My Three Travel Secrets- Have You Been Here?

Tripbase, an online travel site, is playing an adventurous game of blog tag and I’ve been tagged! My mission: write about three of your favorite “secret” places – somewhere obscure that is truly out of this world. Their goal: create a fantastic list of travel tips from bloggers all over the world.

In my attempt to be fantastic too, here are three places I’d go again in a heartbeat:

1. Havasu Falls-  Grand Canyon, AZ (not part of the National Park)

EDITED: I’m saddened to learn that a huge flood in 2008 has drastically altered and destroyed some parts of this area, including Navajo Falls, which I mention in my tips below. Havasu Falls apparently doesn’t  even look like my picture any longer. Floods aren’t new here but it’s still sad when it alters nature’s landscape like this. It sounds like some new falls have formed though. You can read about Havasu being “reborn” here. And see new pictures of the various falls here.

Anyone who has seen pictures of the Grand Canyon know what you typically see, but what about scenery like this?

Back in 2005, my husband and two friends of ours hiked the “Rim to Rim” hike. It’s a 21-mile hike that runs through the Grand Canyon’s South Rim to the North Rim through the main corridor. As part of our training, we hiked to Havasu Falls, a beautiful waterfall that’s in the Grand Canyon but in the Havasupai Indian Reservation. Their name aptly means “people of the blue-green water.”

Three Tips if You Plan to Go Here
Sleep in your car the night before you hike down: That sounds just luxurious doesn’t it? Well, I say this for three reasons. First, it gets HOTTER than a (insert your favorite heat comparison here) in the Canyon during the warmer months so you’ll need to get an early start. I’m talking 4:00 or 5:00 a.m. Second, there is nothing- I mean nothing- nearby. No hotels, no food – heck – you’re lucky there’s a road! But the trade-off is far, far greater which leads me to the third reason. If you’re lucky enough to sleep here on a clear night, you’ll be handsomely rewarded with the most star-filled sky you’ve ever seen. I’m not talented enough to get a good pic of the millions of stars I saw that night, but it’s etched in my memory as one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen.

Wear high-top boots: The last two miles of this trail is mostly a sand and is BRUTAL on the ankles. I could barely walk the next day. High top boots will help support your ankles, although I can’t guarantee you won’t still be sore! Just less sore.

Swim in Navajo Falls (unless you like the Polar Bear Club): We visited Havasu in blazing-hot August and the chilly water of Havasu Falls was more than I could stand. About a 1/2 mile before you get to Havasu Falls, there’s another waterfall called Navajo Falls. The water is warmer and there are lots of fun, non-suidical spots to jump off the rocks.

2. Hermit Rapids-  Grand Canyon, AZ

Along with the corridor trails, the most popular set of campsites in the Grand Canyon are known as the “corridor” campsites. Teeming with people, these are the sites with clearly-marked campsites, actual toilets (though not flushable) and water. The ones that are hard to get backcountry permits for. The next level of Grand Canyon-hiking glory are the threshold campsites. I assume this means it’s on the threshold of flat-out insanity. Ha! The Hermit Rapids campsite is one of these sites- no water (gotta filter it yourself from the river), no toilet (trowel anyone?) and no numbered campsites.

In lieu of fresh water and a seat to “do your business,” you’re rewarded with an open beach of sand to pitch your tent wherever you’d like…

… with a view like this when you unzip your tent in the morning.

Three Tips if You Plan to Go Here
Don’t underestimate the Grand Canyon: I’ve seen marathon runners struggle in the Canyon because they had no idea what a soul-stealer the climate can be. It’s dry so you get dehydrated WAY before you ever would in any place with normal levels of humidity. Carry lots of sunscreen and wear a hat. And pace yourself (especially on the way back up) with frequent breaks, water and salty snacks, even when you don’t think you’re hungry. This hike is for the experienced. Bonus points? Bring hiking poles.

Cool off in Hermit Creek: On the way down, you’ll hike alongside Hermit Creek, a wee strip of water that leads to the Colorado. Since we had no plans to be swept away by the raging waters of Hermit Rapids, we opted for cooling off in the calmer, shallow creek.

Beware of Clif-bar stealing crows: Call me bitter, but we lost four Clif bars AT ONCE to those flying beasties. And our food was in a sealed baggie inside our tent. Persistent little buggers.

3. Rocky Point, Mexico

While anyone who’s ever lived in Arizona wouldn’t call this place a “secret,” but being from the Deep South, it was quite the secret to us! When we lived in Phoenix, we followed the herd and crossed the border to vacation in Mexico at a place called Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco). It’s the only town I can think of that Americans actually translate into English instead of just bastardizing the pronunciation. Back to the secret, a mere $750 got us five days at a house that sleeps 8 with a patio that opens onto the beach.

Rocky Point, Mexico

View from town

Three Tips if You Plan to Go Here
Eat at La Curva restaurant: It’s one of the popular places to eat but for good reason. Authentically yummy Mexican food with a just-as-authentic mariachi band. The band had the whole place dancing. Well except us. We were busy eating fried ice cream, which I guess isn’t so authentic.

Beware the dry, hot sand: The sand is brutally hot in summer. I don’t remember sand being so dang hot at any other beach I’ve been to. Gotta wear shoes. If you have furry friends, you may want to make them wear dog boots until they get to the wet sand. Our dog ended up burning his pads and so this became the way he got to the beach from then on…

Know how to cross the border: “Drive across it” is one smarty-pants answer that comes to mind but seriously, did you know you needed Mexican auto insurance to drive in Mexico? It’s only temporary and pretty cheap though. Here’s a great link describing all you need to know about crossing the border and making it back across. I would say that last part is key.

Well, there you have it. Three of my favorite places and secret tips to boot!

So, what are your favorite “secret” destinations? Willing to share the secret?

Tagged as: arizona, grand canyon, havasu falls, havasupai, hermit rapids, mexico, rocky point, three travel secrets, tripbase