My Grand Canyon trip! (long)

[scissortail]

We left home Saturday October 20, and drove to Tucumcari, NM, where we spent our first night.
There must have been a meteor shower, because it was still dark when we left Tucumcari, and we saw five “falling stars” before we reached Santa Rosa!

We arrived in Williams, AZ about 5pm, Sunday. It was very cold, and very windy!
We got our train, hotel, and meal vouchers, for the package that we bought.
https://www.thetrain.com/reservation...&class=c oach (I hope that link works)

After checking into the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel, we had a dinner buffet at the restaurant across the street, Max & Thelma’s. Then we went back to the hotel, to get ready for the next day.
Monday morning, we packed our bag for the overnight train trip, and took our bag to the hotel lobby. Then we went to breakfast, again at Max & Thelma’s.
The weather was great! It was a little cool, but no wind, and sunny.
The train started boarding at 9:30, and left at 10:00. There is a Wild West show, before the train leaves, but we got a call from our daughter about the time it was to start, so we missed it.
We rode in the club car, on the train. It is a refurbished rail car, originally built in 1923, with a beautiful mahogany bar, complete with bartender, and fully stocked bar!
We didn’t have anything but soft drinks, on the morning trip.
There are entertainers on the train, playing guitars and singing. It was a lot of fun!

The train had some problems, on the trip out to the Canyon, and arrived about 30 minutes late. We were to take a bus rim tour, when we arrived. The busses were waiting for us, but we felt really rushed on the bus tour, and didn’t even get to go to the end of the bus route, because the driver said he had another tour to do after ours. That’s the only complaint I had about the whole trip.
After the bus tour, we walked up the stairs, from the depot, to the El Tovar Hotel, and had our box lunch (included with the bus tour) overlooking the spectacular Grand Canyon!
After lunch, we found our way to the Maswick Lodge, and checked in for the night. Our luggage had been transported for us, and was already in our room, when we arrived.

We relaxed for a little while, and got cleaned up for dinner. Before having dinner at the Maswick cafeteria, we went to one of the observation points and watched the awesome sunset! What a treat that was! You hear people talk about it, but you just can’t imagine all the colors, and how beautiful it all is, until you see it for yourself.

I so wanted to see the sunrise, the next morning too, but we both overslept. I suppose I should have set the alarm. :::sigh:::
Well, we got up and had breakfast, and then went to watch the mule trains leaving at 9am! That was a lot of fun! There were three small groups that left, on day trips, and the last group to leave was the overnight trip to the Phantom Ranch, at the bottom of the Canyon. The last group was 14 mules long, counting the guides!
There are only three ways to get to Phantom Ranch... by mule, by hiking, or by rafting the Colorado River.

We had the rest of the day to explore, on our own, before we had to be back to the train depot at 3:30. And, we couldn’t have asked for better weather! The morning was cool, about 45, and the high that day was about 65, and not a cloud in the sky!

The free shuttle busses were great to get around the park. We took the busses to several different observation points. Every place we went, the views were amazing, and like seeing it all for the first time!

We had lunch at the deli, at Market Plaza, and then took the bus again to some of the points we hadn’t been to yet.
Then we went back to El Tovar, and sat on the big front porch and took one last look at the Grand Canyon, before going to the train depot.

The train ride back to Williams was nice, and we saw a lot of wildlife on the way.
We were entertained by the musicians, again. Oh, and yeah, we got “robbed” by the same guys that did the Wild West Show, the day before.

Back at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel, we decided against the dinner buffet. Our meal vouchers were also good at Spenser’s Lounge, there in the hotel, so we went downstairs and had margaritas and nachos! There was a massive antique bar in the lounge that came from England, built in 1887! I’m glad we decided on the lounge that night, or we would have missed that!

Wednesday morning, we skipped the breakfast at Max & Thelma’s, because they didn’t open until 6:30am, and we were ready to hit the road by 5:30.
We drove all the way to Amarillo, TX, before stopping for the night.
We made it home about 3:30 Thursday afternoon. We had driven 2088 miles!
It was a wonderful trip, but it’s good to be home!

I posted a few pictures in the gallery section.
http://www.1branson.com/gallery/show...0/limit/recent

[biscuitcreek]

Sounds as though you had a wonderful trip; thanks for sharing! I hope to go back to the Grand Canyon some day.

[Cheesecake]

Great review.

Got almost the same from son Mike, who was there last weekend....at the very same places...and they loved it.

He said, how is it one lives in AZ and never goes to the Grand Canyon? He had been there when he was a kid, and I took him....he thinks he even saw the exact spot where he got a spanking..............geeseeeeeeeeeeeeee.
Mike got spankings EVERYWHERE.



I'd love to ride the train

[Critter]

That sounded like a wonderful trip!! Thanks for posting!!!

[Mellie]

Originally Posted by scissortail

We left home Saturday October 20, and drove to Tucumcari, NM, where we spent our first night. There must have been a meteor shower, because it was still dark when we left Tucumcari, and we saw five “falling stars” before we reached Santa Rosa!

You were seeing the Remains of Halley's Comet (Orionids). Now you can REALLY sing, "I've been from Tucson to Tucumcari"...or have you been to Tucson?

Did you check-out the camping spots? I'd love to take the teardrop trailer...if we ever get it done. GREAT REVIEW! Thanks for taking the time to type it. I'm really going to start researching it. Maybe you two can go with us, when we go.

[fordarama]

Thanks for sharing the review and pictures,
I have been out there a couple of times,
My dad would love to ride a train across the west,
He can't walk very far because of his lungs,
And the train across the west is very expensive,
I wish I had the dollars to send him there,
It sure is beautiful there, isn't it.........
But I would not want to live there, I am a green tree kinda gal, or a beach kinda gal.........

[Critter]

I posted yesterday but didn't have time to look at the pics. They are beautiful!!!!

Fordarama I am NOT a tree person. I wish we didn't have any trees around us.

[scissortail]

Originally Posted by Mellie

You were seeing the Remains of Halley's Comet (Orionids). Now you can REALLY sing, "I've been from Tucson to Tucumcari"...or have you been to Tucson?

Did you check-out the camping spots? I'd love to take the teardrop trailer...if we ever get it done. GREAT REVIEW! Thanks for taking the time to type it. I'm really going to start researching it. Maybe you two can go with us, when we go.

The Remains of Halley's Comet!? I had no idea! Thanks for that, Mel!

There is a camping/RV park within walking distance of the train depot, in Williams.
The Train has packages, that include the RV space, as well as a hotel room, too.

And, yes, I have been to Tucson... but it was several years ago.
We went through Winslow, too, but I didn't stand on 'the corner'. :rolleyes

[Mellie]

Originally Posted by scissortail

The Remains of Halley's Comet!? I had no idea! Thanks for that, Mel!

There is a camping/RV park within walking distance of the train depot, in Williams.
The Train has packages, that include the RV space, as well as a hotel room, too.

And, yes, I have been to Tucson... but it was several years ago.
We went through Winslow, too, but I didn't stand on 'the corner'. :rolleyes

Don't think I could go to Winslow without "Standing on the Corner in Winslow, Arizona".

[Cheesecake]

When I was a little girl....we took a trip from Minnesota to Northern CA....we (my Mom, Grandma, and I) went with my Uncle...in 1951. Going the northern route, we crossed many a dirt road...the nation's highways were not all paved then.

Then, my Dad and Grandpa drove to California to get us, 6 weeks later. But we drove down through CA to Whittier to visit an Aunt.........and then we came back on Route 66 to OK then up to Wichita....



All that being said, we came through WINSLOW...and it was a small, let me say tiny, Cowboy Town and it had Indians selling blankets and jewelry.
I was so excited to think we were going to stay the night in a stone motel, with a flashing light on its sign. (I lived in NO Minn, and didnt really know what a motel was, ...other than what I saw in the movies)....

Anyway, we went to our rooms to freshen up before we took my French Irish Grandfather across the street to a Mexican Restaurant. (remember now these French Canadians, who immigrated to northern MN, ate little Mexican food.)

So...that being neither here nor there, just what was on my mind while my Mother was braiding my hair very tight.........my eyebrows were drawn nearly to my crown..........a huge SCREAM CAME FROM THE BATHROOM WINDOW, where the small building/room was butted up to another small building/room..............and then another SCREAM and another....someone yelled, ''he's killing me''.............and the police came and hauled a man off for trying to kill his wife/girlfriend....we assumed as straight laced as we were, that it was his wife.

Many years later, when my kids and I stayed there while on vacation...(different motel )....I told them my scarey story..............

Not much in this day and age, but when I was a little girl back in the old west, that was really really something..............

I got a really nice turquoise ring from an Indian Lady who looked like a Princess, too. She made it herself.

I still have it.

S0 much for Winslow when it was a Motel and Gas Station and a Mexican Restaurant with bad tasting water...........before everyone here was born.

[lovemycondo]

Thank you so much for sharing your trip with us. I'm glad you had a wonderful trip.

[pamlet]

That sounds like so much fun!

What a wonderful trip... I remember being awestruck by the Grand Canyon ... it is truly incredible!

Great review - makes me want to take that train trip!

[Country Gal]

Nice review...thanks for sharing!!