Grand Canyon at 16 weeks? am i crazy?

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone -
DH and I had a trip planned, just the two of us, to visit the Grand Canyon in July. I'll be 16 weeks at the time. We've already bought airline tickets in and out of Vegas. It was going to be a quick trip - one night at the north rim and one at the south rim, then a leisurely road trip back to Vegas. I'm getting a little nervous that this might be too much - even with a lot of water and not much hiking - especially being in high desert heat. Anyone have any thoughts on it? Is this a bad idea?

[Anonymous]

Sounds like an awesome trip!

Just drink lots of water, and rest when you need to. And, no mule rides.

I'm sure you and your DH will never regret this trip.

Have a great time and make sure to write back here and let us know how it went!

[Anonymous]

Agree with the PP - sounds terrific! If you're like most women, the 1T symptoms should have subsided by then and you'll feel great and it will be a wonderful trip.

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure why no mule rides. My DH and I went tent camping when I was ~14 wks last year. We took our canoe and I helped him load in on/off the top of the car and slept on the ground. No problems.

[Anonymous]

It will be a great trip. We did the Grand Canyon and a few other parks with our then 10, 6 and 1 year olds last summer - also did it without kids about ten years earlier. It is very hot that time of year, so you will need water. But it is very easy to buy if you don't bring enough. If you are worried about having enough water, you could buy a camelback, which is sort of a water backpack, at Target or Walmart for about $20. When it comes to the Grand Canyon, most of what people do is hang at the top, which is totally beautiful and flat. It's not strenuous walking at all. Enjoy and stop worrying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure why no mule rides. My DH and I went tent camping when I was ~14 wks last year. We took our canoe and I helped him load in on/off the top of the car and slept on the ground. No problems.

You would ride a mule at 4 months pregnant into the grand canyon??

You're talking about a canoe. Apples and oranges.

[Anonymous]

You aren't hiking from rim to rim are you? If not I'm sure you'll be fine if you stay hydrated. You should hike down a tiny bit as long as you are feeling OK - it's incredible down there.

I would definitely skip the mule rides - they sometimes walk on the very edge of the path. Scary!

Take it slow & have a great time!!

Is Sedona on the drive back to LV? Stop there if you get the chance.

[Anonymous]

No, its perfect! By 16 weeks, the nausea and initial fatigue will have subsided, and you won't be big. Take the precautions others have mentioned but have a blast.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like an awesome trip!

Just drink lots of water, and rest when you need to. And, no mule rides.

I'm sure you and your DH will never regret this trip.

Have a great time and make sure to write back here and let us know how it went!

This is great advice. I did almost the same trip (including Vegas :wink when I was 16 weeks or so and had a great time. After she was born, my DD would immediately stop crying when you stepped outside like the fresh air soothed her, and my DH would say it was because of that trip. Be mindful of your needs and limits and enjoy!!

[Anonymous]

Do it!

[Anonymous]

I went to the Grand Canyon last Nov. when I was 12 weeks pregnant and had a wonderful time. I didn't go on a mule ride and was careful about not overdoing it on the hikes. I would highly recommend dinner at the El Tovar -- the view is amazing. Have fun!

[Anonymous]

I'm 16 weeks now, and feel great. Doing both rims might be too much though, I think it's a pretty good drive from one to the other, esp if you're already driving from Vegas. It won't be too hot up on the rim, but it gets hot down in the canyon. It will be crowded though. There is a full-size grocery store inside the park, so you can get any food, drink, etc. there. Be sure to stay hydrated--people often don't realize what an effect the altitude alone can have. Even if it is hot, I still prefer the dry heat to the heat and humidity you can get in DC sometimes. It should be cooler than Vegas, though.

If you spend time in Flagstaff, eat at Brix for a nice dinner (sit outside), or if you want something more casual, Picasso's has great pizza and salads. There really isn't any good Mexican food there.

For PP, Sedona's not on the way, and it'll be hotter there--they're usually only 10 degrees or so cooler than Phoenix. It's 30-45 minutes south of Flagstaff. We used to live in that part of Arizona and got bored with Sedona really fast. I guess if you've never seen that kind of landscape before it's nice, but I wouldn't hike there in the summer. It's lots of artsy-fartsy shopping and the restaurants aren't as good as what there is in DC.

[Anonymous]

thanks everyone!