Saturday morning, 5 AM, I am up and moving since Baby Sis told me that "we will be leaving at 7 AM"! I admit, I was foolish, I believed her. LOL First text was at 6:45. She was running a little behind, would be here at 7:15. Second text was at 7:15, she would be here at 7:45. What time did she really get here? 8:15. I shouldn't complain, I've been on trips with her that it's been a lot worse! We made it 50 miles into our trip, she had to stop for breakfast. She then proceeded to stop every couple of hours. Good for bathroom stops, not so good for a quick trip. Every time we stopped, she would go into the gift shop area and try on the hats, glasses, take a couple of selfies...and she is the QUEEN of the selfies! She stretched an eight hour trip into a TEN hour trip. All I can say is...gotta love Baby Sis...
Made it into Arizona....
Get to Williams, AZ, at about 6:30 PM, check into the hotel. She did a great job in planning! Hotel was clean and well-maintained. It was a full package: hotel, train trip into the Grand Canyon, bus tour inside the canyon, breakfast and dinner each day. WOW! Once you parked your car, you didn't have to use it again. We were less than two blocks from downtown Williams and directly across the street from both the train station and the buffet restaurant.
Antique train parked(?) outside the hotel...
First night, get a little dinner. Great food, but too late for me. You see, Baby Sis eats around 8 or 9 PM. I usually eat at 5 PM. See the problem? Oh well, it was only going to be for a couple of days. LOL
Up the next morning, took my walk. Oh. My. Gosh. I was 100 feet from the hotel. Why couldn't I breath? I was pretty sure that I was having some sort of attack. Oh, wait, I live at about 800 feet above sea level. Williams is at about 6200 feet. I had two thoughts: I need to walk slower and I am not ready for the Mount Everest Trek. LOL
Got breakfast, took a minute to watch the Wild West Show and then on the train! Yay!!! Took about 2 1/2 hours. Train pulls into the depot at the Grand Canyon. It was raining. And not just a little, but pouring! Got completely soaked waiting for the bus, but oh so worth it!! The bus trip went about 5 miles on the rim. The rain was moving in and out, so got some great pictures. You will see that in some pictures the rain is falling in the canyon.
This is my favorite picture...
Or maybe this is my favorite...LOL I really can't decide which is my favorite. The Canyon is so amazing, you can't take a bad picture...
Back at the main center, stopped and watched Native American Dancers. Beautiful and so talented...
Here is me trying to take a selfie. I am much better at nature pictures. LOL
Had an amazing day! Back on the train. Started raining, so loaded up just in time. Back at the hotel, dinner (before 7:30 PM thank you!). Early night and fell into bed. Up the next morning, starting to feel better about the altitude, so had a nice walk. Got Baby Sis up and going, out of town by 10:00 AM!
Nine hours later, 30 miles from home...
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Baby Sis did a wonderful job of planning this trip. If you ever have a chance to take the train out of Williams to the Grand Canyon, DO IT!!! It was so nice to just sit back and enjoy the view. The last time we traveled together was about eight years ago. I had forgotten how to be just a "sister". Not a caretaker, or a wife, or a mother, or a boss...a good change.
Thanks for sharing our adventure. Have a wonderful evening and be kind to one another.
This was wonderful. I have never been to AZ. It seems from what you explained that a person, such as myself with chronic pain from my hip and back, can do this trip?
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a great trip. But I'm with you on the supper thing. I get awful when I'm hungry and eating supper at 8 or 9pm.....Look out, I'd be "hangry"
ReplyDeleteLOL I've traveled with Baby Sis before...I keep nuts and fruits in my stitching bag just in case. LOL
DeleteGood morning, Vicki! There were several guests at the hotel that I saw with scooters, etc. and I did see one woman on the train with her scooter. If you are able to walk, the advantage to the train is that you can move around, you don't have to stay sat for two hours. The park is accessible in MOST areas. There were a few dirt/rock trails that you would want to avoid. At the train depot, it is a climb to the rim, but there is another way to go to miss the steps. If you can go up steps of the bus, it is a nice way to get around without driving. You can choose to stay in the bus or get out at the lookouts. The resort that we stayed at was called The Grand Canyon Railway Hotel in Williams, AZ. The employees were really, really nice and would be able to answer more questions for you. There are lots of different packages that bundle fun stuff to do. The Grand Canyon was on my sister's bucket list and I am so glad she chose to share it with me.
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