Take the Train to the Grand Canyon
With the shriek of a steam whistle, the train starts its clickety-clack. Trackside, characters in old-time western costumes wave with a whoop and happy holler. (You may recognize the same hombres on the return trip, when they turn into outlaws and stage a train robbery.)
Your family is off to Grand Canyon National Park.
The Grand Canyon has been a family travel favorite since great-grandfather’s day, when most tourists arrived by train because the Wild West had so few highways. Today’s smart travelers still take the train, which goes straight to the South Rim while drive-in visitors are idling in hours-long lines at the park entrance, miles away. From where you de-train it’s a short walk to the rim and suddenly the canyon gapes before you. It’s beyond awesome.
Millions of years old, the canyon is more exciting today than ever.
The Grand Canyon Railway has added an eco-engine that runs on used cooking oil. New lodgings have been added and the historic El Tovar hotel has been elegantly upgraded. Hopi House, built in 1905 to house Hopi artisans, is a museum and gift shop selling tribal goods.
To get the most from the trip, start planning early. (Rooms at El Tovar and seats on the winter-only Polar Express are especially hard to get.) Before leaving home, rent the Judy Garland musical The Harvey Girls. Corny, clean and catchy, it’s based on the real story of Fred Harvey, the man behind the park’s hotels and restaurants. Over a century ago, he transformed western tourism by insisting on clean meals served by pretty girls in white aprons.
The train trip begins in Williams, Arizona, about 60 miles south of the Grand Canyon and 125 miles north of Phoenix. Part of the fun is staying in the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel at the rail depot in Williams before the trip and 
perhaps on the return too. After a big Depot breakfast, there’s a Wild West show in the amphitheater before you board the train.
Enjoy passing scenery and complimentary fruit, cheeses, crackers and beverages until the train arrives at the rim at 11:45. Within walking distance of the rails are scenic overlooks, dining at El Tovar or Bright Angel Lodge, and shopping at Hopi House. Don’t miss the third floor, where Hopi Indians lived in the early days.
The park’s shuttle buses make it easy to hop off and on, stopping here for a short hike, there for an ice cream cone, or at another drop-off to hike to the next pick-up spot. If you’re on a one-day round trip don’t over-extend yourself because the train leaves promptly at 3:45 to return to W
illiams. If you’re staying in the park there is enough to keep you busy for a lifetime. Hike trails of many lengths and difficulties. Attend educational programs given by park rangers, photograph the canyon in all its moods, take a mule ride along the rim or into the depths. Rent bicycles to explore the sprawling park and learn about geology, ancient Indian history and the park’s unique flora and fauna.
For years to come, memories of the canyon will return to enrich your children’s school lessons in many subjects at many age levels. Yet all that time, the kids thought they were just having fun.
If You Go
For more information: Go to www.thetrain.com or call 800-THE-TRAIN. 
Many options are available: three classes of rail cars, hotel add-ons in both Williams and in Grand Canyon National Park for one or more days, an RV package and much more. During winter holidays The Polar Express, based on the timeless movie, rides these rails.
In addition to the movie The Harvey Girls, it’s recommended that parents and older teens read the delightful new book, Appetite for America (Bantam), the history of Fred Harvey and railroad hospitality.
Tipping
Have a few dollars ready for the “train robbers” on the way back. They are the same actors who 
perform the morning show and this is your way of tipping them. They’re cheerful hombres, willing to pose for your camera. Save the event as a surprise or, if you think it’s necessary, warn kids in advance that the train robbery is all in fun.
Safety Concerns
Many edges of the Grand Canyon have no or low rails. Keep toddlers on a harness and maintain strict control over active youngsters. In some areas, squirrels are very aggressive. Don’t feed or approach them. They bite! When hiking, be aware of your limits (which may be less than you think). Bring everything you need including plenty of water. You may not be able to use your cell phone in many parts of the park and, in any case, rescue may be slow or unavailable.
------------------
Janet Groene is a professional travel writer. She develops healthful trail mix recipes seen at www.CreateAGorp.blogspot.com.
