Williams, AZ - Shootout Shots #5

It appears that our little guy is somewhat sad at the passing of their companion...

Williams, AZ - Shootout Shots #4

Here is our heroine again, the first to die:

Williams, AZ - Shootout Shots #3

There was only one female among the actors, but she was just as tough as the rest of them.

Naturally I focused on the revolvers they used, some of which appeared to be Rugers:

Williams, AZ - Shootout Shots #2

Of course you can't have a shootout without someone shooting out, and they had a half-dozen or so actors to fill those roles.  This little guy caught my eye right away, being a midget, which I think added to the authenticity of the performance, as surely they had midgets in the Old West.  He was a key player, appeared to enjoy what he was doing, and we thought did a good job.

Williams, AZ - Shootout Shots #1

The idea behind going to Williams is that you spend the night in the hotel at the train stop, then board early the next day.  This we did, but about a half hour before boarding they performed a 15-minute Old West shootout, complete with fake storefronts.  I made sure to sit at the top of the spectators' bleachers so that the Bigger Cahoona could get to work.

One thing I noticed right away was that the windows opened up to the parking lot beyond, showing cars, pedestrians, etc.  This takes a lot from the immersive experience, and I'm considering making a layer of some western scenes from the Canyon, placing them behind the storefronts, then sending this pic, modified thus, to them as an encouragement to at least place something to look at besides automobiles.  We'll see whether I actually get around to doing that and, if so, whether they'll even take a look at a pic sent from the thousands of tourists that email them every year...

Grand Canyon - Getting There

Since we were at our daughter's for a good two months, and since the parents of our new grandchild needed time to themselves, a couple of side trips were planned.  Our first was to Sedona, which has already been posted here.  The no-brainer choice for another excursion was the Grand Canyon for a longer stay of four nights and five days.  How could we not do that?  But first we had to GET THERE.  Since I didn't relish the prospect of driving and the potential of running into overcrowding on the road, we first drove to Williams, AZ, then hopped on the train you see above.  Williams acts as a sort of "Park & Ride" for those seeking an alternate way into the park, with a bonus of entertainment on the way.

While there wasn't much to see outside during the ride - mostly just high desert scrubland - each car had a guide of sorts that kept us informed of what we were looking at, and the history of various sites along the way.  Then a guy with a guitar was moving from car to car, picking and singing old cowboy songs.  It really was a nice alternative to driving.

We reversed course on the way back from the Canyon, this time springing for one of the bi-level super luxury cars with windows on top for better views.  We were very disappointed, however, because alcohol was served and flowed freely; they were treating the ride as a big party with whooping, hollering, etc.  Since we're not drinkers, and are averse to whooping and hollering in public, we retreated downstairs, which was decked out as a quiet lounge with big, soft couches.  This was a great reprieve from the party going on upstairs, and as a bonus the train conductor also used this as his mid-trip lounge, and we learned a lot from him regarding the history and ownership of the train itself.  He broke away to park our ride, and when it stopped at the hotel we spent the night before driving back to Chandler the next day.

So this is how we traveled to and from the Grand Canyon.  As for our time there, these posts will be divided based on where we went and what we did.

Chandler Neighborhood Shots - Sunset Endcap

This sunset pic might be an apt way to conclude the posts from our walks in the neighborhood around our daughter's house in Chandler, AZ.  Lots of beauty and interest to be found even in the city.  Next stop: the GRAND CANYON!

Chandler Neighborhood Shots - Succulent with Glowing Edges

The pattern here is what caught my eye, as I thought it might look good in Glowing Edges:

Chandler Neighborhood Shots - Cat in Window

Published a cat-in-window picture from the recent cruise we took in New England.  They make pretty good subjects, but this one is a step up due to the serene atmosphere created by the furniture and foliage outside.

Chandler Neighborhood Shots - Work Truck

This truck, just down the street from Allison and DeQuan, was loaded up like this every night for the next day's work with various items, always piled high.  Gotta hand it to 'em...