Arizona & Utah: Cowboys & Canyons (formerly Southwest Splendors) Meets Thread

[MiceRNice]

I did question the wisdom of going into the desert at the height of summer, especially as we sailed the Disney Wonder last July to Alaska. But I had to squeeze in the Grand Canyon once before Michael leaves home and I figured Disney is the coolest way to do that!

We're staying at the Arizona Grand before the tour and planning to spend a lot of time at the Oasis water park.

 

[keithbpatterson]

We are also going on the southwest splendors tour on July 30. None of us have been to the Grand Canyon or any of the other places. We are really looking forward to it!

 

[tchrrx]

I got home from my trip a few days ago. It was definitely hot, but we managed ok. We took Gatorade G2 packets to add into the water that was provided.

If you think that you'll want to go horseback riding or ATVing at Moab, then you'll need to pack some pants. Most of our group did the horsebacking. My family and a couple of other people chose to do the ATVs. I highly, highly, highly recommend it! It was the most fun we had our entire trip!

Our favorite meal was one that we booked on our own. We ate at El Tovar in Sedona (it's part of the resort...you'll eat breakfast there), and it was absolutely delicious.

We did end up wearing jackets in the evenings at the Grand Canyon. If you don't want to pack one, then they have a nice light green windbreaker for women that was only $23 in the gift shops. I took a jacket, but I bought one there too! The prices for shopping at the Grand Canyon were pretty good. Also, when you go to Monument Valley you'll have a chance to get some jewelry from the Navajos. A lot of it was marked prices like '$3.00 each or 4/$10.' Have cash available for this day.

Make sure you pack bandanas for the Jeep tour and the Monument Valley tour. They are $1.00 at Wal-mart, but around $3.00 and more at gift shops on the trip.

 

[sayhello]

We are also going on the southwest splendors tour on July 30. None of us have been to the Grand Canyon or any of the other places. We are really looking forward to it!

You're going to LOVE this trip! So many beautiful places to see, and great things to do. Be sure & do a trip report when you get back!

I got home from my trip a few days ago. It was definitely hot, but we managed ok. We took Gatorade G2 packets to add into the water that was provided.

If you think that you'll want to go horseback riding or ATVing at Moab, then you'll need to pack some pants. Most of our group did the horsebacking. My family and a couple of other people chose to do the ATVs. I highly, highly, highly recommend it! It was the most fun we had our entire trip!

Our favorite meal was one that we booked on our own. We ate at El Tovar in Sedona (it's part of the resort...you'll eat breakfast there), and it was absolutely delicious.

We did end up wearing jackets in the evenings at the Grand Canyon. If you don't want to pack one, then they have a nice light green windbreaker for women that was only $23 in the gift shops. I took a jacket, but I bought one there too! The prices for shopping at the Grand Canyon were pretty good. Also, when you go to Monument Valley you'll have a chance to get some jewelry from the Navajos. A lot of it was marked prices like '$3.00 each or 4/$10.' Have cash available for this day.

Make sure you pack bandanas for the Jeep tour and the Monument Valley tour. They are $1.00 at Wal-mart, but around $3.00 and more at gift shops on the trip.

Glad you had a great trip, and that the heat wasn't too bad.

Hey, isn't the El Tovar the place at the Grand Canyon? Is there one at the Sedona resort, also? How *was* the resort? I think this is the first year they've stayed at Enchantment Resort for this trip.

Sayhello

 

[keithbpatterson]

I got home from my trip a few days ago. It was definitely hot, but we managed ok. We took Gatorade G2 packets to add into the water that was provided.

Good idea!

If you think that you'll want to go horseback riding or ATVing at Moab, then you'll need to pack some pants. Most of our group did the horsebacking. My family and a couple of other people chose to do the ATVs. I highly, highly, highly recommend it! It was the most fun we had our entire trip!

That sounds like a lot of fun! Do you have to book them now or can you sign up when you get there?

Our favorite meal was one that we booked on our own. We ate at El Tovar in Sedona (it's part of the resort...you'll eat breakfast there), and it was absolutely delicious.

We will be celebrating our anniversary when we are there so this sounds like a good place to do that! Thanks!

We did end up wearing jackets in the evenings at the Grand Canyon. If you don't want to pack one, then they have a nice light green windbreaker for women that was only $23 in the gift shops. I took a jacket, but I bought one there too! The prices for shopping at the Grand Canyon were pretty good.

That is good to know. We've been looking at the weather forecast and trying to figure out if we would need one.

Also, when you go to Monument Valley you'll have a chance to get some jewelry from the Navajos. A lot of it was marked prices like '$3.00 each or 4/$10.' Have cash available for this day.

Erin and the kids will be happy to hear this! They were hoping they would get a chance to get some jewelry.

 

[tchrrx]

Hey, isn't the El Tovar the place at the Grand Canyon? Is there one at the Sedona resort, also? How *was* the resort? I think this is the first year they've stayed at Enchantment Resort for this trip.

Sayhello

Oh! You're right. El Tovar is at the Grand Canyon. The wonderfully delicious restaurant at Sedona was called Che-Ah-Chi. With food that wonderful, you would think that I'd remember the name!



ETA: Regarding the ATV trip- We were able to book this at the front desk at Red Cliffs Lodge when we arrived. Be sure you take old pants and an old shirt. If you hit through the river like DD and I did, then you'll never get those clothes clean again. It was SO worth it though!

 

[Bobo912]

Quote:
Originally Posted by tchrrx
If you think that you'll want to go horseback riding or ATVing at Moab, then you'll need to pack some pants. Most of our group did the horsebacking. My family and a couple of other people chose to do the ATVs. I highly, highly, highly recommend it! It was the most fun we had our entire trip!

That sounds like a lot of fun! Do you have to book them now or can you sign up when you get there?

On the bus ride to Red Cliffs Lodge, the adventure guides pass around a sign up sheet for the activities at Moab - ATV, Hummer tour, rapelling - and they will book it for you. I don't think the horseback riding was on the sign up sheet, since it takes place at Red Cliffs. I think people just signed up once we arrived, but I'm not 100% sure, since we didn't ride. We did the ATV and Hummer. Both were fun, but the ATV was the best.

 

[MiceRNice]

Thank you for the packing tips and tour advice, Tchrrx! I was wondering...we're already taking a couple of ATV tours with Disney. I was thinking of doing something different in our free time. How did the ATV tour you took on your own differ from the other ones and why would you recommend a third excursion?

Which anniversary are you and Erin celebrating, Keith? (I'm planning my parents' 50th right now...we'll be at Strathcona Park Lodge on Vancouver Island the day after we get back from the Grand Canyon for festivities!)

 

[tchrrx]

Thank you for the packing tips and tour advice, Tchrrx! I was wondering...we're already taking a couple of ATV tours with Disney. I was thinking of doing something different in our free time. How did the ATV tour you took on your own differ from the other ones and why would you recommend a third excursion?

Which anniversary are you and Erin celebrating, Keith? (I'm planning my parents' 50th right now...we'll be at Strathcona Park Lodge on Vancouver Island the day after we get back from the Grand Canyon for festivities!)

The ride in Sedona is a Jeep ride. You'll ride along with about 5-6 other people. In Monument Valley you'll ride in a large open truck with about 15-20 other people.

The ATV that we did in Moab, you were in control of your own 4-wheeler! My DD is only 12, but they had two seaters so that she could ride behind me. You get picked up at the resort in a van that is pulling a trailer full of 4-wheelers. Then, you drive out to a spot and put on helmets. After a very quick how-to lesson, you are ready to go! There is a guide that you follow up a trail. There are many corners and banks that you drive on. There are also several opportunities to drive through water. DD and I were the only girls on our trip. The guys flew around corners, but we took it a little slower. On the water, however, the guys went slower so they didn't get as wet. DD and I gunned it to see how muddy and nasty we could get! It was so much fun to be out in the open and in control.

 

[keithbpatterson]

Which anniversary are you and Erin celebrating, Keith? (I'm planning my parents' 50th right now...we'll be at Strathcona Park Lodge on Vancouver Island the day after we get back from the Grand Canyon for festivities!)

50 years - wow! This is only our second anniversary. We are a "sleepless in seattle" type of story.

The ATVs and the rappelling both sound very fun and both restaurants sound great.

The day we go to Monument Valley it looks like we are on the bus for a long time. Are there lots of sites to see and frequent stops or should we bring a good book to read?

 

[tchrrx]

All of the rappelling excursions that we saw were too long to fit into our free time.


On the way to Monument Valley, you will be on the bus for 3 hours. Then, you'll be off for lunch and the 'open truck' tour. Then, back on for another 3 hours. During this time, a kids movie was playing on the coach. I used that time for a nap. DH uploaded pictures onto his iPad. I would definitely recommend having something to stay entertained and comfortable.

 

[keithbpatterson]

That is good to know! Thanks for the info!

I just read through all of the trip reports and took lots of notes!

My girls want to go to the spa at the enchantment resort.Does anyone know if there is a sign up sheet for that or should I call and make reservations?

 

[MiceRNice]

Looking forward to meeting the Patterson family and toasting your second year together (cotton?). Looks like we have something in common...Michael and I also took the Viva Italia ABD. We've sailed to Alaska past our house on the Wonder with the ABD add-on (and cruised the Caribbean on the Magic), and I spent New Year's at Aulani. We were just in New York at spring break and absolutely loved it!

I'm curious...you don't mention Paris Disneyland in your blurb. Did you not go there?

The spa sounds amazing!

karen

 

[keithbpatterson]

We are looking foreward to meeting you guys too. We want to do Aulani and the Alaskan Cruise too so you'll have to fill us in on those trips. They sound great.

We loved Viva Italia. The people we went with were so nice. Knights and Lights was fun too. We didn't go to Disneyland Paris unfortunately during that trip. I should have added it on but I didn't think about it until we got there.

We live about 2 hours south of New York City. Just close enough to visit when we want and just far enough away to miss the commuting traffic! It's great for the holidays. We go up to see a show every so often too.

 

[keithbpatterson]

I looked up the menu for the Chi-Ah-Che at the Enchantment resort in Sedona. It looks very yummy! I made reservations for Tii Gavo instead (July 31st at 6:30 in case anyone wants to join us!) because I think my kids will like that food better. I also made the girls spa reservations at 4:15 at Mi Amo. A little pricer than we are used to in NJ but it is a lifetime experience!

I tried making reservations at El Tovar for 8/2 but I got a voice message. I think I am going to make them late - like around 8pm since Erin wants to do a little hiking that afternoon.

Full Moon Rising in the Grand Canyon at 7:50pm on August 2nd! Might be a good photo op!

 

[MiceRNice]

I made El Tovar reservations for 7. They responded to my reservation request by e-mail and phone. That is great about the full moon!

I had in mind the Elote Cafe at the Kings Ransom Sedona Hotel night 2, because Michael favours Mexican cuisine. No reservations for that one.

I was going to book the afternoon horseback ride in Moab day 6. I'm not going to bother with spas on this trip, being with my teenaged son. They have an amazing spa at Aulani, with a unique teen spa component your daughters would be sure to enjoy (sigh).

Michael and I were just in Seattle for the weekend...saw Les Miz. He's now off at film camp in L.A. I'll be joining him at the end of camp for the showcase, before our Grand Canyon adventure!

Do you know how close we end up to the fires in Colorado?

 

[tchrrx]

When you are in Sedona, you stay quite a ways outside of town. You will have to call a cab if you eat anywhere other than Enchantment Resort.

Horseback riding would probably be fun, but if your son is at least 16, he might prefer the ATV trip. It was so much fun!

 

[MiceRNice]

I wondered about the restaurant. Our booklet said our guides will be "happy to make arrangements for a meal...in town", so it seemed like a valid option. My son recently informed me he doesn't care for southwestern food (and he had lamb's tongue in Seattle so I allow his discretion whenever possible)...I guess I'll play this one by ear.

I'd be first in line for the ATV and would like to gallop through the desert, too. My son doesn't take risks of any sort so I'm envisioning our horses chained together and moseying along for hours.

 

[keithbpatterson]

I didn't realize that the enchantment resort was far from town. That is good to know! I was going to try to look around while the gals were "spa-ing".

I think we are going to go ATVing. At Moab. I told everyone to pack some "disposable clothing".

I think our El Tovar reservations are at 7:15.

We leave two weeks from today! Yay! (we are going to spend a few days in Tucson before the trip)

 

[MiceRNice]

I just noticed the horseback rides in Moab leave at 8:30 or 4:30. I'm guessing the later time will conflict with the group dinner that evening?

We were also going to explore the town at Sedona for the afternoon. I think we'll probably stay for an early supper if it's far from the resort.