My Bucket List is Getting Shorter

My Grand Canyon bucket-list experience did not disappoint. Last week we rode the Grand Canyon Railway from Williams, Arizona to the Grand Canyon, accompanied by Cray's longtime friend, Susie, and her wife, Mischa. In a fortunate stroke of serendipity, my Iowa friend, Corey, and his traveling buddy, Robert, were on the same train. There was a staged shootout and the cowboys selected Robert to be in their show. I'm certain they chose him because he was wearing shorts and carrying a backpack, which the cowboys referred to as his underwear and purse. Robert was such a good sport!

 Corey and Robert are traveling the southwest and     dreaming about moving here.

We booked a luxury train trip and traveled like rail baronesses in a plush parlor car complete with a private bar, entertainment, snacks and an observation dome. We were able to step out onto the rear platform and see the tracks disappearing behind us. 

Outlaw cowboys riding alongside the train on the way back. 

                       A photo of me getting robbed.

A toast made with a glass of delicious sparkling apple cider (or free champagne for the drinkers). 

Susie and Mischa own a lovely mountain cabin in Munds Park (close to Flagstaff) where we all went glamping for a few days along with Mischa's sweet mother, Janet. All three women are lawyers and are smart, witty, and gracious hosts, plus they have Chuck. 

                                            Chuck.

                            Janet, Susie, and Mischa.

 I wasn't thrilled about the snow, but Ruby jumped right in.

Chuck is a senior Havanese with a delightful under bite. Ruby and Chuck quickly resembled an old married couple and basically ignored each other. Cray and I fell in love with Chuck.

Visiting Winslow, Arizona was on my must-do list. We listened to the Eagles sing Take it Easy and drove route 66 into town. 

                                Kissing on the corner...

We also explored Winslow's historic La Posada Hotel. Designed by a famous female architect, Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter, La Posada Hotel was commissioned by Fred Harvey in the 1920's (we saw Colter's famous buildings at the Grand Canyon as well). La Posada Hotel was saved from demolition in the 90's by a rich sculptor, Allen Affeldt, and his renown artist wife, Tina Mion. They filled the historical hotel with Tina's original art. 

A very long list of famous people stayed at the hotel in it's heyday including, Emilia Earhart, Albert Einstein, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Betty Gable, and John Wayne. I would love to spend a few days in this art-filled- museum myself.

                                          

On Sunday we ate brunch at the iconic Toasted Owl restaurant in Flagstaff. Afterwards, we walked around the historic Flagstaff district and Janet bought fudge for us to eat later that night at the cabin (a woman after my own heart).

 Reportedly, the most haunted hotel in Flagstaff, but it didn't scare me.