Someone with more money than most has finally done it. They created a luxury train that connects a thriving metropolis like Denver with a beautiful resort like Glenwood Springs and a true blockbuster, the five desert National Parks in Utah. Last year, it was rolling under the name of her sister train in Canada, The Rocky Mountaineer, which still fit because Colorado anchors the southern end of the Rocky Mountains. Today, the same paint scheme and service under a new name, Canyon Spirit.
The train departs Denver and takes the identical route of the California Zephyr up the Moffat Route, through all 31 tunnels of the Tunnel District and then down through each of the exquisite canyons, finishing it off with the grand(e) dame, Glenwood Canyon before coming to a rest in Glenwood Springs. That's where the similarities to the Cal Z start to diverge. In Glenwood, you disembark for the night to stay there overnight. Dinner and a soak in the Springs? Possible. The train will be there the next morning to pick you up and take you the rest of the way to Moab, Utah and/or Salt Lake City. That is certainly a new way of doing things!
How you travel on the Canyon Spirit is up to you, but even the basic package is $1,735. This is well above the California Zephyr fare and more ambitious plans could run more than a private car rental, depending on where you go. Nevertheless, luxury and leisure, gastronomy and refined palates, you may have met your match with this train. Travis Ridgen, a youngish travel vlogger has made a detailed entry about this new experience.
If you are looking for a special date to commemorate or a landmark trip to take that is off the beaten path, Canyon Spirit is a capital idea that needs investing in, probably some saving up for. Some folks prefer to have a wide-open agenda and take things as they come, but if you'd rather let someone else do the planning once you've made your pick and then have every need catered to, this is your boarding call. All aboard! ⚒
PS: Speaking of special dates, today marks a very special date for me and my spouse. I'm very grateful for her support of this hobby all these years!
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