Eating and drinking to and from the Grand Canyon

[Cattusbabe]

DH and I are taking a train trip in May starting in Philly and ending up in the Grand Canyon and then back with several over nights on the train. We will have stops in Wash DC, Chicago, Kansas City Mo., Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Williams, Flagstaff, Sedona.

I have to say we were inspired by some of you folks who were kind enough to post your experiences riding the rails.
Any must see and/or must eat at places we should try in any of the cities listed that you care to share? KC was put on our list of stops only because we are going to eat at a rib joint there. We luv us some Barbecue. I guess we should call this the chow hound express since tasting the local fare is one of the points of this trip.

Oh, how could I forget, any information about what is good beer wise would be a plus.

 

[Rustic23]

We took one rail trip, it was 35 years ago. From Ft Worth Tx, to Houston Tx. It was the worst trip we ever took! A trip that would have been a 4 hr bus trip, turned into a 9 hr train trip. The train was pulled to sidings for all freight! We vowed never to travel the U.S. by train again. Good Luck!

 

[calmloki]

Just checked: Amtrak - Station Search Results

I didn't remember a train in Santa Fe, though i see there is now a tourist ride spur line that will get you there - Amtrak will get you to Lamy, which is a dirt crossroad in the middle of nowhere - never understood why you could take the train to somewhere no-one wanted to go - Lamy - rather than Santa Fe. Darn nice high desert area though - i miss NM. The Grand Canyon section sounds great as well - should be a killer trip!

The Santa Fe spur - looks fun too!
http://www.sfsr.com/

 

[jambo101]

If these overnight stops are 8 hours or more you should send an email to the local tourist bureau and get them to send you some info. Walking around an unfamiliar big city at night doesnt sound like fun to me, does the train have any evening event organizers?

 

[OAG]

The foregoing responses is why I refuse to Fly, Bus, or Train, around the USA. If I can't drive there, forget it (exception is Hawaii). Driving you can decide when and where to stop, eat cheap, and come and go when you want to. Can't do that with the other modes of transportation.

 

[Cattusbabe]

The both of us are very much aware of the upsides and downsides of train travel. But heck we are FIRED so we are not punching a clock and can keep it loose. We are really not worried about delays.

My husband used to live in NM so we were also aware of the stop in Lamy. No biggie, just part of the adventure.

No, the train part we've got. What I am interested in is anyone who has visited or lives in any of the cities listed above. What is good, what to avoid. The the Chambers of Commerce and travel bureau always paint a rosy picture. We're looking for the straight dope.

 

[mh]

as a tivia note..
here'a song the california guitar trio wrote about lamy station..

YouTube - California Guitar Trio

Just checked: Amtrak - Station Search Results

I didn't remember a train in Santa Fe, though i see there is now a tourist ride spur line that will get you there - Amtrak will get you to Lamy, which is a dirt crossroad in the middle of nowhere - never understood why you could take the train to somewhere no-one wanted to go - Lamy - rather than Santa Fe. Darn nice high desert area though - i miss NM. The Grand Canyon section sounds great as well - should be a killer trip!

The Santa Fe spur - looks fun too!
Santa Fe Southern Railway