Making its debut in 1901, this railway line is what first availed the marvel of the Grand Canyon to tourists during the golden age of rail travel. Departing each morning from the uninspired town of Williams, 30 miles west of Flagstaff, the vintage

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Making its debut in 1901, this railway line is what first availed the marvel of the Grand Canyon to tourists during the golden age of rail travel. Departing each morning from the uninspired town of Williams, 30 miles west of Flagstaff, the vintage locomotive travels 65 miles to Grand Canyon Village through varied landscapes of ponderosa pines and open high desert. During the two-hour, 15-minute journey to the canyon rim, western songs are performed by strolling musicians, and "cowboys" with six-shooters hold up the train at one point. If you take the train as a day trip, you'll have just over three hours at the South Rim before re-boarding for the trip back to Williams. Consider booking a rail-hotel package and spending a few nights at one of the South Rim lodging options.

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