Having driven 850 miles in the previous three days, it was time to take a break. From Williams, you can gain access to the Canyon on the Grand Canyon Railway, and once on the South rim of the Canyon, a tour coach service takes you round several of the best viewpoints and finally you have a couple of hours, to explore on foot.
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The train is formed from from authentic restored 1920's Harriman coaches, pulled by an appropriate steam locomotive. Each coach has its own steward with complimentary drinks, jokes and stories. Strolling musicians and performers wander along the coaches, and you may even find you get hi-jacked by a posse of cowboys, somewhere along the plains. Don't worry however, as the sherriff is not far away. |
The train departs at 09:30 from
Williams station which contains a museum, restaurant and, er, a gift
and souvenier shop. The station is adjacent to the Fray Marcos hotel, a
classic example of early 1900's architecture.
The journey to the canyon is fairly
slow, taking slightly over 2 hours. Once at the Canyon it's straight onto
the coach, and you are off to peer over the edge.
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There are no words to describe this awesome creation of nature, and like Monument Valley previously, taking photographs just does not do justice. The Colorado river is over a mile away at the bottom of the Canyon and two billion years of geology are carved out of the rock on display in front of you. 10 miles away, the North rim can be seen and on a clear day, mountain peaks, some 50+ miles away are clearly visble.For many years, before European settlers arrived, the area was inhabited and worshipped by many native tribes, and parts of the Canyon are still shrouded with mystery and tales of supernatural occurences. |
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It is just impossible to see the Canyon in a few hours of one day. It would be easy to spend a week or even a month here and not see the same scene twice. |
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For those who have more time on their hands and a keen sense of adventure, mule-ride explorations into the depths of the Canyon can be booked, as can air flights by light aircraft or helicopter. In the adjoining Grand Canyon village about 10 miles from the rim there are many shops and tourist centres, there is even a Flintstones Bedrock museum, though, unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity to see this. No doubt there is also a Flintstone gift shop to buy model Freds and Barneys from. |
Grand Canyon Website
Grand Canyon Railway
Website
