakfast. I was feeling better, but not 100% We walked over to El Tovar and the Hopi House. Neat buildings. El Tovar is plush compared to the BA Cabins. DD said this was where she would stay if she ever came back. I think I am raising a high maintenance child!!
We bought a few things then headed out towards the east and Desert View.
We planned this route: enter GC thru the south and exit thru the east, based on the recommendation of Utahtea. I hold her expertise in great regard on this board. Thank you, Utahtea!!
We stopped only briefly at Desert View. I felt better, but DH wasn't feeling too well. Hum???? could it be a virus. We would see in the next few hours. I took over the driving. The view of the Painted Desert was beautiful: tans, pinks, lilacs, greens on the horizon. DD & I stopped for lunch at the Cameron Trading Post, which was fun. DH stayed in the car. He didn't feel great....
After lunch, we took off south towards Flagstaff. Husband said to pull over - you can guess the rest. Luckily, he only got sick that one time, but felt lousy for the next day or so.
We took a detour thru Wupatki NM ruin and Sunset Crater. We only stopped briefly, but the lava flows at Sunset looked amazing. Back to Sedona to recuperate.
Thursday, July 28:
DH just wanted to stay at the room and read. DD & I went to a day spa: massage for me and teen facial for DD. Afterwards, we had lunch at Oaxaca, using a coupon. It was OK, but nothing great. The salsa appeared to be Pace or something out of a bottle. Not very authentic.
We then headed back to the inn for some swimming & rest. We had dinner near the inn at The Market Place Cafe. Very good pasta and everything else looked good. I would highly recommend this place. The food seemed very fresh & tasty.
Friday, July 29:
We were all back to normal and ready to do a little hiking. Or at least some walking. I think we were kidding ourselves into thinking we were outdoorsy. We got a picnic and our Red Rock Pass($5) and headed out to Red Rock Crossing. When we got there, we were told the pass was no good and we needed to pay $7 to get into the park. Oh well. It was getting pretty hot and humid, so we took a short stroll to a shady spot along Oak Creek for a picnic. From here there are also great views of Cathedral Rock.
It was really bugging me that we had wasted $5 on the Red Rock Pass. I was looking over the Red Rock hiking guide and saw info. about the Palatki Ruins. The vistor center had said it was very good, but you had to make a reservation to visit. So I whipped out my DH cell phone and got us in at 1:30. Off we went for another adventure.
Palatki was a 30 minute drive. Once off the Highway, the road is dirt/rock for about 8 miles. The rock views approaching the site are very impressive. The site sits in a box canyon. There is a ranger station where you check in and its about a 10 minute walk, uphill, to the ruin.
It was HOT!! plus a storm was coming in. The ruin sits along & under the cliff, so it has been fairly well preserved. A docent is on site to give info and make sure you touch anything. We headed back to the ranger station to cool off. DH went on to see the rock wall art.
We headed back to Sedona thru Boynton pass, but skipped Boynton Canyon. Went swimming back at the inn.
Saturday, July 30:
DH wanted to hang around the pool and read a book. DD and I headed out to check out the Tlaquepaque shopping area. Very nice, cool trees, nice archetecture, but expensive stuff. We went back to the inn to swim, but a HUGE thunderstorm came in. A real gully washer with hail, thunder & lightning.
For our final night, we had dinner at the Cowboy Club. I had a margarita with cactus juice. We all tried the sampler of rattlesnake, buffalo, & cactus fries. Very tasty & fun. Dinner was good.
Sunday, July 31:
Up early and back to Phoenix to return the car and fly home.
We had a great trip. Sedona and the Grand Canyon were beautiful. We were able to see alot, but also relax and not come home tired. Thank you to all who provided info on this board.
MY
We got up about 8 and had breakfast. I was feeling better, but not 100% We walked over to El Tovar and the Hopi House. Neat buildings. El Tovar is plush compared to the BA Cabins. DD said this was where she would stay if she ever came back. I think I am raising a high maintenance child!!
We bought a few things then headed out towards the east and Desert View.
We planned this route: enter GC thru the south and exit thru the east, based on the recommendation of Utahtea. I hold her expertise in great regard on this board. Thank you, Utahtea!!
We stopped only briefly at Desert View. I felt better, but DH wasn't feeling too well. Hum???? could it be a virus. We would see in the next few hours. I took over the driving. The view of the Painted Desert was beautiful: tans, pinks, lilacs, greens on the horizon. DD & I stopped for lunch at the Cameron Trading Post, which was fun. DH stayed in the car. He didn't feel great....
After lunch, we took off south towards Flagstaff. Husband said to pull over - you can guess the rest. Luckily, he only got sick that one time, but felt lousy for the next day or so.
We took a detour thru Wupatki NM ruin and Sunset Crater. We only stopped briefly, but the lava flows at Sunset looked amazing. Back to Sedona to recuperate.
Thursday, July 28:
DH just wanted to stay at the room and read. DD & I went to a day spa: massage for me and teen facial for DD. Afterwards, we had lunch at Oaxaca, using a coupon. It was OK, but nothing great. The salsa appeared to be Pace or something out of a bottle. Not very authentic.
We then headed back to the inn for some swimming & rest. We had dinner near the inn at The Market Place Cafe. Very good pasta and everything else looked good. I would highly recommend this place. The food seemed very fresh & tasty.
Friday, July 29:
We were all back to normal and ready to do a little hiking. Or at least some walking. I think we were kidding ourselves into thinking we were outdoorsy. We got a picnic and our Red Rock Pass($5) and headed out to Red Rock Crossing. When we got there, we were told the pass was no good and we needed to pay $7 to get into the park. Oh well. It was getting pretty hot and humid, so we took a short stroll to a shady spot along Oak Creek for a picnic. From here there are also great views of Cathedral Rock.
It was really bugging me that we had wasted $5 on the Red Rock Pass. I was looking over the Red Rock hiking guide and saw info. about the Palatki Ruins. The vistor center had said it was very good, but you had to make a reservation to visit. So I whipped out my DH cell phone and got us in at 1:30. Off we went for another adventure.
Palatki was a 30 minute drive. Once off the Highway, the road is dirt/rock for about 8 miles. The rock views approaching the site are very impressive. The site sits in a box canyon. There is a ranger station where you check in and its about a 10 minute walk, uphill, to the ruin.
It was HOT!! plus a storm was coming in. The ruin sits along & under the cliff, so it has been fairly well preserved. A docent is on site to give info and make sure you touch anything. We headed back to the ranger station to cool off. DH went on to see the rock wall art.
We headed back to Sedona thru Boynton pass, but skipped Boynton Canyon. Went swimming back at the inn.
Saturday, July 30:
DH wanted to hang around the pool and read a book. DD and I headed out to check out the Tlaquepaque shopping area. Very nice, cool trees, nice archetecture, but expensive stuff. We went back to the inn to swim, but a HUGE thunderstorm came in. A real gully washer with hail, thunder & lightning.
For our final night, we had dinner at the Cowboy Club. I had a margarita with cactus juice. We all tried the sampler of rattlesnake, buffalo, & cactus fries. Very tasty & fun. Dinner was good.
Sunday, July 31:
Up early and back to Phoenix to return the car and fly home.
We had a great trip. Sedona and the Grand Canyon were beautiful. We were able to see alot, but also relax and not come home tired. Thank you to all who provided info on this board.
MY
Aug 3rd, 2005, 01:50 PM
#7
Dear emd:
We had originally reserved a mid-size car with Fox for $151 for the week. With the second driver fee($5/day) and upgrade to the Jeep Cherokee ($8/day), our total was $245 for the week. My DH is very tall so the extra leg room pleased him.
We used a coupon for the day spa - Sedona New Day Spa. The coupon was only $10 off, so we only saved about 5%. But is was small and very nice. It was something special for mom & DD to do together.
Hope you have a good time.
MY
We had originally reserved a mid-size car with Fox for $151 for the week. With the second driver fee($5/day) and upgrade to the Jeep Cherokee ($8/day), our total was $245 for the week. My DH is very tall so the extra leg room pleased him.
We used a coupon for the day spa - Sedona New Day Spa. The coupon was only $10 off, so we only saved about 5%. But is was small and very nice. It was something special for mom & DD to do together.
Hope you have a good time.
MY
Aug 8th, 2005, 12:20 PM
#10
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Some questions for our Oct trip, please.
I have planned and cannot change my trip from Sedona thru the south entrance; spend the day at GC; go out out the east entrace to Cameron and come back to Sedona; all in one day. Doable? I will do Wupatki etc the next day.
. Good picnic from where?
How far far off airport is Fox. Worth it compared to Dollar?
PS Your report is great and helpful
I have planned and cannot change my trip from Sedona thru the south entrance; spend the day at GC; go out out the east entrace to Cameron and come back to Sedona; all in one day. Doable? I will do Wupatki etc the next day.
. Good picnic from where?
How far far off airport is Fox. Worth it compared to Dollar?
PS Your report is great and helpful
Aug 8th, 2005, 05:24 PM
#11
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I'm enjoying reading your report since, as you know, we just returned from the same area (the rest of my trip report will be coming soon). I'm sorry to hear you got sick, but I am so impressed you recuperated enough to try the sampler of rattlesnake, buffalo, and cactus fries. My DH is the adventurous eater and I told him you'd had that (we didn't see it in our more casual restaurants-or maybe we just missed it). He did try the Buffalo Burger in Lake Powell (not bad, but once was enough).
Aug 8th, 2005, 05:47 PM
#12
Dear Fairhope:
Doing the Grand Canyon in one day from Sedona is doable if you leave Sedona very early(6 - 8 am). But it will be a VERY long day and I really feel you will be short-changing yourself. Try to spend a night. Call Xanterra daily until a cancellation comes up.
We didn't get to enjoy the GC as much as we could have if we had been feeling better. Plus my DD & DH have a shorter attention span than I do!!!
Wupatki was kind of odd. We came from the North(Cameron) and took the turn off. You are out in the middle of nowhere and it is another 13 miles to the ruins. The Sunset Crater is another 20 miles further (closer to Flagstaff). The lava fields look amazing, but we didn't stop due to DH not feeling real great. They looked like a giant tractor had plowed up a field of black dirt.
As far as the picnic lunch? We just bought some deli sandwiches at a place called New York Bagel, I think. It is on Hwy. 89, heading south, near the Natural Foods Market.
Fox car rental was very easy. I used the courtesy phone in the terminal.Their shuttle was running about every 15 minutes. It only takes about 10 min. to get to their lot. I booked thru the Southwest Airlines site. We had booked a mid-size for $151/wk(including all taxes). At Fox, we upgraded to a Jeep Cherokee for another $8/day. Plus we added the 2nd driver for $5/day. The total we paid was $245 for the week. Check it out and compare.
October will be great for Sedona. Cooler for hiking and outdoor stuff. The Grand Canyon could be very chilly so be prepared.
I hope this has been helpful.
MY
Doing the Grand Canyon in one day from Sedona is doable if you leave Sedona very early(6 - 8 am). But it will be a VERY long day and I really feel you will be short-changing yourself. Try to spend a night. Call Xanterra daily until a cancellation comes up.
We didn't get to enjoy the GC as much as we could have if we had been feeling better. Plus my DD & DH have a shorter attention span than I do!!!
Wupatki was kind of odd. We came from the North(Cameron) and took the turn off. You are out in the middle of nowhere and it is another 13 miles to the ruins. The Sunset Crater is another 20 miles further (closer to Flagstaff). The lava fields look amazing, but we didn't stop due to DH not feeling real great. They looked like a giant tractor had plowed up a field of black dirt.
As far as the picnic lunch? We just bought some deli sandwiches at a place called New York Bagel, I think. It is on Hwy. 89, heading south, near the Natural Foods Market.
Fox car rental was very easy. I used the courtesy phone in the terminal.Their shuttle was running about every 15 minutes. It only takes about 10 min. to get to their lot. I booked thru the Southwest Airlines site. We had booked a mid-size for $151/wk(including all taxes). At Fox, we upgraded to a Jeep Cherokee for another $8/day. Plus we added the 2nd driver for $5/day. The total we paid was $245 for the week. Check it out and compare.
October will be great for Sedona. Cooler for hiking and outdoor stuff. The Grand Canyon could be very chilly so be prepared.
I hope this has been helpful.
MY
Oct 19th, 2005, 09:45 AM
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Hi Michelle,
I'm planning a trip with a very similar itinerary and loved your trip report. Would you recommend Fox Car Rental in PHX? I'm reading mixed reviews for other locations, but don't have much for PHX. Also some of the roads I will be on, will be rough (not off-road, just badly maintained forest roads), so are the cars in decent shape?
Thanks a ton.
Sowmi
I'm planning a trip with a very similar itinerary and loved your trip report. Would you recommend Fox Car Rental in PHX? I'm reading mixed reviews for other locations, but don't have much for PHX. Also some of the roads I will be on, will be rough (not off-road, just badly maintained forest roads), so are the cars in decent shape?
Thanks a ton.
Sowmi
Oct 19th, 2005, 02:14 PM
#15
Dear Sowmi:
I was hesitant about Fox also, but posted here and someone gave me positive input. I booked thru the Southwest Airlines site: it was the best I came up with. We were there in July and all the cars were pretty new. We upgraded to the Jeep Cherokee for and extra $8/day. It worked great on the dirt road out to some of the ruins.
Overall, Fox seemed fine. They had a phone at the airport and were there within 15 minutes to pick us up. Their office was very near. Nothing fancy, but fine.
Good luck. We loved our trip and the Grand Canyon was spectacular.
MY
I was hesitant about Fox also, but posted here and someone gave me positive input. I booked thru the Southwest Airlines site: it was the best I came up with. We were there in July and all the cars were pretty new. We upgraded to the Jeep Cherokee for and extra $8/day. It worked great on the dirt road out to some of the ruins.
Overall, Fox seemed fine. They had a phone at the airport and were there within 15 minutes to pick us up. Their office was very near. Nothing fancy, but fine.
Good luck. We loved our trip and the Grand Canyon was spectacular.
MY
Oct 19th, 2005, 03:14 PM
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Thanks Michelle, that is certainly good to know. I reserved directly via Fox, but I also have a reservation with Budget, just in case. The cost differential for a 1 week rental is $80/- for an economy car - that is one night's hotel stay!
