November 7, 2008 South Rim of the Grand Canyon

An old western play and shoot-out

started out our day.
Our new cowboy friend that was on
the train with us.
This was taken out the back of the train
on a platform...can't see the tracks very well.

This is our train car. We could walk to any

car and they had entertainment and food.

John on the train.

Sitting on the south rim.

This is a buck ...but he was small.

Looking down into the canyon.

Another canyon shot.

The train robbers.

The robbers before they got on the train.

Another robber in the waiting.

Bad guy trying to hold us up for money.

AHHH...the sheriff to the rescue.

What a day! We started out at 9:30 for a play and shoot out in the fake town they had by the train station. Then we boarded the train at 10:00 and headed for the Grand Canyon. We were in the 2nd to the last car of the train and we had entertainment, food and drink. We had an accordion and harmonica player, a fiddler, a guitar player, and various characters dressed up like western "dudes". It took about 2 + hours to get there. We walked into the El Tovar Hotel and decided to have lunch there. After lunch we hike the rim from the El Tovar to Yavapai Observation station. About an hour walk if you stop and take pictures etc... The hike was so beautiful, our pictures don't do it justice, but you did feel the fact that you were at 7,000 ft. It was good for us. There was a 245 mile clarity of view today, no wind and about 55 or so degrees.

Perfect! We then took the shuttle back to the Grand Canyon Village and went through some gift shops and then boarded the train at 3:15. The ride back was fun as well, more music and drink and food and about 45 minutes before we were to arrive back at Williams, we had a train robbery. I was watching out the window when I saw a couple guys on horseback. They somehow got on the train (don't know what happened to the horses) and pretended to try to rob us. It was fun! Arrived back at Williams around 6:00 in time to see all the kids and parents in their pajamas waiting to get on the Polar Express. Did you read that book or see that movie??

Everything is decorated like Christmas in town and the train "The Polar Express" goes out every night from November through January. It only goes out about 30 min and back, but I guess the kids love it. The people on the train are all in costume like the children and people in the book.

Pretty cool.

We are tired and tomorrow we leave for Laughlin, NV.