My Road Less Traveled By

Towards the end of our trip in Arizona, we visited the Verde Canyon Railroad. This was, I think, a four hour train ride into the wilderness of Arizona. We were able to see areas of Arizona that you would only see if you were on the train. There are two classes of tickets you can buy for this ride. First, there is coach which will run you $54.95. When we booked this, they didn’t have any coach available, so we had to buy first class tickets which ran us about $79.95 a piece. First class does include appetizers and a glass of champagne. Honestly, I wish we could have saved our money and went coach. We spent a ton of the trip on the outdoor car where you could see out better.

This is a trip that older people and people with kids would want to do. I also recommend doing this trip early in your vacation. By the time we did this, we were almost sick of seeing the “red rock” since that’s all we had done for six days at this point. However, this did end up being a great relaxing day.

The customer service here is excellent though. We got lost on the way there (since this is located in Clarksdale, and we were staying in Sedona). Their customer service representative stayed on the phone with us until we got there.

The Verde Canyon railroad (formally the Verde Valley Railroad) was financed by Senator William Clark. It was built in one year for $1.3 million dollars in 1911. (Today, the cost would be $38 million). The railroad was not used for several years until Dave Durbano bought it. To quote him,

“I purchased the rail line from Clarkdale to Drake, sight-unseen, based on freight figures alone. Like many of the railroads built at the turn of the century, I knew this one had played an important role in Manifest Destiny, but when I made my first trip through the canyon, I was awestruck at the natural beauty and undisturbed wilderness through which we passed. I knew others would want to see the Verde Canyon in this same, unique way, where history was only a part of the journey.”

The views are beautiful from the train.  Here are few of the pictures that we took:

If you are looking for a nice relaxing day, I would recommend the Verde Canyon Railroad.

Towards the end of our trip in Arizona, we visited the Verde Canyon Railroad. This was, I think, a four hour train ride into the wilderness of Arizona. We were able to see areas of Arizona that you would only see if you were on the train. There are two classes of tickets you can buy for this ride. First, there is coach which will run you $54.95. When we booked this, they didn’t have any coach available, so we had to buy first class tickets which ran us about $79.95 a piece. First class does include appetizers and a glass of champagne. Honestly, I wish we could have saved our money and went coach. We spent a ton of the trip on the outdoor car where you could see out better.

This is a trip that older people and people with kids would want to do. I also recommend doing this trip early in your vacation. By the time we did this, we were almost sick of seeing the “red rock” since that’s all we had done for six days at this point. However, this did end up being a great relaxing day.

The customer service here is excellent though. We got lost on the way there (since this is located in Clarksdale, and we were staying in Sedona). Their customer service representative stayed on the phone with us until we got there.

The Verde Canyon railroad (formally the Verde Valley Railroad) was financed by Senator William Clark. It was built in one year for $1.3 million dollars in 1911. (Today, the cost would be $38 million). The railroad was not used for several years until Dave Durbano bought it. To quote him,

“I purchased the rail line from Clarkdale to Drake, sight-unseen, based on freight figures alone. Like many of the railroads built at the turn of the century, I knew this one had played an important role in Manifest Destiny, but when I made my first trip through the canyon, I was awestruck at the natural beauty and undisturbed wilderness through which we passed. I knew others would want to see the Verde Canyon in this same, unique way, where history was only a part of the journey.”

The views are beautiful from the train.  Here are few of the pictures that we took:

If you are looking for a nice relaxing day, I would recommend the Verde Canyon Railroad.

Montezuma’s Well is somewhat of a surprise. You don’t expect to see a lake and lush vegetation in the middle of the desert. This is another place that we stopped while we were visiting Arizona. The well is a limestone sink formed by the collapse of an immense underground canyon. The springs that feed it flow continuously. The Sinagua used this to irrigate its wells.  Can you imagine having to get your water like this?

The Sinagua dwelllings that you see here vary in size. There are some large pueblos that house 50 rooms. there are also one room houses. Between 1125 and 1400, 150-200 Sinagua people lived here.

The cool thing you need to make sure you do to climb down into the well. It is an awesome site from up top. However, it is even more interesting once you get below. It is quite a walk, but well worth checking out.

Montezuma’s Well is somewhat of a surprise. You don’t expect to see a lake and lush vegetation in the middle of the desert. This is another place that we stopped while we were visiting Arizona. The well is a limestone sink formed by the collapse of an immense underground canyon. The springs that feed it flow continuously. The Sinagua used this to irrigate its wells.  Can you imagine having to get your water like this?

The Sinagua dwelllings that you see here vary in size. There are some large pueblos that house 50 rooms. there are also one room houses. Between 1125 and 1400, 150-200 Sinagua people lived here.

The cool thing you need to make sure you do to climb down into the well. It is an awesome site from up top. However, it is even more interesting once you get below. It is quite a walk, but well worth checking out.

The Tuzigoot National Monument is another site in Arizona that you have to go see. Tuzigoot mean crooked water in Apache. It is the remnants of a Sinagua village. They figure it was built between 1125 and 1400. This picture is of me looking up at the ruins The original pueblo was two stories high with 77 ground floor rooms. These next two picture will be looking down:

The above two pictures are what it looks like in pueblo houses. Except for adding a floor to it, they pretty much left it unchanged. They had to add the floor because the dead are buried underneath (and usually only about 18 inches too!). People got into the pueblo houses with ladders through openings in the roof. As you can tell, there are very few exterior openings. The village started with a small number of rooms that housed about 50 people for the first 100 years. In the 1200s, the population doubled. The population doubled again they took in refugee farmers who were fleeing the drought. No one knows why the Sinagua disappeared, but they left us a marvel to look at.

The Tuzigoot National Monument is another site in Arizona that you have to go see. Tuzigoot mean crooked water in Apache. It is the remnants of a Sinagua village. They figure it was built between 1125 and 1400. This picture is of me looking up at the ruins The original pueblo was two stories high with 77 ground floor rooms. These next two picture will be looking down:

The above two pictures are what it looks like in pueblo houses. Except for adding a floor to it, they pretty much left it unchanged. They had to add the floor because the dead are buried underneath (and usually only about 18 inches too!). People got into the pueblo houses with ladders through openings in the roof. As you can tell, there are very few exterior openings. The village started with a small number of rooms that housed about 50 people for the first 100 years. In the 1200s, the population doubled. The population doubled again they took in refugee farmers who were fleeing the drought. No one knows why the Sinagua disappeared, but they left us a marvel to look at.

Did you know that Arizona has its own castles? This picture is of a place called Montezuma’s Castle. It is the ancient remnants of a Sinaguan Indian Village. The Sinaguans were farmers who settled in Arizona in the 600s. They grew corn, beans, squash, and cotton. They watered them using irrigation. Around 1150, they began building large pueblos in hilltops and cliffs. If I remember correctly, there were several hundred people living in here at one time. There are several different levels that you can’t see in here. In the early 1400s, the Sinagua abandoned the entire valley, and no one knows why.

This picture shows how high up in the cliffs that this really was. It is almost breathtaking just due to the work involved. I can only imagine how many hours were spent creating this. Its hard to believe that hundreds of people lived here. They figure that they had made ladders to get up in there. Could you imagine climbing up and down every single day of your life? They don’t really know why they built it up there. It could be because it was cooler in the cliffs or for protection. They showed a model of this castle there (it was behind glass, so I couldn’t get a good picture) showing about 25 rooms in this place!

This castle is also at the same site. However, this one is at ground level. As you can see, there isn’t much left to it! This castle was destroyed by fire.  I never knew that we had our own castles here, did you?  I just thought they were in Europe.

At Montezuma’s Castle, they also talk to you about the trees, flowers, and wildlife that you see.  Remember, it is always important to stay on the trails there and at the other sites due to snakes and tarantulas!  Since it was still cold, we didn’t see any.

This is a historical site you have to visit if you ever go to Arizona. Not only is it beautiful, you get a great history lesson!

Did you know that Arizona has its own castles? This picture is of a place called Montezuma’s Castle. It is the ancient remnants of a Sinaguan Indian Village. The Sinaguans were farmers who settled in Arizona in the 600s. They grew corn, beans, squash, and cotton. They watered them using irrigation. Around 1150, they began building large pueblos in hilltops and cliffs. If I remember correctly, there were several hundred people living in here at one time. There are several different levels that you can’t see in here. In the early 1400s, the Sinagua abandoned the entire valley, and no one knows why.

This picture shows how high up in the cliffs that this really was. It is almost breathtaking just due to the work involved. I can only imagine how many hours were spent creating this. Its hard to believe that hundreds of people lived here. They figure that they had made ladders to get up in there. Could you imagine climbing up and down every single day of your life? They don’t really know why they built it up there. It could be because it was cooler in the cliffs or for protection. They showed a model of this castle there (it was behind glass, so I couldn’t get a good picture) showing about 25 rooms in this place!

This castle is also at the same site. However, this one is at ground level. As you can see, there isn’t much left to it! This castle was destroyed by fire.  I never knew that we had our own castles here, did you?  I just thought they were in Europe.

At Montezuma’s Castle, they also talk to you about the trees, flowers, and wildlife that you see.  Remember, it is always important to stay on the trails there and at the other sites due to snakes and tarantulas!  Since it was still cold, we didn’t see any.

This is a historical site you have to visit if you ever go to Arizona. Not only is it beautiful, you get a great history lesson!

Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon before? Up until February of this year, I hadn’t. I wondered why anybody would want to just see a hole in the ground. When we got there, it was all of 37 degrees and crazy windy. There was snow! I seriously couldn’t believe it. Yes, we all know what snow looks like, but I couldn’t believe there was this much snow in Arizona. I ended up having to buy a hat and gloves! I never thought in a million years I would have to pack that!

When Bill decided to stand here so I could take his picture, I thought for sure that he was going to get blown off. The crazy thing is that the rangers told us it was a light wind that day. Being from the Windy City, we know wind and this was no light wind! My fear of heights didn’t help either. However, by the end of the day, I was able to walk closer to the edge (not as quite as far as Bill). As you can see from the background, the Grand Canyon is a beautiful site.

Pictures don’t do this place justice at all. There are no words that describe how beautiful it is there. The part that amazes me the most is that when the Indians were living here it looked pretty much the same. It truly makes you feel insignificant. You feel like a speck in the history of the world (which is really what we are). It took millions of years to make this glorious site, and it is just awe inspiring.

The really cool thing about the Grand Canyon is that you can literally spend days there. We only planned for one, so we had to squish a lot of things in a short time period. There are several stops along the outside perimeter that you can visit. They actually have a map you can a follow and a sidewalk to hike on in some places. You also are able to hike into the Grand Canyon if you so desire. There are even signs telling you how long each trail is, how long it will take you, what you should pack with you (water and sandwiches), etc.

Even though each spot is still the Grand Canyon, it is truly a different view from each stop. Something that I didn’t know was that you can actually camp on site. The other thing that I had no idea is that there are actual hotels on site too! How awesome would it be to stay in one of those? The other cool thing was that you didn’t have to walk between stops either — there was a bus you could take for free! Bill and I walked most of the Grand Canyon, but by the end of the day, you get really tired. Plus, the last part of the trail was covered in snow, and we were in tennis shoes. I never thought to bring boots.

Running into the elk was very cool (not literally, of course!) We were driving in between stops and were very surprised to come across these elks!

When we left, this was the sight to see. The sunset was so beautiful. I highly recommend stopping at the Grand Canyon if you are in the area. I wish we would have planned for more than one day there!

Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon before? Up until February of this year, I hadn’t. I wondered why anybody would want to just see a hole in the ground. When we got there, it was all of 37 degrees and crazy windy. There was snow! I seriously couldn’t believe it. Yes, we all know what snow looks like, but I couldn’t believe there was this much snow in Arizona. I ended up having to buy a hat and gloves! I never thought in a million years I would have to pack that!

When Bill decided to stand here so I could take his picture, I thought for sure that he was going to get blown off. The crazy thing is that the rangers told us it was a light wind that day. Being from the Windy City, we know wind and this was no light wind! My fear of heights didn’t help either. However, by the end of the day, I was able to walk closer to the edge (not as quite as far as Bill). As you can see from the background, the Grand Canyon is a beautiful site.

Pictures don’t do this place justice at all. There are no words that describe how beautiful it is there. The part that amazes me the most is that when the Indians were living here it looked pretty much the same. It truly makes you feel insignificant. You feel like a speck in the history of the world (which is really what we are). It took millions of years to make this glorious site, and it is just awe inspiring.

The really cool thing about the Grand Canyon is that you can literally spend days there. We only planned for one, so we had to squish a lot of things in a short time period. There are several stops along the outside perimeter that you can visit. They actually have a map you can a follow and a sidewalk to hike on in some places. You also are able to hike into the Grand Canyon if you so desire. There are even signs telling you how long each trail is, how long it will take you, what you should pack with you (water and sandwiches), etc.

Even though each spot is still the Grand Canyon, it is truly a different view from each stop. Something that I didn’t know was that you can actually camp on site. The other thing that I had no idea is that there are actual hotels on site too! How awesome would it be to stay in one of those? The other cool thing was that you didn’t have to walk between stops either — there was a bus you could take for free! Bill and I walked most of the Grand Canyon, but by the end of the day, you get really tired. Plus, the last part of the trail was covered in snow, and we were in tennis shoes. I never thought to bring boots.

Running into the elk was very cool (not literally, of course!) We were driving in between stops and were very surprised to come across these elks!

When we left, this was the sight to see. The sunset was so beautiful. I highly recommend stopping at the Grand Canyon if you are in the area. I wish we would have planned for more than one day there!

Can you see the town in the side of the hill there? That is Jerome, AZ. Never heard of it? Neither did I till we went to Arizona. This is a town with a very interesting history.Jerome was founded in 1876 and started off as a tent town. It later grew into a mining town of 15,000 and was known as the wickedest town in the West. This site had almost a billion dollars worth of copper. Many miners died due to explosices and unsafe conditions. World War I brought prosperity and growth for Jerome which flourished until the Great Depression in the 1930s. In its heyday, there were 13 hotels, 21 bars, and 8 “red light district” houses. At its lowest, the population was about 200. In the 60s, the hippies moved in and turned the town in an artists haven for tourists. Many of the original structures still are standing in Jerome.The owners built a home on the land that the mining was done on. Now, that home is a museum that allows you to see what life was life. For example, this is an electrical transformer: Here are a few other old items:

If you are visiting Arizona, I highly recommend that you visit Jerome. Its a small little quaint town that is worth visiting.

Can you see the town in the side of the hill there? That is Jerome, AZ. Never heard of it? Neither did I till we went to Arizona. This is a town with a very interesting history.Jerome was founded in 1876 and started off as a tent town. It later grew into a mining town of 15,000 and was known as the wickedest town in the West. This site had almost a billion dollars worth of copper. Many miners died due to explosices and unsafe conditions. World War I brought prosperity and growth for Jerome which flourished until the Great Depression in the 1930s. In its heyday, there were 13 hotels, 21 bars, and 8 “red light district” houses. At its lowest, the population was about 200. In the 60s, the hippies moved in and turned the town in an artists haven for tourists. Many of the original structures still are standing in Jerome.The owners built a home on the land that the mining was done on. Now, that home is a museum that allows you to see what life was life. For example, this is an electrical transformer: Here are a few other old items:

If you are visiting Arizona, I highly recommend that you visit Jerome. Its a small little quaint town that is worth visiting.

This is a must do activity while you are in Sedona. The tickets were $75 a piece for the Broken Arrow Tour, and it was worth every penny. The Broken Arrow Trail is only used by the Pink Jeep Tour company (they have other tours you can do for other prices — some more expensive, some less expensive). There is only permit given out for this trail a year, and they have it. You will not see these views anywhere else! However, if you are pregnant or if you have back problems, this tour is not for you. It is a tad rough (and that is an understatement!). They are open year round - 7 days a week in all weather. They go out in pretty much any kind of weather too. Where else could you get pictures like these?

Here a few more of the picture we took while on the tour (click here to enlarge):

This is a must do activity while you are in Sedona. The tickets were $75 a piece for the Broken Arrow Tour, and it was worth every penny. The Broken Arrow Trail is only used by the Pink Jeep Tour company (they have other tours you can do for other prices — some more expensive, some less expensive). There is only permit given out for this trail a year, and they have it. You will not see these views anywhere else! However, if you are pregnant or if you have back problems, this tour is not for you. It is a tad rough (and that is an understatement!). They are open year round - 7 days a week in all weather. They go out in pretty much any kind of weather too. Where else could you get pictures like these?

Here a few more of the picture we took while on the tour (click here to enlarge):