Time Travel is Really Possible Aboard the Grand Canyon Railway

Like a painting, the multiple colored strata of rock, each displaying its own unique evolutionary historic story, you span the magnificent vista which lays before your eyes and drink in the vastness of its beauty and majesty. The Grand Canyon, located in northern Arizona is truly one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Anyone who has ever visited will attest to that. And generally that is all they will attest to. When people speak of the Grand Canyon, all they talk about is the Grand Canyon; they never mention the other attractions you can experience in and around the canyon. One such attraction is the Grand Canyon Railway.

The Grand Canyon Railway was built in 1901 and used for mine operations in the canyon. Located in the northern Arizona town of Williams, after the closing of the mine, the Grand Canyon Railway was used to transport visitors through the Grand Canyon National Park until it was opened to automobile traffic in the late 1960's. Following its closure, the Grand Canyon Railway set in ruins until the mid 1980's when Max and Thelma Biegert purchased the train and it dilapidated depot, refurbished it and reintroduced the railway as the alternate transportation and entertaining way to view the Grand Canyon.

The Railway carriages are all authentically restored editions of the classic railroad cars which originally traveled the Grand Canyon Railway line. The trip from Williams to the historic Grand Canyon depot is filled with excitement, and Old West style entertainment. Cowboy garb entertainers and train personnel dressed in period attire perform comedy sketches, sing songs, and offer interesting historic footnotes about the history of the train and the surrounding area. All the while, you sit back and enjoy the passing scenery, wide open ranges, and pristine forest views. It is almost as if you have stepped back into time.

The Grand Canyon Railway offers five levels of service from coach to luxury parlor. I opted for the luxury parlor service which included an afternoon champagne brunch and snacks, an open-air platform at the rear of the train, elegant décor, spacious comfortable seats, and a scenic dome that provided panoramic views of all the surroundings. It was one of the few times when traveling alone wasn't lonely for me. After arriving at the Grand Canyon depot, from the deck of the El Tovar Hotel the primordial outcropping and natural excavation of the Grand Canyon became visible for the first time. Boy is it beautiful and BIG!

In Williams, the initial leg of the Grand Canyon Railway, a 287 room deluxe hotel, styled in the early 1900's motif and architecture of the refurbished railway station is available for your lodging comfort. There are a number of different packages available for single and multiple night stays and railway passages. The two and a quarter hour Grand Canyon Railway trip is very relaxing and an excellent amenity to a visit to the Grand Canyon. I do not know why it is not spoken of more frequently. Oh yeah, on the return trip to Williams from the canyon, hold on to your money belt and be on the lookout for train robber. You have to experience it to know what I am talking about.

Resource: Personal Experience