The Grand Canyon

Late Friday afternoon, depart from Phoenix and drive two hours to Flagstaff via I-17. Arrive and settle into your hotel (may I recommend the Hotel Monte Vista?), then go explore Historic Downtown Flagstaff. Indulge in some of this stuff.

Early Saturday morning, depart from Flagstaff and drive the additional two to two and a half hours to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Enjoy a late breakfast or early lunch in El Tovar’s dining room. If you’d like to stay at El Tovar, plan your trip early and make your reservations well in advance. If you can’t stay right on the rim, chain hotels such as Best Western and Quality Inn are five to ten minutes away from the South Rim entrance. Take the afternoon to explore the short day trails such as the Rim Trail and the Bright Angel Trail. Enjoy the sunset over the canyon, and linger outside the lodge to see the stars come out.

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One of the great things about living in California is our proximity to both the mountains and the beaches. In fact, just last month I mentioned our plans to hit a local beach to a friend of mine, which prompted him to relate to me his family’s plans to head up to Lake Tahoe that same weekend for some spring skiing. Only in California, baby.

Anyway, the girl had wanted to do a beach trip with her friends for quite some time, so on the recent Spring Break holiday we loaded up five girls and made the short jaunt to Stinson Beach.

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The Hotel Monte Vista in Flagstaff, Arizona.

On the last weekend getaway that my husband and I took to Flagstaff, Arizona, we decided to stay at the Hotel Monte Vista. This historic hotel opened on January 1, 1927. It is located in the heart of downtown Flagstaff, within walking distance to much of the dining, bars, shopping, and entertainment that the mountain town has to offer. And, if you don’t feel like walking anywhere, Rendezvous and the MVLounge offer snacks, drinks, and live entertainment right on the property.

There are some things to consider about staying at the Hotel Monte Vista. It is a VERY period-centric hotel, so don’t expect top-of-the-line luxury. Our room, the very mauve Gene Tierney room on the 4th floor, had a very comfortable king bed, a table with chairs, and a dresser. There was a house phone and an alarm clock, and a flat screen television on one wall. The room’s two windows looked over the roofs of the buildings behind the hotel, but the San Francisco Peaks could be seen beyond them. The sink was located on one wall of the room, with the bathroom door right next to it. The bathroom was MAYBE six feet square, and the shower (no tub, natch) was just about the smallest one I’ve ever been in. The room was clean enough, though not what I would call pristine. The blinds on the windows definitely needed either a deep cleaning, or replacement. Still, we were comfortable enough, and amused more than inconvenienced by the hotel’s idiosyncrasies.

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A path among the yet-to-bloom mesquite trees in Catalina State Park.

A few weekends ago my husband and I drove about an hour and a half south of where we live, to an area just north of Tucson known as Oro Valley. Among other things, we wished to hike the Catalina State Park. So we got up early on Saturday morning, showered and packed and did all the things homeowners (and pet owners) do when they’re going to be gone for a 24-hour period of time.

We arrived at the CSP right at noon – which, upon reflection, wasn’t the best time of day to start our hike. The 68-degree weather was lovely, but the breeze barely provided a defense against the direct sunlight and lack of shade. Plus, the harsh sunlight is not ideal for photography. Still, we weren’t altogether miserable, were sun-blocked up, and had plenty of water. So after a cursory look at the “Wildlife Display” (which featured a half dozen various snakes, a few gila monsters, and some pelts) we addressed the trail map and set off.

I wrote a recent entry about our hiking experience, along with my first attempt at a video blog, which you can view here.

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