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Arches National Park. |
It’s Not Just a Vacation.
It’s an ADVENTURE
> The Colorado Railcar Plant Tour
> About the Rooms
Have you ever lain in bed late at night and heard the lonesome whistle of a distant train? I hope so—because that means you know how haunting that sound is. It can ignite your imagination. It can cradle you to sleep.
Close your eyes for a moment and hear it in your mind. Notice the feelings it evokes...like nostalgia and longing, adventure and familiarity all rolled into one. That richness gives train travel something extra, something no other form of travel can quite match: a romantic mystique. It’s not just about the destination, it’s about the getting there. And when someone else does the driving, what’s not to love?
In this case, GrandLuxe Rail Journeys is doing the driving. Determined to keep the Gilded Age of Rail alive, their fully restored vintage train—along with its posh décor, white linen dining and crack service staff—transports around 150 passengers into some of the most ravishing landscapes in North America. You know the kind of places I’m talking about. They taunt you in full, glorious color from the pages of expensive coffee table books. We’re told that many of these magnificent spaces aren’t seen by human eyes for weeks or months at a time—except for the eyes on this train.
GrandLuxe takes us on a tour of technicolor postcard moments, one on top of another. We travel past mango-colored canyons; under moonlit skies saturated with stars; alongside twisty, glittery rivers slicing through stepped gorges. It’s irresistible to stand in one of the open areas between the cars and poke my head out for a look. Here I get the full impact of the train’s impressive length—about a third of a mile—as I see its nether regions unwind from around a rocky mountainside, set against a backdrop of shimmering golden aspen, cobalt blue sky and lavender-hued mountains. Without a doubt, this is the way to see America the beautiful.
Motorcoaches take you in for a closer look throughout the trip. Multiple excursion options are available. Pick up the Napa Valley Wine Train, which ambles through the manicured vineyards of California wine country, and serves up a swanky lunch and wine tasting. Tour Domaine Chandon’s gorgeous property and sample sparkling wines al fresco in the charming, shaded grotto. Explore Salt Lake City’s immaculate downtown, or artist-friendly Park City, host to numerous Sundance events. Fill your eyes with the rich coral reds and otherworldly wind-and-water-carved rock formations of Canyonlands and Arches national parks.
The Colorado Railcar Plant Tour
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Canyonlands National Park. |
If this tour is available on your departure, find a way to attend. Available only on select departures of this itinerary, the tour is a popular favorite. Travel Manager Sandy Snyder, of the Pembroke Pines branch of Auto Club South, attended the tour and was beyond impressed. As she described, “It is amazing to see this 100,000-square-foot structure that houses everything going into building and refurbishing these beautiful cars! Everything is done at this plant, and everything is manufactured in the U.S.
“The cars start out in a type of scaffolding where the body is built. The top is made in a different area. When the two parts are ready to be joined, they wheel them together, put the top on using a crane, and weld them. Then they are moved to the next area of specialized workmanship.
“Each step is a process handled with the greatest care and quality assurance. Everything is done on site, with some of the interior work subcontracted locally. It takes between nine months to a year to produce each car; they complete about 20 cars per year.
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The Colorado Railcar Manufacturing Plant, where GrandLuxe’s vintage cars
are refurbished. Photo by Colorado Railcar Manufacturing Plant |
“The plant has 200 employees, all specialists in their trade (engineer, electrician, welder, cabinetry, upholstery, etc.). The business is growing at such a degree that they soon expect to produce 50 cars per year.
“The most expensive car was purchased by the Florida DOT, South Florida Regional Transit Authority operating between West Palm Beach and Miami. At $4.5 million, the doubledecker train—with four engines underneath and a crew of two—is fuel efficient and runs cleaner. On a route from West Palm to Miami, it will save 600,000 gallons of fuel per day. South Florida will have a total of six cars, four of which are running today.
“They use only the finest materials, such as Core 10 Steel—it doesn’t rust, due to high copper content. This is the kind of steel used to make cruise ships and bridges.”
Concluded Sandy, “The tour is a must see.”
To be sure, this kind of travel will challenge you. It is no small feat to shower in a tight steel space while you see the tracks hurtling by through the drain between your feet. And during happy hours in the Seattle Club Car, you’ll need to be quick to take a seat with your wine or—OOF!—the train might find one for you. As for the rollicking potty breaks at 50 mph...I’ll spare you the details. (Just remember that elastic and Velcro are your friends.) The good news? That third of a mile distance you traverse multiple times throughout the week makes it possible to enjoy the gourmet dining without worry. It’s a built-in calorie burner, and hallelujah and amen for that—because the gourmet meals are in a dead heat with the wondrous scenery for favorite aspect of this trip.
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Fine dining is a nightly event onboard. |
A few words about the dining experience. The Zurich and Chicago dining cars are softly lit and elegantly decorated—dark woods, gleaming brass, rich textured brocades. Yet the vibe is relaxed: some dress for dinner, some don’t. Seating is open—yet singles seldom, if ever, dine alone because of the easy camaraderie. Petite lamps accent white-linen-topped tables, complementing the deep blue- and gold-rimmed signature china. Portions are modest, enabling you to enjoy every course without getting overfull. The food is delicious and creative, the presentation artful, and the service skilled and responsive. House wines are complimentary, nothing is rushed, and dinner always feels—and tastes—like an event.
Which is only fitting. This sort of vacation is in itself an event, and one that will become a part of you. You’ll meet all kinds of people on this trip...retirees, CEOs, creatives, the incurably curious, the incurably young. This experience draws people together and helps everybody take a step or two out of their comfort zone...because they know they’ll be safe. And maybe that is the best thing of all.
The size and layout of the rooms make use of every inch of available space, much in the mode of yacht decor. All come with a toilet and sink (some have a shower); convertible storage spaces; a shallow closet; and seating that transforms into a bed with additional storage underneath. If you stay in one of the larger rooms with a plusher bathroom, which is closer in spirit to a hotel bathroom, your bathing ritual will be easier, but you’ll miss out on the unique charm of the drainless metal sink that smoothly clips back into the wall after use and handily drains its contents. That sink was quite the object of interest.
Some might have trouble sleeping when the train is in motion due to intermittent track noise. A white noise unit or recording can help with this. And a final “heads up”: bring a hairdryer.
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