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Author: Alley Keosheyan

Article source: http://www.articlealley.com/. Used with author's permission.

Ah, the spring break road trip. Nothing epitomizes the freedom, excitement, and optimism of that magical time known as "college" than a spur-of-the-moment odyssey down the scenic back roads of the American Southwest. In the next few weeks, thousands of students will be hitting the road, some with romantic notions of a Grand Canyon vacation dancing in their heads. The employees at GrandCanyon.com bear the unfortunate but sometimes necessary task of bursting some of those Beta Chi bubbles.

"My office gets a fair number of calls at this time of year, typically a carload of college kids on their cell phone saying, 'Hi, I'm in Williams, can I stay at Phantom Ranch tonight?'," says company president Karlyn Bunting. "And we just have to say, 'are you kidding me?'" Phantom Ranch and other lodging inside Grand Canyon National Park is typically booked a year in advance. Those thinking that they'll just "pitch a tent somewhere" are advised to think again: nighttime lows are still dipping down into the teens, and it's been known to snow there as late as May. But even in the warmer months of spring, Grand Canyon campgrounds are frequently full.

As Grand Canyon hotels and tour operators prepare for the first wave of spring break vacationers, they advise would-be road warriors to at least do a bit of research before rushing off to the popular destination, especially if their newly-hatched plans include heading down the trail to the bottom of the Grand Canyon for a so-called "little day hike." Karlyn cautions, "The bottom of the Grand Canyon is NOT a day hike. My people will tell you not to do it, and these folks have all hiked the Grand Canyon themselves, so they know from experience." He suggests that there are ways to get to the bottom without the exertion, for those prepared to part with a little pizza money. Package tours to Grand Canyon West or Glen Canyon range from $150 to $400.

If it's beginning to sound like the Grand Canyon is not conducive to spontaneity, Karlyn shrugs, "sometimes it's not. Does that mean one should scrap plans to go to the Grand Canyon this spring? Not at all. This is a great time of year in the Southwest. But you definitely need to be flexible if you're just now toying with the idea of a spring break trip to the Grand Canyon." By "flexible," Karlyn means not having your hopes dashed if Grand Canyon hotels are booked, or if they're outside your price range. Economic alternatives (and some pleasant surprises) are available in Flagstaff (home of Northern Arizona University), Williams, Cameron, and Page/Lake Powell, within 1 to 3 hours of the park.

Grand Canyon South Rim is open year-round; Grand Canyon North Rim is closed until mid-May. It is $25 per vehicle to enter the Grand Canyon; a National Park Pass is $50. It is advisable to arrive early and prepay your entry fee whenever possible to cut down on wait time at the park gates.

About the Author
On an unplanned college road trip to the Grand Canyon, Alley Keosheyan (Occidental College '86) lucked out on a campsite, nearly killed herself hiking too far down the trail and almost ran out of gas on the way home because she didn't realize how spread out everything was. She has been helping Grand Canyon vacationers avoid these pitfalls ever since. To download her Free Grand Canyon Spring Travel Guide, visit http://www.grandcanyon.com