ABD Arizona / Utah Trip Report 3/28/18 Day 3-4

WendyYoung

Earning My Ears
Joined
Jun 14, 2016
DAY 3 - My 14 year old son was violently ill the previous night. Our ABD guide, Korey, was willing to accommodate us however we needed. We chose to stay with the group leaving for Grand Canyon that morning. Meeting up with the tour at a later time would have been difficult at best as the nearest car rental is 1.5 hours away from Grand Canyon Village. We set up our son in the back of the bus next to the restroom, and everyone gave us space. I was fanatic about disinfecting all surfaces multiple times.

The 1.5 hour bus ride from Sedona to Bearizona in Williams, AZ was a bit hairy for the first 30 minutes. Take dramamine if you are prone to motion sickness. The guides had some to hand out as well.

Bearizona was surprisingly well maintained and upscale. This is NOT a podunk road side zoo. Major improvements are under way as well. We didn't get to enjoy all that Bearizona had to offer as my son was resting near the restrooms in the shade. Lunch was a private buffet by the new jaguar exhibit. We were seranaded by the resident white male peacock which the kids loved.

NOTE 1- we were able to have a prescription called into the only pharmacy in town. Courtney, our bus driver, offered to take my husband into town. She even unloaded luggage for me to grab supplies from underneath the bus. So kind and generous!

Grand Canyon - we arrived to the Grand Canyon after another 2 hour bus ride. We stopped at the South Rim's Mathers Point for our first viewing of the canyon, and then off to the Grand Canyon Village. The Thunderbird Lodge was clean if not dated. We were warned that the Grand Canyon lodging would not be comparable to Sedona's Enchantment Resort. The Grand Canyon National Park services leases the property on which a private company manages everything else. The sheer number of people trying to secure overnight lodging with little success means that this private company is in no hurry to tackle costly major renovations. The location of the Thunderbird lodge was just steps from the edge of the Canyon (majority WITHOUT railing), an ice cream shop, multiple gift shops, 2 full service restaurants, and small museum. A free bus system gets you anywhere else in the public Grand Canyon locations.

Breakfast (we were given meal vouchers for each morning) was incredibly delicious at the El Tovar lodge next door to our lodge. We had secured dinner reservations for evening dining prior to our trip. The other food offerings at the Maswik lodge (cafeteria style food) were edible, but not overly pleasant.

DAY 4 - A pink jeep tour guide, Andrew, boarded our tour bus and gave a running commentary of the Canyon and several stops including Desert View Watch Tower. He was thoroughly enjoyable to listen to and imparted great information about the Grand Canyon. His love for the area was apparent and appreciated.

The afternoon was free time but the ABD guides were offering a hike into the Grand Canyon that afternoon. The hike could be as long or as short as you like.

The elevation was a factor for us "flatlanders" with shortness of breathe, nose bleeds and dizziness. Coming from south Louisiana where we live at or below sea level, I had not anticipated how much this would affect us.

Overall, I am glad that we stayed with the tour so that we could experience the Grand Canyon. It truly was grand.

NOTE 2 - Bring personal refillable water bottles (yeti, swell bottles, etc) as the Grand canyon does not sell bottled water (part of water conservation). Numerous water bottle filling stations are available free of charge. You can purchase these at the gift stores but I imagine you can get cheaper at home. Every person needs one water bottle before any hikes, even the short ones. Sunscreen and chap stick are also handy.

NOTE 3 - My husband and I became ill that night. Knowing definitively that this was a virus and not food poisoning and because the tour was going 3 hours further into less civilized territory, we decided as a family to excuse ourselves from the rest of the trip. We simply didn't have the energy to continue and furthermore did not want to spread the virus to the rest of the families. ABD and Disney did everything possible to help us. Disney secured a non-existent room in nearby town and offered us late check-out at our sold out lodge. The tour guides, Korey and Diana, stayed in touch with us over next 48 hours as we tried getting home. Having such great support made a miserable situation more bearable. Thank goodness for those guides! Love Korey and Diana!
 
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I am so sorry to read that you had to cut your trip short due to illness. I think it's amazing of you that you put protecting the health of the rest of the group ahead of your own vacation plans. I hope you make (made?) it home safely.
 
Oh Wendy, I am so sorry to hear that first your son was sick and then you and your husband as well. I agree with Jess, you are very good to put the health of the group ahead of your own disappointment at not being able to continue with the trip. I'm so glad that ABD was accommodating. You really never know about customer service until things go wrong so I'm very glad that they came through for you. I hope that everyone in your family is better and that you are looking forward to a trip this summer.
 



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