Great Places to Take your Grandchildren: The Grand Canyon Railway

Grand Canyon Railway provides a historic and fun journey to the canyon with the help of authentic western characters who bring the Old West to life. 

In my opinion, if you want to visit the Grand Canyon, this is only way to go. It is a very relaxing and enjoyable way to get to the Grand Canyon but more than that it is a wonderful experience for all ages. We traveled with our ten year grandson, who has always loved trains. He was very impressed with every aspect of the trip. We noticed a lot of other grandparents traveling with their grandchildren in tow. 

After a nice breakfast at the Grand Depot Cafe, we watched a comical wild west shootout just next to the depot and hotel.  We were introduced to characters that we met later during the train robbery.

The train departs from the depot in Williams at 9:30 AM and the 65 mile trip takes two hours and fifteen minutes. The journey to the Grand Canyon features a variety of different landscapes;  from the Ponderosa pine forest surrounding Williams, to a gentle drop in elevation down to the wide-open prairie before climbing back up to the Pinion pine forests as the Train approaches Grand Canyon National Park.  As we traveled we were told to keep our eyes out for elk, mountain lions, mule deer, squirrels, prairie dogs and even skunks.  We were lucky enough to see a condor while we were in the Grand Canyon and a herd of elk just outside of Williams.

We were in a first class car with facing seats and large picture windows. The PSA (hostess) in our car was very accommodating, knowledgeable as well as entertaining. Some of the jokes were well worn but over all in great fun.

There were local entertainers who came by to entertain us on both legs of the journey. They were very good and interacted with the passengers. The train was robbed on our way back.  The reaction of the children to the desperadoes was great to watch. All in all good fun.

We had approximately three and half hours to explore the Grand Canyon.  There are several ways to spend the time you have and we are going to cover them in our next weeks blog.

By traveling aboard Grand Canyon Railway you are not only part of history in the making, you are also doing your part to help preserve the pristine, incredible beauty of Grand Canyon National Park.

The Grand Canyon Railway & Hotel has many package that vary in number of night stays and classes of service. To learn more about the Grand Canyon Railway & Hotel and book your vacation getaway call Rawhide Travel and Tours at (602) 843-5100. Check out our website: rawhidetravel.com.

Presented By:
Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona  85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
rawhidetravel.com

Plan Your Next Vacation With Rawhide Travel and Tours

Rawhide Travel and Tours with combined total of “75 years of travel experience" provides amazing deals for your dream vacation with experienced, friendly travel experts.

Services offered include booking domestic and international air travel, hotel and resort reservations, car rental and cruises for individuals, corporate, group and incentive travel. Also tour packages of every type from a weekend getaway, to San Diego or Disneyland to involved and detailed vacations worldwide.

Plan your next great vacation with Rawhide Travel and Tours. Call today (602) 843-5100 or email us at flythis@rawhidetravel.com.

Presented By:
Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona  85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
rawhidetravel.com

In the News: What to Do When Bad Weather Affects Your Travel

With announce like this one: due to Hurricane Iselle, flights to and from Hawaii may experience disruptions, travels are wondering what is going to happen to their long planned vacations.  

Bad weather can wreak havoc on your travel plans.  It's hard to avoid total panic. But it doesn't have to be that way when your flight is grounded.

Here are some important things you need to know on your rights when bad weather strikes.

Airlines consider bad weather situations, including snow storms, hurricanes, fog conditions, etc. to be "force majeure" events or "acts of God," and are not the fault of the airlines. Therefore, when it comes to your rights when there's a cancellation, the one basic thing you are entitled to is a refund, nothing else (though airlines might offer some perks at its discretion).

And there are other potential problems. Even with a flight refund, travelers may not be fully reimbursed in these situations since they might have missed a cruise departure or tour (which may or may not be fully refundable), or they might need to pay for extended hotel nights and other travel expenses out of pocket.

Travelers might have to wait quite a while, depending on the severity of the storm, before being able to return home or reach their intended destination. It can take several days for all passengers to be rerouted. And although airlines often add more flights, it still takes time to relocate planes and flight crews.

Airlines have learned from the past and now preemptively cancel flights before storms hit. In theory, with the advance warning, fewer passengers will find themselves stuck at the airport than in the past. Though it might seem counterintuitive, you'll have better access to resources in the comfort of your home or hotel room than at the airport.

Airlines have historically waived change fees so that customers can rebook without penalty. Normally, you would have to pay a hefty fee (up to $150 for domestic and $250 for international flights) to alter your ticket. However, date restrictions will often apply, and every airline's waiver policy is slightly different in each circumstance.

While weather can disrupt your travel plans, here are some essential tips to minimize stress and allow you to take matters into your own hands:

Reconfirm Your Flight: Just because skies are clear at your departure airport doesn't mean your flight will be spared from cancellation. Because flights connect in many different cities, a storm in one location could cause a ripple effect throughout the system, affecting flights all over the U.S. and beyond. It's always best to reconfirm your flight before heading to the airport.

Sign up for Alerts: Most airlines offer alerts via email or text message, which can keep you informed of any changes to your itinerary. However, if a big storm is in the forecast, it's always a good idea to be proactive and contact your airline directly rather than waiting for it to contact you.

Pack Smartly: If do head to the airport, keep essential items including medications, cell phones and chargers, a change of clothes, and toiletries in your carry-on. You might not be able to access your checked baggage if you are stranded at the airport. It's also a good idea to pack some food, since options might be limited.

Try All Rebooking Avenues: If you need to rebook, there are a few things you can do: Wait in the customer service line (if at the airport), stay on the phone until you get through to an airline representative, get online and visit your airline's website, or use social media (some airlines will respond to direct messages on Twitter). You may want to try multiple options simultaneously. Note: Always program the phone numbers of all your travel providers into your cell phone before you depart for the airport.

Contact Your Travel Agent: Since wait times can be extensive, try contacting third-party providers, such as the travel agency you used to book your reservation.

Contact All Other Travel Providers: People often focus so much on their canceled flight that they forget their hotel, car, and other reservations will also be affected. Reach out to other travel providers as soon as possible. Many will bend policies in worst-case scenarios, allowing you to rebook or get a full or partial refund.

Get a Cash Refund: If your flight is canceled and you decide not to rebook within the waiver time frame, try to get a cash refund, as credits and vouchers for a later date might be hard to use due to hefty restrictions. If you purchased trip cancellation insurance (TCI), check your policy to see what kind of reimbursement you can get.

Look for a Hotel: If you wind up stranded, get online and look for hotels with last-minute availability. 

Be Polite and Ask for Help: While you're not entitled to receive things like food vouchers and other perks, it doesn't hurt to ask. Just remember to be polite and don't make any demands. Airline agents will likely be stressed as well, and they will be more like to help you if you treat them with respect.

Looking for that uniquely different vacation destination. Call Rawhide Travel and Tours today 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com. We can help!

Presented By:
Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona  85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
rawhidetravel.com

Off the Beaten Path: Peru

When you think of Peru, the first thing that will come to mind is probably the iconic city of Machu Picchu. But this fascinating country has so much more to explore. The beautiful coasts, rugged mountains, and Peru’s Amazon help to make up a diverse landscape that offers diverse and exciting adventures.

Culture and  History in Chiclayo
The romantic city of Chiclayo is a 10-hour bus ride north of Lima.  The museums here are full of fascinating information about the Incan empire and their predecessors: the Chiclayo. One of the many highlights is the Royal Tombs of Sipan Museum, which is one of the most famous museums in all of Peru. Its pyramid-like architecture reflects the former sanctuaries of the Moche culture.

Slightly smaller, but also worth a visit, is the nearby Bruning Museum. Here you’ll find impressive artifacts including metals, ceramics, and textiles, and also the “Gold Room”, which is full of the riches from the old empires. It’s great to explore the Inca monument, Huaca Rajada, where you can spend the whole day walking up and down ancient Incan trails. After your cultural and historical visits, wait for Chiclayo’s fishermen, who return from work during lunchtime and serve some of the best ceviche you’ll find in all of Peru.

Jungle Adventure in Iquitos
To complete your coast-to-mountain-to-jungle experience, you should definitely not miss a trip to the Peruvian Amazon.

Since you can only get there by plane, it is recommended that you choose the city of Iquitos (with a proper airport) as your first place to go. Iquitos is a large city in the middle of the vast jungle, and it’s hard to truly imagine it until you actually see it. Once you reach the city, prepare for an unforgettable journey. You can enjoy an exciting adventure along the river with a very knowledgeable guide.

The jungle is full of fascinating wild animals to watch, stunning flora and fauna, and you can even enjoy a stay in a small village full of nice people who are eager to share their ways of life with you.

Machu Picchu

Although very touristy Machu Picchu is a must see. Machu Picchu stands 1.5 miles above sea-level, in the middle of a tropical mountain forest, in an extraordinarily beautiful setting. It was probably the most amazing urban creation of the Inca Empire at its height; its giant walls, terraces and ramps seem as if they have been cut naturally in the continuous rock escarpments. The natural setting, on the eastern slopes of the Andes, encompasses the upper Amazon basin with its rich diversity of flora and fauna.

The Incas built the estate around 1450, but abandoned it a century later at the time of the Spanish Conquest. Although known locally, it was unknown to the outside world before being brought to international attention in 1911 by the American historian Hiram Bingham. Since then, Machu Picchu has become an important tourist attraction. Most of the outlying buildings have been reconstructed in order to give tourists a better idea of what the structures originally looked like.  By 1976, thirty percent of Machu Picchu had been restored.

In 1981 Peru declared an area of 125.84 sq miles surrounding Machu Picchu as a "Historical Sanctuary". In addition to the ruins, the sanctuary includes a large portion of the adjoining region, rich with the flora and fauna of the Peruvian Yungas and Central Andean wet puna ecoregions.

In 1983 UNESCO designated Machu Picchu a World Heritage Site, describing it as "an absolute masterpiece of architecture and a unique testimony to the Inca civilization".

The World Monuments Fund placed Machu Picchu on its 2008 Watch List of the 100 Most Endangered Sites in the world because of environmental degradation. This has resulted from the impact of tourism, uncontrolled development in the nearby town of Aguas Calientes, which included a poorly sited tram to ease visitor access, and the construction of a bridge across the Vilcanota River, which is likely to bring even more tourists to the site, in defiance of a court order and government protests against it.

Theories on the use of Machu Picchu vary widely but what every the use was it is fascinating to see.

Looking for that uniquely different vacation destination. Call Rawhide Travel and Tours today 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com. We can help!

Presented By:
Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona  85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
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Culinary Travel: Peru

Ica is a beautiful city located in the southern part of Peru, in the middle of a green valley surrounded by the desert. This wonderful city stands out thanks to its warm climate, gorgeous white sand dunes and to a mysterious lagoon, known by the locals as Huacachina. On this spot visitors may explore the surroundings of the lagoon or go for a ride with buggies out in the desert and practice one of the ultimate sports in our country “Sandboarding”. This city also has one of the best museums of our country, “The Regional Museum”, which displays stunning relics and mummies bundles from the various cultures that flourished in the south of Peru, including the Paracas, Nazca, Wari and Inca Culture. In addition, visitors may spend a great time at one of the traditional vineyards located in the countryside and learn how Peruvians prepare our delicious “Pisco Sour”.

Chupe de Camarones (made with crayfish) is widely popular among the Southern coastal region of Peru (originally from Arequipa) Although the original recipe calls for crayfish, shrimp chupe has become more widely eaten.

Chupe de Camarones (Shrimp Chowder)

Ingredients
3 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 large red onion, diced

5 cloves crushed garlic

2 tablespoons amarillo chile paste (or 2 tablespoons tomato puree mixed with 1 finely chopped red chile

2 cups seafood stock

2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped

2 tablespoons long-grain white rice

1 tablespoonfinely chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried), plus extra for garnish

1 large floury potato, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

1 ear ripe choclo or other corn, kernels removed from the cob

3 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined, heads and shells reserved for seafood stock

2/3 cup shelled green peas

7 tablespoons half-and-half

4 large eggs

4 ounces queso fresco or feta cheese, diced

4 large shell-on shrimp, cooked, for garnish

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Heat olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over low heat. Add onion and sauté 5 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and sauté additional minute. Add chile paste and sauté until oil and paste start to separate.

Add the seafood stock, tomatoes, rice and oregano. Bring to a boil and simmer about 5 minutes. Add potato cubes and choclo and simmer 20 minutes. (The starch released from the rice and potato should start to thicken the soup.)
Check soup to test that rice, potato, and choclo are cooked. Add the shrimp, peas and half-and-half and simmer 5 minutes more.

Meanwhile, poach eggs in a saucepan of simmering water or in an egg poacher.

Season soup with salt and pepper to taste and add cheese. Ladle into individual bowls and top each bowl with a freshly poached egg, a cooked shell-on shrimp, and a sprinkling of oregano, and serve immediately.

Let Rawhide Travel and Tours help you with all your reservation needs. Call us at (602) 843-5100 or visit our website: rawhidetravel.com.

Presented By:
Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona 85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
rawhidetravel.com

Great Places to Take the Grandchildren: Grand Canyon Railway Hotel

Experience the luxury of a bygone era at Grand Canyon Railway Hotel. Designed to resemble the century-old train depot that housed the original Fray Marcos Hotel, the hotel is a relaxing retreat in a picturesque Western setting. The 297-room hotel is just a block away from downtown Williams and historic Route 66. Combined with a variety of modern amenities such as complimentary wi-fi, an indoor pool and hot tub, delicious dining options at Grand Depot Cafe and Spenser’s Pub, and ideal location in The Gateway to the Grand Canyon®, the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel is the perfect place to stay before embarking on your grandest of journeys!

My husband and I, along with our ten year old grandson stayed at the Grand Canyon Hotel about a month ago. It not only met but exceed our expectation by far. Our room was a very attractive deluxe room with two queen beds. It was very comfortable and with all its amenities such as  a large flat screen TV,  mini-fridge and Keurig coffee maker, our stay was most enjoyable. Being self-employed we are always online so the complimentary wi-fi was a great benefit for us.

The other amenities the hotel has will make your visit a fun experience. There is a heated salt-water indoor pool so it can be enjoyed all year round. There is also a fitness center with state of the art equipment, a game room, outdoor playground, volleyball court, horseshoe pit and a basketball court.

We found the food to be first class at the Grand Depot Cafe. It is situated across from the hotel, the cafe serves breakfast, lunch and dinner for Grand Canyon Railway passengers and guests alike. The buffet-only restaurant features an expansive and fresh selection of traditional fare, as well as an evening carving station and pasta bar. The evenings feature live musical entertainment.  A model replica of the train circles the room to the delight of children of all ages.

If you prefer a cozier atmosphere, Spenser's Pub provides a wide selection of pub-style food and beverages. The pub is located in the hotel and is a perfect place for an evening of fun.

If you are in your RV they have a premier RV park. the park has three types of RV spaces that will help make for a relaxing home away from home. Select from pull-throughs, buddy spaces or back-ins. All spaces are 50-amp and large enough for big rigs. Each space comes with cable TV, wireless Internet, access to the indoor swimming pool and hot tub at the adjacent Grand Canyon Railway Hotel, new shower facilities and more. The property has coin-operated laundry machines, a common picnic area with gas grills and a fire pit, and is the only all-paved RV park in the Williams area.

Grand Canyon Railway also has state-of-the-art Pet Resort has 28 spacious rooms for dogs, and 16 comfortable custom-made condos for cats. 

The Grand Canyon Railway Hotel has many package that vary in number of night stays and levels of accommodations. To learn more about the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel and book your vacation getaway call Rawhide Travel and Tours at (602) 843-5100. Check out our website: rawhidetravel.com.

Presented By:
Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona  85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
rawhidetravel.com

Experience Full Service

Need to travel on business or leisure, Rawhide Travel and Tours will make it happen. We will arrange your flights, rail, hotel and car rentals. Let us assist you in planning your upcoming business trip. We're also available to help you plan that exciting vacation.

Want a small hotel or a luxury resort? Let Rawhide Travel and Tours customize the perfect spot just for you! We have many choices.  Let Us Help You Get Lost.

Call us at (602) 843-5100. Check out our website: rawhidetravel.com or email us at flythis@rawhidetravel.com.

Presented By:
Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona  85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
rawhidetravel.com