All aboard! Louanne Warren, a long time Maupin Travel Advisor, recently journeyed out West to experience the beauty of our National Parks and the Rocky Mountaineer train from Moab to Denver. She is back and ready to share the highlights!
Louanne arrived in Moab a day early to explore with Adrift Adventures. She took a full day jeep tour of Arches National Park (more incredible arches than you can imagine) and Canyonlands.
Her small group went off the beaten path with their knowledgeable guide seeing petroglyphs, fossils and arches that can be only seen in the back country. They visited the locations where famous movies were filmed (Mission Impossible and Thelma Louise ring a bell?) and came upon a family of Desert Big Horn Sheep and Pronghorn Antelope (reminiscent of her time in Africa).
The following day she boarded the train! Rocky Mountaineer started their US service in July 2021, which has been very successful and is filling up quickly for 2022! The route offers luxury Silver Leaf Service with big beautiful dome cars with wonderful views and an open platform for viewing and fresh air at the rear of each passenger car. A staff of 3 attendants and several managers attend to your needs and offer seat side service throughout the journey.
At the time of Louanne’s trip, passengers were required to wear a mask when in the car except when eating or drinking.
On board the seating was roomy and comfortable. The service by the staff was top notch, continually offering food and beverages throughout the trip.
The first leg of the trip was to Glenwood Springs. On the way they passed the La Sal mountains (the highest peak is 12,726 feet), red sandstone cliffs, the first vineyards of Colorado which were planted in
1890, and Mount Garfield which is 6,765 feet and named after James
Garfield, the 20th President of the US.
They overnighted in Glenwood Springs, a town famous for world class hot springs (make sure you take a dip, these are some of the largest in the world). What once began as a wild west town (with famous visitors such as Buffalo Bill, Al Capone and Gunslinger (first a dentist) Doc Holiday) is now recognized as a wellness destination. There are ski resorts nearby and a variety of activities to suit a mix of travelers.
The next day they boarded the train and journeyed past Burns, Gore and Byers Canyons, climbing up the curvy tracks and still following the Colorado River. They passed Winter Park where skiing began in 1940.
Eventually they reached the Continental Divide which separates the
watersheds where water flows to the Atlantic and towards the canyons down to the Pacific. And later that day arrived in the “Mile High City” of Denver, in the heart of the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
The incredible scenery, top notch education and service, really made this the trip of a lifetime.
There are many pre and post train packages that can be added and customized to fit your specific travel needs. Let us know if we can get you on Rocky Mountaineer for 2022!
