Verde Canyon Railway Starlight Express - updated - stunning experience

I'm considering the Verde Canyon Railway Starlight Express train ride in September.

This will be the first time doing this railway, and naturally as a flashaholic I wanted a train ride that goes into the night. :naughty:

Has anyone gone on this train, and on this tour? Any good recommendations / reviews? :wave:

UPDATE: added my experience below. This is a stunning experience, and even more so for flashaholics. :devil:

Re: Considering the Verde Canyon Railway Starlight Express - any recommendations?

Okay, I did the Starlight Express. A single word review: WOW!!!!!

This train ride was amazing!!!

The coaches are very very nice, well maintained, the restroom is very clean and handy, and the snack/drink bar is very very cool.

The best part though is the outdoor platform. It was nice and cool as the train travels through the canyons. The landscape is breathtaking and beautiful.

When the sun set and it became dark, it was a flashaholic's dream.

I had my Fenix L2D, L1D, E01, and NiteCore D10 on me. They all really lit up the scenery well. I was looking for animal life as well as illuminate various dark places. The L2D / L1D and NiteCore D10 all performed astoninshingly well.

I was lighting up distant canyon walls as if my lights were a sky search light. It was so much fun.

This train ride is one of the most fun experiences I have in a very long time. The best bang for the buck imho as the tickets are very reasonable.

The town the train is located in, Clarkdale, is like a modern day Mayberry. It is so scenic and warm, with that small town feel. It's right next to Jerome, a very unique and cool mining town turned artistry and small intimate shops. Everyone's heard of Sedona, but Jerome and Clarkdale are just as cool and fun!!

Those of you who have not done this, you should STRONGLY consider booking tickets and doing it!!! You will love it.

PS if you belong to AAA you can get a 10% discount off the tickets by calling them... www.verdecanyonrr.com :twothumbs

Here are some photos from the ride:










You can see the full moon rising as the sun is setting.


It was a full moon, which was pretty cool.


The train engineer turning the train around.



This makes a very romantic date for couples as well. :naughty:

I just found your thread otherwise I would have recommended the train ride sooner! I took it about 2 years ago in november, it was absolutely wonderful! I didn't take the "starlight" tour, it was all during the day but still great. I spent the night before in Jerome, at the Jerome Grand Hotel (a little dated but fun) and ate at the delicious restaurant there (pricey but oh so good). the train ride was very nice, and the prices are very reasonable especially compared to the grand canyon railway. Its also nice if you just want a daytrip through some beautiful AZ scenery. Glad you enjoyed it like I did!

ambientmind said:

I just found your thread otherwise I would have recommended the train ride sooner! I took it about 2 years ago in november, it was absolutely wonderful! I didn't take the "starlight" tour, it was all during the day but still great. I spent the night before in Jerome, at the Jerome Grand Hotel (a little dated but fun) and ate at the delicious restaurant there (pricey but oh so good). the train ride was very nice, and the prices are very reasonable especially compared to the grand canyon railway. Its also nice if you just want a daytrip through some beautiful AZ scenery. Glad you enjoyed it like I did!

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Thanks a lot. I'm going to do it again next year. This is definitely one of my favorite experiences!