All Aboard! December 17, 2022 Sarah and I, along with Jarad and Peart, who was celebrating his upcoming 2nd birthday, boarded the Grand Canyon Railway for a one day round trip excursion from Williams, Arizona to the south rim of the Grand Canyon.

To make the trip easier we opted to drive two hours from their home the night before and stay over in Williams. Many guests choose to stay at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel, but there are several accommodations available in town and we chose one of the less expensive options, the Ramada Inn. When we arrived late Friday evening it was only 13 degrees and leaving our hotel the next morning a chilling 7 degrees. It was a quick 4 minute drive to the train depot next to the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel, where free parking is available even if you aren’t a hotel guest.

We had purchased our first class tickets several months ahead, but it is possible to purchase on site. We picked up our tickets at the will call window, as instructed, at 7:30am, giving us about 45 minutes to look around the large gift shop and coffee bar. At 8am guests were entertained with an old west show, but we opted to stay inside in the warmth. At 8:15am we boarded the train and left the station promptly at 8:30 for our 2 hour 15 minute leisurely ride to the national park.

All seats on the train are assigned and each first class car has an attendant. As we left the station our attendant, Rob, filled us in on the history of the railroad and points of interest. Our ticket included a complimentary morning snack available right in our car. Rob took orders for optional alcoholic beverages available for purchase for a reasonable $5 to $7 each. The snack car was also open with additional items for purchase. Entertainment included singing cowboys and lots of corny jokes told by Rob. We were originally placed in two rows, but about halfway through our trip were happy to discover we could swivel one row around and sit facing each other. Our journey was north across the desert where we enjoyed the view of the vast landscape. We were told to be on the lookout for wildlife including deer, pronghorn sheep, wild horses, and even cows. As we got near to the Grand Canyon we entered the pine forests with a heavy blanket of snow. Near the depot we saw a buck and doe with two tiny fawns.

Rob offered several helpful suggestions for our three hour self-guided tour of the south rim, but as repeat visitors we already had our own agenda. It was a cold, but beautiful day with the sun shining and snow glistening on the rocks as we peered over into the canyon. We thought it looked even prettier in the sparkling snow. After admiring the view, our first order of business was a stop at the Verkamp’s Visitor Center to collect our passport stamps. We browsed the gift shop and then headed to nearby Hopi House, with its impressive collection, for purchase, of authentic American Indian arts and crafts. Next we headed to El Tovar for our lunch reservation.

The historic El Tovar lodge, first opened in 1905, is located right on the canyon rim. We first learned of this elegant establishment in Neil Peart’s book, “Traveling Music,” where he wrote that he enjoyed dining there whenever he stayed at the park. That was all it took for Sarah and I to make our first dinner reservation at the hotel in 2018. In 2020, we enjoyed a nice breakfast, and today we rounded out the experience with a lunch reservation we had secured thirty days out, the earliest allowable date. Reservations are not required but strongly suggested for lunch and dinner. Breakfast reservations are not accepted, so when we went in 2020 we had shown up nearly an hour early to get a place in line. Today, our due diligence earned us a coveted table at the window overlooking the canyon. Seriously, on this visit we watched two women without a reservation try in earnest to upgrade to a table with a view only to be denied and placed in the center of the room. However, even the center of the room is nothing to complain about. As always the food was excellent. Sarah tried a cup of their famous french onion soup, and for her entree linguini, while Jarad chose the popular beef stroganoff. I opted for the southwest chicken sandwich and a cup of corn chowder on the side. Our waitress and her assistant were friendly and attentive, bringing Peart his macaroni and cheese as quickly as possible. For dessert, Sarah and I tried the caramel pecan creme brulee and Peart had a sundae that they presented on a Happy Birthday plate complete with a candle. But the real experience is the lodge itself and we were delighted to see it decorated in all its Holiday splendor. And the view! Once again we left full and completely satisfied.

After our leisurely lunch we still had over an hour left and spent that time walking on the rim trail to Bright Angel and back, stopping along the way to take pictures. At Bright Angel we browsed the gift shop. We happened into the coffee and chocolate shop and were tempted, but too full to try the fudge. And we considered purchasing hot chocolate at the soda fountain snack shop, but again decided we were too full. It was a beautiful day and despite the cold the sun felt warm and nice and we were soon back on the rim trail headed to the train depot.

We were warned that the train would leave promptly at 2:30pm. For the return journey boarding would start at 2pm. Like us, most of the passengers seemed to be back on deck waiting for the doors to open and everyone in our car was ready to go early, looking content but tired. Everyone looked tired, that is except Peart, who was full of energy and excited to be back on the train! Once again we were offered an afternoon snack of cheese, meat, and crackers and drink orders were taken. And once again we were serenaded by a singing cowboy as we all relaxed in our seats for the ride back. Rob directed us to points of interest on either side of the train and told more corny jokes as the scenery changed back from pine forest to desert as we rode along.

Everything seemed in order until we heard an announcement over the intercom, just a warning, that a local cowboy gang had escaped jail and were reportedly in the area! Of course we knew this was all a ruse because the ticket agent had told us we would be “robbed” for tips on the return journey! According to our conductor the gang would often place a blow up cow on the tracks knowing that the train was required to stop for cattle and in this way gain access to the train. Sure enough our train soon came to a stop and again we heard an announcement that the gang had boarded the train! It was a lot of fun to play along as the rogue cowboys entered our car. We happily handed over our cash, which is of course completely optional. They stopped to chat with Peart who handed over his dollar, and invited him to join them once he had hair on his chin, and even took a picture. Not a very wise thing to do in a true robbery, but it came out really cute and he thought they were extremely funny. I am happy to say that for my sacrifice I was marked “safe.” Shortly after the gang left our car the sheriff entered, confidently on their trail. And before we made it back to the station the bad guys, now with their hands up and followed close behind by the sheriff, came back through the car on their way back to jail. I heard the sheriff say “I knew they would run out of train.”

By the time we disembarked the train I felt like I was leaving behind friends and we all agreed we would definitely return again. The Grand Canyon Railway did not disappoint. It’s a great way to visit the park for a day trip, or perhaps even an overnight stay. Although it was cold, December turned out to be a great time to visit for the beautiful scenery and lack of crowds. We hardly got onto the freeway for our drive home and Peart was sound asleep, perhaps dreaming of a train ride, or a future with hair on his chin.