Testimonial: Trip to Grand Canyon by Train Peoria, Illinois

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Two of my friends and I decided this summer we were going to take a vacation to Yosemite National Park and the Grand Canyon, and we were doing so by train. We decided on the Grand Canyon because my two friends had never been there. I had previously visited three times and had always encouraged them to go. We went to Yosemite first, and then took the Grand Canyon Railway down to the Grand Canyon. We decided we’d spend one night at the canyon, so when we arrived we went and checked in to the Maswik Lodge. The staff at the lodge was very courteous and checked us into our rooms quickly so we were able to go out and explore the Grand Canyon.
We started off day one with a bus tour, which was pretty nice. My friends could not believe what they were seeing – they had no idea how beautiful the Grand Canyon really is. After the bus tour we went to the Visitors Center where again we were greeted by very courteous staff. We saw the IMAX presentation which was fantastic! Although I’d been to the Grand Canyon three times before, this was the first time I saw the IMAX and I was blown away. The three of us really enjoyed learning the history of the Grand Canyon as well as seeing the canyon in its entirety.
After the IMAX we went and had dinner and retired for the evening. The next morning we got up, had breakfast, and headed over to the shuttle tours. We especially liked the shuttle tours because they gave us a better opportunity to see different parts of the canyon than the bus tour. Stopping at the different overlooks, we were really impressed. One of my friends was so blown away by the canyon’s beauty that he had to have taken about 200 pictures! After the shuttle rides we had lunch, headed back to the lodge and packed up for our departure. I’d certainly say the most memorable part of this Grand Canyon trip was watching my friends’ reactions to seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time – I really got a kick out of that.
For my friends, this trip far exceeded their expectations, and even though I’d already been to the Grand Canyon, it exceeded my expectations as well. You really never know what to expect when you go to the Grand Canyon. I think that every American should visit the Grand Canyon at least once because we are so lucky to have such a beautiful attraction in our own country. We will certainly be returning to the canyon in the future!

Don Herndon – Peoria, Illinois