Day 2: Traveling to Denali National Park

The best part of the 4 hour time difference between eastern time and Alaska time is that you are up early and ready to go!  It also helps that there are over 20 hours of daylight at this time of year in Alaska.  So on Day 2 we were up and ready to go.  After a quick breakfast at the Homewood Suites we headed out on Alaska Route 3 to start our adventure!

Driving to Denali National Park

I want to take just a moment to point out a few things about Alaska:

1.The roads are regular 2 lane highways, paved (for the most part...unless you hit road construction).  

2.  The main cities look like cities anywhere.  They do have a little more of a "wilderness look" to the buildings and the scenery is amazing!  

3.  There are not mounds of snow everywhere.  Other than on the mountains, we did not run into snow anywhere.  It's summertime and Alaska temperatures can get into the 70's.  The weather does change rapidly and it does rain in the summer so make sure that you wear layers and have some water repellent clothing with you.  One of the things that really struck us was how green and lush everything was.  

Making the Drive to Denali National Park

The actual drive to Denali National Park was very interesting.  The roadway was a two lane paved roadway with normal speed limits.  Traffic was not heavy.  We planned on just making the drive for the second day and it was a good thing.  This state is huge!  It takes quite awhile to get from one place to the next.  There are several places to pull over and take in the surroundings but there are not a whole lot of places to eat! So pack up your snacks and plan the better part of a day to get to your destination!  

Since my Aunt and Uncle had lived in Palmer, Alaska years ago, we took a small detour and headed through the town that they called home.  It was about a half hour detour but gave us some insight into the towns of Alaska.

Scenery on the way to Palmer

The town of Palmer, Alaska

You don't see these in Ohio!

After a brief tour of the city, we drove back to the Alaska Route 3 and continued our trek North.  Next town was Wasilla and that was about the last of the real towns for awhile so if you need to stop and get gas or pick up some food/snacks...this would be a good place to do so.

Talkeetna

After having read the travel guides, we decided to make a stop in Talkeetna, Alaska.  It was a few miles off the main roadway but the promises of a small, quaint, town with some gift shops and places to eat along with a  promise of a great view of Mount McKinley or Denali as the native refer to the great mountain.  Talkeetna turned out to be a bit of a disappointment for us to be honest.  

It certainly was a small, quaint town:

With Gift Shops:

And places to eat:

However, by the time that we arrived, the weather had taken a turn for the worse and it was now drizzling and there was absolutely no view of the mountain at all.  We also didn't find the small city to be all that friendly. We went into a few of the gift shops and they were small and very nice but the owners/employees really didn't go out of their way to make you feel welcome or provide much information about their city.  In fact in some ways you felt that you were intruding on their city.  Maybe it was just us or the dreariness of the day but it was the feeling that we got.  It did look like they did have a lot of helicopter and small plane tours that were available from this area to see the mountain...again with the weather that day, I didn't see anyone in line for the tours.  

We looked around a little bit and headed north.  This was about a 30-45 minute stop for us.  I'm sure others could spend longer so make sure you plan the time if this is somewhere you would like to make a stop along the way.

McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge

A little further on down the road, we were still in search of a glimpse of the great mountain and by this time some food...since we were a bit too early for lunch in Talkeetna.  Again, food was at a premium as 

there was little gas or food to be found during this part of the drive.  We saw a sign for a road called McKinley View Drive and figured what the heck....maybe we could see the mountain and stop at the Lodge for some food.  Since the cruise lines are such a big part of Alaska tourism, Princess Cruise Line has built several Lodges to house their guests.  We had made reservations at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge for the next two evenings so we decided to check out the sister Lodge here and see how it was.  First thing you notice is that most visitors arrive by busload and are part of a land and sea cruise option.  So people arrive in large groups and if you haven't made a reservation, you may be out of luck in some of the dining areas.  This was the case for us at the first restaurant that we tried.  We were able to find a table at the bar/grille restaurant.  Our food was good...a bit pricey...but considering that there was nothing else around...we had no problem with the prices.  There were restrooms available and viewing areas where you could see the mountain.....well on a clear day you could see the mountain.  Since our day was still cloudy and drizzly...no luck with the viewing but we did get some nice views of the Alaskan Mountain Range.

The views were beautiful and I'm sure would have been even more majestic had Denali been out that day!  We stopped at several pullouts around the area of the Lodge to try to see if we could see anything but without much luck.  It got to be kind of funny because we kept looking to the area where the signs and had the Mountain labeled among the other peaks  of the range and we weren't sure whether we could see the mountain or not! We had just decided that the peak in the distance was "it" when a local person began telling some visitors where the mountain would be if it was visible!!  Well...guess not!  The pictures are really hard to decipher as mountain peaks tend to look a whole lot alike!  

We finally stopped at one pullout and there was painted picture of what you should be able to see of the mountain from there....the north and south peaks.  After about 15 minutes staring at the mountain...we saw what we thought looked like the picture they had posted.  However...it could have been an illusion by that point!  Here is what we believe with no particular certainty...may be the peaks of Denali:

The peaks of Denali???

Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge 

About 4:00 PM or about 10 hours after we left the Homewood Suites in Anchorage, we pulled into our home away from home for the next few nights...The Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge.  As stated above, this is one of the properties owned by Princess Cruise Lines and is one of the stops on their Land and Sea option.  The property is huge and is located in an area referred to as "Glitter Gulch".  It's a small strip with a plaza with small gift shops and a gas station.  Nothing fancy but more than is in other areas.  There are several Lodges in this area and many of the cruise lines use them for their passengers.  Again, when we arrived, we were greeted by busloads of passengers that were arriving for the evening.  Check in was quick and easy however.  They had customer service employees that were set up to help with the tour planning and we were easily able to check on our tour times and meet locations for the following day.  

We were in the Grizzly section of the Lodge and it was a bit of a walk from the lobby but not that bad.  They do offer a shuttle for guests to get to their rooms and they do a really good job of moving the cruise passengers' luggage to and from the busses and getting them where they need to be.  

Our Building at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge

The buildings are rustic looking and the rooms are pretty basic.  You know when the only amenity is a "hair dryer in room" it's not a plush resort!  Our price was about $320.00 per night so it's not cheap to stay here but if you are looking for something that is nice, clean and close to the park, it's a great place to stay.  The grounds were beautiful and the lobby was very nice.  Rooms had two double beds, a bathroom and sink area, and a small table and old style TV with 14 channels...one of which is the Alaska Channel.  Again, nothing fancy but clean and comfortable.

Our room at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge

The main areas were very nice and well themed for the area.

They had several restaurants.  One of the restaurants is a dinner theater.  We had read several reviews advising against seeing the show and so we avoided that.  They had a pizza place/bar and grill and a more upscale restaurant called the King Salmon.  We ate there both nights and I had the most amazing dinners I have ever eaten.  The first night I had the King Salmon and it was absolutely amazing and the second night I opted for the Alaskan King Crab Legs.  They were the biggest crab legs I had ever seen!

Alaskan King Crab Legs at The King Salmon Restaurant

Our servers were friendly and were very informative and the dinners were satisfying and tasty.

The Lodge area also had several small gift and specialty shops and made for something to do during your down time.  The main area had a cafe with the best Cinnamon Rolls and coffee and a great gift shop that was fun to look around.  There was also free WIFI in the main building so it was a nice place to go and sit and catch up on the world. Phone service from our room was a bit iffy!

Gift Shop at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge

Cafe Area at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge

The cafe also offered packed lunches to order for your tour the next day.  We took advantage of this and while a bit pricey...we were very happy that we had them the next day!!  More on this later!

After all the driving and getting our bellies full and our email checked we were ready to head to bed for the next day at the Park.  Since we were even further north than Anchorage...the days were even longer but we were so tired even the sunlight at midnight couldn't keep us awake!

Coming up Next:  Our Day at Denali National Park

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Day 1: Traveling to Alaska

The Location:

The first thing I would say about traveling to Alaska is that it's far....really far...away!  In order to get there we had a 5 hour flight from Cleveland to San Francisco, a 5 hour layover in San Francisco and then a 5 hour flight from San Francisco to Anchorage.  4,179 air miles and 15 hours later...you are in Alaska!  For some reason I guess I never really looked at the state on a real map....oh yes I have looked at the state of Alaska but it was always in a little inset box at the bottom of the map of the continental United States!  Take a look if you haven't.  It's really far West and it's really far North.  I guess what put it into perspective for me was that it is actually north of the Yukon (Canada) and on a direct line with Maui in the Hawaiian Islands!  So yes....it does take a long time to get there!

The Players:

This vacation was one that was entirely personal travel for all of us.  My husband and I took our 22 year old son with us on this one.  After all...how often do you get to go to Alaska?

The Flight

This was one of those trips that we decided to use some of my husbands miles he had accrued from business travel to upgrade the three of us to First Class.  Our rule of thumb is that if it's a long trip, it's worth it to us to use the miles for the upgrade rather than save them for a free trip.  For us...this means....trips to Hawaii, sometimes the West Coast and now definitely Alaska.  The extra room and the fact that you get actual meals in First Class are definite perks.  In addition to the travel time, we had an hour and a half drive to airport to consider as well as factoring in time for getting through security and being in plenty of time to board.  My husband is always concerned about getting there in plenty of time so we were up by 3:45 AM EDT and headed to the airport by 5:00 AM for our 8:34 AM Flight.  We had time to relax in the United Lounge (again.....perks are great and we try to take advantage of as many of my husband's business perks as we can!) and have a little snack before boarding our flight to San Francisco.  The flight was uneventful.  Nice breakfast.  Great service.  Time to doze off a little bit since we were pretty tired from our early wake-up call.  The only issue that I had was that my seat was in constant recline!  I would push it to sit up, let the button go and boom I was fully reclined.  Kept trying to get it to stay.  Pulled on it....tugged it.  Nothing.  Now I know why they tell you to make sure your setbacks are in the upright position when taking off.  You are staring at the ceiling of the plane the entire time you are taking off and climbing!!!!  Finally after we level off I am able to get the stupid back to stick in an upright position and it stays till I use the restroom!!  Then the same thing again.  Not sure what was up with the seat but I have to say I wasn't unhappy to leave it behind!  Only me!!!  'We did land early at SFO and were able to catch a quick lunch before heading into the United Club there.

Couple things about the airport in San Francisco:

 1.  I have NEVER been there when it hasn't been busy, the gates crowded and people trying to find seats anywhere they can.  Often times this means sitting on the floor or on the sides of the people movers!  If you see a seat anywhere near where you want to be.....GRAB IT!

2.  When you are in San Francisco...even if it is just in the Airport....it is a must to have the Clam Chowder in a Bread Bowl from Boudin's!  Well worth the wait and tasted so yummy!  Just screams San Francisco to me!

It's not San Francisco without a Bread Bowl with Clam Chowder!

After our quick lunch sitting on a sofa in the middle of the airport (you can't take food into the United Club!) we headed off to the lounge to recharge our electronics and relax until it was time to board our flight to Anchorage.  We still had about 4 hours to wait so we settled in.  I must say that the United Club at SFO was amazing.  It was very large, had quiet areas if you wanted to work or rest or louder areas if you wanted to watch TV.  Just a reminder.....I had purchased the Belkin Mini Surge Protector to take with me on this trip.  This was the first place that I put it to use and boy was it great!!  The lounge was crowded, just like the airport, so outlets were at a premium.  You can't come off of a 5 hour flight and prepare for a second 5 hour flight without charging all your electronics and this little handy dandy device was just perfect!

About an hour or so before our Anchorage flight was ready to board, we headed out of the club and off to our gate.  Tip: Always make sure you leave the lounge in plenty of time because sometimes they are not located near the gate your need to get to for your departure.  

We got to our gate in plenty of time and everything seemed to be on time....or at least that's what the departure board indicated.  Well.....sometimes departure boards aren't always correct!  Our first indication should have been that the airport personnel didn't seem to have a clue how to board people onto the flight!  It was bad...I mean I was ready to start doing the boarding calls myself!  We get on the plane and are seated.  We are asked about our pre-flight drink. (Another perk of first class) while the rest of the passengers are boarding.  Our flight crew looks a bit like something out of the movie Deliverance and were a bit scary but heck....we were on our way to Alaska! ....or not!  We sat and waited and the airport personnel started to come aboard.  Then maintenance people started coming aboard.  We sit and sit.  Finally someone makes an announcement that the co-captain has been delayed on his incoming flight and we were waiting for him.  Ok....get that....need a co-pilot.  No arguments!  About a half hour later the co-pilot comes running on board, runs into the lavatory and heads into the cockpit.  Ok...ready to go right?  Wrong!  Maintenance is fixing a seat in the back of the plane as well as a problem with the plane itself.  Ok....don't want to fly in a broken plane so we sit and sit some more!  Finally after about an hour of waiting in the plane we now had both a co-pilot and a clear maintenance report!  Off we go...next stop Alaska...finally!

This flight turned out to be pretty good after we finally got into the air.  Dinner was good and the flight attendants were generous with the free wine!  I think they wanted everyone to sleep!  We were actually able to make up quite a bit of the lost time and landed pretty close to the time we were supposed to land without the delays.  I did have time to talk to a couple of the flight attendants on this leg.  They had to fly the SFO-Anchorage leg and then load up and head from Anchorage to Chicago on a red-eye!  Ok...that would be pretty horrible and a really long night.  Sometimes as passengers I think we tend to forget that the flight attendants might be tired too!

The last 30 minutes of our flight was absolutely amazing. I have never seen anything like the views from the windows as we approached Anchorage.  You are over ocean and then all of a sudden this:

At this point....as tired as we were....there was nothing that was going to take our eyes off of this wonder!  We quickly pulled out the camera and started snapping pictures before we started our final descent.  I have never seen anything like this before....this was Alaska!  It was as if we were landing in a foreign country!  The strangest thing was that it was 8:30 PM Alaska Time (4 hours time difference) and it looked like noon...the sun was still so high.  The "Land of the Midnight Sun" was certainly looking 

Anchorage airport is not a huge airport and was quite busy when we landed.  The nice thing about not being large though is that it made finding our baggage carousel and our rental car pretty easy!  The rental vehicles are on-site (well at least for National) and it was a pretty quick pickup!  

Our Hotel

Our hotel for the first night was a Homewood Suites by Hilton that was only a couple miles from the airport.  This is one of the best tips that I can give you.  If you have a long flight, you are going to be very tired when you arrive, choose a hotel that is close to the airport.  This saves trying to figure out the whole area when you are tired and cranky.  We had been up for about 21 hours by the time we checked into the hotel and were ready to just hit the hay as soon as we got into the room.  Luckily we had a small dinner on the flight because we didn't have the energy to go find a restaurant!  

Now as a reminder, because my husband travels for business, he has chosen Hilton as his hotels of choice and this is where the loyalty program comes into play.  Alaska is not cheap.  Everything is expensive there from food to gas to hotel rooms.  In order to cut the cost of our trip, we used our points from other stays to book this hotel as a reward stay.  Tip:  Pay for your cheaper hotels and save your points for more expensive hotel rooms to help cut costs.

We were very happy to get to our room and weren't there all that long except for sleeping and showering and having breakfast!  The first thing we noticed when we arrived was the Alaskan feel that you got as you entered the lobby.

The hotel was very clean, quick service and very friendly.  We quickly headed to our room.  The room was very clean and nice.  I will say that this room was smaller than many Homewood Suites that I have stayed in before.  There wasn't a whole lot of room to store our luggage and the pullout sofa for my son almost didn't pull out without hitting the TV.  Just an observation as the room worked out just fine for us.  Beds were comfortable and really clean and comfortable and outlets to charge our electronics were the three things that we were looking for at this point!  

We got up in the morning for breakfast.  The buffet was nice and was restocked quickly.  It was basic buffet food, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries.  They also had a "make your own waffle" station that was a nice extra but did tend to be pretty crowded.  It was a short but comfortable stay and allowed us to rest up for Day 2 and our trek to Denali National Park.

Next up:  Day 2:  Traveling to Denali National Park

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These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things....My Favorite Travel Accessories

Well the time has come to pack for our latest adventure and I thought this would be a good time to share some of my favorite travel accessories and packing tips with you.  I have actually updated a few items for this trip so while I will clue you in on what they are....I will have reviews on them by the time I get back!

Suitcase

I am a HUGE fan of the rolling duffel.  I have had so many suitcases...hard sides....soft sides....wheels...no wheels....you name it.  I was always in search of the perfect suitcase.  I ran across a rolling duffel several years ago when I was looking in an outlet store.  This was perfect!  The size was perfect.  The pockets were perfect.  Then it broke.  The search has been going on again for the perfect duffel.  I've had several.  Some are too big...some too small. Some have the extra zipper compartment on the bottom.  I believe it's supposed to be for putting shoes or dress clothes in and keeping them separate from the main compartment.  Good idea in theory but in reality the top part is usually pretty heavy and pushes down into the bottom compartment making it virtually impossible to open without flipping the whole top part (and all your clothes) upside down and then wrestling with it in a hotel room because now it's huge all opened up.  Nope....not a good choice for me.  Some of the best ones are a little too large for airline standards so be very careful when you are purchasing one because the total dimensions can easily go over the amount allowed and if you are flying AirTran be assured that they will pull out a measuring tape and measure the bag to be sure that it complies and then charge you a rather hefty fee if it doesn't!

I loved my latest bag and it served me well for several years.  However, it was time to replace it.  The search began again for the perfect bag.  I looked in stores.  I looked online.  The ONLY bag that I found that made me stop and go hmmmmm I like that was one made by Eagle Creek as part of their Ease Collection.  Ok so this bag isn't cheap (it runs $375.00) but it has a whole lot of really cool features.

1.  It is lightweight.  The bag itself weighs only 10 lb. 7 oz. My last duffel was at least 5 lbs heavier than that with nothing in it.  When airlines are charging for anything over 50 lbs....it's really important to have a lightweight suitcase to begin with.

2. It's a great size.  The bag measures 15x30x15 in. This is a total of 60 inches in airline lingo and is under the maximum allowed size.

3. It has two way lockable zippers to secure the main compartment and the front pocket.

4.  It has multiple grab handles for easy grab and go.

5.  It has a TSA friendly lock included to keep the bag secure.

6.  It has rugged wheels and handle for a smooth ride.  It really rolls nicely.  Some bags do not roll well and it can be really frustrating.  This bag is very smooth.  

7.  Slip away luggage tag that won't fall off.

8.  Interior compression straps.

9.  This is the best feature of all.....IT STANDS UP when you stop!  As much as I loved my last bag for the storage, I hated that as soon as I would stop and want to stand it up to check in at the kiosk it would fall over!  There was absolutely no way that it would stand up without finding something to lean it on!  This bag stands up!!!  It actually has somewhat of a frame to it.  It keeps it's shape but is also soft so it can expand.  Because it keeps it's shape, the bag stands on a flat end!  It's great!!

10.  It comes with the Eagle Creek No Matter what warranty.  

This is the first time that I will be using this bag.  I started to pack a couple days ago and right now it is holding about 2/3 of the clothes that I plan to pack and I still have lots of room left.  

Tip:  When using a rolling duffel, make sure that you weigh it before you arrive at the airport.  They hold a lot and it's really easy to go over 50 pounds if you are not careful!

Carry On Bag

Airlines allow you one carry on item and one personal item (such as a purse or backpack).  One of your carryon bags can go in the overhead and the other must fit under the seat in front of you.  What is the best solution for a carry on bag?  Again, I have tried them all.  I have them all!  I have briefcases and laptop bags and roller bags and totes.  You name it...I've tried it.  I admit that I use different ones for different trips but I have found a really good solution recently...at least for me!  Now I don't recommend this for the guys out there but it really is perfect for me!  I purchased a Vera Bradley tote.  The thing is amazing.  It holds everything, doubles as a purse AND fits under the seat in front of me!

More and more people are carrying on bigger and bigger bags due to the ever increasing baggage fees that the airlines impose.  If you have been on a plane any time in the past few years, you know how precious overhead space as become!  Personally, I always check a bag.  If I am flying with my husband or meeting him somewhere, I let him check the bag because he has status with United Airlines due to the amount of business travel he does each year.  If I am traveling on my own reservation I suck it up and ante up the cost for one suitcase.  I can't live without clothes on my vacation and I can't cram them all in a carryon bag unless it's a weekend trip so I just figure it into the cost of flying.  Therefore, I try to put as much stuff in my checked bag as possible and go light on carryon end.  Over the past few years with having the iPad instead of a laptop and a smaller camera (more on these later), I've really been able to cut down the carryon size.  

The Vera Bradley tote holds my wallet, important documents such as itineraries and confirmation numbers, my headphones, my iPad, my camera, extra outlets for charging items, my chargers, and my phone and I still have pockets left!  I have everything I need for my flight in one spot. It's easy to go through security and I don't have to worry about overhead space being available!

This bag was recently on sale for 45.00....retail is slightly higher but keep looking for a sale.  You won't be sorry you made this investment!

Toiletry Organizer

Lewis n Clark Hanging Toiletry Organizer

Here's another area that I've tried many different ways to organize my toiletries with little success.  Oh I've come up with a system over the years but it just never seemed quite right or very efficient.  A girl has to have all her girly stuff with her so.  I'm sure guys have their guy stuff too but my husband seems to get by with just packing his stuff into ziplock bags.  A couple years ago when our travel really started to pick up, I started to invest in toiletries, hair stuff and makeup that I could just keep packed and have ready to go whenever we decided to pick up and go. That makes my life a whole lot easier.  I picked up small travel size (TSA approved sizes) of items as well as empty bottles that I could put my own shampoo and conditioner, etc. in and take with me.  I had a lot of clinique "free gift" bags and started packing those with my toiletries, hair items and make up.  This kept everything in place but I found that I had more and more bags.  When I would pull things out of the suitcase every evening at the hotel I would have to take 5 separate bags into the bathroom with me!!  Unpack them every night....pack them up again in the morning!  It was a vicious cycle!  So for Christmas I decided to buy a hanging travel organizer for my husband. I figured he could try it out and see if he liked it and then I could buy one for myself when we were ready to start traveling again.  Well...he never used it.  He prefers his ziplock bags and has his own system so who am I to try to change that.  So...I have inherited the hanging travel organizer.  I have it packed and ready to go so we shall see how it works out.  It sure seems to keep things in one place and packs up pretty small!

I purchased a Lewis n' Clark bag on Amazon.com.  I believe it ran about $15.00.  Certainly worth a try and I will let you know how it works!

Hanging toiletry organizer folded up to pack

Mini Surge Protector

I just saw a blog by another traveler who mentioned that they found a way to solve the lack of outlets in hotel rooms and airports!  They purchased a mini surge protector!  Now this seems like a wonderful idea!  Everyone has electronic gadgets that have to be charged every night when you get to the hotel and there are never enough outlets to go around.  This is especially true if you are traveling with other family members!  So I went back to amazon.com and bought myself a Belkin Mini Surge Protector for $11.89. It is not really "mini".  It's a full three outlets with two USB ports for charging also.  The outlet prongs do not fold in so they do stick out but the nice thing is that the outlet swivels so you can plug it in to a hard to reach hotel outlet.  It fits perfectly into one of the small pockets in my Vera Bradley Carry on bag too!  Again, we shall see how this works out....more review to come after I use it!

Camera

Yet another area that I have recently tweaked as technology has changed.  I used to carry a small point and shoot digital camera.  Easy to use, easy to carry around....pictures so..so. Then I moved to a Digital SLR.  I currently have a Canon 50D with lenses.  This is my "good camera".  It is great...takes awesome pictures but it is cumbersome to carry around on a trip.  It adds an extra carryon since it has it's own backpack and I don't want to pack it in my checked luggage.

The next step was to downsize to an "in between" camera.  Somewhere between the point and shoot and the DSLR.  Last year, my husband bought me a Nikon Coolpix P500.  (They now have the P510 model with even more zoom capability).  My Coolpix has a 36X wide optical zoom and a lens that is 4.0-144 mm.  It is 12.1 megapixel.  It has auto modes...it has manual modes.....it even has an HD video camera built in!! The best part is that is small and lightweight...a little over a pound at most (including bag, batteries and memory cards) compared to 9.5 pounds for the DSLR! What more could I want?  I have to say as much as I love my DSLR....I LOVE my Coolpix when I travel!!  It is the perfect size, fits in my Vera Bradley Carryon bag very nicely and takes awesome pictures!  

My Nikon CoolPix P500...it's perfect for travel!

The size difference between my CoolPix and my Cannon 50D....what a difference it makes for traveling!

GPS

We use a Garmin as our GPS.  I would not recommend traveling without one.  Just amazes me that we ever found our way around an unfamiliar city without one!  One thing to check before you go is if there is a Garmin law in the state that you are going to visit.  Sometimes there are certain regulations regarding sticking the Garmin (or other GPS device) to the window.  Check out the regulations for the state that you are driving to before leaving home.  Below is a dash mount for our Garmin that can be used instead of attaching it to the windshield.

iPAD

Here is my number one travel accessory.  If I could only pack one thing to take with me.....my iPad would be that one thing!  If you travel and you haven't invested in an iPad or other tablet device...run...do not walk...to the nearest store and get yourself one!  I LOVE my iPad.  It has saved me so much space. has given me so much to do, and keeps me up to date while I am traveling.  I am a reader.....I love to read.  I used to load up my carryon with as many paperback books as I could carry and shove a few more in my checked bag.  There were times that I gave some to the flight attendants just to lighten the load after I had read one!  First thing I bought was a Kindle when it came it out. Loved it....saved space.  I no longer had to pack up lots of books, I simply slid my Kindle in my purse or carryon and off I went. However, I still had to carry my iPod for music and my laptop to process my pictures.  Then came the iPAD!!!   Revolutionary...just like the commercials said!  I bought a First Generation iPad and it was wonderful.  Now I didn't have to take my laptop, I had my books still on my Kindle ap on my iPad, I had access to my music and movies and internet and I even had games that I could play and pass the time on the plane!  I could read and respond to my email or I could ignore my email and simply find the top rated things to see in an area.  

Recently I just upgraded from the First Generation iPad to the "New" iPad (3rd Generation).  Lots of it is still the same but now I have access to a camera on my iPad and I can download apps like iMovie and iPhoto and Photoshop to edit my photos and videos while I am on the road!  This adds a whole new dimension.  

I have an apple keyboard that I used to pack with me and use to write in my blog while I was on vacation.  My son purchased a Brookstone keyboard and cover combined for my husband.  Once again...he didn't use it.....sooooo....It's now mine....at least for this trip.  Again, saves space as I don't have to carry a separate keyboard and it protects the iPad at the same time and props it up for easy viewing of movies while in flight!  I am hoping that this makes it easy to blog while I am gone!  Again, it's a new addition to this trip so I promise a further review when I get back!

iPad with Keyboard and cover from Brookstone

Folds up to be very compact with iPad and keyboard inside.

Camera Connectors for iPad

Here is a little purchase that has really come in handy.  Apple sells connectors for iPads that allow you to connect your camera directly to the iPad or to download the memory card into the iPad. You get both connectors in one kit.  It was a relatively inexpensive purchase (around $30.00 with tax) and it is well worth the money if you take lots of photos while on vacation!

Apple Camera Connection Kit for iPad

Noise Canceling Headphones

These are wonderful!!!  I bought my husband a pair of Bose Over the Ear Noise Canceling Headphones several years back as a Christmas present.  He has raved about them every since he got them.  He swears that they are the best thing a frequent traveler can have. I heard everything he said but stuck with my little earbuds thinking that they were good enough mainly because the over the ear headphones look so huge!  Well Bose came out with an "On the Ear" headphone and my son got me a pair for Christmas last year.  I am kicking myself for not buying these sooner!  These things are amazing!  They really block out the engine noise of the plane and the talking (except for high pitched, loud female voices for some reason!) and the screaming children!  It is so much more relaxing to sit on the plane and watch a movie or listen to music while being in your own little world.  We recently bought my son a pair of "Beats by Dre" noise canceling headphones and he loves them too.  If you travel frequently or for long distances or have ever taken a flight to Orlando you need to add these to your travel arsenal!

Bose Noise Canceling Headphones....a must have for travelers!

Phone

This is a no-brainer but I'm going to add it on here.  You should always have your phone with you in case there is an emergency.  However, if you have a smartphone, it adds a whole different dimension to traveling.  Download some travel apps that will help you travel smarter. For instance, since we fly United, I have the United app on my phone.  It helps with any last minute changes, gate assignments, travel times and other travel information.  Airport info apps are helpful as are hotel apps.  Anything that you think would help you travel smarter and more efficiently are good apps to have.  Your smartphone can also serve as internet access (my iPad is wifi only so the phone is a good option when wifi is not available).  You can use navigation on the phone if necessary also. Make sure you pack any necessary chargers for both the hotel and the vehicle!

Always pack your Smartphone!

Yes I am a true Disney nut....check out my iPhone cover!

Travel Guides

Yes most everything is online now and easy to access but depending on where you are headed, you may or may not have internet access when you need to look something up!  It's also good to have a regular map just in case the GPS doesn't find a satellite!  Many times you can get a local map from the rental car agencies so just ask...it's free.  I always like to look at the Travel Guides for a new destination. I love looking at the pictures and reading about all the places to visit. Again, it's handy to keep with you in case of a lack of internet signal for your phone!  

Ready to Go!

So these are a few of my favorite travel accessories and some new ways to solve some packing problems or at least make packing more space efficient.  My bags are almost packed for our trip to Alaska, Washington and Oregon!  We are doing our last checks on the weather for the time we are going to be there and finalizing our packing.  We are struggling through the last few days of work and looking forward to heading out bright and early Saturday morning!  Be sure to follow me as I take you along with me on our latest vacation!!

Follow me on twitter @travelswithmelb

Next up......heading to Alaska!

Planning our Trip to Denali National Park....and Crater Lake National Park

So summer vacation time has rolled around once again.  It's not like we don't travel during the rest of the year but there is something special about summer vacation.  It's also a time that I pull out my list of places that I want to see but are only accessible in the summer months.  This time we decided to knock a couple of those places off our list....Denali National Park and Crater Lake National Park.  Now these two parks really aren't that close together but hey it's not one of our patented family vacations if they are!

How the decision came about:

So every family has a different way of deciding where to go on their family vacation.  We start out by saying...."So where do you want to go this year?"   Everyone gets to put in their two-cents and we eventually come to a decision. Pretty normal to this point! This is when it starts to go a little crazy! Here's a little insight into what went into our decision this year. 

We actually started out considering a trip to Boston and traveling north to Acadia National Park in Maine.  My husband and I had done this trip years ago but our son hadn't been there. We checked prices for hotels in Boston in the summer and, as you would expect, they were pretty outrageous!  Airfare prices were pretty good.  Things to see and do.  A trip to Fenway Park.  This was a top contender.

The next suggestion was a West Coast trip....flying into San Francisco, heading north to the Redwood Forest and then heading even further north to Crater Lake in southern Oregon and then back to San Francisco.  Then it went to "Well...we could fly into San Francisco, head north and keep going, ending in Seattle and flying back from Seattle."  Then we got to "What about the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington?  Could we manage a couple days there?"  We looked up airfares and hotel costs and checked out attractions that we could see along the way.  The San Juan Islands looked beautiful and had lots of things to do if you are into the outdoors and hiking and biking and WHALE WATCHING. Ok there's the key words....WHALE WATCHING.  If you don't understand why this was a problem for us....read back a few blogs to my entry on Whale Watching!  Been there done that...not so sure the trip to the San Juan Islands was for us.  So I very innocently say....."How far is it to fly to Anchorage from Seattle?"  Well maybe it wasn't quite that innocent because 1.  I REALLY didn't want to go Whale Watching.  2.  I have always wanted to go to Alaska and 3.  It would make my list of states that I've been to....47!!!  One step closer to my goal of seeing all 50 states and a really big one to cross off my list!

So we started to research Alaska....this always leads to the cruise suggestions.  Now I will admit that I have never been on a cruise and for some reason it just doesn't appeal to me that much.  Now I know a lot of cruise people that absolutely love the cruise experience and wouldn't do it any other way.  I'm not trying to put that down at all....it is a great way to travel if you enjoy it and certainly a great way to see Alaska.  Some day I may come around and give the cruising thing a go but for us....it just doesn't seem like all that good of an option.  However, for an Alaskan vacation...we thought we would give it a good look!  There were lots of options with the cruises...lots of different cruise lines offering everything from 7 day cruises around the coast of Alaska to 13-14 day land and sea cruises.  There is certainly lots to choose from and I would highly recommend looking into the options if you are thinking of a trip to Alaska. We ultimately decided against it and here were our reasons....again...these are personal reasons and not meant to apply to everyone...just us....the rooms on a cruise ship are small....we are "space" people....the more space the better.  We do not like to be cramped in a hotel room....let alone on a ship.  Now everyone says that you are never in your room on a cruise ship so it doesn't matter...well...it matters to me!  I am used to a king sized bed in my home as well as a decent sized bathroom.  I don't really want to go on a "vacation" and cram into a double bed and a cube of a bathroom.  I may not be in the room a lot but I will be in there to sleep and get ready for the day!  We did look at larger rooms but even the largest room on the ship wasn't all that large!!!  Ok...so second reason....we really like to travel at our own pace.  We are the people who rent a car at Disney World so we can come and go as we please instead of taking Disney's very efficient transportation system!  Being on a cruise ship and having to travel as a group or at someone else's pace would be very difficult for us.  Third and final reason...we just aren't that social on our vacations.  We like to spend time with each other but really...we don't travel with other people we know let alone don't know!  

So...after ruling out the cruise option...and talking about what we really wanted to see in Alaska, we decided that our "must see" attraction is Mount McKinley in Denali National Park.  I had an Aunt and Uncle who lived in Alaska for many years.  Unfortunately, we were never able to visit them while they lived there and they have since passed away.  One of the last things that my Uncle said to me before he passed was "I hove you make it to Alaska one day."  They lived in the Anchorage area and loved Mount McKinley and Denali National Park more than anything.  This makes for a very personal reason for me to want to visit this area of Alaska.  So it was decided that these were our focus areas for our visit.

The New England trip was put on the back burner for now.  Still an option for a later trip but it isn't dependent on season.  We live close enough to the East Coast that airfares are reasonable and drive times aren't too bad.  Denali National Park is only open in from Mid-May through Mid-September so if we were going to go there it had to be for a summer trip!

Tips:  

1.  Brainstorm places/areas that you might want to visit. Let everyone throw out an idea.  Brainstorming means no one is wrong so feel free to toss out the wildest things possible.

2.  Do some research before you make a final decision.  Check out the areas, the cost of traveling there....airfare, rental vehicles, gas prices if you are traveling by car, hotel rooms and food costs. Weigh your options and know what kind of a budget you would like to stay around so there's no real surprise.  There is so much info out there on the internet to help you plan....get out there and find it!  Half the fun of the trip is the planning!

3.  Know what kind of a traveler you are and what you like and don't like.  Don't make a decision to something just because others love it.  Explore all your options but know yourselves.  

Now you know where you are going....planing an itinerary:

Ok so this is where we are not normal.  We have now decided on a location.  Now this would be "the" location for most people.  Head to Alaska....spend a week and come home.  Oh...no...not with us....this is just the beginning!  

So we started with a flight from Cleveland to Anchorage.  As I've stated before, my husband travels a lot for business and he has accrued quite a few miles with United.  So in order to be able to use the miles he has earned and earn more....we are pretty loyal to United.  That doesn't mean that if there isn't a better deal with another carrier we won't look at it but you have to weigh the frequent flyer miles and perks in there.  Flights to Anchorage were pricey but doable.  

We started discussing our itinerary and the one thing that I couldn't get out of my mind was the desire to go to Crater Lake National Park also.  The two of us had taken a trip to the Seattle/Portland area last October and just didn't have the time to make the drive down to Crater Lake.  Plus it was on the cusp of their season and being able to see as much as possible of the park so we left it on our list of a place that we definitely want to visit.  We started feeling badly that we wouldn't be able to get to this park on this particular trip.  WELL.......

One thing led to another and we started to look at multi-destination flights.....hmmm...really wasn't all that much difference from a round trip to and from Anchorage to Cleveland.  This is how the craziness starts......  By the end of our discussion and planning....we have concocted one crazy plan for our summer vacation.....here's what we ended up with!

Saturday June 23 - Fly from Cleveland to Anchorage.  (15 hours with a 5 hour layover in San Francisco)  Upgraded to First Class for this leg using my husband's mileage!  Definitely worth it for this long of a trip!

Sunday June 24 - Drive to Denali National Park

Monday June 25 - We are doing the 8 hour Tundra Wilderness Bus tour through Denali  (this is the time of year that Alaska has almost 24 hours of sunlight so it helps when planing the bus tour),  

Tuesday June 26  - Heading back to Anchorage and seeing the city

Wednesday June 27 - Heading south from Anchorage to Turnagain Arm and Portage Glacier.  We then have to drive back to Anchorage and make it to the airport in time for our early evening flight from Anchorage to Seattle.

Thursday June 28 - We are heading to Olympic National Park and then driving south to Eugene, Oregon

Friday June 29 - Visiting Crater Lake National Park and then heading north to spend the night in Portland, Oregon.

Saturday June 30 - We are going to visit Columbia River Gorge and possibly a quick trip to Mount Rainier National Park.  These are repeats for my husband and I but new to our son so we would like to make a quick stop so he can see these beautiful areas.  Then we are heading to Seattle.

Sunday July 1 - We are going to head into Downtown Seattle to go to Pike's Market and take in a Mariner's game and finish up with dinner at the Space Needle before heading to the airport for our return "red-eye" flight to Cleveland!

Remember I warned you it was pretty crazy!!!  However....it wouldn't be a vacation for us unless it was this crazy!!

Tip:  Plan your itinerary ahead and keep your options open.

Booking Hotels and Reservations Based on Your Itinerary:

Now that you have your itinerary pretty well set, it's time to take a look at the things you want to do and see and places that you want to eat that require reservations. Book anything ahead that you will be disappointed if you miss.  This can happen during busy summer traveling times as certain things do book up for the times that you want.  

So for instance, we took a look at our itinerary, checked out Tripadvisor.com (always my beginning spot) to see what was recommended in the areas we were staying.  If you have read my blogs you know that due to my husbands travel, we are loyal to Hilton brands and choose to accrue points through them.  For this trip we were actually able to use our points for a couple nights of the more expensive hotels to cut the cost of accommodations.   

We took a look at our itinerary day by day, checked out TripAdvisor and the Hilton Website and booked away.  When we got to Denali...there were no Hiltons!  We checked out the area's lodging options and and settled on a two night stay at the Denali Princess Lodge (we shall see how this experience is....stay tuned!).  So once our Hilton's were booked for the trip, we turned our attention to attractions and dinners.  Since Denali National Park has a short tourist season, tours and lodging fill up quickly.  We are only going to be there for two days so it was really important to plan ahead. We had our lodging but really wanted to do a tour.  We made sure to book that online so we could get the time and date that we needed.  Same thing for dinner at the Space Needle.  We only have one option for making that happen with our tight schedule so we made sure to book that reservation ahead of time.  We are also huge Ruth's Chris Steakhouse fans and no trip would be complete without a visit there so we made sure we booked that dinner for one of our nights in Seattle.

Tip:  Book ahead for any hotels or "must see" attractions to avoid disappointment. You may also get an advance pay internet special price on hotels this way so make sure to check ahead!

And we're off.....

Well almost...a little more than a week left before we embark on our latest adventure.  I'm getting so anxious to get there and to see the wonders that await us.....  I'm not really good on patience so the next 10 days is going to be a killer for me but there's lots to do to get ready still!  I hope that you can come along with me and follow my adventures as we go!

Follow me on twitter @travelswithmelb

Next up.....Packing for our next adventure...my favorite travel items and packing tips!

The Grand Canyon - The Grandaddy of All Atractions

There is nothing that can prepare you for your first view of the Grand Canyon

I'm taking short diversion from our West Coast Adventures  to provide some information on visiting the Grand Canyon as a  dear friend of mine and her family will be making their way there for the first time next week.

Ah.....the Grand Canyon.  The grandaddy of all natural attractions in my opinion! Once you have seen the Grand Canyon it seems as though you compare everything else to it.  I am not sure how many times since our first visit to the Canyon that we have been at another place and someone has made the comment, "It's really great...it's just not quite the Grand Canyon!"  Since our first visit in August of 2003, we have been back twice...."just to make sure it's still there!".  It just never gets old and there is something so reassuring about it being the same yet different each time you see it.   There is a reason that it is one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World.

Our first visit to the canyon was part of a pretty crazy endeavor.  If you have read my first blogs on how we roll you know that we usually choose a part of the country that we want to see, fly to the nearest airport and then travel to everything in that vicinity!  We get to see a lot that way but sometimes it is more of a highlights tour than an in depth study of one attraction! If you have not read my initial blogs, a.  you need to do that and b. now you know that every trip can very easily turn into an adventure!  This was back when we were still refining our style!  To top things off we were taking:  my Dad who was 75. My mom who was 67.  My son who was 13 and my husband and I. Your next question.....What were we thinking????

Well we planned our trip for 10 days.  We flew into Las Vegas because the airfare was lower than Phoenix at the time.  We rented a van and after staying in Vegas for the evening we were off......here are a list of places that we fit into that trip....I laugh every time I think of it!

From Vegas we drove to Hoover Dam and onto the Grand Canyon,  We spent most of a day and a half at the Grand Canyon making sure to see Sunrise and Sunset and then headed out to the East around the Canyon and up to Utah, making stops at Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon and continuing north to Salt Lake City to visit family.  From there we drove through Kemmerer, Wyoming since my dad grew up here and headed up to Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone.  Drove from Yellowstone back to Las Vegas via Idaho.  Now you're saying that this would be enough right?  Wrong...we got to the Las Vegas Airport just in time to catch our flight to Anaheim where we spent 2 days at Disneyland and then flew back to Vegas and took our flight home the next morning!  Insanity at it's best!  We were wondering why the parents were dragging by the end of the trip!

 So let me focus on the Grand Canyon here:

1. The Grand Canyon is BIG!

 Ok I know....."Thanks Captain Obvious" as my son would say.  However....when you are planning a driving trip to the Canyon...make sure you take into account that there is no way to cross the canyon....you have to drive AROUND the Canyon when you are going anywhere!  Therefore when you are thinking that you can get to the South Rim as well as the North Rim...remember that you need to drive half a day to get to the other side!!  When you want to drive to Hoover Dam or from Hoover Dam to the Grand Canyon there are only certain roads that will take you there and it's not a real direct route!!  Plan extra time for drive time than you would if you were on a regular roadway.  Make sure you double check the miles between points and calculate your time and then add on some extra time.  The roadways are not always straight!  Speed limits may be greatly reduced in some cases and you may see something along the way that may cause you to stop and look!  Add to that traffic if you are traveling in the summer.  Crowds are up and roads are often just double lanes with one each direction.

2.  Plan your lodging early especially if you are going during the busy summer months.

There are several lodges at the Grand Canyon:  El Tovar, Yavapai Lodge, Thunderbird Lodge, Kachina Lodge and Maswik Lodge and Bright Angel Lodge.  All provide great views of the canyon and allow you to stay within the park boundaries.  The big thing to remember here is that these lodges were built many years ago, have small rooms and few amenities.  There are also very few rooms in comparison to the hoards of people that visit the Grand Canyon during peak months.  If you want to spend a night or two at one of the lodges, plan ahead...rooms fill up quickly.

If you are like me and prefer a little comfort even at the Grand Canyon then I have some other options for you!  When I see the words, "private bath" in the listing for the lodge as an amenity....I am looking for another option!  While this is great for some people to get close to nature by staying at the Lodge, I don't need to forgo a "private bath" for the experience to become one with nature!  As you know my motto is "Camping is a hotel without room service!"  

We ruled out the lodge option pretty quickly in our case and started to check out local hotels.  There aren't a lot of cities close to the Canyon that offer lodging so prices are fairly high depending on seasonal demand.  Williams offered several choices as did Flagstaff but those are both a significant drive from the park.  We wanted to be sure to see both sunset and sunrise at the canyon so we wanted to be close enough to get there in the early morning.  This is when we fell upon a little town called Tusayan, AZ.  There are about 5 hotels there and it is about 1.5 miles from the entrance to the park on South Rim Drive.  It's a bit further to the rim but really only a 15-20 minutes to drive and park there.  The two times that we have stayed in Tusayan we have stayed at the Best Western Premier.  The first time we had a very spacious room that was very comfortable.  My parents had a comfortable room and got a good nights rest before heading back out on our adventure.  Our second time staying there, we somehow ended up with a suite.  It was just my husband, son and myself on this trip and this room was huge!!!  It had two separate bedrooms, two baths(much better than worrying if I was going to have a private bath included!), a sitting area and kitchen area.  The price was reasonable as we were in the off season during this particular trip.  There is another hotel that looks very nice that is directly across the street from the Best Western.  We went over there for dinner, very nice gift shop and lobby area.  Dinner was decent.  The rooms do not rate as high on sites such as Tripadvisor.com so I would most likely book a room at the Best Western again if I was going to stay in Tusayan.  The third trip to the Canyon we did a little differently.  We booked a hotel in Sedona and took one of the luxury bus tours of the Canyon offered by Pink Jeep Tours. So there are different options but if you want to stay close to the Canyon and don't want to compromise on comfort, I would highly recommend the Best Western in Tusayan.

3. Try to See both Sunrise and Sunset at the Canyon rim

Sometimes this is hard to do if you are on a tight schedule but it is something that you will never regret doing.  We were able to work this in by seeing sunset on our night of arrival and then getting up early and catching sunrise the following morning...continuing through the Canyon area and off on our way north to our next adventure.

Sunset

Sunset

Sunset

Sunset

Sunset

4.  Make sure you dress in layers and take a jacket!

It doesn't matter what time of the year it is at the Grand Canyon, it gets COLD in the evenings and early mornings.  August Temperatures were close to 100 degrees at Hoover Dam when we were there and we were freezing by the end of the day at the Canyon.  Sunrise was also cold but it does warm up as the day progresses.  Remember you are in a dessert climate.  It gets very hot during the day but there is nothing to hold the heat in once the sun sets so make sure you dress appropriately.

Sunrise

Sunrise

Sunrise

5.  Make time to stop and look at the Canyon from various points.

Drive along the roadway or take the shuttle bus if you are there in the summer months and take time to stop and look at the views.  They are amazing and constantly shifting as the angle of the sun changes.  Different overlooks provide very different views and each one is amazing and awe-inspiring so don't miss out!  You can also walk along the pathway near the rim in certain areas.  When we had my parents with us, my dad (always a risk taker) was determined to get as close to the rim as he could!  My mom, the worrier of course stayed as far away from the rim as she could!  She spent the entire time worrying that my father was going to fall over the side.  Luckily nothing like that happened but do be aware of where you are walking.  Falling into the canyon does happen and the chance of  surviving a fall into the canyon 

is very low.  There are railings and bars along the more populated areas but as you get away from those spots, just be sure to watch your footing.

6.  Plan your route.

If you are traveling to the Grand Canyon during the summer months you need to know that you can only drive so far into the park.  The rest of the park is accessible by shuttle bus.  The reason for this is that the crowds are so large during this peak season that the cars have to be limited.  The shuttle bus service is free and runs on a schedule.  If you know this ahead of time and know where the stops are you can plan your time more wisely and not feel so overwhelmed by it.  Here is a link to the National Park Services website which shows the routes and the schedule and provides information for visitors with mobility issues.

http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/shuttle-buses.htm

If you are thinking of making the trek to the North Rim, you will really need to plan ahead.  As I noted above it takes about half a day to drive around the Grand Canyon and down the roadway to the North Rim.  There are only certain months it is accessible due to snowy road conditions and lodging is not nearly as plentiful.  The crowds are less than on the South Rim but it isn't as easy as it might sound to get to the North Rim.

7.  Know about alternative methods of going to the Canyon.

There is a train that runs from Williams to the Grand Canyon and drops visitors off and takes them home. There are various tours and price options available.  The website for this is:

 http://www.thetrain.com/

There are also luxury bus tours such as the one that we did out of Sedona.  There are several vendors who offer tours.  We were very satisfied with ours with Pink Jeep.  We were picked up at our hotel in the morning and dropped off at the hotel in the evening.  It included a stop for lunch at one of the lodges (there are options) and a stop at a Native American gift shop on the way back. Here is the website for Pink Jeep Tours:

http://pinkjeeptours.com/tour/grand-canyon-experience/

I would however not advise one of these tours if this is your first trip to the Grand Canyon.  They are nice but very limited in what you can see.  They are only at the rim for a few hours.  The rest is travel time.  You are also limited to a schedule. It is also fairly expensive depending on what price option you choose.  It was a great way for us to do the canyon for our third trip..like I said to check and make sure it was still there without having to drive it ourselves.  If it's your first time there, I would say to do it yourself.  You will be happy that you took the extra time to do it.  

8.  Other adventures at the Canyon

There are other things to do while at the Grand Canyon.  We did not personally experience these things but I think they are certainly worth a mention in case you happen to be a bit more adventurous than we were!  

Mule Rides:  What review of the Grand Canyon would be complete without at least mentioning the famed Mule Rides.  There are rides from the South Rim which run all year long and rides on the North Rim which run from mid-May through mid-October.  Lengths of rides vary as do weight limits and locations visited.  Make sure that you check National Park Services Website for more information:

http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/mule_trips.htm

Helicopter Rides: Ok...personally I of the belief that all helicopters crash!  My husband is trying to talk me out of the belief but so far he hasn't succeeded.  You will be the first to know if he does!  However, I know that there are people out there that enjoy this type of adventure so I will include it here.  Helicopter tours run out of various locations.  There are many Helicopter Tour companies and rates vary in price.  Here are links to a few of the companies:

http://www.papillon.com/

http://www.thecanyon.com/subcategory.php/swmc/tourgrandcanyon/helicopter-tours

http://www.allgrandcanyontours.com/Grand-Canyon-Tours/Helicopter-Tours/sbc-2849?pref=02&aid=ltg1328&gclid=COKjw7OZvLACFcIUKgod5Fd-qg

Hiking and Camping:  Now you know if I hesitate to stay in a lodge...hiking and camping are not my thing either....but again it maybe a favorite for some out there.  Please check out the National Parks Website for tips and warnings before starting out on any kind of adventure like this.  There are guided hiking tours that are available.  If you are planning any hiking or camping activity please be sure to apply for the proper permits.  There are also developed campgrounds within the park that allow camping.

http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/overnight-hiking.htm

White Water Rafting:  There are several companies that offer white water rafting opportunities in the Canyon.  Some trips are 1 day and others run several days.  Some are self-guided and some are commercial guided tours.  Please check out the National Park Services website for information on vendors and offerings.

http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/whitewater-rafting.htm

Grand Canyon Skyway:  "The Glass Bridge".  This is a relatively new addition to the attractions available near the Grand Canyon.  First thing to remember is that this is NOT located in Grand Canyon National Park.  It is located in a smaller part of the same canyon system and is suspended more than 4,000 feet in the air.  It is located at the Grand Canyon Hualapai West Entrance.  It will cost $25.00 per person in addition to an entry fee.  There is a limit of how many people can be on the bridge at one time so it's first come first serve.  This attraction is operated by the Hualapai Tribe.

9.  The Grand Canyon provides fun for all ages.

Remember we had various generations with us on our first trip to the Grand Canyon.  Our ages ranged from 13-75 and not one of us wasn't totally enthralled by the beauty and awesomeness of the Canyon,  Access to the rim is easy in areas where there are overlooks.  If you want a bit more of a challenge, that is possible also.  Don't let age affect your decision to visit.

10. Go and Enjoy!

The Grand Canyon is a one of a kind experience.  It is so immense...so amazing that it's hard to take it all in.  It's almost more than our eyes can process.  Everywhere you turn there is something different to see.  The colors change before your eyes with the changing of the sunlight.  You feel so small when you are standing surrounded by the vastness of this wonder.  It is a great place to visit whether for a few hours or many days.  It is just something that I feel that everyone should see at least once in their lifetime! 

Next up:  Planning for our trip to Denali National Park

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