Royal Gorge Route Railroad

It seems that I have always lived near train tracks.  So it's not surprising that one of my bucket list dreams has always been to ride a train.  How great would it be to sit back and relax as it takes you to your destination through amazing towns, beautiful scenery, and great company?

So I was super excited to find that one of the biggest and most unique destinations of Canon City is the Royal Gorge Route Railroad and train.  This grand Colorado train takes guests on an epic and culinary adventure along the tumbling waters of the legendary Arkansas River deep within the granite cliffs of the Royal Gorge on a 20-mile round-trip train adventure.

Recently our family came to visit and we decided to ride the train.  It was a fun experience that the younger kids are still talking about with stars in their eyes.

The train runs from March through December every year.  There are several classes of service and ways to enjoy the train.  We bought seats in Coach service, but spent the entire time out in the open air car enjoying the scenery.

There was so much to see and enjoy that we were amazed.  The train had wonderful guides walking through the cars telling about the history of the area, pointing out interesting sites, and answering any questions we had.

We got to see several clusters of big horn sheep as we cruised through their mountain home.  The Arkansas River was beautiful and the kids loved looking for fish and other wildlife.

The train takes you through the Royal Gorge where you can look up and see the Royal Gorge Bridge.  It is one of the only structures left standing after the fire destroyed most of the park in the summer of 2013.  I know that with my fear of heights, this will be as close as I get to the bridge.

We had several kids ranging in age from 6 months to 17 years, and they all enjoyed the two hours aboard the train.  One of the services offered by the train is family pictures as you arrive to board.  Normally I wouldn't have purchased one of these, as they are pretty over priced, but with the large group we had and the amount of fun we experienced, we did purchase the picture and the memories.

Dear Hubby and I definitely would like to try the Murder Mystery Train where you can discover “who dunnit” during one of several western-themed murder mystery dinner performances throughout the summer.  It will have to be something we budget for or use as a special occasion as the trips are a bit expensive.

Despite the expense, I would definitely recommend the Royal Gorge Route Railroad as a fun family experience you need to try before you leave Canon City and the Florence area.