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andersone

andersone

Conductor
Joined
Dec 19, 2013
Messages
1,157
Location
Jackson. Ohio
In the grand circle tour in May the arrival at FLA is a no brainer as we are getting a room and leaving for the Canyon in the morning,,,,

Departure is another challenge, The AMWEB site says the station is open from 3:15 AM until 10:45 pm,,,, the EB Chief is set to depart at 8:57 PM,,,,

We will be coming up from Sedona, and can arrive at any time

My plan A is to drop the renter at 6 then Uber to the station,,, dropping the luggage, assuming they will keep an eye on our carry on luggage so we can go grab supper and return to board,,,,,

Can anyone with local knowledge confirm this is doable or do I need to keep the carry-ons with me?

I would also entertain recommendations for supper,,, the only thing not on table is Sushi,,,, although we love local restaurants ,,,,,

thanks in advance for your consideration
 
Good morning from Flagstaff. You say the EB Chief? I think you mean the westbound at 8:57pm. Your plan to drop the bags at the station is OK, with one current exception. Currently they are short one person in the office of four and three of them are running that office. The regular afternoon lady told me that on Sunday one of the others has to double up and goes home for several hours in the afternoon and the office does not open until later in the evening.. I am not sure exactly how they are running this, but currently there is an exception or two to the all day hours. If they are open, I know they will gladly hold all of your bags. If you tell me the day involved, I should be able to find out more for you.

There are plenty of local restaurants within walking distance of the station. If you want a truly fine high class dinner, I do not hesitate to suggest Cottage Place, less than three blocks from the station. I consider this the finest restaurant in Flagstaff. Not cheap, but the prices are not out of sight. ( Look up their website. Trust me, you would love this place! ) Other classy recommendations are Tinderbox Kitchen, Pasto, Brix, and Josephine's Modern American Bistro. All of these are walkable, but the last two are about .4 to .5 mile walk. ) More casual: Beaver Street Brewery, which is very near Cottage Place. This is the restaurant that I patronize most often here. Busy pub atmosphere with good food. Others might include Lumberyard Brewery, Mountain Oasis, Criollo Latin Kitchen, Streetside Saigon ( Vietnamese ) and Whyld Ass. ( vegetarian. Yes, that is the spelling. ) I am not pinpointing all of the locations, but just Google them and you will find them all close by.

Also, the proper symbol for Flagstaff is FLG, not FLA, which to me means Florida. If you have more questions, please private message me. I can also give you more info on Grand Canyon, as I used to work there.
 
Thanks so much,,, and yes I got geographically challenged,,, the internal compass doesn't work like it used to,,,and my abbreviation slip,,, I will send you an email offline for more local info

your help is much appreciated
 
andersone said:
Thanks so much,,, and yes I got geographically challenged,,, the internal compass doesn't work like it used to,,,and my abbreviation slip,,, I will send you an email offline for more local info

your help is much appreciated
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I second greatcat's recommendation of Cottage Place. Do make a rez if possible. I also used to work in the Canyon as a river guide back in the 70's. Are you planning to hit the North Rim? Dependent on your dates in May whether the access road up there will be open. If so, it is well worth the drive....spectacular and not nearly as touristy. Plus, you might even get to see a Kaibab squirrel.
 
I'm an East Coast guy, but when I visit my sister in the Phoenix area, I like to go through Flag. A daily connection on SWC is a great deal "safer" than 3 days a week in Chicago for TE/SL. I always make a point of visiting the Lowell Observatory on the edge of the city. Go in the evening, they do great "night sky" stuff. Dress warmly.
 
Eric the North Rim is not on our list,,, we are elderly and don't hike, we stroll,, our plans are pretty much the length of the south rim in two and a half day plus a tour (we like them) to Dessert View , then down to Sedona for a day and some plus an off road jeep ride,,, but the PVD the Lowell Observatory ( I actually have some astronomy in my background) sounds interesting

thanks for all the help from everyone
 
They recently refurbished the 24" Alvin Clark refracting telescope on Mars Hill at the Lowell Observatory that Percival Lowell had built so he could observe Mars.
Tours started up again last September and they had public viewing through the telescope the night of October 3.
http://www.cloudynights.com/topic/491723-lowell-observatory-24-inch-clark-refurbishment-progress/?hl=%2Brefurbished+%2Blowell+%2Bobservatory&do=findComment&comment=6452548
http://www.cloudynights.com/topic/494782-24-clark-telescope-reinstallation-begins/?hl=%2Brefurbished+%2Blowell+%2Bobservatory

1914 - Percival Lowell observing Venus in the daytime from the observer's chair of the 24-inch Alvin Clark. The photo is in the Public Domain.

Percival_Lowell_observing_Venus_from_the_Lowell_Observatory_in_1914%201.jpg
 
It is best known for the "discovery" of Pluto. They also have a very interesting (at least to me) presentation on the construction of the ultra moderrn "Discovery Channel" telescope. How could you not like a place named "Mars Hill" ?
 
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PVD said:
It is best known for the "discovery" of Pluto. They also have a very interesting (at least to me) presentation on the construction of the ultra moderrn "Discovery Channel" telescope. How could you not like a place named "Mars Hill" ?
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It was named after the Mars Hill outside of Athens near the Acropolis....It had some Greek name, but the Romans changed it and named after the God of War.
 
andersone said:
Eric the North Rim is not on our list,,, we are elderly and don't hike, we stroll,, our plans are pretty much the length of the south rim in two and a half day plus a tour (we like them) to Dessert View , then down to Sedona for a day and some plus an off road jeep ride,,, but the PVD the Lowell Observatory ( I actually have some astronomy in my background) sounds interesting

thanks for all the help from everyone
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Don't have to hike to enjoy the North Rim. It's just a lot more peaceful and there's some views there that are nothing like the S Rim. The views from Cape Royale and Point Imperial are magnificent. There are good views of the river, an incredible view of the Vermillion Cliffs and Painted Desert and also a look down the Grand Canyon for many miles from Point Imperial. It's a long drive to the N Rim but well worth it if someone has the time.

Dano
 
As the Flagstaff resident and former employer at Grand Canyon ( South Rim ) I completely agree that the Nirth Rim is worth visiting. However, it does not fit the itinerary of our OP. North Rim is far from anywhere.
 
Regarding the Grand Canyon north rim,

Eric308 said:
spectacular and not nearly as touristy. Plus, you might even get to see a Kaibab squirrel.
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Many years ago, on the first day of my first visit, I spotted some weird creature on a north rim trail. When I described it to a ranger, she turned green with envy. "I've been here three seasons, and I've never seen a Kaibab squirrel!" It was a double treat, once for the viewing and once for the ranger's reaction.

andersone said:
Eric the North Rim is not on our list,,, we are elderly and don't hike, we stroll,,
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My recollection, and I'm sure others will correct me if I'm remembering incorrectly, is that there are fairly level and non-strenuous trails on the north rim, perhaps even more than on the south rim. I understand it is too late to make plans to visit the north rim on this trip, but I encourage you to include it on a future trip, if the drive is not too much. As Dan O and greatcats said, it is well off the beaten path.

Perhaps on the same trip from many years ago, a ranger said that the top layers visible at the Grand Canyon are approximately the bottom layers visible at Zion, and the upper layers visible at Zion are approximately the bottom layers visible at Bryce Canyon. For those interested in geology, it is quite the sequence, and the trend continues at Cedar Breaks.
 
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Good comments Willem. For those more adventurous drivers with a sturdy vehicle ( the average rental car might make it but would have to be done carefully ) I suggest the drive on the North Rim to Point Sublime. I drove my Toyota 4Runner out there last July without difficulty -18 miles of narrow twisting dirt road. Only a few others out there. For railroad history, the North Rim Lodge years ago was a Unio Pacific operation, with guests driven in limos from the train at Cedar City, Utah.
 
Excellent points and great story, willem! Funny....I used to see them all the time on the drive from Jacob Lake through the Ponderosas to the North Rim. That would be about 40 years ago, though. I agree with your recommendation of seeing the North Rim, and it's actually not that bad a drive if time allows. For anyone interested in what a Kaibab squirrel looks like, see bottom link. Also, when I was river guide there we always had a geology professor along for the ride. I learned a lot....I ran over 30 trips from Lee's Ferry (Marble Canyon) to pull out at Diamond Creek. About 240 never a dull moment exciting miles!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaibab_squirrel
 
Since you mentioned Sedona, I will say that the Chapel of the Holy Cross is one of the most beautiful and spiritual places. Allow extra parking is an issue. (If you have a h/c hangtag at home, bring it)
 
greatcats said:
As the Flagstaff resident and former employer at Grand Canyon ( South Rim ) I completely agree that the Nirth Rim is worth visiting. However, it does not fit the itinerary of our OP. North Rim is far from anywhere.
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Agreed. And far from anywhere is another thing that makes it so wonderful. Not crowded and everyone who is there wants to be there. Few people just decide to drop in on the North Rim.
 
A fair number of people do visit the North Rim, which is only open May to October, but it is nothing like the mobs around the village on the South Rim. However, I can direct you to some locations on the South Rim, by way of a short hike out to the rim, where you can have Grand Cayon pretty much to yourself. This is Shoshone Point, which does not appear on park maps.
 
greatcats said:
A fair number of people do visit the North Rim, which is only open May to October, but it is nothing like the mobs around the village on the South Rim. However, I can direct you to some locations on the South Rim, by way of a short hike out to the rim, where you can have Grand Cayon pretty much to yourself. This is Shoshone Point, which does not appear on park maps.
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Is that off East Rim Dr. around MM244? I remember going around a gate for the short walk in...picnic table, toilet and SECLUSION! Good tip. I'm biased, but truly the best way to see the Canyon is by doing a river trip.
 
ERIC 308- Yes, that is the place. I suggest it to some of my visitors that I speak to at Sunset Crater. I have not been on a river trip through Grand Canyon ( have been on the short day trip Glen Canyon to Lees Ferry ) but did hike from North Rim to South, albeit slowly, in Sept. 2014, with 2 nights at Phantom Ranch. Much of the layover day was spent immersed in Bright Angel Creek! Eric
 
Your responses have been most helpful,,, the North Rim is still not doable with the time we have,,, and we will be there on Monday so GreatCats has offered a workable solution.

Thanks so much for all your help
 
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