Help planning a trip to the grand canyon from Pittsburgh?

No problem ,I just happen to be very well versed on the subject and in addition to having my bootyprints all over the Inner Canyon I also used to live an hour from the South Rim .
The basics
You can fly into either Las Vegas ( LAS ) or Phoenix ( PHX )
There is an airport in Flagstaff ( FLG ) that is serviced by twin engine turboprops out of PHX But the locals find it faster and cheaper to just rent a car for the 150 mile drive
There is also an airport at Grand Canyon ( GCN) But you cant rent a car there
Personally I would fly into LAS , rent a car and then do what's called the Grand Circle Tour
http://www.utah.com/itineraries/grand_circle.htm
Start the tour by driving LAS to Kingman AZ ( get gas ) > Rt 66 to Seligman AZ then I-40 E to Williams AZ and GCNP
Lodging
Xantera Corp has the lodging franchise for the S.Rim of GCNP
There is also a small amount of rooms in Tusayan AZ and Flagstaff 90 minutes distant has many many rooms at many many price points .
East of the Park there is the Cameron Trading Post which has decent rooms , decent food and decent public restrooms ( a rarity for the area)
Rental Cars
Since you're going to be driving long distances on mostly high speed two lane roads driver comfort is an issue
Rent a four door sedan such as a Toyota Camry or a Ford Taurus
On your way out of' Vegas stop in the Walmart on Tropicana just east of Maryland Parkway and get a cooler , some ice and some liquids
I'll add to this later...Show more

As much as I think the Grand Circle is a great trip, since it's your first big trip (together), I'd keep it relatively simple. I'd fly into Phoenix mainly because it's a fairly straight drive up to Grand Canyon. You can stay in Flagstaff where there are loads of hotels, restaurants, etc. or closer to or even in the park if your budget can afford it and there are available accommodations. Carefully check into car rentals. If you are under 25 they can get expensive fast!
As noted, Cameron Trading Post is well worth the trip. Also in the area around Flagstaff, in addition to Grand Canyon National Park you have Walnut Canyon NM, Sunset Crater and Wupatki NM. All well worth checking out. There is a lava tube in the area too. Pretty cool! I'd have to look for the exact location but it is in the national forest.
On the way to/from Grand Canyon from PHX you will pass close by Sedona. It's a really nice place to visit as well.
Not too far off the interstate is also Tuzigoot NM and Casa Grande NM. Very interesting sites if you are intterested in early (pre european?) native American sites.

If you have a bit of time to plan you don't really NEED a travel agent, jsut a bit of persistence. Start with looking in to arifares. Try Travelocity, Expedia, Kayak, etc. Find one that is affordable and within your intended travel time and book away. Easy peasy. Search for your car rental next. Be careful with this one because, as mentioned, if you are under 25, what looks like a good deal may not be once all the additional charges are added up. Get something you will be comfortable driving! Then plan a route. As you plan your route, look for convenient accommodations. When looking at that, remember to check out nearby dining too. You might find a nice inexpensive hotel but the nearest place to get something to ear isn;t all that near! Also when picking your accommodation keep in mind any activities you plan. If you need to be someplace at a certain time (say, to be on time for your horseback trail ride) you need to make sure you plan enough time. Then, after the day of activity you may not really be in the frame of mind to drive hours back to the hotel. Obviously there is a balance but just keep as much in mind as you can when booking you hotels and activities.
You will have loads of fun planning the trip (i think and hope anyway)! Best to plan it together obviously. Look for and use any discounts available (AAA, etc)
Mostly, take your time doing thing you want to do. Don't try and squeeze in too much and wind up rushing around! Enjoy the trip. Enjoy the Grand Canyon. (DO NOT look at the whole thing through a camera lens! Make sure you get a few pictures but really make sure you get to see and experience the whole trip!) and finally, enjoy sharing the trip with each other! When you're at the canyon rim at sunset, take the obligatory photos (LOL) but really enjoy the moment(s) together.

Anyway, i hope that helped a little. Have an AMAZING trip!!
If you have any questions about anything i wrote, feel free to email. duker918@yahoo.com...Show more

First determine how many days you have.
What is your mode of transportation? Are you going to drive or fly? Take a bus?
If you drive you need to plan a route. There would be plenty to see between Pittsburgh and The Grand Canyon.
I am not sure why you would want a travel agent unless you are planning on flying somewhere out west and then taking some sort of sight seeing tour.
We really need more information

I think the mule rides are booked pretty far in advance (my sisters family did that and think they booked a year ahead)
So it sounds like you want to fly in and take some sort of tour. Then yes I think a travel agent is needed as it sounds like you both are pretty inexperienced at travel. You might consider flying into Vegas and taking a tour that would bring you by Hoover dam and then to the Grand Canyon. You can camp at the Grand Canyon and I think there is also a lodge. Sunset at the Canyon is supposed to be great.
There are lots of tour packages that run out of Vegas...Show more

You are a young adult (based on your other questions, about 25?). You might want to do events when you travel but I don't think you want to do a tour. With tours you don't get to plan your schedule and you do a lot of stuff you might not be interested in.

Besides helicopter tours and mule rides there aren't a lot of activities in the Grand Canyon. It's mostly do it yourself type stuff.

You need to figure out how you are going to get there. Then you can use the National Park Service website to plan your visit.
www.nps.com...Show more