Praising Arizona - Road Trip to the Grand Canyon

S ix of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World no longer exist. Over time, even the finest man-made marvels eventually have met destruction. But it is said that, “Sights seen in the mind's eye can never be destroyed,” and only the natural wonders of our world stand timeless for eternity. Here in the United States, we are blessed to be caretakers of one of the world’s finest natural wonders: the Grand Canyon, America’s national treasure.

Although the Canyon itself is believed to be “only” about five or six million years old, some of the rocks at the bottom date back 2,000-million years, according to the National Parks Service. However old it may be, its beauty is eternal. So desolate, rugged, colorful and glorious, its impression has been carved for eternity into our nation’s soul.

At its deepest, it is a mile to the bottom of the Canyon and 4,000 feet deep for most of its nearly 300 mile stretch. The Grand Canyon National Park and World Heritage Site is 18 miles wide at its broadest point and encompasses 1,218,375 acres on the Colorado Plateau in northwestern Arizona.

To call it majestic would be an understatement.

Since the earliest natives first beheld its splendor, families have been making pilgrimages to the Canyon’s rocky cliffs—a place every American should visit. Ironically, though, a century ago no one expected much in the way of tourism: in 1858 U. S. Army Lieutenant Joseph Ives stated that the Grand Canyon area “is of course altogether valueless…. Ours has been the first, and will doubtless be the last, party of whites to visit this profitless locality." He was certainly wrong about that, for visit we do. Last year, alone, nearly 5 million people came to see the Canyon.

Getting there is half the fun
Just an easy, beautiful three-hour drive from Phoenix, or three and a half hours from Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon is not as remote as you might imagine, and getting there (especially to the spectacular South Rim) is not difficult. The drive itself provides a lovely exploration of some the most scenic places in the state. Passing through Sedona, stopping in historic Flagstaff, and beholding the imposing snow-capped peak of Mount Humphrey dusted and glistening with snow, you’ll be amazed at the beauty of Northern Arizona. Forests and glens, Painted Desert and pretty mountains, Old West towns and Navajo reservations, stops to see ancient Native American ruins—it is all part of a grand adventure on the journey to the Grand Canyon.


Flagstaff
You may have heard of this town, but you probably never realized how small and lovely it is. Home to Northern Arizona University, one might expect to find a large, urban city; instead, it is a beautiful, close-knit community in the middle of a glorious ponderosa pine forest. [Arizona isn’t all desert and cactus!]

At 7,000 feet elevation, Flagstaff (or “Flag” as locals call it) boasts an annual snowfall average of 108.8 inches, yet it also enjoys an average of 288 days of glorious warm sunshine. As their Chamber states, “Flagstaff is rich with cultural diversity, beauty and history, as well as amazing educational, recreational and scientific opportunities.” It’s a stop on the way to the Canyon not to be missed. I suggest spending several nights there, taking time to visit the Museum of Northern Arizona, the Arboretum at Flagstaff (a botanical garden, research station, and environmental education center), and the charming historic district downtown. This spring, I had a delicious lunch at Charly’s in the Weatherford hotel, one of Flagstaff’s authentic Old West hotels, and took a tour of its old fashioned rooms, delightful lounges and wrap-around balconies. Later I wandered down the street, popped into art galleries and peaked into the Hotel Monte Vista, which is also said to be haunted. That night, I enjoyed a steak dinner and musical revue at Black Bart’s Steakhouse, Saloon and Musical Revue, where talented students from the University entertain guests when they aren’t busy waiting tables between songs. The show and the steak dinner were both rare treats, but my favorite Flagstaff haunt turned out to be “The Zoo.”

The Museum Club, a real honky-tonk road house with attitude and history, was once a unique (read weird) taxidermy museum built in 1931, which held oddities of nature such as two headed calves and extensive collection of taxidermy treasures. Often called “the Zoo,” this classic Route 66 landmark is a strange and wonderful edifice built around five living ponderosa pines which seem to grow through the floor which and hold up the ceiling. Entry to this curious place is directly through a wishbone-shaped tree trunk straddling the front door. The Zoo is said to be haunted by previous owners who obviously don’t care to depart, and I didn’t want to leave either but had plans to journey north at daybreak.

Cameron
While heading out of Flagstaff, stop to see the Hopi and Zuni Indian Wupatki pueblo ruins built in the 1100s, and at lunch time take time at the Navajo Reservation at the old outpost of Cameron to taste their famous Navajo taco: a fat, puffy round of fried bread smothered by a taco salad. The art gallery in Cameron, featuring Navajo treasures, was worth the whole stop, although most people spend more time in the spacious souvenir shop next door.

Page, Wah-Weep, Glen Canyon and Lake Powell
After stopping to see the Colorado River rapids at Lee’s Ferry, where adventurers put in massive white-water rafts for float trips into the Grand Canyon, continue on to the town of Page, to spend a few days at the glorious Lake Powell Resort at Wah-weep, just six miles from the Utah state line near the gigantic Glen Canyon Dam. There you’ll find the Lake Powell National Golf Course, or perhaps you’d rather spend a day on a 60 foot houseboat before enjoying a gourmet meal prepared Executive Chef Brandon Schubert at the Rainbow Room restaurant.
Before leaving Page, be sure to stop for an early, easy trek through the stunning Antelope Canyon or take a little more challenging hike into Canyon X. Then set off for what is arguably the most glorious spot in North America: the Grand Canyon.

When I arrived there this spring, I was full of fear and excitement, for my first glimpse of the Grand Canyon that day would be from a helicopter soaring over the edge of its cliffs.


The South Rim
At the landing pad of Maverick Helicopter tours, I found myself positioned in the front seat of a new, red helicopter, whose large round front windows reached even below my feet. I was simultaneously terrified and thrilled, and the pilot jokingly reminded me that the view was much better with my eyes open. Soon we soared over the tree line and lunged over the edge of the great chasm of the Canyon. It was a breathtaking, exhilarating experience as I watched waterfalls cascade thousands of feet below and falcons glide effortlessly into the rocky purple mountain majesty.

After the excitement of the helicopter adventure, I stopped with friends to eat lunch at a point overlooking the South Rim of the Canyon, which averages 7,000 feet above sea level and is open 365 days a year, seven days a week. After lunch, stroll down to the visitor’s center and gift shop before discovering the Hopi House art gallery, and wander through El Tovar, a magnificent lodge which is a handsome historic hotel on the edge of the Canyon.

With one last look over the edge of the South Rim, I said goodbye to the Canyons as a train whistle signaled the arrival of the Grand Canyon Railway’s afternoon train.

The Grand Canyon Railway – Gateway to the Grand Canyon
“All aboard!” the conductor announced at the log-styled Santa Fe station, just below the Grand Canyon lodge at El Tovar. Soon the train chugged along the tracks as I sipped an Arizona Sunset from an over-stuffed leather chair in the caboose. Today’s train signals the rebirth of the way travelers used to journey to the Grand Canyon from Williams—via railway—and it is still the most beautiful way to travel. There on the train, just as our leisurely tea time was about to end and our five o’clock cocktail hour was about to begin, a band of rough riding cowboys raced on horseback alongside the train, guns a blazing, to stage a robbery. It was all in good fun, and some even stopped for photos, while other cowboys and Indians entertained us with song.

That same train hosts Polar Express adventures in the winter for children who want to re-live the exciting Christmas story told in the popular book and film.

Williams
I was sad to leave the Grand Canyon Railway and the old caboose that had slipped through lush, tree-lined high country, but when I disembarked at the station in the famous Route 66 town of Williams, it was like a scene from an old movie as children, parents, horses, cowboys, and stage coaches met the trains at the bustling station. There in Williams, I stayed at the lovely Grand Canyon Railway Hotel and enjoyed the biggest beef ribs I’d ever eaten (slathered with Jack Daniels and Orange Juice BBQ sauce) at the Old West-styled Winchester Steak House, and then ended the day going back in time with a visit to a classic Route 66 1950s soda fountain and ice cream parlor called Twisters. Once again the beautiful Mount Humphrey greeted us in the distance. The highest peak in Arizona, it is said to be home to the Hopi gods, the Kachinas.

Arizona Rocks
The Grand Canyon is truly a national treasure, and Arizona rocks! But more than just enjoying the scenery of the magnificence of the Canyon, the beautiful people I met along the way were the true joys of my journey. Meeting other travelers who love this land as much as I do reminded me what a treasure our nation really is. America the beautiful?

Yes, it is!

For more information about beautiful Arizona and the Grand Canyon, go to these Web sites:

Grand Canyon National Park
Official site from the National Park Service. Provides park maps, information on activities, NPS services, and a Grand Canyon trip planner.
<www.nps.gov/grca>

Grand Canyon Railway
Book reservations online for one of five classes of service on a vintage train to the Grand Canyon
<http://www.thetrain.com/>

Flagstaff Convention & Visitor Bureau
<http://www.flagstaffarizona.org/>

The Museum Club Historic roadhouse in Flagstaff.
<http://www.museumclub.com/>

Williams Convention & Visitor Bureau
<http://www.williamsaz.com/>

Page Convention & Visitor Bureau
<http://www.pageaz.com/>

Detours "Off the Beaten Path" Tours
<http://www.detoursaz.com/>

Info and links to everything in the region
<http://www.arizonarocks.com/>

All Aboard: Riding the Rails with the Kids & San Antonio Living TV

All aboard!

By age six, my son Reid had read The Little Engine that Could countless times, along with The Polar Express. He'd seen the Polar Express movie, three times, in 3D! He had even been to a birthday party at the old railroad museum in San Antonio, too. But one morning as we sat waiting at a railroad crossing, as Reid pointed and shrieked with glee as we counted every car, it occurred to me that the little fellow in the backseat had never actually been on a real train.

Reid and I quite often visit his grandmother in Austin, so one morning I told him we had a special treat planned for the next day: we were going to visit Grandma, but this time we were going to ride a train! Reid was so excited as we packed some juice boxes, crayons, coloring books, and a box of animal crackers for the trip. We got up early, drove to the nearest station (in San Marcos, Texas), and stood on the platform in the morning sun.

Soon the thrilling sound of the train whistle could be heard in the distance. A father and his two children were also waiting on the platform with us. The children all squealed with delight as the train chugged to a halt before us.

Climbing into the train, Reid was all eyes. It was a joyous morning as my little son and I explored every fascinating part of the train. Reid thought that the tray tables that came down from the back of a seat, forming the perfect drawing table for his crayon masterpieces, were an ingenious invention. The tiny bathrooms were a mystery to explore. He loved the snack bar area in the car below with its big, wide windows and the hillsides rushing by. I sipped coffee as we sat there in a booth talking and sharing lions and tigers and bears from his box of circus cookies. Soon Reid wanted to climb the stairs and sit in the observation car with its windows that curved up overhead. The view was beautiful. Everything was green and lush as we passed through Buda and Kyle and came into South Austin.

The train arrived in Austin 15 minutes ahead of schedule, and neither Reid nor I was ready for the adventure to end. However, when his two cousins Olivia (7) and Ellen (4) came with Grandmother Turk to greet us at the station, the engineer allowed the kids to climb on board and look around, and so they, too, were able to partake in our railroad fun.

Several weeks later, San Antonio Living (WOAI TV San Antonio, Channel 4) heard about the fun Reid and I had on our train ride, and so they decided to film kids having fun on the train for one of our Travel Tuesday segments. Our favorite friends, grandparents themselves, Charles and Claire Beall came along, as did beautiful Caroline and handsome Samuel Berridge and their lovely mother Michelle; little Duncan McLaughlin and his pretty aunt Karina Cardona came with us, too (she is one of the SA Living producers and acted as our camera-woman). My son and daughter Reid and Carrie (17) were there with me.

Marc Magliari of Chicago (Manager, Amtrak Media Relations) helped organize the trip for us, and the kind folks at Amtrak treated us to a fine ride, with Operations Supervisor Burrel Parham acting as our host. We went from San Antonio to San Marcos that morning, and the children loved every minute of it. Mr. and Mrs. Beall sang songs to the kids and read them stories, and Mr. Parham made sure that cartoons were showing in the observation car when the children got restless. He also gave us a tour of the sleeping cars and dining car.

The experience reminded me that the simple things are the best things, and the old ways of doing things should be considered once again. The railroad has a long, rich, vital place in the history of the United States, and our children will enjoy learning about it so much more by riding the rails.

Take your kids on a train ride. When they hear that lonesome whistle blow in the night, the happy memories of your time together will ride through their dreams till morning and stay with them for a lifetime.


Fun Facts and Train Information:

1828 - America's first passenger train stars service in South Carolina.
1837 - First sleeping car is introduced in 1837
1869 - Golden Spike is driven in Utah territory (Transcontinental railroad completed)
1971 - Amtrak is created
1995 - US boasts 170,000 miles of track & 209,000 railroad employees

Times and Fares for trips from San Antonio
Dallas 8 am-4:20 $26
Laredo 4:10-6:15 am $18
Houston 1 am-5:45 pm $52
LA 5:40 am -10:10 am $221

For a train trip you simply must take with your children one day, consider riding the Grand Canyon Railroad. For more information, visit www.thetrain.com. This is a trip that adults and children of all ages will treasure forever.

See http://www.amtrak.com/ for more information about US domestic train travel, fares, and schedules. E-mail me at janis@janisturk.com if you have any questions about this or any other segment.

The Road Less Traveled: Route 66

It’s not on the map, yet it’s arguably the most popular roadway in the US. For many, it’s a corridor to a more uncomplicated time, America’s emblematic access road to memory lane. Even the road sign, itself, has become an icon of our nation’s nomadic past.

Much of the route is narrow, desert, and deserted. Some parts were never paved. Towns along the way seem unimpressed with the passage of time. Drive it today, and for miles vintage filling stations and passing lanes of nostalgia are all you’ll find along the back roads that once comprised old Route 66. But there’s something you’ll catch a glimpse of in your rear view mirror as you cruise this historic thoroughfare: it’s America, and it’s amazing.
You really should go.

Seligman. Kingman. Williams. Flagstaff. Winslow. Holbrook. Topock. Towns where we’ve been.

The last time I saw this stretch of Route 66 was ‘68 from the back seat of a Chevy during an Arizona summer—sans air-conditioning. There we were: three cranky kids crammed in the back, rubbernecking at the Grand Canyon, while Mom passed cheese sandwiches from the front and Daddy Jim drove, his fingers knotted at the top of the thin steering wheel.

Riding in the back seat through Northern Arizona last week flooded the engines of my memory like the carburetor of an old car.

When my father died six years ago, he left me something quite precious: a hand-written list of places important to him, spaces special for reasons I can’t begin to guess and likely will never know.

I intend to visit them all.

I know I won't find it on an atlas, but I’m looking for the road he took, the one less traveled, drawn in blue lines along the map of my father’s life.

And so I’ll start out on Route 66—just for kicks.

Back in the Day: Park City, Utah

Remember the good old days? Streets were clean, people were friendly, windows had flowerboxes, buildings had fresh paint, and the grass was green. It was safe to go out at night, children and parents had picnics in the park while enjoying free music concerts, and artists sold paintings on the sidewalks. The air was fresh and sweet, days were always sunny, and the sky was always blue. At night stars filled the clean, inky black skies, and if you saw one fall, you could make a wish—but what for? Life was filled with all the good things anyone could want.

Wishing for the way it was back then? Wish no more. The good old days are alive and well in Park City, Utah.

All the sweet things that life once was are what Park City is all about this summer.

True, in January, Park City is known as the home of young, hip, all-too-crowded but fun Sundance Film Festival, and in fall and winter the city is known as one of the most beautiful snow ski resort destinations in America, but in summer Park City is entirely different. The crowds are gone. It’s quiet and serene and summer provides the perfect time for travelers to visit this remarkable place.

First of all, the scenery is awe-inspiring, and the town is a small, enchanting summer place with a slow pace and very few tourists. As in any ski resort city, summer is the low season, meaning rock-bottom rates at fine hotels and condominiums, sale prices in all the shops, no lines at the theatre, no waiting for tables at fine restaurants, and a higher quality of service in all areas. Shuttles from the Salt Lake City airport (and lodging at the hotels) are nearly empty (and affordable), and the town is waiting with open arms to greet its summertime guests.

What is there to do in Park City? The downtown area flanks an old-fashioned main street whose buildings echo the old style of its roots as a silver mining town. Delightful little shops, bookstores, candy stores, theatres, and restaurants line the street. Mountains blanketed in deep green pine forests rise on either side of the little village. And just up the mountainside a short way, the Deer Valley Resort boasts a beautiful outdoor amphitheatre at Snow Park Lodge (reminiscent of the Hollywood Bowl, only smaller), where each Wednesday night in the summer residents spread out blankets and bring picnics to hear live music while the children run and play, rolling down the soft, grassy hillside. The Utah Symphony & Opera's Deer Valley Music Festival, a weekend jazz festival and other concerts, are also held in the outdoor amphitheater, and gourmet picnic baskets are available for purchase there at the Lodge.

Recommended Park City lodging include the Silver Queen Hotel (with its decorative, eclectic and interesting rooms—each a work of art) and the spacious condos at the Caledonian, which will make you feel as though you’ve moved into a large home in the area. (These two fine hotels/condos have full kitchens so you can save money by dining in). The Park City Hotel and the Canyons at Park City are resorts you’ll want to visit, as well. For budget traveler, the Holiday Inn Express is not far from downtown, and a free bus shuttles visitors all over the town and up the mountainsides to the resort areas.

Park City’s restaurants are amazing—try the Mustang Grill, or Robert Redford’s restaurant “Zoom,” or have Asian-infusion cuisine at Shabu, which Conde Nast Traveler just named one of the best in the U.S. My favorite lunch spot was the Royal Street Café up on the mountainside at the Deer Valley Resort. Which was better, the view or the menu? I can’t decide.

Be sure to stop and visit Olympic Cauldron Park, home of the 2002 Winter Olympics, a place where you can see future Olympians in training and visit the Alf Engen Ski Museum, as well as tour the area where the Olympics were held.

All the things you loved about the good old days are happening today in Park City, Utah. So, quick—visit before the snow falls in late October!

Happy Days are here again!

Shabu
(435) 645-7253
333 Main StPark City, UT 84060

The Mustang
(435) 658-3975
890 Main StPark City, UT 84060

Zoom
(435) 649-9108
660 Main StPark City, UT 84060

The Caledonian
(435) 658-2275
751 Main StPark City, UT 84060

Silver Queen Hotel
(435) 649-5986
632 Main StPark City, UT 84060

Royal Street Cafe
(435) 645-6724
7600 Royal St EPark City, UT 84060

Utah Olympic Park P.O. Box 980337 3000 Bear Hollow Drive Park City, UT 84098-0337
Main Tel: 435.658.4200 Toll-Free: 1-866-OLY-PARKS Main Fax: 435.647.9650 Reservation Hotline: 435.658.4206 Sport Services Desk: 435.658.4208 Sport Services E-Mail:sportservices@olyparks.com Website: http://www.olyparks.com/

Janis Turk, Travel Writer