Day 2
The second day, Brossman supplied us with a fountain of knowledge of the Grand Canyon Railway, which opened in 1901, and the establishments that contribute to its history. We walked through the dilapidated building that was once the San Marcos Hotel, one of the original Harvey Houses of the Fred Harvey Company, imagining the encounters and experiences that might have gone on there some century ago. I pictured Harvey girls, well-mannered and well-groomed serving staff for the Harvey Company, bustling down the corridors in their modest maid-like uniforms.
There are two steam engines still in use for special occasions, which use waste vegetable oil as their source of fuel, leaving almost no carbon footprint. Sustainability plays a big part in the culture here, with solar voltaic panels on the rooftop of the Grand Depot Café and notices in the rooms encouraging guests to save water.
The rest of the trains, however, are diesel locomotives, and feature six classes of comfort that visitors can choose from on their trip, from coach to first class to luxury dome cars. On the way to the canyon, we stayed in luxury parlor class in a car called “The Chief,” originally built in 1947. Greeted by jovial staff, I entered what felt like a relaxing living room with golden, half-circle couches to lounge in during the picturesque journey through the Kaibab National Forest. Along with a plentiful supply coffee and pastries, country singers and musicians performed their way through the cars. The staff and entertainers on the train know how to connect with visitors, eliciting genuine laughs with their self-proclaimed “terrible jokes”—one guitarist cracking a face-palm joke about Willie Nelson being struck by a car while he was “on the road again.” Cue the embarrassing “I can’t believe I fell for that” laugh.
Upon finally arriving to the canyon, we took a moment to stand in awe of the massive expanse before us. I probably say this too often, but pictures simply cannot come close to doing it justice. There isn’t a camera lens wide enough to capture the enormity. When you witness the intricate details, layers and vibrant colors of the canyon for yourself, the term “grand” feels appropriate.
A quote on one of the displays in the Bright Angel Lodge History Room describes the sentiment perfectly: “No one can describe the Grand Canyon to you. It must be seen—not once, but many times. Only by frequent visits may a small portion of its ineffable loveliness be apprehended.”
After visiting landmark buildings like the Hopi House and Bright Angel Lodge, designed by the unutterably talented Mary E.J. Colter, we spent the evening at El Tovar Hotel, a historic beacon of class and sophistication for travelers of the canyon. Notable figures to have visited El Tovar include President Bill Clinton and Sir Paul McCartney, who apparently caused a bit of commotion during his visit, unknowingly keeping the guests up late with a bit of evening piano playing. As a big Beatles fan myself, I had to sit at the piano where Paul McCartney sat for just a few moments.
Dinner at El Tovar was a classy affair, complete with immaculately dressed servers and a wine list to rival the wine gods. Brossman, with his love of Arizona wines, ordered a bottle of Arizona Stronghold Mangus and Carlson Creek Chardonnay for the table, both superb. For my entrée, I opted for one of El Tovar’s signature dishes, a salmon tostada with tequila vinaigrette, corn salsa and roasted poblano black bean rice.
Dinner ended well into the evening, so when we stepped outside to return to our rooms at Maswik Lodge, the night sky was speckled with stars as though heaps of shimmering glitter had been thrown into space. It was the starriest sky I’d ever seen in my life. Sparkling diamonds in varying sizes dazzled the entire sky, and the foggy band of the Milky Way was clearly visible. I opened the Star Chart app on my phone, and we began mapping constellations and pointing out planets. Lack of light pollution: another northern Arizona perk.
