USA: Grand Canyon by Rail

If you’re looking for a fun way to spend a long weekend, consider a trip on the Grand Canyon Railway. I had been to the Grand Canyon several times, but never via rail. Since I was in Phoenix for a professional meeting, I decided to take a few days and see what the Grand Canyon Railway was all about.

Carol and I arrived in Williams, Arizona around 5:00pm and checked into the Fray Marcus Hotel (now called the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel) adjacent to the Williams Depot. The hotel is not an historic treasure, but it is a delightful hotel with a wonderful lobby and even more wonderful stone fireplace. By the time we arrived in Williams, the temperature had dropped and rain was in the forecast. The blazing fire in the main lobby, along with a cup of hot tea, was a welcome sight. When we were there in 2004, the hotel had 196 rooms with plans to add an additional 102 rooms. The hotel offers an indoor pool, small exercise room and hot tub. In the hotel is Spenser’s Lounge, a small pub type restaurant with the most wonderful 19th century hand carved bar brought over from Europe. There is also a full service restaurant, Max and Thelma’s, located next to the depot, and a short walk from the hotel.

Once we checked into the hotel and warmed up with a cup of tea ( this was in October), I wanted to check out the town of Williams. Five minutes later we were back in the hotel. Seriously, the town of Williams, founded in 1882 as a railroad town, and later regaining its popularity as part of the Route 66 craze, is two main streets with curio shops, motels, gas stations and restaurants. There is also a Safeway and a 99-cent store. Williams has been around for over 100 years and is now enjoying a renaissance due to the popularity of the Grand Canyon Railway.

The weather is one thing we have no control over. It had turned cold overnight and it was raining. When we came down to the lobby the following morning, the fire was burning in the fireplace and several of the guests were enjoying a hot cup of coffee before venturing out to the train depot to board the Grand Canyon Railway. At 9:15, bundled up with an umbrella in hand, we wandered out to the train platform to catch the “Wild West Show” before boarding the train. The Wild West Show was a bit on the corny side, but the little people in the audience seemed to enjoy the gunfight and cheered when the sheriff caught the “bad guys.”

At 9:45am the whistle blew and the conductor yelled “all aboard.” Carol and I had reserved seats in the Dome Car. There are five different categories of seating on the train: Coach, Club Coach, First Class, Deluxe Observation and Luxury Parlor Car. The differences in the categories are both seating and amenities. Both Coach and Club Class have bench style seats and offer complimentary soft drinks. First Class and Deluxe Observation have the comfortable recliner type seats and there are individual barrel-style chairs in the Luxury Parlor Car, plus a rear, open-air observation platform that is perfect for taking pictures (when it’s not raining!). Club Coach also offers a complementary continental breakfast in the morning. However, if you upgrade to First class and above, you not only get a complementary continental style breakfast in the morning, you also get champagne and appetizers on your ride back in the afternoon.

We “unbundled” and helped ourselves to a cup of coffee. Once we were underway, the attendant came through and welcomed us aboard, offered us the complementary continental breakfast served in the first class car, and took orders for some specialty coffee and alcoholic beverages. The Deluxe Observation seats are located on the upper level of the Coconino and Kokopelli cars and offer breathtaking views from the glass-enclosed dome area ---- when they’re not fogged up due to weather conditions. Seriously, I liked the brightness and airy feeling of the Dome car, but the windows did fog up and seeing clearly was a problem. But even that did not hamper the spirits of the passengers. It was a lively group and when the folk singer stopped by, we all belted out some of our favorite country western songs. The warmth and friendliness of the staff more than made up for the cold and damp weather outside.

We arrived at the South Rim at 12:15, right on schedule (obviously it’s not an Amtrak train). It was still raining, so Carol and I decided to walk up to the El Tovar Hotel (a short block from the train depot) and have lunch, in hopes that the rain would stop and the clouds would rise from the canyon floor. The Grand Canyon Railway offers several packages and tours for visiting the canyon. If you’re only planning to be at the canyon for the afternoon (the train departs at 3:30 for Williams) there are several bus tours available that will take you to the most scenic viewpoints and historic sites. Most of these tours include either a buffet or box lunch. There is also an option to stay overnight at one of the lodges on the South Rim and take the train back to Williams the following afternoon.

If you’re not overly enthusiastic about a guided bus tour, there are free shuttle buses and three different routes around the South Rim: the Village Route stops at many of the lodges and stores in Grand Canyon Village and the Canyon View Information Plaza; the Hermit Rest Route travels eight miles west to Hermit Rest, stopping at several overlooks along the way; and the Kaibab Trail Route circles between the Information Plaza and Yaki Point, providing access to the South Kaibab Trail. If you have the time, this option is a great way to see the canyon. You can get on and off at any stop and can transfer from one loop to the other. In nice weather all you’d need is a guidebook and a picnic lunch, the scenery is spectacular.

The El Tovar Hotel, built in 1905, is the “grand dame” of the lodges on the South Rim and offers a fabulous view of the canyon, and fine dining in their restaurant. In the peak of the tourist season, you need to make dinner reservations several weeks in advance.

By the time we finished lunch, the rain had slowed to a drizzle and we ventured outside to the canyon rim. The canyon was still enveloped in clouds. We talked to several people from around the country and shared in their disappointment at not being able to see the “Grand Canyon.” The literature refers to the “myriad of colors (that) will enthrall the artist; the interplay of light and cloud shadows (that) will thrill the romantic, and the rock layers and landforms (that) will delight the geologist.”

To make a long story short, before we left, the clouds lifted, the sun came out, and we did see the beautiful rock formations and “myriad of colors” that make the Grand Canyon a national treasure. Carol was absolutely ecstatic, since she had not been to the canyon before. We walked back to the train depot and boarded the train back to Williams. On the return trip we were in the Luxury Parlor Car; I wanted to compare the different classes of service and see if it was worth the extra money to sit in barrel-style chairs. Other than the seating and the rear observation platform, the service is the same in first class and deluxe observation class. I personally preferred the Dome car because of the openness and the panoramic views, but there is definitely more room to move around in the luxury car.

The weather had cleared up for the ride home. We enjoyed our champagne and again had a fun time singing along with the folk singer. The inclement weather had definitely not dampened the spirits of anyone on the train.

The Grand Canyon Railway is wonderful. I love train travel and it was fun to take a step back in history to the glory days of rail travel. If you have never been to the canyon, I would suggest staying overnight, which would give you an opportunity to do some outdoor exploration, providing the weather co-operates. Since the train departs Williams at 10:00am, you almost have to stay overnight in Williams, and I would definitely recommend the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel.

During the holiday season, the Grand Canyon Railway offers a special event---The Polar Express. Based on the classic children’s book by Chris Von Allsburg, The Polar Express “comes to life when the train departs the Williams Depot for a journey through the quiet wilderness for a special visit to the North Pole with Santa Claus.” Hot chocolate and cookies are served while special guests read the classic story. The highlight of the trip is when Santa boards the train and hands each child their own sleigh bell (read the book). The Polar Express only runs on specific days in the month of December. Check online (www.TheTrain.com) or call Redlands Travel Service (1-800-339-8417) for additional information and reservations.

If you’re looking for a great weekend get-away, or simply enjoy train travel, I would highly recommend the Grand Canyon Railway.

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