Train Ride to Grand Canyon Village

Before leaving for our Grand Canyon adventure, I looked online for activities that might be fun for our three-year-old granddaughter.

One that caught my eye was a two-hour train ride to Grand Canyon Village.

That could be fun for adults and children alike.

When I mentioned the idea to my son - who was our main driver - he was enthusiastic: a train ride would enable him to enjoy the scenery - not merely focus on the road.

The train took us through Arizona desert, past homes...

Various kinds of entertainment helped pass the time.

Part of the entertainment started before we boarded. It was a wild-west shoot-out...

Later we were told that these same bad guys would later "rob" the train...!

(They had to tell us for insurance purposes!)

When we arrived at Grand Canyon Village and got off the train, we ate lunch ...

Then headed out to see the canyon...

It is truly magnificent!


Awe-inspiring!

For several hours, we wandered around...

We were warned not to get too close to the edge of the cliff in places where there was no barrier...

The canyon is a mile down... and people fall and die every year, especially taking "selfies"...

A sobering thought...

On our return trip we discovered that the train's steam engine was powered - not by coal - but by recycled cooking oil!

But our tourist train was so long that an auxiliary diesel engine - located behind the steam engine - was needed to help help pull.

The whole day was a great adventure, enjoyed by all!