May 26th, 2023
We have had some issues with AT&T Service throughout northern Arizona and Utah, so I’m just catching up on posts from the past three weeks!
During that time we had many mostly off-line adventures. I was able to load some short videos to Facebook and TikTok, but the longer ones had to wait until I had some reasonable service.
In mid-May, after returning from our European baby got married adventure we headed to Williams, AZ which would be our home while we checked out the Grand Canyon and the surrounding area.
Our first day there, we took the Grand Canyon Railway from Williams to the canyon. After experiencing the beautiful scenery on the Verde Valley Railway, we were a bit disappointed in the views from our rail car, but the staff more than made up for the lack of views with incredible service and entertainment!
We picked up our tickets and dropped Reba off at their on-site kennel which was so simple. She was well cared for and got to play with one of the staff member’s pup for the day!
Before boarding the train you are treated to a short wild-west show that is cute. We got to meet a gang of train robbers and the Marshall who would protect us on our journey. Sort of.
You can take the train for as little as $69 in pullman class, but we splurged for first class tickets to get the large, comfy seats, bar service and complimentary snacks. You can also upgrade for the observation dome. As I mentioned the scenery on the trip is not that special, so I wouldn’t spend the money for this one. Luxury dome gets you dome seating and a lounge like car below and you can even upgrade to a luxury parlor with a rear platform.
The host in our car not only provided excellent service, but he told stories about the history of the area and the train line that helped bring Williams, AZ back to life after many years of decline. Today, many of the permanent residents of Williams work for the railway, the attached hotel and RV park and surrounding tourist attractions.
We were serenaded on both legs of the trip by outstanding musicians and on the ride back to Williams we were overtaken by that rowdy band of robbers who relieved the passengers of dollar bills as they made their way through the cars. The Marshall did, of course, come to the rescue!
We added a bus tour for the time we were in the park. The stories were great, but we only got to see a few viewpoints and it made the day a bit rushed.
We made the 60 mile trip back to the canyon several more times in our truck and it was simple to park and enjoy the park that way. I’d recommend the Railway for a fun experience, not as necessary transportation to the Grand Canyon.