I had posted on an earlier thread about guiding a group tour around places of interest in the Grand Canyon area. The response was great but unfortunately we are unable to secure lodging for a large group so we decided to try and small group first and see how it would all work out together.
Three RV10's, my wife Evie and I, Deems and Judy Davis, and Ed and Sheila Hayden decided to give it a shot.
We first met up at Valle airport (40G) which is between Flagstaff and Grand Canyon. We visited the Planes of Fame museum which not only had a great aircraft collection, but a really neat car collection as well.
http://planesoffame.org/index.php?pa...le-az-location
Then we made a short flight up to Grand Canyon airport to see the IMAX "Grand Canyon Hidden Secrets" movie. The ramp staff at the FBO ran us over to the theater. Seeing a movie at the Grand Canyon might sound dorky, but trust me, it is a must see, especially for aviation enthusiasts.
From KGCN we flew out to Grand Canyon Caverns (L37) This is a funky place on route 66 straight out of the 50's kitch. You roll out on their packed gravel strip, do a little four wheeling on a dirt road, and then roll right up into the parking lot of the gas station getting strange looks from "normal" tourists.
There is a lodge and diner there as well as tours of the caverns themselves. Very fun place to visit. Tons of old cars and old everything. Note: very low cut wheelpants might have to be removed before trying L37 as there were a couple of inch or two ruts getting in and out
http://gccaverns.com/
After Caverns we flew to the Bar10 ranch in Whitmore Wash south of St. George Utah. This is a wonderful place to visit. It normally serves as a transit area for river runners during that season. The lodge served us a fantastic dutch oven meal and we spent a wonderful night in covered wagons converted into mini hotel rooms (lodging inside also available). A great breakfast was prepared the next morning. Lots of activities available at the ranch depending upon the season.
https://www.bar10.com/
The next day we got up and flew to Kanab Ut for fuel. We went into town for lunch and enjoyed a small town Homecoming parade. From Kanab we did the scenic tour over Marble Canyon, Glen Canyon, Lake Powell, Rainbow Bridge, and then on out to Monument Valley landing at Goulding's Lodge (UT25). We had a wonderful Navajo Taco meal and enjoyed watching the sunset over the Valley.
http://www.gouldings.com/
There is an inexplicably special spirit in this area. The next morning we were going to be lazy, but the storm of the century was heading for the Phoenix valley so we hauled our cookies back south and thankfully beat the storms.
All in all it was a wonderful trip. It was cathartic for me because one of my first flying jobs was as a guide in the area almost 30 years ago. Great aircraft, great friends, great food, fantastic scenery. The pilots loved it, the wives loved it. (Goulding's has an extensive jewelry collection in their gift shop). It was truly one of those "why we built" trips.
The trip went smoothly, but in all honesty, I don't think a group larger than 3 or 4 aircraft would work out. I originally planned 10 but don't believe it would be doable. There is a small overlapping season for these places and lodging must be secured well in advance. I would be more than happy to assist anyone wanting to plan a similar trip.
One final note. Beefed up engines and fancy cowls make faster aircraft than stocky stock, the truth of which prompted considerable trash talk that I had to painfully endure as the group leader (and slowest aircraft), However, I was able to get a few digs in on the joys of air-conditioning. Interestingly enough, we all burned almost the exact same amount of fuel. For me the trip totaled 6.6 hobbs hours from FFZ (Mesa).
When building I loved reading trip reports. Keep pounding. It's all worth it in the end!
Grand Canyon Adventure
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