All Things Travel Podcast

All Aboard Canyon Spirit: A Luxury Train Journey Through the American Southwest

Ryan Hedstrom & Julie Shaffer Season 1 Episode 329

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 26:07

From the National Parks to the Rails
Picking up where last week left off, Ryan and his family leave Moab, Utah on the 4th of July — and board the Canyon Spirit for what he calls the crown jewel of the entire trip. If you've ever seen those glass-domed luxury trains in a magazine or travel commercial and wondered what it's actually like, this episode answers that question in detail.

What Is Canyon Spirit, and What's Included?
Canyon Spirit grew out of Rocky Mountaineer — the famous Canadian Rockies train experience — and operates its own route through the American Southwest between Salt Lake City and Denver. Guests can book two days, three days, or a full six-day back-and-forth journey, mixing and matching their itinerary as they go. Nearly everything is included: all meals on board, unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks throughout the day, hotel nights before and after each leg, baggage handling, and all transfers between train and hotel. Coffee comes from a Denver roastery, desserts from a local bakery, and wines and beers are sourced from Utah and Colorado — a regional focus that will feel familiar to river cruise fans.

What's It Like On Board?
Think first-class airline seats, panoramic wall windows, angled ceiling panels for sky views, and a dedicated host team for each car who handle everything from drinks to destination commentary. Ryan's group lucked into an overflow car with just 13 passengers, giving them the run of the space — but even at capacity, the cars are designed to be comfortable. Guests can step out to the open vestibule for fresh air and unobstructed views. A signature (standard) and premium level are available; the main premium upgrade is a lounge car, a bar, and a larger outdoor viewing area.

Day One: Moab to Glenwood Springs
Picked up by shuttle from the Hoodoo Hotel, Ryan's group boarded around 11 AM, settled in, toasted their hosts, and sat down to a plated lunch as the red rocks of Utah gradually gave way to the Rockies. Five hours later, they pulled into Glenwood Springs — a charming Colorado River town that happened to be buzzing with 4th of July festivities. Evening was relaxed: a walk around town and, naturally, ice cream.

Day Two: Glenwood Springs to Denver
Boarding again at 9 AM from a beautifully restored historic train station, day two was all Rockies and Colorado River. Fishermen, rafters, rushing rapids, the occasional Colorado salute from river floaters — and then Gore Canyon, which Ryan called jaw-droppingly beautiful. After lunch, one tunnel later, Denver appeared stretched across the plains below, and the train snaked its way down over the next hour. Their hotel — the Limelight — was literally next door to Union Station. Bags already there. Dinner out. Perfect end to the trip.

Who Is This Trip Right For?
Ryan's picks: nature lovers, multi-generational families, anyone with mobility considerations, and river cruise fans who want something similar on land. It's not for people who want to be active at every stop — this is a see-it-from-the-window, glass-in-hand kind of journey. His pro tips: build in time before the train to adjust to time zones and altitude, and save the train for last. Do the active stuff first, then finish with the most relaxing leg of the trip.

What Would He Add Next Time?
A few extra days in Colorado, or doing the full Salt Lake City leg to catch the scenery in fall foliage. And yes, the Canadian Rockies version — Rocky Mountaineer — is very much on the list.

Where in the World? 🗺️
Ryan spotlights a family of four heading to Peru on an Adventures by Disney itinerary — Machu Picchu, river rafting, llamas, alpacas, Andean music, and traditional weaving demonstrations across eight nights and three different regions of the country. A special shoutout: they're listeners who connected with Ryan on a previous ABD trip to Italy.

Next week: castles around the world, Disney style. Plan your own adventure at wonderandbeyondtravel.com.

Support the show

Love the podcast? Help us continue to create great travel content by supporting the show. You can do that here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1197029/supporters/new


Ready to plan your vacation?  Most families are confused and overwhelmed when planning a vacation. We work with you to plan a trip perfect for your family. Saving you time, money, and stress! 

Visit our website www.allthingstravelpodcast.com and click on "Plan Your Next Vacation"

Join the travel conversations and the fun in our Facebook Page and Instagram Page!

  • Please share the show with your travel buddies!!  Click this link and share the show!
  • Never miss an episode and help us take you to the top with us by following and leaving a 5-Star review on your favorite podcasting app!
Julie

All right. Hello, and welcome to All Things Travel. Last week we shared the first few days of Ryan's trip to the US national parks, and today we're excited to share the second part of his trip on board with Canyon Spirit. If you've ever considered traveling in those trains you see in magazines or commercials with the glass dome top and beautiful scenery, this episode is for you

Ryan

Listen in with travel advisors Ryan and Julie. I'm your travel professor teaching you everything you need to know to have a magical vacation, and she's a Disney-loving Maryland mom of three and a specialist in family travel. And together, we're the co-owners of Wonder and Beyond Travel. Whether we're discussing incredible destinations, top vacation tips, or sharing personal stories, it's always all things travel

Julie

All right, we have talked so much about your trip, leading up to this, little small previews, and then obviously last week's episode all about the first half the trip. So I'm so excited to move on and hear about Canyon Spirit, because this is such a big draw of doing a trip like this. And I think, like I said, you see these commercials, you see these images of these luxury trains, and you're like, "Wow, that looks incredible." So I'm excited to really dive into it

Ryan

first of all, if you did not listen to last week's episode, that would be a great place to start. But just to kinda orient people to where in the world I am on this trip, we've spent time in Las Vegas, we've spent time on a Mighty Five National Parks tour, and now we are in Moab for our third day in Moab, and ready to board the train. And this was all booked with Canyon Spirit, and now the train portion begins, and this was the reason, that we are really at this vacation and at this spot. It's 4th of July, we're ready to board the train and have a true American experience

Julie

So let's start with just kind of talking about Canyon Spirit as a company and what they offer for guests, and then let's get into, your actual days on board and what you saw, and experienced. what made you choose Canyon Spirit? We talked about this a little bit, on the last episode, but let's recap that

Ryan

So most people, if you've paid attention to travel, at some point you've seen the glass-domed trains that are traveling through the Canadian Rockies, and that is a company called Rocky Mountaineer, and they are very famous, for their level of service, for their immersive vacations. And so they bought a train line in the Southwest, in Utah and Colorado, and started running it as a Rocky Mountaineer line there. And through reorganization of the company, it's become its own company partnered with Rocky Mountaineer called Canyon Spirit. And really what drew me to it was I wanted to have this train experience with my family. I wanted to have this train experience as a travel advisor, because I, I do get people who are interested in the Canadian version, that the Southwest, um, portion would be accessible to more people. and I loved the fact that I could partner national park visits with that.

Julie

Yeah. that sounds like that makes a lot of sense. So when you book with Canyon, Canyon Spirit, what is included in your package? Is it like an all-inclusive thing? Are there a lot of add-ons?

Ryan

well, there's not a lot of add-ons, but really the type of trip that you book really determines what you do. So you can do a train only,

Julie

Okay

Ryan

you don't have any pre or post hotel nights. You just have the hotel night included that's part of the train trip. you can do a three-night train trip, which is Salt Lake City to Moab, Utah to Glenwood Springs, Colorado to Denver. You can

Julie

Okay

Ryan

trip back again, doing a six-day trip, or you can do what we did, which was the two-day trip from Moab, Utah to Glenwood Springs, and then Glenwood Springs to Denver So amongst all of those different tours, you have most things are included. So for instance, the night before the train ride and the night after the train ride are included. The nights during the train rides are included. And you're not sleeping on the train, you're staying in

Julie

Okay

Ryan

based on the level that you booked, and later on in the show I'll talk about the different levels of service.

Julie

Okay

Ryan

while you're on the train is included, so that is two out of three meals a day is included, depending on when you're leaving and when you're arriving. All of your drinks are included, so, you have access to alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks all throughout the day. So if you want a mimosa with your breakfast, if you want a beer in the afternoon, if you want a glass of wine with your dinner, that's all included. and then, you have hosts on board, both a culinary host and serving hosts, and those folks are also giving you commentary throughout the trip. In fact, it was kinda funny 'cause our host would be like, "What mile marker are we on?" And so we'd shout it out, and she'd be, "Okay, when we get to mile marker this, let me know 'cause I've got something to tell you." and then, your transfers from your train to your hotel and vice versa are included, and also your baggage handling. So for instance, we left our baggage in our hotel rooms in the morning, and they were in our hotel room that night, waiting for us.

Julie

Wow

Ryan

included, in this package, really regardless of what you book. So it's

Julie

Wow

Ryan

of all-inclusiveness.

Julie

That's impressive. So what type of traveler would you say that this trip is best for? Because, you know, it looks really appealing, it looks really beautiful, but who does it work best for?

Ryan

It works best, I wrote down a couple. I think somebody that wants to see nature and We saw a lot of wildlife, but really landscape nature.

Julie

Okay

Ryan

who has mobility issues, where really they wanna see things but not have to get up and move around, I think this works really well for. They were very good at getting people on and off the trains regardless of their mobility style. I think people who enjoy a vacation like river cruising, this

Julie

Mm-hmm.

Ryan

fits well. it's got the same type of pacing. obviously people who love trains and that sort of travel, you can geek out about the train as much as you want. And then I think also multi-generational families, this would be really cool. I mean, I went with my parents, but I'm

Julie

Mm-hmm.

Ryan

a, an adult. But I think, taking multiple generations would be a really cool way to see this

Julie

Yeah, and I think when you talk about doing it with multi-generations, I think the way that that really appeals is because you can add on so many different things pre and post to, accommodate each family of that trip. So-

Ryan

will say then thinking about who is this not right for,

Julie

Mm-hmm.

Ryan

you're not very active. Now you can get up and move around, but you're not getting off on different stops and seeing things. I mean, it's a get on, get off at the end of the day kinda thing.

Julie

Got it

Ryan

if you're wanting to be active, this is not for you. And I think

Julie

Okay

Ryan

doing the two-day from Moab to Denver than the three-day from Salt Lake City, I think two days was enough. I felt

Julie

Okay

Ryan

to see a lot of things and experience the train in the two days, that I didn't necessarily need the three days. Now if

Julie

Mm-hmm.

Ryan

done those things beforehand, I think the three-day would've felt really good

Julie

Okay. Okay, that makes sense. So let's talk about the train. You board the train and

Ryan

yes

Julie

you think about the train when you're stepping foot on board?

Ryan

It is gorgeous. So, I mean, think about a train car with first class airline seats. that's really the, the space that you have. You have plenty of leg room, your seat's comfortable. You have a nice big tray that you can bring down for meals or to have your stuff on. there's huge windows on the walls, and then there's also paneling of windows, up above, kind of the angle of the ceiling. Canyon Spirit does not have double-decker, cars like what Rocky Mountaineer does because of the types of tunnels that they have to go through, but you can still see so much. The vestibule is open too once they get going, so you can actually leave your car and go out and be in the fresh air and look out and see what's going on. I have some amazing videos and pictures of the train, it's open and it's wide. Now, I will say we lucked out. the train cars can hold, upwards of 50 people. They're not usually that full, but they can. we were an overflow car, so we actually were kind of the extras. So we had, Julie, we had 13 passengers in our car

Julie

Wow.

Ryan

So

Julie

Wow

Ryan

'cause it was funny 'cause we watched a YouTube video, about the Canyon Spirit a couple weeks before we went, and, it was that type of situation. it was a group of travel vloggers and, they kind of had their own car. And so I told Jasmine, I'm like, "It's not gonna look like this. Like, it's gonna be full." And we get on and I'm like, "Oh, it's less than this."

Julie

Ah, how cool. How cool

Ryan

it was, it was s- and so you could get up, you could move around, we could move from side to side. Our, we could put our bags on the seats in front of us. You know, but even if we couldn't do that, there would still have been plenty of room, and it would've been very

Julie

Okay. Yeah, I mean, the pictures you sent were gorgeous, but that's so good to hear that you felt like you had enough space because I, I'm like, "Oh, was it cramped?"

Ryan

as far as, as the hospitality on board, you had a dedicated host. If our car would've been four, we would've had two hosts. You have a

Julie

Okay

Ryan

team member, and those folks are dedicated to your car only.

Julie

Wow

Ryan

to know them a little bit. You got to know their style. They got to know you. Even when those people went on breaks, they would have other people come in and take their place, so you never were without. so as far as drinks or asking for information, it was always available

Julie

Mm, that's amazing. Don't skip my other question that I added

Ryan

How many times did they blow the whistle? the second day they blew a whistle a lot, because they have to blow the whistle every time they go through a tunnel, and went through about 40 tunnels. As we were going

Julie

my gosh.

Ryan

Yeah, as we were going through

Julie

Did you go choo-choo?

Ryan

I,

Julie

Well, they did it.

Ryan

maybe, maybe once or twice.

Julie

You would

Ryan

we were in the back car, so we couldn't hear the train whistle, but you could definitely hear it, up front.

Julie

Ugh

Ryan

if you were outside in the vestibule absolutely.

Julie

did you feel like you were gonna fall off when you went outside? I feel like that's all I think about is falling off

Ryan

a window. it's an open window.

Julie

okay, okay

Ryan

if you book the premium version, um, let me tell you the difference. So we booked

Julie

Oh, yeah

Ryan

it's called signature, 'cause it's really not

Julie

Okay

Ryan

It's very, very nice. So the premium, the differences are you had a little bit, um, more options with food, and

Julie

Mm-hmm.

Ryan

had a lounge car that you could go and relax in, and there was a

Julie

Ooh

Ryan

And then they had a larger kind of viewing area outside. that was really the main difference. Now, everything that I had was amazing. The food was amazing. I had plenty of different things to drink. I could go outside. So for me, I was fine. I have a client in a couple weeks that's gonna be on the Rocky Mountaineer, um, and he chose what's called the Gold Leaf there, or the premium, because he's a

Julie

Right

Ryan

and he wants to spend time outside

Julie

Wow

Ryan

So he chose the one with the larger, larger viewing area. But y- you, you know, you talk about the service on board. I loved the pacing of the storytelling. I loved the pacing of the, food and the drinks. You know, you get on that second day and the first thing they do is g- they get you around with breakfast, and you've already had coffee because in the station they've got coffee for you. they really, really, they know their audience, and they cater well to them

Julie

That's so amazing. It sounds like it was such a great experience on board. So next up, let's talk about, actual days one and two once we do our Where in the World.

Ryan

Sounds good. So I wanna talk, Julie, about where in the world is Wonder and Beyond travel, and I wanna highlight a family that's traveling in a couple weeks. And what is interesting about this family, Julie, is this is actually a family that I met when my family went on our ABD in Italy. They were on the trip with us,

Julie

Oh,

Ryan

because of that,

Julie

cool

Ryan

to listen to this podcast. shout out to them. Shout out to, St. Paul, Minnesota. And they

Julie

Whoop, whoop

Ryan

It's two adults and two teenage sons, and they are going to Peru. And so this is an eight-night, trip, and it is just a fantastic Adventures by Disney itinerary. So you've got things like Machu Picchu, obviously. You've got a river rafting trip. You have time, to get up close and personal with animals like llamas and alpacas. You're gonna be doing local shopping in markets. You're gonna have a traditional weaving demonstration with master weavers. You're gonna have an Andean music experience where you're gonna be learning all about the

Julie

Wow

Ryan

Andean music, with Peruvian, fifes. They're gonna be staying in three different locations, flying in and out of two areas of Peru, so they're really gonna get to know the countryside and the culture. I absolutely love it, and you know from this podcast, Adventures by Disney just knows how to do it

Julie

Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Amazing

Ryan

we love celebrating with our clients, especially when they happen to be listeners of this podcast as well, and we cannot wait to hear about their trips and help them plan amazing experiences. And when they get back, we love to see those really cool pictures

Julie

Okay, so let's talk about your travel experience and what you saw the couple of days that you were on the Canyon Spirit. So tell us about days one and two. Where did you stop, and what were the highlights of the stop?

Ryan

So we actually got on board day two, and that's kinda confusing with my pictures 'cause the day one was folks that went from Salt Lake City to Moab.

Julie

Got it

Ryan

So about 11:00 in the morning, they picked us up from our hotel, and they just had a tour bus that came and picked up the folks from Hoodoo Hotel. and then we went to the train, and they don't have a station in Moab. They just have an area where they're parked. So you get out, and there's folks there greeting you. You have your ticket, so you know what car you're getting on, you know what your seat is, all that kinda stuff. So it works very well, but I was very surprised not to see a train station,

Julie

Yeah

Ryan

plays into the history of Moab. so we get in, and we get settled, and meet our hosts, and have a toast, and then it's time for lunch. And we are, sitting down to a very nice plated lunch You have an appetizer. You choose from two mains. You choose what you want, and you have a dessert. They encourage folks to, if you're traveling with somebody, get the different things so that you can try everything. the coffee is from a roastery in Denver. all of the desserts and pastries are from a local bakery. The wines and beers are from Utah and Colorado. So again, kind of like with river cruising, you've got that regional kinda focus there. then as the afternoon wears on, you are leaving the red rocks of Utah and starting to see the Rockies. we took the train that first day to Glenwood Springs, and so we were on the train for about five hours that first day. Glenwood Springs is a really cool town along the Colorado River. it happened to be 4th of July, everybody was out and about. There was lots of decorations, you know, all that kinda stuff. We get to the train station. We get off. we already know our accommodations for that night, and so there's buses for that specific place. some are within walking distance. Some are taking a bus. So we get off and go to our accommodation. We had a late dinner, on the train, so we didn't really feel like we needed to eat other than ice cream 'cause it's vacation, so we had to find ice cream. so Jasmine and I spent some time walking around the town, kinda checking everything out, and that was our first day.

Julie

Amazing. That's so cool.

Ryan

Yeah. the second day then, we take the bus back from our hotel. it was about a five-minute drive. Glenwood Springs is not a large town by any means. and we get to a beautiful historic train station, and in there they have a, welcome center set up for us with maps and coffee and drinks and all that kinda stuff. And then they encourage you to get on the train. You're sitting in the same spot with the same host, so you know where you're going by that point. we get on the train. We got on the train at 9:00, I think. yeah, they were getting ready to leave at 9:00. And you get on. At your seat, if you had ordered any Canyon Spirit products, They had a little, magazine of it the first day, and they came around, and that was in your seat in a bag with a receipt and everything, so you're ready to go.

Julie

Wow

Ryan

last time, we got a Christmas ornament and a package of postcards. that's our thing. so the Canyon Spirit had those things for us. and then we started breakfast, and, we had commentary throughout the day. And what was really cool with this being Sunday, you spend all the time in the Rockies along the Colorado River. So you would see people fishing, and you would see people rafting, and you would see family groups out. And then you would get into the stronger rapids, and you would see, what the person said was professional people out. And you would get the Colorado salute. Should I tell you what the Colorado salute is, Julie?

Julie

For sure

Ryan

W- when you're out on the river and your train goes by, you got a nice big moon from whoever was on the river.

Julie

That's awful.

Ryan

Yeah. So I had been in Utah for multiple days, right? And I've seen the red rock and, you know, kind of the otherworldly landscapes. And the second morning, Julie, on the train, you're going through Gore Canyon, and it's just jaw-droppingly beautiful. The rapids are rushing through these big mountains, and it's just so different and so cool. and you're just

Julie

Wow

Ryan

soaking it up. I mean, I think I would, like, be in my seat taking pictures, then I would go out to the vestibule and I'd take pictures outside. Then I'd come back and I'd look and you're very relaxed at this point, if you wanna read, if you wanna nap, if you wanna chat, I mean, that stuff is still going on, too. But you also have this amazing landscape outside. And then after lunch, You literally are in a tunnel, and you leave the Rockies, and all of a sudden Denver is stretched out in front of you on the plains, and it takes about another hour to kinda work and snake your way down the plains to Denver. And, our host was from Denver, and so she was able to give us kinda some inside tips, some things to think about, some ways to get around, some stuff to

Julie

Mm-hmm.

Ryan

so yeah, those were our two days. So we left Glenwood Springs about 9:00, and we got to Denver about 4:30, in the afternoon. our hotel, which was booked with Canyon Spirit, was within walking distance of the train. In fact, it was literally right next door of Union Station. And so we were able to get to our hotel. Our bags were there. We were ready to go. And we went out and found some dinner

Julie

Wow. I love that, so much of this is taken care of and you're just kind of you know, literally there for the ride

Ryan

Yeah, Absolutely. I mean, everything is taken care of and really high level of service. I can't complain about really much of anything.

Julie

Wow. So I have a couple questions looking forward. We've talked so much about the train and, the destinations that you visited on this trip in general. So if you had to pick your next route with Canyon Spirit or Rocky Mountaineer, what would it be?

Ryan

Well, I definitely think if it was with Canyon Spirit, would be one of two things. I might

Julie

Mm-hmm.

Ryan

to do Salt Lake City so I can do that leg, or I might choose to do it in the fall,

Julie

Mm-hmm.

Ryan

so I could go through those areas. I'm just thinking of what the Rockies must look like, you know, in the fall. I think that would be really good. but then obviously the next step is getting up to Canada and doing the Rocky Mountaineer. Would I take this same trip over? I'm not sure. But, you know, there are definitely ways that you can extend it or change it,

Julie

Mm-hmm.

Ryan

spending time in Colorado afterwards or leaving from Denver instead of Salt Lake City 'cause it goes both ways. you can really kind of mix and match however you want with this trip to include the train portion.

Julie

Yeah, that was kind of my next thought was like, if you had more time to travel, what would you have added on?

Ryan

I think definitely time in Colorado, but by the end, it was time to go home.

Julie

Yeah

Ryan

We had been gone a long time, so spending some time, Jasmine and I had even talked about, do we wanna spend a day in Denver? And it was just kinda like, I don't think we're gonna want to, and I'm glad that we didn't.

Julie

Okay

Ryan

I think that would've been what I would've added had we gone the other way,

Julie

Mm-hmm.

Ryan

some time in Colorado

Julie

So what should, like, a curious guest, if they've listened to this and they're like, "I think Canyon Spirit is in my future," what should they know? Like, a couple things

Ryan

yeah. So a couple things to think about when it comes to this trip. if you're just thinking of Canyon Spirit, I added other things to this trip, but you can definitely make this it, its trip its own, in fact, 'cause you can see arches and canyon lands. You can add that day on,

Julie

Mm-hmm.

Ryan

So there, you know, there's some other ways to, to see the national parks too. what level of service do you want? Like I said, there was a signature level and a premium level, and one thing

Julie

Mm-hmm.

Ryan

did impact also was your type of accommodation. all

Julie

Okay

Ryan

were excellent except our accommodation in Glenwood Springs, and there was some issues beyond Canyon Spirit's control with that. all the hotels were good, and some of them were absolutely excellent. the Hoodoo in Moab and the Limelight that we stayed in Denver, both were just absolutely really cool hotels. so thinking about that, what kind of level of service do you want, and then what are your pre- and post-plans when it comes to the trip? Because you're probably gonna add something on, and I would encourage you to have some time before the train,

Julie

Mm-hmm.

Ryan

because of time change and altitude. Both of those can hit you pretty hard, especially if you're like me

Julie

Yeah

Ryan

Eastern t- t- time and flat. You know, you're gonna deal with both of those things for at least the first day or so. And then I would say as you're mixing and matching what you're doing, end with the train. It's kind of like what we say, you know, with Disney and cruise. Do the cruise second. It's the same with the

Julie

Mm-hmm.

Ryan

because the train's the relaxing part. So do the active stuff first and then finish with the train. Those would be

Julie

Yeah

Ryan

considerations.

Julie

All right. I'm so happy that you were able to share this trip with us because this was so fun to hear about and just such a unique way to see the parks

Ryan

So Julie, as we wrap up, I know this is probably not where you are right now with your traveling, but does a trip like this interest you?

Julie

Oh my gosh, yes. I think it sounds so cool, and I think too, just like talking about that, I wanna take my family to the national parks, just maybe in a different style. So I still think that that is so much fun to talk about those destinations

Ryan

really getting to experience this part of the country in this way was just such a great family vacation

Julie

Love that. Love it

Ryan

The world is full of wonder, and your next great adventure is waiting. At Wonder and Beyond Travel, we work with you to create a one-of-a-kind journey, taking the stress off your plate so you can focus on the joy of exploring and the memories that will stay with you forever. you're ready to start planning, or you just wanna dream a little bigger, head on over to wonderandbeyondtravel.com. We'd love to help you get started. We look forward to talking to you next week on all things travel when we take you through castles around the world, Disney style