May 11th began with bright blue skies and temperatures around 63F (17.2C). We set out on foot at 8:30 a.m. and walked from our campsites over to the corral (located on campground property) to watch some cowboy entertainment.
The day before, we had purchased tickets to ride the railway on the Grand Canyon Railroad. The Williams Depot train station was conveniently located within walking distance from our campsites. This excursion covered 65 miles and took 2 hours (one way) ending in the town of Tusayan, located on the south rim of the canyon. The purchase included a pre-train ride cowboy show.
The actors gave us a great show and I had to ask for a photo moment with one of them.
After the show, we walked over to the nearby Williams Depot and boarded our Pullman passenger car.
Before the conductor cried the last "all aboard", the "sheriff" boarded our car and walked slowly down the aisle chatting up passengers and "looking for outlaws". Suddenly, he decided to sit down beside me. Before he left, I asked him for a hug...and I got one.
Our journey through Old West territory began with a sendoff from the our cowboy friends at the first crossing.
We rolled through beautiful, dynamic scenery that began with ponderosa pine forest vistas then morphed into high desert plains which turned into rocky crags full of shrub brush. The ride was comfortable and relaxing. There was a dining car available for passengers to purchase food and drink along the way and restroom facilities in each car. There were six classes of service to choose from ranging from coach class (which had no air conditioning but windows that would open) all the way up to luxury parlor class. We did a check on the weather before we purchased our tickets so we knew it would be cool. So the coach class was an excellent decision for our money. Besides purchasing train tickets, you were required to also buy tickets to enter the Grand Canyon National Park (which you enter by railway). If you are interested in more information about tickets, etc., check out the Grand Canyon Railway website (they were the "Certificate of Excellence Winner" for 2015 from Trip Advisor) at: Grand Canyon Railway. Special note to my American "senior" readers (age 62 and older): there is a Golden Age Pass you can purchase for $10.00 (paid once) at any National Park that is good for a lifetime and gives you free access to all National Parks (up to four people in a vehicle). It is the deal of the century!
One wildlife sighting...two "elk-aholics".
Once we arrived at the Grand Canyon Village area in Tusayan, we had three hours to explore and grab lunch. Since time, tide and trains wait for no one, we had to plan our time well. It being the 100th anniversary of America's National Parks, we witnessed how many people were taking advantage of this special occasion. People, buses and traffic swirled around us as we headed towards a restaurant for a quick bite. Our first choice was going to be the El Tovar Hotel Dining Room, a 100+ year old hotel offering a fine dining experience. But prices and long lines steered us towards other alternatives.
Then it was time to take in the magnificent views of the canyon. If you have never seen the Grand Canyon before, I would highly recommend it to be on your list of life have-dones. It is HUGE! And it is BREATHTAKING! It deserves days to explore and the sight of it will stay with you for life. We saw only the south and east rim (later) on this trip, a fraction of the canyon's massive chasm.
All I can do is let these mere pictures show you, without doing it real justice, the power the Grand Canyon holds in its dazzling display. Enjoy.
Yes, squirrels are that big of a problem there. We saw lots of them scrambling around the rocks and yup, people still fed them regardless of the warnings.
All too soon it was back to the train then we headed back to Williams.
Along the way back, we had a hold up of sorts...the masked bandit variety. It was all in fun. Kids in our car were screeching with delight hoping a "bandit" would come aboard our coach.
Low and behold, we did have an "outlaw" walk into our car and create lots of laughs. Job well done, Grand Canyon Railway. It was a wonderful ride.
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