western states rail & national park adventure

all prices & options are per person

day by day - Itinerary

Day 1 - sat oct 4

Day 2 - sun oct 5

After breakfast we again catch a ride on one the famous San Francisco Cable Cars, this time on a different route than what we rode last night. When the Cable Car passes the car barn we will pause and visit the interesting San Francisco Muni Cable Car Museum. Here at the historic Cable Car Barn & Powerhouse we can view the actual cable winding machinery from an elevated gallery, as well as the path of the cable entering the building and leaving underneath the street. On display are various mechanical devices, such as grips, track, trucks, cable, brake mechanisms and some of the first cable cars. After our barn visit we reboard one of the cable cars and continue on to Market Street. We then transfer underground and catch a tram train that will take us to Cal-Train's South San Francisco Station. From here we will continue to the Santa Cruz Mountains and the small town of Felton on our vans.

At Felton we will be able to get some lunch before boarding the early afternoon Roaring Camp and Big Trees narrow gauge steam excurson that will take us deep into the massive Redwood trees. We will travel over trestles, through towering redwood groves and up a winding narrow-gauge grade to the summit of Bear Mountain and return. Upon arrival back in Roaring Camp we will board our vans and travel to Mountain View where we will catch one of the Cal Train northbound commuter trains for the ride to San Bruno. Here we will transfer to the vans and continue north crossing over the famous Golden Gate Bridge and into the Golden Gate National Recreation Area where we will have a grand view of the famous Golden Gate Bridge, the San Francisco Bay and the San Francisco City skyline. We then return to our hotel in San Francisco and have our Welcome Dinner at Fisherman's Wharf.

🍽 lunch, dinner

san francisco cable car museum

riding the san francisco muni railway
on the street cars and cable cars

san francisco has a collection of street cars from all
over the usa and the world

cal train south san francisco station

roaring camp & big trees railroad
running through the redwood trees

the california coast near san francisco

the golden gate bridge and
san francisco at night

Day 3 - mon oct 6

Day 4 - tue oct 7

Day 5 - wed oct 8

Day 6 - thur oct 9

Day 7 - fri oct 10

Day 8 - sat oct 11

Day 9 - sun oct 12

Day 10 - mon oct 13

Day 11 - tue oct 14

Day 12 - wed oct 15

We head south towards the Utah/Arizona border. We will stop in the small town of Bluff for lunch. Just south of Bluff we go off of the pavement and drive through the Valley of the Gods to enjoy the massive formations and pilars of rock. Next we explore Goosenecks State Park in southern Utah near the town of Mexican Hat. Goosenecks is on the edge of a deep canyon above the San Juan River with impressive views of one of the most striking examples of an entrenched river meander on the North American continent. The San Juan River twists and turns flowing a distance of over six miles while advancing one and half miles west on its way to Lake Powell. Gaze at the results of 300 million years of geological activity, where the San Juan River winds and carves its way through the desert 1,000 feet below.

We end our day in the Navajo Nation's Monument Valley Park which is within the Navajo Nation. This park is part in Utah and part in Arizona and we will be spending the night within the Navajo Nation in a wonderful hotel overlooking Monument Valley. This is a sovereign nation within the boundary’s of the United States. You will be experiencing one of the most majestic - and most photographed - points on earth. Monument Valley boasts sandstone masterpieces that tower at heights of 400 to 1,000 feet, framed by scenic clouds casting shadows that graciously roam the desert floor. The angle of the sun accents these graceful formations, providing scenery that is simply spellbinding. The landscape overwhelms, not just by its beauty but also by its size. The fragile pinnacles of rock are surrounded by miles of mesas and buttes, shrubs, trees and windblown sand, all comprising the magnificent colors of the valley. All of this harmoniously combines to make Monument Valley a truly wondrous experience. We plan to arrive here a couple of hours prior to sunset so that we can get all checked into the classic 3 star View Hotel. This Hotel is a Navajo owned business located within the Navajo Nation and the Navajo Tribal Park at Monument Valley. All rooms face east with a private balcony with views unlike anywhere else in world. You can enjoy the sunset as the shadows of late afternoon move across the valley and onto the massive rock formations right from your balcony. After the sun sets you can head for the hotel restaurant for dinner at your own leisure.

🍽 breakfast

valley of the gods in remote eastern utah

we arrive at monument valley and check-in to the
hotel just before sunset so you can sit on
your private balcony with the view above

Day 13 - thur oct 16

Day 14 - fri oct 17

Day 15 - sat oct 18

Day 16 - sun oct 19

Day 17 - mon oct 20

Day 18 - tue oct 21

about this tour

While In San Francisco You Will Ride Several Of The
San Francisco Muni Railway Classic Street Cars

This tour features some of the most exciting and scenic excursion train rides in the western states of the United States during the height of the fall colors in California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado. Our tour begins in San Francisco, California and makes it’s way east ending up in Denver, Colorado. Besides enjoying 27 train rides in these 6 western states we will visit 18 spectacular national and state parks on our spectacular journey. With the wide variety of trains and the wonderful breathtaking scenery this is a great tour for the railfans to bring their wives. Additionally this tour is also perfect for those couples that are not railfans but just enjoy riding on different types of trains through beautiful and breathtaking scenery and visiting most of the popular national and state parks in the west. It would take a person a couple of months to visit and experience what we are offering in this exciting 21 day tour. Take a look at our daily itinerary and you will see that this tour ofers a lot of value. If you decide that you cannot take the full 21 day tour we will work with you to put together a custom itinerary of less than the full tour. Just let us know what will work for you.

A BRIEF LOOK AT OUR TOUR

In San Francisco we will enjoy experiencing the city by riding on the famous cable cars, street cars and trams. A person can travel to most areas of this city by rail. While in the Bay Area we will also ride a number of wonderful trains including the Roaring Camp & Big Trees Railroad with a steam locomotive , Cal Train, BART, plus enjoy a private charter into the countryside on the Western Railway Museum in near-by Rio Vista.As we make our way east a stop in Sacramento will afford us the opportunity to visit the famous California State Railroad Museum which is considered to be one of the best in the entire country. We then travel up into the Sierra Nevada Mountains and enjoy the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Museum and the Western Pacific Railroad Museum plus take a spectacular train ride over Donner Pass on Amtrak's eastbound California Zephyr to Reno, Nevada

Riding Amtrak's California Zephyr Over Donner Pass

We will enjoy two nights in Reno, Nevada which will give you the opportunity to visit Virginia City and the famous Virginia & Truckee Railroad, spectacular Lake Tahoe, the former mainline of the Southern Pacific over Donner Pass, the former Western Pacific Railroad in the Feather River Canyon and a visit to the Western Pacific Railroad Museum at Portola, California including a charter train just for our tour group.

Departing Reno we then head south with a stop in Carson City to visit the Nevada State Railroad Museum which has several steam locomotives plus the unique Virginia & Truckee's McKeen railcar. As we head south we pay a visit to the historic Bodie Ghost Town State Park then Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve home to the strange tufa towers. Near the end of the day we visit the Laws Railroad Museum which highlights the old Southern Pacific narrow gauge in Ownes Valley and take a ride on our private charter railcar.

We Take A Scenic Drive Along The Shores Of Lake Tahoe

We Visit The Nevada State Railroad Museum In Carson City

After a restful night in Lone Pine, California we turn east and head for Death Valley National Park then Hoover Dam on the Colorado River before we enter Arizona and spend the late afternoon trackside on the BNSF mainline which sees up to 100 trains per day. This will give tour members the opportunity to take some exciting action photos of the trains.

The next day we enjoy a ride on the Grand Canyon Railroad in luxury dome car class. This train will take us into the awesome Grand Canyon National Park. Also while in Central Arizona we relax and spend two nights in beautiful Sedona. This town is recognized as being one of the best small communities in the country. While in Sedona we ride the Verde Canyon Railroad operating into the very remote Verde Canyon. After our train ride we visit near-by Jerome Ghost Town and Historical State Park.

Our Tour Group Will Ride On
The Grand Canyon Railroad

That Will Take Us To Grand Canyon
National Park

On Our Relaxing Day In Sedona,
Arizona You Have The Option To Ride
On The Verde Canyon Railroad

We now turn north towards the state of Utah which has the most national parks than any other state in the entire country. After crossing over the Colorado River at Marble Canyon we continue along the base of the colorful Vermillion Cliffs National Monument then visit Zion National Park continuing on to Bryce, Utah for the night.

The next day we visit Bryce National Park and drive through the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument before making a stop at Capitol Reef National Park, Goblin State Park and finally Canyonlands National Park. We will spend the next two nights in Moab, Utah which is right in the middle of colorful red rock country. After enjoying the Colorado River near Moab we photograph the journey of the westbound Rocky Mountaineer passenger train near Ruby Canyon which is headed for Salt Lake City. This is the newest excursion train offered by the Rocky Mountaineer Company. We will follow this train for some great trackside photos through the colorful Utah desert and into the Price River Canyon before returning to the Moab area and visiting Arches National Park.

Zion National Park

Bryce National Park

Capitol Reef National Park

Goblin State Park In Utah

Arches National Park

Canyonlands National Park

Departing Moab we travel south towards Arizona first visiting Goosenecks State Park which is on the San Juan River. Not far away is the delightful Navajo Nation's Monument Valley Tribal Park. Monument Valley is one of the most majestic - and most photographed - points on earth and sits on the border of Utah and Arizona. Hollywood has come to this park many times to film movies. Your hotel room will look out over Monument Valley and you can enjoy sunset as the shadows grow across the valley and onto the massive rock formations. In the morning you can experience a spectacular sunrise right from your hotel balcany.

After breakfast we bid Monument Valley farewell and head east towards the Rocky Mountain State of Colorado. Our first stop in this state is at the Galloping Goose Historical Society Museum. Here you will learn about the Rio Grande Southern Railroad. Next we visit Mesa Verde National Park and finally arrive in Durango home to the famous Durango & Silverton Railroad's “Silverton” train. You can relax and unpack as we will be here for two nights.

We Visit The Navajo Nation's Monument Valley
Tribal Park On The Border Of Utah And Arizona

While In This Area Of Colorado We Will Take You To
Visit Mesa Verde National Park In Colorado

For the next two days you will step back in time and enjoy riding on two very famous narrow gauge railroads. Colorado was and still is the narrow gauge capitol of North America. These two trains are operated by the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad pulled by former Rio Grande steam locomotives through breathtaking scenery in the rugged Rocky Mountains of Colorado and New Mexico. You will be amazed at the spectacular scenery that each of these rail lines travel through including deep canyons, high cliffs, tunnels, loops, steep grades, rock ledges and a lot more, during the colorful fall colors. This region of the United States has some of the most beautiful fall colors.

You Will Enjoy A Ride On The Durango & Silverton Railroad
Through The Remote Animas River Canyon
During The Fall Colors

We Spend The Day Onboard The
Cumbres & Toltec Excursion Train

While in this area of Colorado we visit the former Rio Grande Scenic Railroad yards in Alamosa. This railroad closed in 2019 but there were still some diesel engines stored here including some classic F units. A new railroad now serves the greater Alamosa region called The Colorado Pacific Rio Grande Railroad. They have taken over the workshops of the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad and they alwayshave several diesels parked around the shops. Just north of Alamosa is Sand Dunes National Park which has the larest sand dunes in the country. Next visit the spectacular and rugged Royal Gorge on Arkansas River. We will take a ride through the gorge onboard the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad's lunch train. Enjoy a gourmet lunch while traveling through this rugged gorge.

Our next advenrture is to visit the Garden of the Gods rock formations in Colorado Springs. These unique and colorful formations shoot straight out of the earth and into the sky. Then we take a ride up to the top of Pike's Peak on the Boardmore, Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway traveling through Pike National Forest. The train will climg up 25% grades on our journey to the top. On a clear day from the 14,115 foot peak one can see into 5 states.

While In Colorado You Will Ride On
The Royal Gorge Lunch Train

Excursion And Travel Up To The Top Of Pikes Peak
And The Cog Railway

Our last two nights of our tour will be in Golden, Colorado which is just a few miles from Denver. While here we will travel to near-by Georgetown and explore this all Victorian mining town before riding on the Georgetown Loop Railroad. Then we visit the famous Colorado Railroad Museum which has over 100 pieces of equipment including steam locomotives, diesels, railcars, cabooses, passenger cars and freight cars. While here we will have arranged to ride on our private charter Galloping Goose Railcar which once ran on the Rio Grande Southern Railroad, around the museum grounds. While in the Golden and Denver area we take a ride on the Regional Transportation District (RTD) light rail from Golden to downtown Denver and finally visit the Forney Museum of Transportation which is a one-of-a-kind collection of over 800 artifacts including one of the Union Pacific Big Boy steam locomotives. Our tour now comes to an end and we will drop you offf at the Denver International Airport.

You Will Enjoy A Ride On The Georgetown Loop Railroad

At The End Of The Tour You Will Visit The
Colorado Railroad Museum

day by day - Itinerary

Day 1 - sat oct 3

Individual arrivals at San Francisco International Airport and individual transfers from the airport to our hotel, the 5 star Kimpton Alton Hotel located at famous Fisherman's Wharf on the scenic San Francisco Bay. For those tour members that would like to be met and transferred to the hotel we can arrange to have a limo and driver transfer you to the hotel, at extra cost. After check-in and unpacking we will take you on a wonderful tour of San Francisco at night by rail. At 6:00pm we will meet in the hotel lobby for our night tour of the city by the bay. Be sure and schedule your flight arrivals to give you plenty of time to transfer to our hotel, freshen up, unpack, get some dinner at the hotel restaurant and be ready to enjoy a night on the town riding the rails. You might want to consider arriving a day early. We can arrange your extra lodging if you like.

We start our evening tour by boarding one of the famous Cable Cars. The cable car station is just a short 1 block walk from our hotel. This ride will take us from Fisherman's Wharf to Market & Powell Streets in the downtown area of the city. From here we transfer to a San Francisco Railway Muni Street Car on Market Street and ride uptown to the end of the line at the famous Haight-Ashbury District. This area of the city is a thriving neighborhood where cultures and eras meld together. Made famous by the hippie movement of the 1960's. Haight-Ashbury was once home to the revolutionaries, famous singers including the Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin and of course cult leaders. On the corner of Castro and Market Streets we go underground and catch one of the newer trams that will take us all the way to the foot of Market Street at the Ferry Building. From this point we go back up to street level and catch one of the classic muni street cars for the final journey back to Fisherman's Wharf and our hotel.

🍽 none

Riding The San Francisco Cable Cars At Night

Riding On The San Francisco Muni Railway Cable Car,
Street Cars And Trams, Saturday Evening - next 3 photos

Day 2 - sun oct 4

After breakfast at the hotel restaurant we again take a ride on one the famous San Francisco Cable Cars, this time on a different route than what we rode on last night. When our Cable Car passes the San Francisco Muni Railway Car Barn we will jump off and visit the very interesting Muni Cable Car Museum. Here at the historic Cable Car Barn & Powerhouse we can view the actual cable winding machinery from an elevated gallery, as well as the path of the cable entering the building and leaving underneath the street. On display are various mechanical devices, such as grips, track, trucks, cable, brake mechanisms and some of the first cable cars. After our museum visit we reboard another cable car and continue on to Market Street. From here we board our highway transportation and travel south to the Santa Cruz Mountains and the small town of Felton.

At Felton we will be able to get some lunch before boarding the early afternoon Roaring Camp and Big Trees narrow gauge steam excurson that will take us deep into the massive Redwood trees. We will travel over trestles, through towering redwood groves and up a winding narrow-gauge grade to the summit of Bear Mountain and return. Upon arrival back in Roaring Camp we will board our highway transportation and travel to Mountain View where we will catch one of the new electric Cal Train northbound commuter trains for the 40 minute ride to the San Bruno station. Cal Train has just took delivery of all new electric passenger equipment. Here we will transfer back to the highway and continue north crossing over the famous Golden Gate Bridge and into the Golden Gate National Recreation Area where we will have some great views of the famous Golden Gate Bridge, the San Francisco Bay and the San Francisco City skyline as darkness falls onto the Bay Area. From the Golden Gate Bridge we return to our hotel to freshen up before our “Welcome to San Francisco Dinner”. This is a great time to get to know your fellow travellers.

🍽 breakfast, dinner

Sunday Morning We Ride On The San
Francisco Cable Cars - next 3 photos

Enjoy a wonderful ride through the big redwood trees
on the roaring camp & big trees railroad

no tour to san francisco is complete without
visiting the famous golden gate bridge

Day 3 - mon oct 5

Early hotel check-out after breakfast. Right in front of our hotel we will board one of Muni's historic street cars for the ride to Embarcadero at the foot of Market Street and next to the Ferry Building. Here we transfer underground and catch a ride on the fast BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) trains which runs under the San Francisco Bay to Oakland and on to Walnut Creek. Fron here it is a short transfer by road to the Walnut Creek Model Railroad Society's huge HO scale model railroad. We have arranged aspecial operating session just for our group. This is one of the largest model railroad's in California.

After our model railroad visit we travel by highway to the Western Railway Museum which is located near Rio Vista, California. This Museum preserves the heritage of the Northern California electric railroads. With over 50 historic cars on display on 22 acres this museum features historic railway exhibits, vintage streetcars, a Museum Store, library archives and much more. We have arranged to have our own private charter interurban that will take us down the old Sacramento Northern Railroad, an electric line that once ran between San Francisco, Sacramento & Chico. Our 11-mile round trip rolls through the Solano County countryside, with its pristine, unchanged farmland and its views of Mount Diablo and the surrounding Marshlands. During our rail journey we will serve you sandwiches for lunch. Walking around the Museum, you will be able to see trains that once ran in San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, Napa, Petaluma, Santa Rosa, and many other places across the west, of which many are nearing 100 years old.

After our train ride and museum visit we travel to Sacramento and visit the famous California State Railroad Museum located next to historic Old Sacramento. You can enjoy this world class railroad museum at your own pace and afterwards take a stroll through Old Sacramento which has buildings dating back to 1849 before we get our rooms at the 3 star Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown. Our hotel is walking distance from the restaurants in Old Sacramento.

🍽 lunch

We Take Our Last Ride On San Francisco's
Vintage Street Cars From Our Hotel To The
Historic Ferry Building And The
Embarcadero Which Is Downtown

You will enjoy a ride on “bart” (bay area rapid transit)
from downtown san francisco to near-by walnut creek

next we pay a visit to the walnut creek
model railroad society which has one of the
largest ho model railroads in california

The Western Railway Museum Has A Large
Collection Of Electric Motors And
Cars And Many Of Them Operate On The
Former Mainline Of The Sacramento
Northern Railroad - next 7 photos

The highlight of our museum visit will be an 11 mile roundtrip
private charter just for our group onboard luxury open observation
car no. 751 pulled by a electric motor

at the end of the day we visit the california state railroad museum located
in sacramento and considered one of the best in the country - next 4 photos

Day 4 - tue oct 6

Day 5 - wed oct 7

After breakfast we travel into the famous Comstock Mining Country and visit the wonderful wild west and historic town of Virginia City. Upon arrival you will have some time to explore downtown Virginia City before we visit the Virginia & Truckee Railroad workshops where you can inspect and photograph their steam locomotives, diesels and other pieces of historic rolling stock. Then we go to the train station and take a ride on this historic railroad which was organized on March 5, 1868 and is considered the “Queen of the Short Lines” The train ride will take us from Virginia City to Gold Hill and return.

Departing Virginia City we travel to Lake Tahoe which is a large freshwater lake nestled high in the Sierra Nevada mountains at 6,225 feet, straddling the border between California and Nevada. It's renowned for its stunning beauty, deep blue color, and clarity, with the ability to see 70 feet below the surface. It's the largest alpine lake in North America and the second deepest in the United States. This lake is 22 miles long and 12 miles wide, with 72 miles of shoreline covering an area of 191 square miles. Its maximum depth is 1,645 feet. We will drive along the eastern shore of the lake making several photo stops along the way. Next we travel to the Union Pacific summit of Donner Pass at Norden location of the famous snowsheds. Norden is the summit of Donner Pass for the railroad and when Southern Pacific was in charge a small town was located within this snowshed. We will have a picnic lunch next to the railroad and hope a train might come by. According to the Union Pacific Donner Pass averages 34 feet of snow each winter which makes this one of the snowiest places in the contigous United States.

Departing Donner Pass we travel north to the Feather River Canyon for a visit to the Western Pacific Railroad Museum which is on the mainline of the former Western Pacific, now Union Pacific Railroad. This museum has 29 diesel engines one steam locomotive and one electric motor plus countless pieces of rolling stock from not only Western Pacific but several other western railroads. Included in this collection is one of the Union Pacific 6900 class Centennial diesels which are the largest in the world plus F units that once pulled the original California Zephyr. We have arranged to operate a special charter train around the museum grounds for our group. After our museum visit we return to our hotel in Reno for a 2nd nights lodging. Lunch

🍽 lunch

The Wild West Mining Town Of
Virginia City - next photo

The Virginia & Truckee Railroad Excursion Train

We take a drive along the shores of beautiful lake tahoe

In The Afternoon We Visit The Western Pacific Railroad Museum In
Portola, California Which Is In The Feather River Canyon.
We Have Arranged To Have A Private Charter Train That Will Take Us
Around The Museum Grounds Pulled By A Western Pacific Diesel - next photo

Day 6 - thur oc 8

After breakfast we check-out of our hotel in Reno and head south to Carson City where we will visit the Nevada State Railroad Museum. This Museum is a cultural resource dedicated to Nevada railroad history. Included in the line-up of equipment are Virginia & Truckee Railroad steam locomotives and even a unique McKeen railcar.

After our museum visit we continue southbound into the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the old ghost town of Bodie. We will have a picnic lunch here at the Bodie State Historic Park which is a genuine California gold-mining ghost town where you can walk down the deserted streets of this town that once had around 2,000 structures and a population of roughly 8,000 people. Gold mining began in the area in 1877 and people flocked to Bodie and transformed it from a town of a few dozen to a boomtown of over 8,000. In 1881, Bodie's "bust" began and the town's population declined drastically. The town's population continuing to decline until only a few remained. Mining officially ceased in Bodie in 1942, the final nail in the coffin for Bodie's township. Two large fires in 1892 and 1932 reduced the town's remaining structures down to less than 10% of the 2,000 structures that once stood. Only a small part of the town survives. Stores and busineses remain as they were left and stocked with goods and products. Designated as a National Historic Site and a State Historic Park in 1962, the remains of Bodie are preserved in a state of "arrested decay." Today this once thriving mining camp is visited by tourists who continue to travel to Bodie from all over the world. Just south of Bodie is Mono Lake and the Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve. We will take a walk through the strange Tufa Towers of calcium carbonate which are 13,000 years old. You will feel like you are exploring a strange new planet

Our last event of the day is a visit to the Laws Railroad Museum and Historical Site a few miles from Bishop, California. Here a village sprang up surrounding the depot during the later 1880's and the little community was then referred to simply as "Station". This village was on the narrow gauge Carson and Colorado Railroad which connected with the Virginia & Truckee just east of Carson City at Mound House, Nevada and extended south to Keeler, California. In 1905 the Carson and Colorado railroad was absorbed into the Southern Pacific Railroad. This small settlement was then changed from Station to Laws. The narrow gauge section of railway running through Laws operated with steam powered locomotives for eighty years, until 1960. Because of the narrow rail width, a type of engine which powered this railroad was affectionately dubbed "Slim Princess." Steam locomotive No. 9, a 4-6-0 built by Baldwin in 1909 is on display here. During our visit we have arranged to charter their Doodlebug railcar built by Brill in 1927 and which once ran on the Death Valley Railroad. Following our visit to this railroad museum we travel south to Lone Pine for lodging at the 3 star Best Western Frontier Motel.

🍽 lunch

We enjoy a visit to the nevada state railroad museum carson city
With their five steam locomotives and one mckeen rail car - next 4 photos

we will have a picnic lunch before exploring
the bodie ghost town - next 9 photos

Next We Visit Beautiful Mono Lake, California Which Is Just South Of
The Bodie Ghost Town – next photo

While at the lake we will explore the strange mono lake
tufa towers which is like walking on a strange planet

included in our visit to the laws railroad museum will be a
private charter just for our group onboad the former death valley
railroad brill railcar no. 5

Day 7 - fri oct 9

After breakfast we depart Lone Pine and continue our trek southeast towards the Mojave Desert and Death Valley National Park. Out of all of the national parks in the United States Death Valley holds the record of being the Hottest, Driest and Lowest national park in the country. This valley holds the record of the hottest place on earth at 134 F (57 C). Don't worry, on our visit the average temperature in October is 82 F (28 C). Besides being the driest place it is the lowest at 282 feet below sealevel. Also on a clear day one can see the lowest point in the USA at Badwater Basin and the highest point in the lower 48 states which is Mt. Whitney at 14, 505 feet

As we continue our journey we pass through Las Vegas, Nevada before entering the state of Arizona. Before leaving the state of Nevada we will make a stop to view Hoover Dam on the Colorado River. Half of this dam is in Nevada and half in Arizona. This dam is 726.4 feet high (221.3 meters) and is the 2nd highest in the United States.

After departing Hoover Dam our next city is Kingman, Arizona and it is here where we will travel on the famous Route 66 Highway eastbound towards the Grand Canyon following the very busy BNSF mainline. Route 66 was opened in 1926 connecting Chicago, Illinois and Santa Monica, California (Los Angeles area) As we make our way eastbound following the mainline of the BNSF which is called “The Racetrack”. Freight trains run at 70 mph and passenger trains at 90mph (145 kph). On the racetrack there are up to 100 trains per day. As we make our way east across Arizona we will stop at a few select locations to photograph some of the BNSF trains. We will find a good scenic location along the railroad to have our picnic lunch. Upon arrival at Williams hotel check-in at the 3 star Quality Inn Grand Canyon.

🍽 breakfast, lunch

We Will Drive Through Death Valley National Park Which
Holds The Record As The Hottest Place In The
United States. Don't Worry, We Are Visiting During
One Of The Cool Months

Our last stop in nevada before entering arizona will be
the hoover dam on the colorado river which is the 2nd
highest dam in the united states

once in arizona we will spend the afternoon
trackside on the bnsf mainline . this section
of track is called “the racetrack” there are
close to 100 trains a day running at 70 mph
that pass over these rails. we will have our
picnic lunch trackside and watch the trains
next 3 photos

Day 8 - sat oct 10

After breakfast we board the Grand Canyon Railway's passenger train which departs at 9:30 am and arrives at the south rim of the Grand Canyon at 11:45 am. Our group is booked in Luxury Dome Car Class which is the best way to see the scenery. Additionally dome cars are not packed full of passengers so you will have more room to move around and enjoy the ride. Also this class of ticket serves you drinks and snacks as part of the fare. These snacks make for a nice lite lunch so when you arrive you can start sightseeing and not worry about getting lunch. Once at the Grand Canyon you will have about 4 hours to explore the trails that run along the south rim of this spectacular national park. For most folks this is plenty of time. The train departs the south rim at 3:30 pm arriving back in Williams at 5:45pm. Once off of the train we will take you downtown so that you can get some dinner. There are many restaurants all within walking distance of the downtown area. After dinner we then depart Williams by hiway for the one hour drive to Sedona, Arizona. Sedona is famous worldwide for a place to come and relax and leave the everyday stress behind. People come to this area for spiritual andpersonal enrichment. From healing massage treatments, yoga, spas, salons and retreats, Sedona is said to have something to offer everyone. This area is considered to be a haven for spiritual wellness, due to the numerous energy vortexes that encompass the region. It is said that the massive red rock formations around Sedona give off a special energy that heals body and soul. You can unpack and relax as we will spend two nights at the 3 star Greentree Inn Sedona-Oak Creek

🍽 breakfast, - lite lunch

We Will Travel To The Grand
Canyon From Williams,
Arizona Onboard The Grand
Canyon Railroad Passenger
Train - next 4 photos

You will enjoy luxury dome car class on our journey on
the grand canyon railroad. Snacks and drinks
are included in the ticket

you will have four hours to explore
the south rim of spectacular grand canyon
national park in arizona - next 2 photos

Day 9 - sun oct 11

Today you can relax and enjoy some individual activities if you prefer. There is a long list of things to do in the Sedona area. Sedona is recognized as being one of the best small cities in the country for the arts and many of the galleries and shops are within walking distance of one another.

We do have reservations for a spectacular train ride on the Verde Canyon Railroad. For those tour members interested in taking this train ride we will need to know what you would like to do prior to the start of our tour on October 6. This is a four-hour train ride from Clarkdale to Perkinsville and back into Arizona’s other “grand canyon”. Captivating panoramic views are revealed in every direction, exclusively from the relaxed atmosphere of the train. This historic rail route runs through a protected corridor at the river’s edge, lined with towering red rock pinnacles, near ancient Indian ruins, over fortified bridges and into a tunnel carved through solid rock over a century ago. As far as the eye can see, wildlife, high-desert foliage and rugged terrain are visible from the train. This train departs Clarkdale at 10:30am returning at 2:30pm. On our way back to our hotel we will make a stop to explore the mining ghost town of Jerome and Jerome State Historic Park. We plan to be back at our hotel at around 6:00pm. There is no additional cost for the train ride as it is included in your tour.

Meanwhile, there is a long list of fun activities in the Sedona area.

1.Good time to turn in some laundry to the hotel if you need it done.
2. Shopping for a souvenir at the many shops and art galleries
3. Join up with a group that is going jeep four wheelin into the back country
4. Rent your own jeep for the day and explore the many remote back roads
5. Get a relaxing massage at one of the many spas
6. Explore the local antique shops in the area
7. Visit the local jewelry, gems and mineral shops
8. Rent a bike and go mountain biking on the many trails
9. Go hiking on many local trails
10. Enjoy the local indian craft shops
11. Sign up for a local tour of the near-by indian cliff dwellings

🍽 breakfast

You Will Have Two Nights In Breathtaking
Sedona, Arizona - next photo

The verde canyon railroad in arizona runs through
some very remote and spectacular scenery

Day 10 - mon oct 12

Day 11 - tue oct 13

Day 12 - wed oct 14

Day 13 - thur oct 15

After breakfast we depart our hotel and take a leisure drive along the scenic Colorado River west of Moab on a country road. We will make several stops to take pictures including the awesome Castleton and Fisher Towers which are spectacular rock formations near the river. After traveling 43 miles this country road comes out at the small ghost town of Cisco which is also on the mainline of the former Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad (Now Union Pacific). Here we will wait for the westbound Rocky Mountaineer passenger train which is due at about 10am. This train is going all the way to Salt Lake City and is the newest train for the Rocky Mountaineer Company. We will follow this passenger train for about 2 1⁄2 hours until we reach the Price River Canyon stopping at scenic locations along the way for photos of this train. This rail line now hosts trains from Union Pacific, BNSF, Utah Railway, Amtrak and Rocky Mountaineer so we could see some of these trains too. After taking our last photos of the Rocky Mountaineer we will have our picinc lunch before returning to Moab and the visiting Arches National Park where you will discover a landscape of contrasting colors, landforms and textures unlike any other in the world. The park has over 2,000 natural stone arches, in addition to hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive fins and giant balanced rocks. This red rock wonderland will amaze you with its formations. We will keep exploring this park until sunset then return to our hotel in Moab for a 2nd nights lodging.

🍽 breakfast, lunch

This Morning We Travel On Scenic Utah Route 128
Near Moab. This Country Road Follows The Colorado
River. This Is Considered One Of The Most Scenic
Country Roads In The State Of Utah. - next 2 photos

As we drive along the colorado river we will see
the fisher towers - next photo

Route 128 Will Take Us Right To The Ciscor
Ghost Town. Here We Will Wait For The
Westbound Rocky Mountaineer Passenger Train
To Appear. We Will Follow This Train For
Photos For A Couple Of Hours - next 2 photos

We will focus most of our attention on the
westbound rocky mountaineer passenger train but
we also could see and photograph trains from
the union pacific railroad, utah railway, bnsf
and amtrak as they all use this same railroad
route. - next photo

After Following The Rocky Maintineer We Turn Our
Attention To Arches National Park Just Outside Of
Moab. We Will Enjoy This National Park In The
Late Afternoon Until Sunset - next 3 photos

Day 14 - fri oct 16

After breakfast and hotel check-out we head south towards the Utah/Arizona border. We will stop in the small town of Bluff for lunch. South of Bluff we explore Goosenecks State Park in southern Utah near the town of Mexican Hat. Goosenecks is on the edge of a deep canyon above the San Juan River with impressive views of one of the most striking examples of an entrenched river meander on the North American continent. The San Juan River twists and turns flowing a distance of over six miles while advancing one and half miles on its way to Lake Powell. Gaze at the results of 300 million years of geological activity, where the San Juan River winds and carves its way through the desert 1,000 feet below. We then continue southboud making a stop to photograph the balanced rock called Mexican Hat.

A short distance from Mexican Hat is Monument Valley. Here we cross into Arizona and also into the Navajo Nation. This is a sovereign nation within the boundary’s of the United States Before hotel check-in we will take a tour of the Navajo Nation's Monument Valley Tribal Park which is inside of the Navajo Nation. This park is right on the Utah and Arizona stateline. We will take you on a 17 mile loop through the valley to view some of the rock formations with Navajo names like: East & West Mitten, Merrick Butte, Elephant Butte, The Three Sisters, Camel Butte, The Hub, Rain God Mesa, and Totem Pole to name a few. You will be experiencing one of the most majestic - and most photographed - points on earth. Monument Valley boasts sandstone masterpieces that tower at heights of 400 to 1,000 feet, framed by scenic clouds casting shadows that graciously roam the desert floor. The angle of the sun accents these graceful formations, providing scenery that is simply spellbinding. The landscape overwhelms, not just by its beauty but also by its size. The fragile pinnacles of rock are surrounded by miles of mesas and buttes, shrubs, trees and windblown sand, all comprising the magnificent colors of the valley. All of this harmoniously combines to make Monument Valley a truly wondrous experience.

Many Hollywood movies have been filmed here such as: Billy the Kid, Fort Apache, 2001 a Space Odyssey, Once Upon of Time in the West, The legend of the Lone Ranger, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and Back to the Future Part III to name a few. Prior to sunset we check-in at the classic 3 star View Hotel. This Hotel is a Navajo owned business located within the Navajo Nation and the Navajo Tribal Park at Monument Valley. All rooms face east with a private balcony with views unlike anywhere else in world. You can enjoy the sunset as the shadows of late afternoon move across the valley and onto the massive rock formations right from your balcony. After the sun sets you can head for the hotel restaurant for dinner at your own leisure.

🍽 breakfast, lunch

Goosenecks state park on the san juan river

Mexican Hat With The San Juan River In The Background

We end our day exploring monument valley
tribal park - next photo

After Hotel Check-In You Can Sit On Your Private Balcony
And Enjoy The Sunset As The Shadows Marking The End Of
Another Day Creep Across The Valley Floor

Day 15 - sat oct 17

Day 16 - sun oct 18

Day 17 - mon oct 19

Day 18 - tue oct 20

Day 19 - wed oct 21

Day 20 - thur oct 22

After breakfast we drive up into the Rocky Mountains to Georgetown which was founded in 1859. Here you will have time to explore this historic mountain mining town which is known as “Silver Queen of the Rockies”. Georgetown is famous for it's well preserved Victorian architechture. We then board the morning excursion train on the Georgetown Loop Railroad for a ride up to Silver Plume and return. The Georgetown Loop is an engineering marvel originally built in 1884, the railroad fulfilled the hopes of Georgetown citizens to become a prosperous settlement connected to Denver and points east. To connect Silver Plume and Georgetown, these two towns are only two miles apart, but the tracks had to scale an elevation of 640 feet over mountainous terrain, requiring trestles, cuts, fills, loops, and curves totaling 4.5 miles

After our train ride we return to Golden and visit the famous Colorado Railroad Museum which has a large collection of steam, diesel and railcars. They have 11 steam locomotives, 6 diesels, 3 Galloping Goose Railcars, and over 80 pieces of rolling stock including passenger cars and cabooses. Also theyhave a large HO model railroad and an outside G Scale model railroad plus many displays. We have arranged to charter one of the Rio Grande Southern Galloping Goose Railcars so we can take a ride around the museum grounds. Our charter will make several runs around the museum grounds which will give you the opportunity to not only ride the famous Galloping Goose but to then take several photos of it at different locations around the museum. Back at our hotel in the evening we will have our Farewell Dinner.

🍽 lunch, dinner

The Georgetown Loop Railroad Is An
Engineering Marvel Designed And Built In 1884
By the Georgetown, Breckenridge And
Leadville Railway - next 6 photos

We visit the colorado railroad museum in golden, colorado
and enjoy a galloping goose charter around the
museum grounds - next 4 photos

Day 21 - fri oct 23

After hotel check-out we take a ride on the Regional Transportation District (RTD) light rail train from Golden to downtown Denver . The light rail train will take 43 minutes to travel directly to the impressive Denver Union Station where you will have time to explore this beautiful landmark. On June 1, 1881, Denver Union Depot opened its doors but burnt down in 1894. The depot was quickly rebuilt but this was short-lived. A new depot was built from carved granite and opened its doors in 1914 as Denver Union Station. The Station reached its zenith in the mid-1940s, welcoming more than 50,000 visitors daily. In 2001, efforts began in earnest to revitalize the once-great landmark of historic Lower Downtown Denver, culminating in a grand reopening of the reimagined Denver Union Station as a shopping, dining, and cultural destination in 2014 — precisely one hundred years after the opening of the rebuilt structure.

Our last activity of our tour will be a visit to the Forney Museum of Transportation which is a one-of-a- kind collection of over 800 artifacts relating to historical transportation. It began 70 years ago with a single 1921 Kissel, but soon expanded to include vehicles of all kinds. Today it includes not just vehicles, but also buggies, motorcycles, steam locomotives, aircraft, carriages, rail equipment, fire apparatus, public transportation, sleighs, bicycles, toys & diecast models, vintage apparel and much, much more! This collection highlights includes Union Pacific 'Big Boy' Steam Locomotive #4005, Amelia Earhart's 1923 Kissel 'Gold Bug', Forney Locomotive, Colorado & Southern Caboose, 1923 Hispano-Suiza, 1913-53 Indian Motocycle Collection, Denver & Rio Grande Dining Car, Stutz Fire Engine, 1888 Denver Cable Car, 1923 Case Steam Tractor, 1817 Draisenne Bicycle, 500 Piece Matchbox Collection, and more!

Finally it is time to head for the Denver International Airport. If you are flying back home today we will arrive at the airport at about 1:30pm. Be sure and allow plenty of time to check-in for your flights home. If you decide to spend another night here there are many hotels close to the airport in case you decide to schedule your flight the next day.

🍽 none

The Last Train Ride Of Our Tour Will Be On Denver's
Rtd Light Rail System From Golden To
Downtown Denver - next photo

You will have time to explore denver union station and
the new transportation terminal which was completed
in 2014 - next photo

The Forney Museum Of Transportation Has A
Union Pacific Big Boy 4-8-8-4 Steam
Locomotive And A Denver & Rio Grande
Western Gp 30 On Display - next photo

TOUR CONDITIONS PRICING - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

Tour Pricing:

All tour prices are subject to change without notice, at any time. All prices based on double room occupancy. Those people that use a credit card for payments a 3% conveyance fee will be added to the tour price. We reserve the right to change tour prices if necessary without prior notice.