{"id":4042,"date":"2016-02-02T13:53:44","date_gmt":"2016-02-02T18:53:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/?p=4042"},"modified":"2016-03-12T00:37:21","modified_gmt":"2016-03-12T05:37:21","slug":"colorado-discoveries-47-royal-gorge-rr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/2016\/02\/colorado-discoveries-47-royal-gorge-rr.html","title":{"rendered":"Colorado Discoveries 47: The Royal Gorge Route Railroad"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_4056\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/2015-12-26-Royal-Gorge-Route-Family-Pic.jpeg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4056\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-4056\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/2015-12-26-Royal-Gorge-Route-Family-Pic-1024x712.jpeg\" alt=\"We got a nice photo of the family before boarding. I wish Dave's Dad was more visible.\" width=\"630\" height=\"438\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/2015-12-26-Royal-Gorge-Route-Family-Pic-1024x712.jpeg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/2015-12-26-Royal-Gorge-Route-Family-Pic-300x209.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4056\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">We got a nice photo of the family before boarding.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>As you might imagine, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/N-Scale-Juniata-Division-Model-Railroad-102014813202441\/?fref=ts\">being the wife of a train guy<\/a>, I&#8217;ve been on a lot of trains. From the Amtrak Auto Train to dozens of\u00a0tourist railroads, we&#8217;ve experienced rides that range from luxurious to <a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/2013\/10\/colorado-discoveries-15-georgetown-loop.html\">utilitarian<\/a>, with lengths from just <a href=\"http:\/\/www.strasburgrailroad.com\/train-schedule\/events\/day-out-with-thomas\/\">15 minutes<\/a> to <a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/2014\/08\/colorado-discoveries-38-durango-silverton-rr.html\">7\u00a0hours<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>We have been driving past the <a href=\"http:\/\/royalgorgeroute.com\/\">Royal Gorge Route Railroad<\/a> depot for the past couple years on our numerous day- and weekend-trips to Monarch Mountain. We kept telling ourselves &#8220;We need to check out that railroad.&#8221; but hadn&#8217;t gotten around to it for a while. The Royal Gorge takes a 20 mile route along the Arkansas River that one can only see via this train or whitewater raft (or the Royal Gorge pedestrian bridge at the park).<\/p>\n<p>In 2014 we tried to get tickets for a ride, but the Holiday Train route we were interested in was sold out. The boys are too old for the Santa Train that dominates the holiday season, and besides, it didn&#8217;t take the complete route. Dave would have wanted the complete route.<\/p>\n<p>Dave&#8217;s parents visited during Christmas week and we got tickets for everyone for a daytime Holiday Train for the day after Christmas. We got the tickets nice and early (around Veteran&#8217;s Day) and were very pleased with the number of options available to us. We choose to do a 12:30pm trip so that we could see the beautiful gorge.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>There are several levels to how one can experience a ride on the Royal Gorge:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Coach Class: There is comfortable seating and access to snacks, drinks, and bar service. $34-44 per person<\/li>\n<li>Club Level: These cars have table seating with full-service diner-type service for an addition cost. Snacks and bar beverage service is also available. $44-54 per person<\/li>\n<li>Vista Dome Level: These offer seating in special passenger cars that have windows that extend all the way into the roof. I highly recommend this way to see the spectacular scenery. Full service dining is available such as what Club Level has. $59-69 per person<\/li>\n<li>First Class: This is premium seating with a gourmet menu and wine pairings. There&#8217;s a minimum age (8) to participate in this level of service. $79-99 per person, with the cost of lunch being prepaid.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Based on some recommendations from friends and the travel agent on base (mostly that the pre-paid option wasn&#8217;t necessarily worth the cost), we opted to purchase Vista Dome tickets and order lunch through their <a href=\"http:\/\/royalgorgeroute.com\/grill-menu\/\">lunch menu<\/a> for a separate cost.<\/p>\n<p>It was a very chilly day, so we were grateful for the nice warm seating on the train car.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4045\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0423.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4045\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-4045\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0423-1024x678.jpg\" alt=\"We had diner-style seating on our Vista Dome car.\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0423-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0423-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4045\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">We had diner-style seating on our Vista Dome car.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_4044\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0422.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4044\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-4044\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0422-1024x678.jpg\" alt=\"We put the train fans on their own side of the aisle!\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0422-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0422-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4044\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">We put the train fans on their own side of the aisle!<\/p><\/div>\n<p>As soon as we boarded, we were able to order lunch and drinks.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4046\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0435.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4046\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-4046\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0435-1024x678.jpg\" alt=\"I got a salad for lunch. I wasn't the best food ever, but it wasn't bad at all.\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0435-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0435-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4046\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">I got a grilled chicken salad for lunch. I wasn&#8217;t the best food ever, but it wasn&#8217;t bad at all.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_4057\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0425.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4057\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-4057 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0425-1024x678.jpg\" alt=\"DSC_0425\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0425-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0425-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4057\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">I enjoyed a beer in one of their custom Santa Train pint glasses. I picked up one of these at the gift shop after the train ride.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Once we were on our way, we thoroughly enjoyed the views out our dome windows.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4047\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0447.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4047\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-4047 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0447-1024x678.jpg\" alt=\"DSC_0447\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0447-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0447-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4047\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">It only got more narrow from here&#8230;<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_4054\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0549.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4054\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-4054 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0549-1024x678.jpg\" alt=\"DSC_0549\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0549-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0549-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4054\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">I spent some time out on the open-air observation car to get some more-clear photos.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_4055\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0574.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4055\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-4055 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0574-1024x678.jpg\" alt=\"DSC_0574\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0574-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0574-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4055\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Note how narrow the canyon is here.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_4048\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0460.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4048\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-4048 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0460-1024x678.jpg\" alt=\"DSC_0460\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0460-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0460-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4048\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">This is terrain that&#8217;s tough to see via automobile. We found out there&#8217;s a hiking\/biking trail that parallels the route that our family will need to check out sometime.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0483.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-4050\" src=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0483-1024x678.jpg\" alt=\"DSC_0483\" width=\"630\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0483-1024x678.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DSC_0483-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I highly recommend the Royal Gorge Route Railroad for visitors to Colorado. It&#8217;s a gorgeous route, it isn&#8217;t nearly as lengthy as the <a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/2014\/08\/colorado-discoveries-38-durango-silverton-rr.html\">Durango &amp; Silverton<\/a> or <a href=\"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/2013\/09\/colorado-discoveries-10-cumbres-toltec-railroad.html\">Cumbres &amp; Toltec<\/a> (and therefore doesn&#8217;t have the same kinds of prices), and if you&#8217;re visiting Colorado Springs it isn&#8217;t that far a drive.<\/p>\n<p>The train runs year round, <a href=\"http:\/\/royalgorgeroute.com\/\">but be sure to check the website for the specific dates<\/a>. The Santa and Holiday trains are really pretty, but you can enjoy seeing the whitewater rafters if you take the trip during the warm season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As you might imagine, being the wife of a train guy, I&#8217;ve been on a lot of trains. From the Amtrak Auto Train to dozens of\u00a0tourist railroads, we&#8217;ve experienced rides that range from luxurious to utilitarian, with lengths from just 15 minutes to 7\u00a0hours. We have been driving past the Royal Gorge Route Railroad depot [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[1],"tags":[100,386,58,645,53],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5ycQ0-13c","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2516,"url":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/2013\/09\/colorado-discoveries-10-cumbres-toltec-railroad.html","url_meta":{"origin":4042,"position":0},"title":"Colorado Discoveries 10: Cumbres &#038; Toltec Railroad","date":"09 September 13","format":false,"excerpt":"For Dave's birthday, our family took an overnight trip to the quiet town of Antonito, Colorado for a trip on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad.","rel":"","context":"In \"colorado\"","img":{"alt_text":"The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad takes you through otherwise-uninhabited parts of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/DSC_3841-1024x678.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3304,"url":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/2014\/08\/colorado-discoveries-drive-to-durango.html","url_meta":{"origin":4042,"position":1},"title":"Colorado Discoveries 37: Driving from Colorado Springs to Durango","date":"30 August 14","format":false,"excerpt":"I guess it's high time I start writing about our family's southwest summer vacation. After all, we left for the vacation exactly two months ago. As usual with my lapses in writing, real life started to get in the way. I really truly want to write about these adventures while\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","img":{"alt_text":"DSC_1326","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/DSC_1326-1024x678.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2895,"url":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/2014\/01\/colorado-discoveries-26-colorado-railroad-museum-ii.html","url_meta":{"origin":4042,"position":2},"title":"Colorado Discoveries 26: Colorado Railroad Museum II","date":"03 January 14","format":false,"excerpt":"Last weekend while Dave's parents were visiting we took a road trip up to Golden to visit the Colorado Railroad Museum. I had written about our August 2010 trip before, and there wasn't much different on this trip (at least from my point of view). The boys rode on the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"colorado\"","img":{"alt_text":"Denver & Rio Grande Western No. 318, which has run for railroads all over Colorado in its 100+ year lifetime.  Read more about it here: http:\/\/coloradorailroadmuseum.org\/museum-home\/locomotives\/","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/DSC_0078-1024x678.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2491,"url":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/2013\/08\/colorado-discoveries-9-cripple-creek.html","url_meta":{"origin":4042,"position":3},"title":"Colorado Discoveries 9: Cripple Creek","date":"11 August 13","format":false,"excerpt":"A drive to Cripple Creek, CO.","rel":"","context":"In \"colorado\"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/IMG_7230.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2656,"url":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/2013\/10\/colorado-discoveries-15-georgetown-loop.html","url_meta":{"origin":4042,"position":4},"title":"Colorado Discoveries 15: The Georgetown Loop Railroad","date":"12 October 13","format":false,"excerpt":"A couple weekends ago our family took a trip up towards Denver to visit the Georgetown Loop Railroad. It was a beautiful early autumn day. I was hoping we'd see brighter aspen, but we were a couple weeks early for that. The Georgetown Loop Railroad is a remnant of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/523534_10151708813178865_350151304_n.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3315,"url":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/2014\/08\/colorado-discoveries-38-durango-silverton-rr.html","url_meta":{"origin":4042,"position":5},"title":"Colorado Discoveries 38: The Durango &#038; Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad","date":"30 August 14","format":false,"excerpt":"Dave had been telling me about the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad for many years. Okay, perhaps over 20 years. It was the highlight of a Colorado trip he had taken as a teenager, and he was excited for a chance to share the experience with the boys and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"colorado\"","img":{"alt_text":"DSC_1487","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/DSC_1487-1024x678.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4042"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4042"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4042\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4063,"href":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4042\/revisions\/4063"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4042"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4042"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4042"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}