We spent the night at the KOA campground just outside Williams,
Arizona. This was a really nice campground - the kids hit the pool
the second we got there and I couldn't wait to get in the shower. The
showers were very clean. The office has a well-stocked store and
there is a small outdoor cafe for those who don't feel like cooking.
Service was excellent - an attendant drove us to our campsite, which
was a big pull-through site.

We were up at 6:00 am the next morning, had a quick breakfast and
packed up camp. Williams was an easy six minute drive from the KOA.
We found the large parking lot for the Grand Canyon Railway and
parked our RV for the day. We walked across the street to the train
station and retrieved our tickets which had been reserved by phone
the previous day. We had plenty of time to prowl through the gift
shop and have a good look at the restored historic train depot from
inside and outside. Really a lovely building, with lots of the
original fixtures. (The gift shop at the train station is open for 30
minutes after the train returns at the end of the day, so we never
bought anything before our trip. We appreciated having the option to
do some comparison shopping before we bought!)

The Wild West show started promptly at 9:45. This is an outdoor show.
You'll want to arrive about ten minutes early if you want a seat on
the bleachers. We had to stand, but as the show is only about 15
minutes long, we really didn't mind. The performance is a little
hokey, but our kids really thought it was funny.

After the Wild West show, we headed towards the train to find our
car. Boarding started at 10:00 am. The inside of the train was like
taking a step back in time - everything inside was original - even
the windows! We found our seats in coach class and settled in. (The
seat backs are reversible, so if you are travelling in a group, you
can flip one seat around so that you sit facing one another, in
groups of four. This makes the conversation a little easier.) We just
had a few minutes to get settled before the train departed from the
station. How exciting! After we left town and picked up speed we
quickly settled into the rhythm of the train's steam engines. (The
steam engines only operate in the summer .) We rode in silence for a
short time, just enjoying the "clickety-clack" of the wheels on the
rails.

Each car has a guide who is knowledgeable about the area you are
travelling through. They offer some tidbits of information as the
trip progresses. They also passed out free cans of pop (soda), which
our kids thought was great. As the trip progressed, the kids talked
me into making the arduous journey back to the cafe car, for a snack.
The cafe car also houses a small selection of souvenirs. (One more
opportunity for the kids to beg for something!) When we returned to
our car with food in hand, we found a banjo player there, picking
some pretty good tunes for our enjoyment. Send Picture as a PostCard.
Grand Canyon Railway Train Station After a trip of about 2 hours, we
arrived at the train station in the Grand Canyon village - finally!
We only had 3 1/2 hours to explore before we had to get back on the
train to return to Williams.

We departed the train and headed across the street and up the stairs.
Reaching the top, we briefly admired the El Tovar Hotel, and then
made our way across the grass, towards the small retaining wall that
stood between us and the Grand Canyon. I will never, ever forget that
moment, when I reached the wall and saw the Grand Canyon for the
first time. What a powerful experience. I was filled with a feeling
of wonder that was absolutely overwhelming. My eyes filled up with
tears that spilled over and rolled down my cheeks. I heard my son
whisper to my step-daughters "See - I told you she'd cry!" We all
stood there quietly for several minutes, enjoying this amazing work
of nature. Thankfully, Allan never snapped any pictures of me crying
at the Grand Canyon!

We set out on foot for the shuttle stop. It was about a five minute
walk to the stop, near the Bright Angel Lodge. I was glad we did this
immediately, as we had to wait about 15 minutes for a shuttle. Some
people behind us had to wait for the next shuttle. The free shuttle
took us to Hermit's Rest and back, stopping at several lookout points
along the way. You are welcome to hop off at any stop and walk or get
on the next shuttle that comes along. We did this twice, at Hopi
Point and again at Hermit's Rest. Our 3 1/2 hour layover did not
allow us anymore time than that. We got some good views of the Canyon
along the drive, and arrived back at the village loaded down with
souvenirs, with ten minutes to spare before the train left for
Williams.

On the train trip back to Williams, we were once again entertained by
minstrels, and there was even a train robbery! (Keep some small
change in your pocket for that.) We tried to give the robbers
Canadian money, but they wouldn't take it ...... ? It was so nice
after a day of exploring to be able to sit back and relax for 2 hours
while someone else transported us.

When we arrived back at the station, we stopped into the gift shop
long enough to buy a few "absolutely can't live without it"
souvenirs. Then, because we hadn't eaten since our morning snack on
the train, we went in search of some food. We walked about 1/2 block
south from the train station into the downtown area and stumbled into
Pancho McGillicuddy's Mexican Restaurant. The cervezas were cold and
refreshing, just what we needed after a long hot day at the canyon.
The assortment of Mexican food which we tried was all excellent. The
service was very efficient, and the decor of this place is beyond
eclectic. You just have to go there at least once. We were able to
get a table outside, where a one-man band was playing tunes to
entertain the patrons.

A day at the Grand Canyon, a cold beer, good music and a plate full
of Mexican food. It just doesn't get any better than that.

If I had this trip to do over, I would take the train to Williams,
spend two days at the Canyon and take the train back. 3 1/2 hours is
simply not enough time to do this amazing place justice.

Paradise Found Tours maintains a website for The
<http://www.paradisefoundtours.com/>Grand Canyon at
http://www.paradisefoundtours.com. The site provides information for
Grand Canyon tours, special news, fees and other pertinent
information.

Other valuable resources:
<http://www.paradisefoundtours.com/tours/grand-canyon-tours/>Grand
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<http://www.paradisefoundtours.com/tours/las-vegas-tours/>Las Vegas
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<http://www.paradisefoundtours.com/tours/hoover-dam-tours/>Hoover Dam
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<http://www.paradisefoundtours.com/las-vegas-show-tickets/>Las Vegas
Shows  |
<http://www.paradisefoundtours.com/las-vegas-show-tickets/>Las Vegas
Show Tickets  |  <http://www.paradisefoundweddings.com>Las Vegas
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