Who: Mike and Pam Golden of Castle Rock, Jason Golden of Denver, Laura Boetger of Aurora, Steve Miller of Castle Rock, Brad Hawkinson of Denver, and Mike Birch of Castle Rock
Where: Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the Grand Canyon
Best meal: The only meal, but also the best meal, is the hiker’s stew, served at 6:30 p.m. each evening with salad, cornbread and chocolate cake
Best deal: On your feet. There’s no better way to see the canyon than hiking in and hiking out. It brings a whole new comprehension of the expanse of the Grand Canyon.
Best time to go: The Grand Canyon is open 365 days a year and so is Phantom Ranch. October, when this picture was taken, is one of the most popular times to go due to the relatively mild temperatures both on the rim and in the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
Don’t leave home without: Comfortable hiking shoes, lots of energy and enthusiasm, rain gear and hiking sticks make the hike down and up a lot easier. It’s the experience of a lifetime.
