Sometimes screwups work in your favor. After leaving Sequoia National Park we were scheduled for two nights at the Thompson Hotel Palm Springs, a brand new Hyatt luxury resort, which cost us 40,000 Hyatt points. Stephanie wanted to relax in style for a few days after all of the national parks. Fortunately the resort was scheduled to open a few days prior to our arrival.
When we drove up, hoping to check in, the valet insinuated that there were problems but would say nothing more. At the front desk we learned that code inspectors were still working their way through the grounds. A certificate of occupancy had not yet been issued.
Hyatt did not give us advance notice of this problem, and Stephanie was rightfully livid.
To make up for this fiasco, Hyatt refunded our 40,000 points and paid for us to spend two nights at The Colony Palms, a small, upscale, adults only, boutique hotel. The Colony Palms turned out to be fantastic in every way. We have no idea how the Thompson Hotel will turn out, and don’t really care.
Walking out of the Thompson Hotel, Stephanie continued to toss expletives and curse Hyatt while I was doing backflips at our good fortune.
After looking at some numbers, we figure that the 40,000 Hyatt points we were refunded are worth around $750 to $1,000 (as we can often get into a Hyatt Place for 5,000 to 7,000 points a night). Not to mention that basic rooms at The Colony Palms run about $500 a night. Essentially Hyatt is paying us 40,000 points to spend two free nights at a fancy hotel. Not a bad return.
I think we offended several of the employees at The Colony Palms when we refused to valet park our car or allow a bellhop to get our luggage. After five weeks of driving and hiking, we did not arrive in a clean shiny car carrying a few nice suitcases. Instead we were in a rolling dust bin with boxes of food and supplies, open cases of Monsters and beer, several backpacks, hiking boots and poles, water bottles, bags of dirty clothes, and a cooler, in addition to well worn suitcases.
Had an employee leaned up against the side of our car or opened the trunk, we might have been kicked off hotel grounds as undesirables.
Our original plan was to stay two nights in Palm Springs before venturing over to Joshua Tree National Park. But the daily high temperatures in Joshua Tree stubbornly refused to drop below 100° F. Of course, we knew Joshua Tree would be hot, but we were hoping for 90° F hot, something we could handle. Over 100° F, in full sun, with little shade of note, on rocky ground that radiates heat … that’s not for us. Maybe we will try again one winter.
After considering numerous alternatives to Joshua Tree, we got incredibly lucky to find lodging on the north rim of Grand Canyon National Park, my absolute favorite park. The lodge and cabins there sell out months in advance. In fact, when we first considered the north rim as an option, it was fully booked. Two days later Stephanie suggested we look at it again, and we got lucky. Someone must have cancelled a two night stay in a frontier cabin on the exact two dates we needed.
Had Hyatt been more forthcoming about its issues with The Thompson Hotel and told us days earlier that there may have been a problem, we probably would have skipped Palm Springs and Joshua Tree entirely and gone to the beach instead.
Our first visit to Grand Canyon was in October, 2019. Then we made the trek to Toroweap, spent two nights on the north rim, and half a day at the south rim. Several months later, in January, 2020, I returned to hike to and from Phantom Ranch. (Because this was not our first time to Grand Canyon, we wrote up separate blog posts about our 2019 trip to the Grand Canyon and my 2020 hike to Phantom Ranch.)
About the only thing the north rim has in common with the south rim is that both are in Grand Canyon National Park. The north rim is remote, with limited development, and essentially caters to hikers. You will almost look out of place without hiking boots, trekking poles, and a backpack. The dirtier the better. The amenities are there, but sparse. Cell service and wi-fi is near non-existent. There are no televisions. Tour groups and busses are few and far between. You’ll see a few families, but not a lot.
Most importantly for us, the north rim gets only a fraction of the visitors of the south rim. Even when full the north rim does not feel overly crowded.
The south rim (other than in winter) is like Disney World. There are multiple hotels, restaurants, and gift shops. You get around by walking or taking one of the numerous busses. The parking lots are mostly full. It is crowded and there are lines. Families and tour groups are commonplace.
While the north rim and south rim are about 10 miles apart as the crow flies, and around 200 miles apart by road, they are a zillion miles apart in experience.
Since we had been to the north rim five years before, almost to the day, we knew what to expect. Not much, if anything, has changed there over the years. We arrived shortly before dark, checked in, and got settled in our cabin.
Our one room, one bathroom cabin was located on the main road across the street from the parking lot. It was really convenient. Stephanie was concerned about being on the main road, but it is so quiet at night that noise was not a problem. The cabins do not have air conditioning or a refrigerator. Food in the cabins is discouraged so the local critters won’t try to break in. At least there is a small coffee maker.
I planned on going to Point Imperial for sunrise, about a 20 minute drive from the cabin. For some reason I woke up extra early and decided to go to Point Imperial an hour earlier than necessary. At least I was able to get one night sky photograph before sunrise.
On the way to Point Imperial I probably drove past a dozen hikers or more making their way to the North Kaibab Trailhead to start a rim to rim hike. Thankfully all of them had their headlamps on in the dark. I forgot how early the hikers start.
After sunrise it was back to the cabin to get Stephanie moving. We chose to hike the Transept Trail from the lodge to the campground and back, almost 3.0 miles roundtrip. Along the trail you get some good views of the Transept Canyon. A nice hike but nothing special. Lunch at Deli in the Pines (typical sandwiches, pizzas, salads) was mediocre and expensive, but not horrifically so.
That afternoon we took off to go sightseeing along Cape Royal Road, stopping first at Point Imperial which has, in my opinion, the best view in the Grand Canyon, period. After that we made quick stops at Vista Encantada, Roosevelt Point, Cliff Springs Trail, and Wahalla … all of which are just okay. We skipped Cape Final having hiked it in 2019.
Our sightseeing was timed perfectly getting us to Angel’s Window and Cape Royal about an hour before sunset. Since we ate lunch at the Deli, we brought sandwiches, apples, and chips with us, and had a picnic dinner seated on a bench overlooking Angel’s Window. The Cape Royal viewpoint is about a half mile from the parking lot, at the end of a nice paved walkway.
We spent about half an hour watching sunset from Cape Royal with about 10-20 other folks. The weather could not have been better. Stephanie had a good time as several dogs were in attendance.
For reasons I do not understand (maybe I should have asked), the park service scheduled a sunset piano concert at Cape Royal that night. A piano concert. Not at the lodge, near the cabins, or in a campground. Not at a restaurant or even in the parking lot, but at a viewpoint. More particularly a viewpoint that is about an hour’s drive from the lodge and cabins. I mean, who did they think was going to attend?
Right at sunset a group of five park employees arrived with camp chairs, cheese and crackers, and several bottles of red wine. Not long after a couple of park rangers had a small piano on a dolly, rolling it down to Cape Royal. Along with the others who were at Cape Royal for sunset, and staring at an hour long drive back to the lodge, we left. As best we could tell the sunset piano concert was attended by one group of five.
The next morning we woke up early to hike the Widforss Trail, particularly the 2.3 mile “short” trail. Because we were checking out and driving to Flagstaff that afternoon, we decided against hiking the full trail, which is 10 miles round trip.
The Widforss Trial has a few gentle hills, with only one or two short, steep sections at the beginning. Much to my surprise Stephanie flew up the trail and had no problem keeping up with me. After several weeks I think she finally got into hiking shape. Either that or she was sandbagging me all along. I’m still not sure which.
We both really enjoyed this trail and, in hindsight, wish we had time to hike it in its entirety. This is now a definite must do on our next trip to the north rim.
Hiking in Grand Canyon National Park, 5.3 miles:
Transept Trial, 3.0 miles
Cape Royal Trail, 1.0 mile
Widforss Trail, 2.3 miles
Garrett and Stephanie
The Travel Blog page contains collected links to all of our travel posts. Check it out if you have not already done so.
Want to subscribe (or unsubscribe) for email notification of new blog posts? It is only two to three emails a month. Send your name and email address to slowtravelchronicles@gmail.com, and note subscribe (or unsubscribe) in the subject line. All email addresses will be kept confidential and not sold to any third-party. You won’t get any marketing junk or sales pitches from us.