Grand Canyon Railway and Hotel

Traveling back in time on the train reminded me of my GG Grandfather who “travelled out west by train and took in some of the “National Parks.”  That was in 1888.  The Grand Canyon railway began operations in 1901, so he did not make it here.We boarded the Luxury Parlor car and quickly found our plush seats.  A glass of champagne was waiting for us. 

Once underway we were given a snack box.  The plains quickly turn into forests winding around some bends at a very leisurely pace. We went out back on the rear platform and starred the clickity track.

We arrived at the canyon and only got a glimpse of her from the train.  Our luggage was pre-collected ant taken directly to our room.  We toured many of the western overlooks by using the National Park Service’s hop-on-hop-off shuttle bus.Around three pm we went to the Maswik Lodge to check in to the place.  It is not really a lodge but a collection of rustic buildings having about eight rooms each.  Clean, comfortable and recently renovated it was a 3-star property at a 5-star price.

In the evening we dined at the Tovar Inn. The restaurant is near the rim with some partial views. A definitely unique dining experience with craft cocktails, western décor, steaks, chicken and pasta dishes. It was a five-star dining experience.

The next morning, we again rode the shuttle west and east to the visitor center and pull outs on the east side of the park.  We took many photos and even saw the Colorado River is places. I pointed out the Indian Garden trail that I took in  1976 when I went all way to the bottom by foot.

We boarded the train in the Luxury Dome for the ride back.  Again we had champagne and a cocktail. The views from the dome were worth the premium price.  Security could have been better as when slowed down for a curve there were gunshots.  We were boarded by train robbers who took our excess dollar bills from us.

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