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- After a road trip of several days, I was tired of driving, so I jumped on the railway of the Grand Canyon.
- The train moves away from Williams, Arizona, and deposits travelers at the southern edge of the park.
- The journey has taken twice as long as driving, but it was a new way to explore a national park.
As I reached Williams, Arizona, my hands felt permanent linked behind the wheel of my van. My back hurt me, making me feel more decades that I am not, and my legs are cramped to be in the same position for hours.
It was only the fourth day of my 13 -day road trip. I had covered 800 miles and spent far too long in my Ram Promaster rented truck.
In other words, I needed a break in driving.
Fortunately, that’s why I was in Williams first. The small town of Arizona houses the Grand Canyon Railway.
Instead of driving another two-hour round trip to the National Park, I decided to let someone else drive and jump on the train.
A few days before arriving in Arizona, I bought my train ticket for about $ 80.
Monica Humphries / Business Insider
The Grand Canyon Railway has six different class options. The lower level class is the Pullman class, where the round-trip tickets cost $ 70. The highest levels are the luxury fair and the luxury dome, where tickets cost $ 240. These prices do not include fees for the park of $ 35.
When I choose my train class, I was just happy to be on a train. I opted for the second -level coach ticket on the way to the Grand Canyon and a Pullman ticket on the way back. In addition to the design, the main difference that I spotted between the two classes was that the coach class offers air conditioning, unlike the Pullman car.
In total, I paid $ 82 for the trip in October 2023.
The adventure would be a one -day business. The train leaves at 9:30 am and visitors return to Williams around 5.45 p.m.
Monica Humphries / Business Insider
The train journey lasts about two hours and 15 minutes, compared to an hour by car.
The passengers are about 3 and a half hours to explore the southern edge of the Grand Canyon National Park.
I arrived at the station ticket office around 8:30 am to collect my printed tickets and have a coffee.
Monica Humphries / Business Insider
The train deposit in Williams was built in 1910.
Then I went to a small arena for a performance. The experience includes more than just transport. Musicians and actors are on board, creating an Old West feeling throughout the ride.
Monica Humphries / Business Insider
A group of cowboy actors bordered an old west style set and played a shot shooting.
Of course, it was a bit of a gimmicky, but after having traveled along Route 66 and explored the Old Art Deco Movement of America, I learned to kiss him.
After the show, I found my coach car and went on the train. At 9:30 am, we left for the Grand Canyon.
Monica Humphries / Business Insider
The coach car was only half full, so all the passengers could take a window seat to admire the Ponderosa pine forests and the meadows we travel.
During the two -hour walk, we listened to our passenger assistant and our information on the railroad and the National Park.
Monica Humphries / Business Insider
The journey is 65 miles and moves through a range of landscapes.
During the journey, I learned the indigenous peoples who call the region at home, and our train group plunged into the history of the railway.
Between the stories, the passengers spotted the fauna in the distance.
Monica Humphries / Business Insider
In the first 10 minutes of the trip, someone from our train car spotted a white -headed pygargue. Throughout the rest of the trip, we have also seen livestock, horses and pronghorns.
About an hour after the start, I went to the coffee train, which sold fries, candies, sodas, beer and other snacks.
Monica Humphries / Business Insider
I caught Bretzels and A peanuts for the rest of the journey.
As we get closer to our destination, I waited until the massive valleys, the red rocks and the striking landscapes appear. Instead, everything I saw was the meadows and the forest.
Monica Humphries / Business Insider
I didn’t know you don’t see any part of the Grand Canyon on the train. Instead, after landing, the canyon is a few steps away.
Once arrived, I had about three hours to explore the National Park. At the start, I feared that it was not enough time.
Monica Humphries / Business Insider
I spent whole days for walking in the Arches National Park and Zion National Park.
But an afternoon was ideal for a first overview of the southern edge of the Grand Canyon.
Monica Humphries / Business Insider
Although I could have easily spent days in the park, an afternoon offered an ideal taste of its offers.
I spent about an hour for walking a segment of the Rim Trail, a paved path that gives visitors a view of the canyon. I also wandered in the reception center, the gift shop and restaurants.
Around 3 p.m., I returned to the train. This time, I was in a sweater car.
Monica Humphries / Business Insider
Although it is the lower class, I appreciated the Pullman car a little more. The seats were a little more comfortable, and all the space was a little more historic. In addition, I was traveling in the fall, so air conditioning in coach class was an unnecessary advantage. (I was not even sure that it was on.) If it had been the height of the Summer of Arizona, I would have chosen the coach.
After sitting in the emerald green car car, we left quickly at 3.30 p.m.
The afternoon journey was filled with more music and another cowboy sketch.
Monica Humphries / Business Insider
A violinist and a guitarist played for passengers during the trip.
The day on the train was a fun way to explore the Grand Canyon and, fortunately, I never had to put myself in the driver’s seat.
Monica Humphries / Business Insider
We returned to Williams and ended the day with a magnificent sunset.
I came back from the adventure of a day under tension and I no longer feared the journey forward.
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