My folks did a canal trip in northern NY about 5 years ago. It was 4 days 3 nights. They said that the group was very well organized, the accommodations were good (clean & neat). One of their concerns was that since it was a group for seniors, that the other participants would be "old" and only talk about heath issues. It was just the opposite. Overall they enjoyed themselves and it was nice to take a trip where everything was planned and arranged.

what time of year, bee? i'd have to take into consideration families and the crowds after school gets out...

The date we're looking @ is Mar 26 - April 1. So that wouldn't be crowded with kids/families. They do have other dates available thru out the yr.

Used to be that Elderhostel was for age 55+. I don't know if they have that limit anymore, or not. Some of their trips require a person to be very fit as there can be extensive biking, hiking, or walking, etc. They also have an option for "intergenerational" trips for grandparent/grandchild. That might be something Glenda would find interesting, I thought. Seems there is something for everyone... from birdwatching, to history, to museums, whale watching, etc. etc. & really, literally everywhere in the world.

nice time and not the heat of summer...or crowds...and things will be blooming...really i can't imagine not having a good time at the grand canyon, no matter what the tour is...had you been before?

did find this info...(was thinking of the water portion, lol)

South Rim
Spring comes early to the South Rim but the weather can be quite unpredictable. March is still typically cold and windy but you can still be snowed on anywhere until early May. June is hot and dry with not much in the way of breezes. July and August are the wettest time of the year and thunderstorms are frequent and can also be quite severe. Fall can also be a very unpredictable time of year and the weather can vary significantly from day to day. Snow normally does not start falling until November. Snow doesn't usually last long on the South Rim unless a major storm hits. Ice is common in the upper sections of all of the side canyons during the winter months.

My aunt and uncle went on several trips with them, including a couple abroad. They loved their experiences, and they were pretty picky about things like that.

I have friends that go on them all the time and love, love, love them. She's a very picky person, also. I think you will be very pleased if you go.

I have friends that do it too and they have had wonderful times.

Oooo... thanks for the positive feedback. We have been to GC for just a one day visit out of LasVegas. It is sooo beautiful & there's nothing like seeing it in person. I used to want to go for the white water rafting, but I'm getting more sedate in my dotage, LOL, so a "river float" sounds perfect nowadays

I thought if this works out well we might go abroad sometime in the future.

Thanks for your "weather report", Susanjf. It sounds like we'll need to be prepared for ....ANY thing. LOL

I know several people that have been on their trips and had only positives to say about the experience. Where will your float start? Have you floated any rivers of size before? That is one wild river, to be your first. If the weather stays mild , the spring runoff could be early and make it even more difficult? Glen Canyon is not far and we were caught in a terrible snow storm in late April one year. It started raining and before we got 20 miles away, it had turned to snow and we "pushed" snow with our rv. I am not trying to be negative, but it is a trip you have to be ready for anything. I always wanted to try the Colorado, but never was able to make it happen. I am still up for smaller floats, like in Wyoming on the Snake River or some sections of the Salmon, but not the sections dubbed the River of No Return! Enjoy and take lots of pictures to share.