On the Bike:
Okay, let’s just say that the Grand Canyon is a must see stop for anyone who enjoys nature and being outdoors. We heard that the average stay at the Grand Canyon is 15 minutes!!! Take your time, and enjoy the awe and majesty of this natural wonder. We rode the South Rim of the Grand Canyon on a bike tour operated by Bright Angel Bicycles. The Hermit Road tour is a 3 hour 5.5 mile ride on paved greenways and roads closed to public traffic. Perfect for enjoying the view. The ride itself was an easy and comfortable ride, with only one small section where we were riding uphill. Our ride started on time at 9:15am. Our tour included 5 stops along the route for the guides (Kasey, Jen and Serandon) to share information on the geology, history, flora and fauna of the Canyon. Our rental bikes and gear were well maintained and our shuttle van was comfortable. We highly recommend anyone going to the Grand Canyon to check out their website for tour information or do it yourself bike rental adventures.
Other Options we considered:
Sedona E-bike Tours offers several tours. We liked the Red Rock Roundabout, a 3 hour ride with visits to the most popular trail heads and rock formations and a visit in the Chapel of the Holy Cross.
Sonoran Outdoor Adventures offers a great looking fat bike tour on the Sonoran Desert. A 4 hour ride that just sounds like a lot of fun. Maybe next time?
Off the Bike:
Day 1 – We arrived in the early morning at Phoenix Sky Harbor International and headed straight to the Petrified Forest. Hey, why not? After a longer than expected drive, awesome wandering around the petrified forest trails and driving through the painted desert, we had a later than expected lunch, at a truck stop Subway (we were starving by that time). Back on the highway and on to Flagstaff.
Flagstaff was home base for nights 1 and 2.
Day 2 – So what did we do before the Grand Canyon bike ride? We caught sunrise from the South Rim, of course! We got up early (4:30am) and drove from Flagstaff to the park and made it in time to see an amazing sunrise.
Sedona – evening for dinner
Day 3 – Sedona for breakfast at The Coffee Pot (Home of 101 omelets). We we pleasantly surprised to discover a pop up art fair and a working art glass shop/factory. Beth bought an amazing coral coat, a glass heart pendant and a neat pair of crystal earrings at the art fair. After a great morning in Sedona, it was south on the highway to Chandler to spend time with my Aunt Cynthia. We decided to try and find the Sonoran Desert while we were driving south. We drove through the desert??? We saw a sign at one point, just never found a trailhead or information center. Finally arrived in Chandler. Aunt Cynthia’s house and neighborhood were great and her hospitality was awesome. We told family stories late into the night.
Day 4 – Diamondbacks against the Padres. Diamondbacks won!
Day 5 – Our Southwest flight plan for day 5 was changed due to the cancellation of our original flight. We had all morning on day 5 to recover from the go, go, go of the previous four days.
Here were some suggestions that we received from a St. Louis foodie friend of ours that we will have to check out next time we go…
The Lumberyard Brewing Co. in Flagstaff – a microbrewery in a former lumberyard building
Verde Café in Camp Verde – great for breakfast
Frasher’s Smokehouse – ask for the St. Louis menu (the owner is from St. Louis)
Butters Pancakes & Café in Scottsdale – great breakfast spot (Keto friendly???)
Perk Eatery in Scottsdale – featured on Triple D, probably a must for us to find
Portillo’s – wouldn’t you know it! It’s a hot dog place from Chicago. A list of suggestions on where to eat wouldn’t be complete without at least one. Our friend really loves hot dogs!!!
The Salt Cellar in Scottsdale -Arizona’s only underground restaurant. Our friend says this one is a bit pricey.