We booked the deluxe rail tour to the Grand Canyon from Williams, Arizona. and from the start it was a typical National Park experience. The Railway Hotel's public rooms were quite nice and the accommodations and food were nondescript.
In the morning we all assembled at the station for the western show where we met the cowboys who were destined to rob us on the return trip. On the train itself, the deluxe package included "lounge-style comforts including a private bar and access to the open-air rear platform. Exclusive service provides fresh fruit, pastries, coffee and juice during the morning, while snacks are available on the return trip with a champagne toast."
The actual train ride to the Grand Canyon is a trip through the semi-arid Colorado Plateau. We took turns stepping out on the rear platform and our package included access to the dome car but there really wasn't much to see. The problem is that the Grand Canyon is a surprise. From Spanish explorers looking for cities of gold to lost tourists asking Rangers where exactly the Grand Canyon is, everyone has the same problem. You don't see the Grand Canyon until you walk right up to the rim.
The Grand Canyon Railway actually plays on this fact. The train depot is behind and below the El Tovar Hotel and it is only when you enter the hotel from the rear, climb the stairs and walk out the front door that you are presented with one of the most magnificent vistas in all the world.
The last time we visited we were camping in an area away from the rim but this time we were staying so close that we went out at night to the rim walk. We really just wanted to see the stars but we were surprised to see all the activity on the Bright Angel Trail that leads down to the floor of the canyon.
All that we could see, obviously, were the hikers' lamps and flashlights but there were a surprising number of them. There were stragglers who were only finally completing there hike out of the canyon after what must have been a very long day. Then there were quite a number of lights moving around at the Indian Gardens rest area. These people would probably finish their climb out in the morning. Then there were the lights of people who seemed intent on continuing their descent in the dark which seemed strange to me but I was assured that this is not uncommon although most night hikers do wait for a full moon.
We toured the area some more the next morning and afternoon and stopped at the mule enclosure to make sure they were being treated well before heading back to the train depot for our late afternoon departure. This was when the train ride started to become enjoyable.
When we got to the depot we headed to our car which was the last one on the train and noticed all the people taking pictures behind it. Across the tracks a deer and its fawn were grazing quite peacefully despite all the cameras and people. The conductor told us that they had been coming down each afternoon for the past several weeks and he wasn't sure if the doe simply liked the grass there or was a mother who wanted to show off her baby to an adoring audience . . . which we were.
When the train left the station, the sun was close to setting and we were barely out of the National Park when we saw the first of two herds of elk. This first herd was quite large and had two magnificent bulls with huge sets of antlers who were guarding the flanks of the group of females and their calves but they paid no attention to the train.
A little later we saw a smaller group of elk moving alongside the train tracks and then we saw a line of pronghorns grazing on the hillside. Finally as the sun set and dusk was approaching dark, out of nowhere a group of outlaws appeared, chasing down the train and forcing it to halt. These masked desperadoes then came through each car putting on a great show and earning their tips. It was a fun trip.
To see photos from this trip, go to:
Grand Canyon 2007
Grand Canyon 2007
