DansDeals Forum > Trip Reports

Arizona, LA and back to Israel Trip Report

(1/1)

jose34:

Part 1 Trip Planning and Drive up to Grand Canyon:
 
I had this big question that I wanted to answer:
I wanted to find out if the Grand Canyon is really so Grand.
Read on to Find out the Answer.
Trip Planning for BWI-PHX (Grand Canyon)– LAX ( for Shabbos)- MUC ( stopover)- TLV:
 (Not so many pictures in this segment but more pictures coming)
In America for Sukkos a few years ago- Sukkos ended on a Tuesday night, need to take are of some businesses first so we had from Wednesday night – Shabbos for a trip; then to LA for Shabbos and then back to Israel.
That created time for quick short trip somewhere in United States and I had BA Avios I was looking to burn.

Criteria: Had to be a flight from BWI leaving on a Thursday Morning that gave us a good amount of time for something to do and then get to LA For Shabbos.
First Option was Minneapolis, MN and I actually booked the flight with BA miles - BWI ORD MSP but flight from MSP- LAX became too expensive and at over $300 per person, I scratched that idea and the had points refunded minus the fees of $5.50 per person.

Next it being BA I needed another American Airlines Hub Idea. Left us with two options BWI - DAL or PHX; Then I realized that PHX was a gateway to the Grand Canyon so I booked BWI PHX for 11,500 points per person and PHX - LAX for $150 per person on Southwest on a Friday noon flight.

 Just a quick side point: We are almost were able to take a semi private jet that flew PHX ( from a private terminal terminal) to BUR for same price but by the time I was ready to book the price went up that ruled it out... so we had to settle for Southwest.

Another option I could have done was fly into PHX and then drive from GC to LAS but LAS is an extra 1 hour drive from the GC and first driving an extra hour in a day where we flew and drove a whole lot adding on another hour of night driving is not worth it and I also I wanted to see the D-backs stadium in Phoenix so we decided to headback to Phoenix after the GC.

BWI Airport:
 Lyft from Jewish neighborhood around $30 - got to airport a little more than an hour before flight
6:25 AM - 8:52 AM flight from BWI to AZ on American.

BWI CLUB LOUNGE
Always a nice selection of kosher food snacks and fruits.

AA FLIGHT to PHX:
Seats were ok; No backseat screens on flight and ( disappointing) no flight map on AA In Flight App. No way to track progress… Ahh… Had to guess where we were…. Not sure how you run an airline like that…..
Anyhow,
Landed in PHX on Time – Got to daven Shachris 7 hours after waking up…. And make Zman תפילה since Netz in Baltimore was 7:30….

So after a quick in Airport Shachris break went to get the car and was out on the road a little before 10.
Shuttle to rental car came right away (I think there are building a tram to rental car place in PHX): booked on Enterprise 900 points for the one day rental.

Set out right away for 3+ hour drive Grand Canyon.




AZ Sign:



Drive leaving PHX Area:





Stopped in Swift same exit as Flagstaff airport; nice clean new rest stop; good snacks. A little more than halfway.

Flagstaff has small little airport- was fun to drive around the "terminal" of like 3 gates.
If you do this drive to/from Phoenix to the GC - this a great half way place to stop and take a break and get out of the car and stretch a little.




Flagstaff Airport Signs:






Most people dont tell you Flagstaff and GC is around 7,000 feet above sea leval and PHX is only 1,500 ( ABSL) there is a major temperature difference between PHX and Flagstaff. The Grand Canyon has even had a bigger temperature change.
Two ways to get to GC from Flagstaff - one more scenic one less scenic - depends which area of GC going to.
Stopped by Visitors Center first - not sure if it helped; may have been waste of time
Entrance to GC National Park is $35.. unless you have a National Park Pass…
Free shuttle service throughout the park. Many different options to do.




Grand Canyon Visitors Center Sign





To be continued....

Joeymc:

--- Quote from: jose34 on September 06, 2020, 12:19:49 PM ---
To be continued....

--- End quote ---
Part 2?

Navigation

[0] Message Index