· exploring · food · national park · travel · Grand Canyon NP
While staying at the Grand Canyon Railway RV park, and the reason for staying there, we took the train to the Grand Canyon.
This was a special wedding anniversary treat for us; we did the train trip on a day when they used the historic steam train, and went to the park in the Luxury Dome train car, did a bus guided tour, and returned in the Luxury Parlor train car.
Before boarding the train, there was a little cowboy show:
All aboard! Here’s the Luxury Dome train car; a double-decker car, with a lounge below and a full-length dome above:
After that car, at the end of the train, was the Luxury Parlor car, where we boarded:
Us in our seat in the dome car; the TSA was still requiring masks except when eating and drinking:
The Luxury Dome car, built in 1955:
Each car had a Passenger Service Attendant:
A glimpse of the front of the train out the dome window (don’t worry, better pics later):
Snacks and beverages:
The train newspaper:
A photographer took some pictures:
Here are a couple official photographs of us, in the dome and on the rear platform:
The Luxury Dome car was only about half full:
I walked the length of the train, starting from the rear platform:
The Luxury Parlor car, built in 1947:
Passage between cars, with the steps to the Luxury Dome visible:
The lower floor of the Luxury Dome car:
One of the Observation Dome cars; they have smaller domes:
The dining car:
The historic 1923 Pullman car:
A Coach car:
Singer:
Looking over the train from the frontmost observation dome:
Arriving at Grand Canyon village:
Tour bus:
On board the bus:
Ranger operations building:
A bunch of pictures of the Grand Canyon:
Lunch was included in the bus tour; it was supposed to be a buffet, but in these COVID times, it was instead a sack lunch:
Jenn found a hat in the gift store:
More angles of the big hole in the ground:
When we tipped the bus driver/guide, she gave us a snowy canyon pic she had taken:
Back at the train station in the park, I got some pictures of the 1923 steam train engine:
An assist from a diesel engine:
The power car:
Coach cars:
The rear of the train, with observation dome cars, the Luxury Dome car, and the Luxury Parlor car:
The rear platform of the Luxury Parlor car:
Champagne toasts in the Luxury Parlor car:
The conductor making a PA announcement:
Snacks:
Singers:
On the rear platform:
View from the rear platform:
The cowboys stopped the train:
Cowboy train robbery:
The sheriff going after the robbers:
Lastly, an official photo of the steam train engine:
This was a fun way to spend our anniversary, and quite the experience. Highly recommended.