GRAND CANYON, Ariz. — When you’re just a six-hour drive from one of the seven natural wonders of the world, it’s a must to take advantage of the beauty and awe of the Grand Canyon.
Our family of four (two adults, two girls) started our trip in Las Vegas, visiting family and viewing the Bellagio water show.
The Grand Canyon website (nps.gov/grca) advises guests to arrive before 9 a.m. to avoid parking headaches, especially during the high tourism season of summer and winter vacations/breaks. We didn’t quite make it that early. The Grand Canyon is a four-hour drive from Las Vegas and, of course, they’re an hour a head of California on Mountain Time, so we arrived just before noon, MST, and we were in the long, line of traffic leading to the check-in gate.
Active military members receive free entry for their vehicles. There is a form to complete on the aforementioned website but on this day—a Sunday during Christmas break—they were not checking for the form, nor requiring it.
Just a heads up, there were no gas or bathrooms stops available for more than an hour, that I remember, as we first left Las Vegas. We finally hit one town about an hour into our ride, so fill up your vehicle and empty your bladder before hitting the road.
On the ride to the Grand Canyon from Vegas, it is simply beautiful during the winter. There was so much snow and sunshine. We passed the Planes of Fame Air Museum, which was about an hour outside of Las Vegas, as well as the Rocks and More indoor and outdoor exhibit, once you get closer to the Grand Canyon (maybe an hour or so out).
During the winter months, only the South Rim portion of the Grand Canyon is open to the public (not the North Rim). Right outside of the South Rim entrance, is the Villages, with a handful of shops, restaurants and hotels (and hotels with restaurants), where you can stop and break/eat before entering the Grand Canyon.
Weather and Clothing
The Grand Canyon is definitely a sight for sore eyes when it’s covered in snow. I didn’t imagine it snowed that much or got that cold in Arizona—but just like Fort Irwin, it’s at a high elevation. There were road closures and cancelations on the day before we went, so if you’re headed there during the winter months, follow the aforementioned website for weather and road updates.
Also make sure to pack accordingly for the snow and low temperatures. It was 25 degrees and the kids wanted to play in the snow. We had gloves, but not water-resistant ones, we had heavy coats and hats, but didn’t bring their boots. They girls had a ball playing in the snow, then complained about not being able to feel their fingers and toes (insert slapping forehead emoji here).
Activities at the Grand Canyon
As soon as we arrived and finished battling the parking lot mayhem, our first stop was the Visitor’s Center. There is a separate Visitor’s Center in the Villages area I mentioned before you drive into the gate. My husband ended up dropping us off while he found a place to park in icy parking lot. It took about 30-45 minutes to find parking.
You can plan your visit on the aforementioned website. When we stopped at the Visitor’s Center, they asked how long we’d be visiting and we were doing a short trip, so she advised us, based off our timing.
We started off with by watching a 15-minute video in their theater inside the Visitor’s Center. We then took bathroom breaks and walked over to the main viewpoint for Grand Canyon photo ops at Mather Point.
The tour guide from the Visitor’s Center suggested we walk from Mather Point to the Geology Museum, which is about a mile away on the Rim Trail. It gave the girls a chance to feel like they were “hiking” this marvelous mountain. We took so many amazing photos and videos during the hike and once we arrived there, the girls had time to defrost and explore all of the science and history in the museum.
Once we left the museum, the tour guide suggested we take a driving tour and provided a great map. It began at Yaki Point and passed back by Mather Point, to the ride by the Bright Angel Trailhead, Maricopa Point, Powell Point, Hopi Point, Mohave Point, Monument Creek Vista, Pima Point and ending at Hermits Rest. We decided not to do the riding tour, due to the icy road conditions but it looks like it’s definitely worth it.
Williams, Arizona
After spending about four hours touring the Grand Canyon, we hopped in the car and headed to Williams, Arizona, where many tourists decide to stay to avoid the high cost of the hotels in the Grand Canyon area. It’s about a one-hour drive and it’s closer to Fort Irwin, which is about five hours from Williams.
Many people actually stay in Williams and take a train to the Grand Canyon, which is about a two-hour ride.
We stayed at the LaQuinta, which was a suggestion from the always handy and reliable “Fort Irwin 411 Travel Page. It has a military discount, a parking space up front for a veteran and is pet friendly. A single, standard room with two, queen beds was $253 for one night, with the discount and after taxes. In comparison, the Grand Canyon Railway hotel was about $450/night with no military discount. (It included the Polar Express and a diner meal for an additional $150 or so total for four people).
Williams is a cute, quaint, little town. We ate at the Country Restaurant, which had a nice, mom and pop, hometown feeling. Williams is even more beautiful when lit up under the holiday lights.
So, I thought our girls—nine and 12 years old— would be too mature for the train ride with Santa (after all, they stopped believing in Santa, elves and the North Pole years ago), but we has a blast dancing in the aisles and singing Christmas carols, while eating cookies and drinking hot cocoa. The staff was also very courteous, inclusive and welcoming.
The Polar Express was $172 for a family of two adults and two children. Coupled with the one night hotel stay, we paid $425, plus the price of our meal and gas—not too bad. It would have been at least $578 if we would have took advantage of the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel package. We dressed in our pj’s and a good time was had by all. You can find out more information on thetrain.com.
The next morning, we headed out early in the morning and didn’t have any traffic on the five-hour drive back. To keep the girls occupied and make it more of an educational experience, I printed activities for them to learn more about the Grand Canyon on the ride to there and back home.