Sunset Limited, Entering The 1950's

A Weekend Visit To The Grand Canyon And Sedona

Page One - What Is The Sunset Limited You May Ask?

Back in time!
We could not pass this up!

We were minding our own business and ran into an article about the Grand Canyon Railway.  The advertisement in Sunset Magazine said...

"Sit back as the historic Grand Canyon Railway transports you along the 100-year old rail line through a pine forest headed for a distinctive and enchanted evening at the Grand Canyon.

Gourmet food, a live jazz trio, picturesque landscapes and a breathtaking sunset will fill your evening with a lifetime of memories.

The Sunset Limited is an evening excursion train guaranteed to delight sophisticated senses and provide an intimate Grand Canyon experience.

Each adult-only train transports approximately 190 people, and the train car setup makes it easy to mingle and converse with one another.

Passengers travel to the canyon in first class train cars featuring a stunning array of hors d’oeuvres, cruditĂ©s and gourmet cheese and cracker board. "  It was all true and we had a ball!  Please join us.

Page Two - About The Train

Budd Passenger Car

 

Page Three (Friday): Our Journey Begins By Car From Home To Williams

Road map of LA to Williams from Mapquest
Estimated Time: 6 hours 27 minutes Estimated Distance: 438.29 miles

Page Four (Friday Afternoon/Saturday Morning): Williams Arizona

Highway 66 signage
I Remember!

I remember Williams as a kid when we would drive t Arkansas in the summertime. We took the northerly route because it so hot through the deserts.

The historic district of this once a bawdy frontier town, now offers glimpses into Williams' colorful past. Saloons, bordellos, and shops have been brought back to life through the care and concern of present-day Williams merchants.

Visitors can now safely stroll the brick sidewalks of the historic district, enjoying the sights and sounds of times now nearly gone.

But don't be too surprised if you find yourself accosted by "cowboy gunfighters" - they're a mainstay of Williams summertime entertainment!

Page Five (Saturday): The Train Ride

Engine that pulled our train
Locomotive of the Grand Canyon Railway

Grand Canyon Railway is home to a remarkable collection of America's famed diesel locomotives. Diesel locomotives have a colorful history of freight and passenger service on the Grand Canyon line from the 1940s to the 1960s.

The ALCO FA was a family of B-B diesel locomotives designed to haul freight trains. The locomotives were built by a partnership of ALCO and GE in Schenectady, New York, between January 1946 and May 1959.

They were of a cab unit design, and both cab-equipped lead (A unit) FA and cabless booster (B unit) FB models were built. A dual passenger-freight version, the FPA/FPB, was also offered. It was equipped with a steam generator for heating passenger cars.

Page Six (Saturday Afternoon): Grand Canyon... Wow!

The Grand Canyon as seen from the South Rim
The Grand Canyon is just simply amazing!

Wow is all one can say when one steps to the edge of the Grand Canyon!

Millions of years a little stream of water made a canyon thousands of feet deep!

The North Rim is in the distance as seen from our vantage point on the South Rim!

Our afternoon was filled with great vista's of the north side and watching the sunset against the walls presented an ever changing set of colors and moods! 

Just simply Wow!!!

Page Seven (Saturday Evening): Returning From The Grand Canyon

Engine on the train coming home Saturday evening
Great ride back to the Williams Station

The ride home features super food and entertainment.  Time to relax and have a drink or two.  An old fashioned martini perhaps or maybe an Old Fashion!

Once we return, we will likely have a night cap and then rest for the journey to Sedona for a round of golf or two!

The Old Fashioned is a cocktail, possibly the first drink to be called a cocktail. It is traditionally served in a short, round, 8-12 ounce tumbler-like glass, called an Old-Fashioned glass, named after the drink.

The first known definition of the word "cocktail" was in response to a reader's letter asking to define the word in the May 6, 1806 issue of The Balance and Columbia Repository in Hudson, New York. In the May 13, 1806 issue, the paper's editor wrote that it was a potent concoction of spirits, bitters, water, and sugar.

Page Eight (Sunday Morning): Off To Sedona

From Williams ToSedona
Wild ride ahead

Oak Creek Canyon is a 12 mile (20 km) long river gorge located along the Mogollon Rim in northern Arizona located between the cities of Flagstaff and Sedona. The canyon is often described as a smaller cousin of the Grand Canyon because of its scenic beauty. State Route 89A enters the canyon on its north end via a series of hairpin turns before traversing the bottom of the canyon for about 13 miles (20.8 kilometers) until the highway enters the town of Sedona. The Oak Creek Canyon-Sedona area is the second most popular tourist destination in Arizona, second only to the Grand Canyon

Oak Creek Canyon is about 12 miles (19.2 km) long and ranges in width from 0.8 to 2.5 miles (1.3 to 4 km). The depth of the canyon ranges from 800-2,000 feet (240 to 600 meters). However, due to the faulting that played a major role in the formation of Oak Creek Canyon, the west rim of the canyon is 700 feet (210 meters) higher than the east rim. The average elevation of the west rim is 7,200 feet (2,160 meters) while the east rim elevation is 6,500 feet (1,950 m)

Oak Creek, a tributary of the Verde River, flows along the bottom of the canyon and is one of the few perennial streams in the high desert region of northern Arizona. Oak Creek is largely responsible for carving the modern Oak Creek Canyon although movement along the Oak Creek Fault, a 30 mile (48 km) long north-south normal fault line, is thought to have played a role as well.

Page Nine (Sunday/Monday): In Sedona at the L'Alberge 

Sedona Arizona
The entrance was almost hidden from view!

The hotel was just great. Located on Oak Creek, we opened the windows at night and listened to the music made by the water going over the rocks.

Our "cottage" was about 50 feet from the creek and a short walk to the restaurant. 

The grounds were surrounded by trees and grassy areas and Sue go to climb a flight of stairs going up 200 feet to the street above.

Duck feeding was promptly at 8:00 am every morning and the hotel had wine tasting at 6:00 pm every day... Time to sit and have a few glasses o wine and meet new friends.

Page Ten (Sunday/Monday): Round Of Golf ...

Views from the golf course
Amazing views from the course

No other Sedona golf course provides a better combination of jaw-dropping splendor and exceptional challenge than the acclaimed Sedona Golf Resort.

Located in the heart of one of the most captivating regions of the Southwest, the thrilling 6,646-yard, par - 71 course is widely considered among the world's most unforgettable golf experiences. Winding around the famed red rocks of Sedona, each hole provides a unique adventure.

No wonder this championship Sedona golf course receives a continuous four-star rating from Golf Digest.

Page Eleven (Tuesday): Heading Home

Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway



Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost east-west, coast-to-coast interstate highway in the United States. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean at State Route 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) in Santa Monica, California to Interstate 95 in Jacksonville, Florida.






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