My family and I just came back from an amazing 10 day vacation out west. We hit the San Diego Zoo, Disneyland, Joshua Tree National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, and Las Vegas. Today, I want to talk to you about the Grand Canyon portion of our trip.
I have two young boys (5 and 2) and I thought they would love to take the train into Grand Canyon South. We drove to Williams, Arizona and stayed overnight at the Grand Canyon Hotel and the next morning we took the train (2.5 hour scenic route) into Grand Canyon Park. We then took the Grand Tour via bus, which included lunch at the Maswik Lodge and several stops along the rim. We stayed overnight at the Maswik Lodge. On day 2, we took the free shuttle and took a beautiful walk along the rim trail stopping at Hopi House, which has beautiful Native American artwork, jewelry and other handmade items, and Verkamp’s Visitor Center, where my kids were able to get their Junior Ranger badges.
The Junior Ranger Badges are super easy to get. Stop with any ranger and ask them for a junior ranger book. The kids then fill out several portions of the book and then once complete they can turn it into a Ranger at any of the visitors centers and they get sworn in as junior rangers and get a keepsake badge. It was super fun for them and I highly recommend it!
After lunch, we took the train back to Williams, AZ ate dinner at the restaurant in the Grand Canyon Hotel (which was also included) and went off on the final leg of our trip.
Some important things to know. The train from Williams, AZ only heads to the Grand Canyon once a day in the morning and heads back from the Grand Canyon once in the afternoon. You can opt to take it all round trip in one day or you can opt for an overnight stay. I really recommend the overnight stay, as one day you will only have a few hours at the Grand Canyon, which is nowhere near enough. Honestly, even an overnight stay, you can not hit everything. If you opt for an overnight stay, your checked luggage gets dropped in the hotel lobby the morning of your train ride and meets you in your room in Grand Canyon National Park. On the morning of departure, all you have to do is call bell services and they will come pick up your luggage and it meets you back at the train depot in Williams, Arizona.
I won’t lie, I was nervous about taking my kids. I knew the 8 year old would be fine, but I was worried about the 5 and 2 year old, but they still had a blast! If you have young kids and are wanting to go to the Grand Canyon, don’t hesitate, and just do it! The best part, your favorite travel agent is available to help you plan every aspect of this trip for the most memorable experience!
Your Bibbidi Bobbidi Bestie,
Holly
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