I grew up taking steam locomotive-drawn trains to school in England and commuted to and from business in London and Manhattan, so I’ve never thought twice about the simple act of catching a train—especially when the tracks wind through some of the most remote and glorious scenery on the North American continent and the stopping points don’t involve classes or meetings. So it was second nature in more ways than one when I chose to spend eight days on a scenic and cultural journey across the Sierra Madres and down to the Sea of Cortez aboard the American Orient Express.
I invited longtime friend and world-class photographer Bo Zaunders to join me. We were awed by the IMAX-style vistas presented by the journey, whether we were enjoying a meal in one of the two dining cars, sipping cocktails in the rear New York observation car or the Seattle car lounge, relaxing in the Copper Canyon 360-degree-view dome car, or, our favorite pastime, leaning (not permitted!) from open breezeway windows.
The literal summit of our trip took us to the upper ridges of stunning Copper Canyon, where more than 20 smaller canyons converge. All in all, after streaming through 86 tunnels, over 39 bridges, and stopping for several day trips into villages, we’d covered only a small portion of the 25,000-square-mile expanse—an area 13 times larger than the Grand Canyon.
The American Orient Express claims no relationship to its European counterpart. The only thing the two have in common is transcontinental travel in luxury carriages supported by an exceedingly obliging staff. The AOE, painstakingly restored to the streamliner era of the 1940s and ’50s, travels on a combination of commercial and freight rail lines. By taking freight routes, the trains can transport passengers to places where you might expect only a helicopter could go. The speed on freight lines is slow, and the irregularly scheduled freight trains take precedence over the AOE. Though we may have been delayed en route or departed later than planned, somehow our engineer and his crew always disembarked us at our destinations on time.
The slower pace of the AOE has distinct advantages. There’s time to take well-focused photographs and to truly absorb the details of sparkling lakes, plunging canyons, towering waterfalls, and the richness of subtropical forests. At a more human level of appreciation, corridor pinball and other balancing acts are kept to a minimum.
Credit owner Henry Hillman for his dedication to restoring and preserving this nostalgic mode of stylish transport. His carriages now pull discriminating passengers through the seasons. From the massive views of Copper Canyon in the early part of the year, through the Heart of Dixie in the spring, to the brilliance of New England and Quebec in the fall, plus several themed trips (a culinary program, jazz train, murder on the American Orient Express, and others), there are eight distinctive tours. In a fast-changing world, this form of travel is a luxury to be experienced before it disappears forever.
The Basics: Sleeping and Dining
The entire train is an impressive quarter-mile long. The gleaming blue- and gold-trimmed, Pullman-style carriages are named after cities throughout the world. Each is staffed by a young and energetic porter who magically makes up your bed during breakfast, polishes the mahogany-lined corridors during the day, and turns down your covers at night. All cabins have a basin and a small toilet compartment, and passengers who don’t have a private shower book times for a shared bathroom at the end of each carriage. Porters clean and refresh linens and soaps between each visit.
Adding to the value of these trips is a quality of food and beverage service that would put many land-based operations to shame. On the Copper Canyon trip, Culinary Institute of America-trained executive chef Warren McLeod operated with a minimal staff out of two extremely narrow galleys. Ordering “eggs any style” at breakfast extends from over easy to ouefs en cocotte. Amazingly, up to five courses, with choice of three entrées, came out flawlessly every night (think Bahia bluefish served with a mango purée and pineapple chutney on a bed of lightly scalded spinach). Service was prompt and perfectly coordinated. Complimentary Chilean vins du table accompanied each meal, and the reserve wine list, although limited by storage space, contained excellent vintages at prices much lower than most city establishments. Although alcohol may not help those who suffer from altitude sickness—the railroad carries riders from sea level to over 8,000 feet—I am happy to report Veuve Clicquot retains its sparkle at 8,200 feet.
FAST FACTS
HAPPY TRAILS
Excursions from the train are well-managed and tend to appeal to an older demographic. That is not to say a younger audience wouldn’t be every bit as well-accommodated or satisfied. Horseback riding, mountain trails, ladder descents into canyons, and more independent activities could all be enjoyed (with maybe the occasional indemnity waiver required for parasailing from vertical heights to depths greater than the Grand Canyon).
Our all-inclusive Copper Canyon trip included an overnight at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson or the Camino Real El Paso, depending on the direction of your trip, with welcome cocktail reception and dinner, deluxe rail accommodations for six nights, seven dinners with complimentary wine, six lunches, seven full American breakfasts and optional continental breakfasts, as well as guided tours of Tucson, San Carlos, Alamos,
El Fuerte, Divisadero, and Chihuahua. Guest lecturers provide insight on related cultural and topographical aspects of each trip.
Rates vary according to routes and length of trip. On our journey, prices ranged from about $3,000 per person for a berth in a vintage Pullman to about $6,000 for a deluxe or the presidential suite.
For more information call 800-320-4206 or visit www.americanorientexpress.com.
A Typical Itinerary
The eight-day Copper Canyon trip called for a flight from Dallas to Tucson, a connecting charter to Chihuahua, and then the train ride down, through Copper Canyon, to the Sea of Cortez, and then up to Nogales.
Day 1: Tucson/Chihuahua
At the Tucson terminal, almost 60 travelers arrived from across the country to form a lengthy straggle of bags leading to a charter airline’s single station, where entries were logged the old-fashioned way—by hand. Once in Mexico, a welcoming cocktail party turned into a dinner presentation of the forthcoming journey, a lesson in train etiquette, and an introduction to key personnel.
Day 2: Chihuahua
We were supposed to herd onto buses for a
guided tour of Chihuahua. Instead, my companion and I left the tour group for a whirlwind trip around town in search of photo ops and an excellent market lunch of unpronounceable dishes. Our taxi driver dropped us at a desolate station several miles south of our actual departure point, and we made it back on the train with only minutes to spare. My advice: never leave the group.
Day 3: Divisadero
We ate breakfast with a view of pines and sawmills and then began a long pull over deep ravines and rock-strewn rivers up to Divisadero, with its incredible views of Copper Canyon. My companion and I opted out of witnessing a staged footrace and spiritual dance by the local Tarahumara Indians and instead hired a young guide to lead us still higher to photograph the last of the indigenous cave dwellers.
Day 4: El Fuerte
Snaking down the mountains, we traveled through three different ecosystems, from pine and oak to tropical deciduous, to the Sinaloan thorn forest. Our evolving landscape contained flowering acacia, pink amapa, yellow roses, and blue morning glory, as well as several cacti. Finally, we reached the lone plain station of Sinola. From here, buses took us to the cobble-stoned colonial city of El Fuerte, an original station on the famous Camino Real trade route. While some went rafting down the El Fuerte River, I watched a “deer hunter” dance demonstration by Mayo Indians.
Day 5: Alamos
Toward the end of the plains, the mountains rise again on one side. It is here in the foothills that the small silver mining town of Alamos was settled in the mid-1500s. In recent years, its narrow cobbled streets, small bridges, and colonial architecture have drawn a significant number of American residents—with a subsequent escalation in prices.
Day 6: San Carlos
Early in the morning, buses took us down to the rocky coves and sheltered harbors of San Carlos. Finally, the desert meets the sea in air scented by the pink flowers of wild jicama and lavender. My friend went in search of whales, porpoises, and sea lions; I went to the beach and rented a horse.
Day 7: Nogales
A “farewell” dinner led into a late-night singalong and an enthusiastic mission to exhaust the bar staff and their remaining stock. The next
morning, we saw the only gray dawn of our trip, packed our cases, and arrived in Nogales to catch buses back to Tucson.
Photo: Bo Zaunders
