Steal my vacation: Grand Canyon and Southwest

 
I have never been to the Grand Canyon. It didn't seem like such a big deal, but now in my 40s, it started to feel like an oversight. Also, my kid learned about the Mesa Verde in second grade, and has been wanting to see it ever since, so I figured we could spin the two things into one trip, since the Mesa Verde is pretty much in the middle of nowhere. 

I'm going to warn you up front: this was definitely a trip, not a vacation, but pretty worth it. Also, now I've done all the research, so you don't have to. 

When: We went during Spring break, which was mid-April this year. The weather REALLY ranged on our trip, from a high of 100 degrees in Phoenix to 30 degrees at the Mesa Verde. You want layers and lots of them. Every time I pack for a trip, I look obsessively at the weather, of course, but I also imagine what is the warmest I'll be and the coldest I'll be, and ensure I have clothes for both. Packing for this one was really tricky because I am adamant about carry-on only, and I packed both a wool hat and a bathing suit. (Okay, fine, I always pack a bathing suit no matter where I go because a) it takes no room and b) if there is an opportunity for swimming, I'm taking it. But I also packed shorts.)

Packing (aka buying): Generally I wear the same Everlane t-shirt and green skirt everywhere but since this trip involved some legit hiking, I had to take 17 trips to REI to buy and return things. Just order these key items once and have them delivered: 

• Hiking pants and hiking shorts. Mostly hiking pants fit weird, and look oddly business-like (like they are those shiny black pants you'd wear to an office in the early 2000s?) but these were pretty cozy, while being protective. All of the other ones were dismissed as "too dorky." Also, all shorts are obscenely short on me, but these managed to be reasonable and light.
  
• Sun shirt: Speaking of business-like, why are all SPF shirts patterned after work button-downs? Seriously, I looked like I was going to take orders at a restaurant in most of the options. This REI version was pretty clutch, though, protecting my arms and neck in the direct sun of the Southwest. Thank you, REI salesperson, for warning me that there is no shade in the Southwest and you need sun-protective clothing. (Also, no, I don't know why all outdoors clothing is in such depressing colors. Maybe the good colors are bad for the environment?)
• Rain coat: Somehow I didn't have a raincoat, except for the belted DVF one I got a million years ago that is still the cutest, but not entirely rain-resistant. My plan for "the coldest I could imagine being" was to layer a shirt with a fleece with a light Uniqlo puffer with this Patagonia jacket. It's so many dollars, but I feel like it's something I can buy once and have for the rest of my life? 
• Boots: I did bring my hiking boots which are maybe kind of dorky, but pretty comfortable. Thank you, Wirecutter.
• Day packs: This was the thing I fretted about the most. Alexis got this cutest one, but then I couldn't get the same one because that's just a bridge too far as a gay couple. I tried this version which I loved, but felt too small, and ended up with this one which was pretty good (despite my fear that the drawstring top would be a black hole--it kind of was but it was mostly okay.) But, I'll be honest: it wasn't perfect. 
  
• Misc. We got "not the cheapest because it does make a difference" hiking sticks (thanks, Allegra!), some quick-dry towels, and brought so many water bottles. 

 To do: I tried to keep with the "one thing a day" agenda, but each thing was... maybe pretty long? 

Day 1: Fly into Phoenix (closest direct-flight airport--if you are willing to do connecting, maybe consider Flagstaff, which is only one hour away) and rent a car. Don't wait on that insane line at the car rental place for your minivan--join Avis Preferred and go right down to the cars. Stop in Phoenix for lunch & mini-golf, and supplies at Target, and then drive 3.5 hours from the blazing-hot desert to the cooler desert. 

To stay: We stayed at the Maswik Lodge, in the park because, even though it was eye-poppingly expensive, I read that lines to get into the park can get long, and I didn't want to have to mobilize a group and a minivan every time we wanted to do something. Maswik was one of the few places with rooms left when I booked 10 months in advance, and I was happy with it. It was nicer than it needed to be and very eco-friendly. The food court was also bright and not-depressing and also better than it needed to be, with Kind bars and kombucha. 

(I should also say here that this was the most expensive trip we've taken in a while--even the most moderate of options were pretty expensive. You want an omelet and a coffee at a food court? $20. You want a room in the park? $450 / night. Want to take a tour? That'll be $150 per person. I decided to just go with it, and save up money in advance, but whew I flinched at each cash register.)

Day 2: Take a hike. We started with Bright Angel, which was likely a mistake, since the Grand Canyon is actually relatively high-altitude (6800' above sea level), we started kind of late in the morning, there is no shade, and I didn't realize the value of electrolytes. (Buy some Nuun tabs before you do this hike.) We hiked to the 1.5 mile rest stop, and it really is just 1.5 miles down and 1.5 pretty steep up. There was a lot of child-based whining which was annoying until I realized I'd probably dehydrated my kid. I made up for it with ice cream at the Bright Angel lodge (get the mint chip) and supplemented with Gatorade from then on.

Day 3: Well, I messed up and assumed that because Page, AZ was 70 miles away it would take about an hour to get there. Nope! 2.5 hours. So if I were to do it again, I would do these things on leaving the Grand Canyon, but learn from my mistakes. 

• Horseshoe Bend River Tour: I had wanted to do something on the Colorado, and this seemed like the best thing that wasn't a minimum of 3-nights and $2k (although those look amazing and I want to do them someday). You take a bus for 45 minutes from Page, AZ to the boat launch, and then pile onto a boat of about 20. Our guide, Scotty, was smart and clever and knew a lot about the area and was generally lovely. We floated for a while, saw a big-horned sheep and wild (okay, feral) horses, and gaped at Glen Canyon all around us. At the end, we stopped at a beach for a quick walk to see a petroglyph and the option of a quick swim. The river was 50 degrees, so maybe you don't need to wear your swimsuit. (But you do need to wear your sun shirt.)
• Antelope Canyon tour: Apparently this is the most photographed place ever (?), and was made famous by Windows 7 wallpaper. You can only go with a guide, it's not cheap (I probably don't need to say that every time), and it's stunning. We went with a company (there are lot, and they seem to be mostly the same) that takes you in 4x4 vehicles down a long sand wash. The tour was essentially a series of Instagram photo stops, which was not my style since I had to quit Instagram because it made me feel bad, and our guide kind of threw me off by sharing how if it starts raining you're pretty much going to die, but it was still a magical space. 

Food options are relatively limited in Page. We went to this touristy brewery with passable bar food (and gluten-free buns) where the waiter told us every one in Page was carrying a gun at all times, but if it had been my choice, we would have gone to this chicken place where I'm 99% sure I couldn't eat anything or this barbecue place. Also: check out how many churches are in Page--all in a row!

Day 4: Try an easier hike this time. Take the free bus to Hermit's Rest and then walk the Rim Trail back to the village. I think it's the best hike in the park that I took, and no one is on it except for scattered European tourists. You get to walk through the woods, and turn corners to jaw-dropping vistas out of nowhere. 

Dinners in the park are also limited. The first night, I had scored a reservation for the El Tovar dining room which did, in fact, have delicious food, though everyone was falling asleep at the table. Dinner reservations at the hotel dining rooms open 45 days in advance and let me tell you, they are all taken that day. Put a reminder on your calendar. 

We also ate at the Maswik pizza pub which was... not good (when you advertise GF pizza, there better be GF pizza). And I read the Arizona steakhouse is good, but we missed it. There is also a supermarket near the campgrounds if you get one of those fancy rooms with an economy kitchen. 

Day 5: You can do hard things--like the South Kaibab trail. On the way out of town we did another down and up hike. This one was maybe shorter and less brutal than Bright Angel, but still pretty rough. Really, you just need the Rim Trail. These other trails are just to feel like you are outdoorsy. 

Now, drive (back) to Page to stay in the Under Canvas glamping resort. This was the splurgiest thing I did on this trip, and even though I'm incredibly cheap, I don't regret it. For a cool $700, you get your own tent with private toilet / shower / sink, wood stove, and clear panel above the headboard so you can fall asleep looking at the stars. Do it. The dinner there is also pretty solid, though it feels temporary and provisional, like a seasonal pop-up that might close at any point. The main tent has a gravel area for dining and corn hole and camp-fires and unlimited (yes, unlimited) s'mores kits. And your kid has a reason why they brought their flashlight (it's very dark on the way back to your tent). 

Day 6: explore the canyon and slot canyon on property, and then go to Lake Powell, which looks unworldly. You just drive down to the lake. A lake on the moon where there are freshwater mussels. Now drive to Monument Valley, taking definitely-will-be-blurry photos out the window.

In Monument Valley, there are three options for places to stay: 1) The View, which is Native-owned and in Monument Valley proper and sold out when we were there, 2) Goulding's Lodge (which is maybe not Native-owned?) across the street (aka 4 miles down the road) which is weird and like a motel with a bunch of single-wide stand-alone suites with a restaurant, gas station, grocery, and gift shop, or 3) an AirBNB. Our friends stayed at Gouldings while we stayed at an earthen home on a small farm nearby. I'm biased, but I loved the earthen home--it was like sleeping in a cave that was a hug, and I got to pet new lambs and hang out with their three dogs and horses. That said, we did get locked in the earthen home when sand from a storm jammed the lock, and had to learn to pick it with a credit card. So: pros and cons.

Day 7: Monument Valley itself is a bunch of gigantic, cool rocks, buttes, and formations. We took a sunrise tour which was very early and very cold. It was snowing, and was another tour focused on ensuring you got a set of photographs. In retrospect, I might just start telling tour guides I don't care about taking pictures / have quit Instagram, and they should just text me some photos at the end of the tour. 

Then drive to the Mesa Verde, stopping at the Four Corners monument, because it's really on your way anyway and it's cool enough and yes, it's worth the $8 per person, if only as reparations. Take your picture while standing in four states at once, pee, get a fry bread, and pick up some reasonably-priced handmade goods from local folks. You've still got another hour in the car. 

At the Mesa Verde, there is the Far View Lodge. Stay there or an hour away in Cortez or Durango. The Far View is rustic (no tvs, no wifi in the rooms when we were there, sink outside the bathroom), but the dinner is great. Even on their first day open of the season, the menu was diverse and delicious. 

Day 8: The Mesa Verde is so cool. It is the ruins of a settlement of ancient Pueblo people, with homes built into the cliffs. It is open year-round, but the lodge only opens, well, yes, the day we arrived in April, and opportunities to climb around in the ancient homes don't open until May, when rangers are there. But you can still drive around and do some hikes. I highly recommend the Petroglyph Point Trail, which is about 2 miles along the mountain and then back on the rim. It was off and on sleeting and still so worth it. So many caves, areas to scramble around and over, with the payoff of a set of petroglyphs at the far point of the trail. 

You're tired now, so go to Durango for dinner and a night (with a TV) in a super-weird 1980s-replicating-the-1880s? Doubletree by Hilton. Get tacos and a margarita, let the kids run around the mall area and check out the best game store I've ever been to, before returning the car and flying out of Durango. Pro tip: you don't not need to get there 2 hours early--there are 4 gates. But, sadly, only connecting flights.