Flagstaff, Arizona
Sitting 80 miles southwest of the southern rim of the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff boasts a bustling downtown and the San Francisco peaks in its backyard. Head over to the nearby town of Williams and catch the Grand Canyon Rail Line (www.thetrain.com) to the South Rim.

Page, Arizona
North of the Grand Canyon and minutes from Lake Powell, Page offers some of the best water recreation in the area. Fishing, boating, swimming, and waterskiing await you in this summer paradise.

Las Vegas, Nevada
The gambling capital of the world makes for a more, uh, hectic kind of basecamp experience. It's not exactly close to the Canyon (count on a five-hour drive to the North Rim), but with plenty of ways to get there (helicopter, shuttle, car), you can make a quick tour and race back to Nevada in time for the buffet.