Ride the rails to the Grand Canyon (Artical)
It’s that rare vacation moment when everyone is happy at the same time. And all it took was an old-fashioned train in a remote Arizona town and a singing cowboy leading the kids in a spirited rendition of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm."
The railway runs between Williams, Arizona, and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
"Our kids have never been on a train before," said Mary Macho, visiting from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, with her husband, 10-year-old twins and 8-year-old. "This is a new adventure for all of us."
"And this is a lot better than me having to drive!" adds her husband Dennis.
We’re on our way to the Grand Canyon via the Grand Canyon Railway — the way tourists came more than a century ago, before the natural wonder was designated a national park in 1919.
The Railway, in fact, is credited with revolutionizing this spectacular place, opening the region to widespread tourism. Before then, the remoteness of the area — and the arduous trip by horseback or stagecoach to get here — kept most people away.
That was difficult for the kids in our train car — iPods and video games in hand — to even imagine. Today, the Grand Canyon is one of the most visited national parks in the world, drawing nearly 5 million people a year, most coming by car.
My young cousins from Denver, 6-year-old Ethan Sitzman and his 4-year-old sister Hannah, who have joined me, along with their parents, couldn’t be happier that they’re on the train and not buckled in their safety and booster seats as we make our way the 65 oh-so-scenic miles to Grand Canyon National Park.
As parents compare vacation notes, cowboy singer Craig Summers perches on the side of their seats to strum his guitar, while the older kids make a big fuss. "I didn’t even know this guy this morning and now he’s my best friend," says Ethan. Now, that doesn’t happen in the back of the minivan!
"The best part of the trip is the other kids you meet," says 9-year-old Joshua Jeffries, Ethan’s new buddy. Jeffries, like Ethan, is from suburban Denver.
Little Rock, Arkansas, dad Joe Whisenhunt was more interested in sharing the history of train travel with his four kids, watching the scenery with them instead of driving unfamiliar roads with squabbling kids in the back seat.
Onboard the Grand Canyon train, the journey is actually as much fun as the destination. Parents play cards with the kids, trade quips with the cowboy entertainers, help themselves to snacks and drinks and keep their eyes peeled for wildlife. (We’re supposed to sing, "Home on the Range" when we spy an antelope.) Our friendly steward, Lorraine Oresko, a five-year veteran, offers tips on what to see when we arrive.
Whisenhunt didn’t mind a bit that the family could have driven for far less money — round-trip tickets start at $40 for kids and $70 for adults. Ask about AAA discounts. And in honor of the 50th birthday of the diesel locomotive, if you are turning 50 or celebrating your 50th anniversary, you can ride the train for free.
The train, besides being a good history lesson, is also good for the environment. It carries more than 225,000 passengers a year, reducing auto traffic to the South Rim by 10 percent. Instead of steam locomotives, cleaner and more efficient diesel locomotives are used.
"This is money well spent," said Whisenhunt. No matter how bad the economic news, he added, "You have to keep going and make memories."
And this train ride — not to mention a visit to the Grand Canyon — certainly is one for the memory books. The experience can be even more memorable at Christmastime when the train becomes the Polar Express, complete with Santa.
"Our kids are getting older and won’t want to travel with us too much longer," says Alice Schmookler, mother of three, ages 14, 12 and 9. She and her husband, Sandy, are also happy to have the opportunity to show their Florida-bred kids such a different landscape.
Some of our fellow passengers chose to return on the train that afternoon, but we spent the night at a Grand Canyon lodge so that we could have more time to explore. The train makes it so easy — they transferred all of our bags so we could head right out. The bags were waiting in our rooms later — and would be delivered back to the train the following day.
Thanks to Max and Thelma Biegert for making this possible. By the ’50s, more and more tourists were driving to the Grand Canyon instead of taking the train and the train eventually shut down in 1968. Only after spirited (and expensive) efforts by the Biegerts did train service resume in 1989.
Nine years later, the Grand Canyon Railway was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and the quaint Williams Depot was renovated. A hotel soon opened and two years ago, Xanterra, which oversees the hotels and lodges in the Grand Canyon and other national parks, took over the train and depot hotel.
For us, the train fun started before we even got on board — with a Wild West show at Williams Depot in Williams, Arizona. "Those aren’t real guns are they?" asked a worried Hannah. As if on cue, the cowboys got up, dusted themselves off and told more jokes.
On the way back, the kids are too smart for the "train robbers." They recognize them from the Wild West show and just giggle as they make their way through the car, followed by the "sheriff."
Sure it’s hokey. But it’s fun — for the grown-ups as well as the kids. And these days, that counts for a lot.
Verde Canyon Railroad
A ride on Verde Canyon Railroad‘s historic route from Clarkdale to the ghost ranch of Perkinsville and back, into Arizona’s other grand canyon, is an unforgettable experience.
Home to America’s national symbol, the majestic bald eagle, Verde Canyon is accessible only by rail. The historic route is nestled between two national forests and adjacent to a designated wilderness area. This unique geological wonderland features rugged, high desert rock faces and spectacular panoramic views. This distinctive confluence of desert and wetland is populated by a variety of wildlife, which thrives among the indigenous trees, shrubs, cactuses and wildflowers. Passengers on this popular excursion train are enthralled as the eagle-decorated vintage engines roll past towering, crimson cliffs, near ancient Indian ruins, over old-fashioned trestles and through a 680-foot manmade tunnel on a four-hour round trip to deserted Perkinsville Ranch and back. Expert narration and guides leave passengers with a sense of history, archaeology, geology, wildlife and the Indian lore of the Verde Canyon. Original music also is an integral part of the excursion that takes passengers through Arizona’s longest-running nature show. Verde Canyon Railroad, nestled in the heart of the expansive Verde Valley, is ideally located above the heat of the desert and below the cold of Arizona’s high country. |
Ride the Verde Canyon Railroad
The Verde Canyon Railway is not far away from Phoenix. Take a train trip through a beautiful canyon in central Arizona. The Verde Canyon Railroad (formerly the Verde Valley Railroad) of Arizona was originally built to support Arizona’s richest copper mine, located in Jerome. Now visitors enjoy the Verde Canyon Railway excursions to enjoy a leisurely trip, view the natural surroundings and participate in special events.
The Verde Canyon Railroad offers a 4 hour, out and back, train excursion along the beautiful Verde River. They also offer numerous special events including Easter Bunny and Christmas trips, Mystery Trips, Wine Tasting (Grape Escape) trips and, for you chocoholics, the Chocolate Lover’s Festival in February. In the summer, look for moonlight trips where you travel out during the sunset and back under starry skies.
The Verde Canyon Railroad offers first class cars with couch seating, tables, personal service from an extensive bar and a snack buffet. The coach class cars are typical of railroad travel from the ’30′s and ’40′s with row seating and no tables. Both classes of travel can access the open air observation cars.
Grand Canyon Railway
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