Verde Canyon Railroad

We took a four-hour ride on the railroad, going from Clarkdale to Perkinsville and back. Between the sitting cars were open cars, ideal for viewing the wilderness of Verde Canyon. All along the way the guide told us of the local history, archaeology and wildlife of the area.

The train The train The open car The open car Verde Canyon scenery Verde Canyon scenery Cows grazing Verde Canyon scenery

Along the way we saw some javelinas. They look somewhat like a wild hog or wild boar, but are actually collared peccaries, which is a distant relative of wild pigs and hippos. We were told that they can be rather dangerous if cornered.

The first picture is from the Internet. The second picture has circles around two of them that we saw from the train. You can see them more clearly by clicking on the picture to enlarge it.

Javelina Javelinas

We also saw numerous caves in the rocks. These were used as homes by the Indians many years ago.

Rock caves Rock caves Rock caves Rock caves

At one point the train went through a tunnel and it was completely dark. And obviously fun.

Approaching the tunnel Approaching the tunnel Christine in the tunnel Leaving the tunnel

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The music on this page is Tumbling Tumbleweeds.