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before heading to a room for the night. The streets of this welcoming college town are busy as you walk to the Weatherford Hotel. Rooms here, decorated with lace curtains, period antiques and claw-foot cast-iron tubs, take you back to the 1930s. The wrap-around 2nd floor porch off the bar is a great place to kick back with a cold beer after the train ride.

Wake up for tofu scrambles and coffee at Macy’s European Coffee House, a popular local hang-out. Students tap away on computers and parents sit with the crossword puzzle while kids nurse giant mugs of hot chocolate and vegan apple turnovers. If you’re feeling ambitious, rent a bike and pick up a bike-trail map at Absolute Bikes. Head west on Route 66 from the shop and follow it for about 3 miles to S Woody Mountain Rd; take a left and ride 4 miles through pines and meadows to the Arboretum at Flagstaff. Walk through and read about the landscape you’ve been watching from the train window. Trails wind around gardens with more than 2300 species of plants; it’s a beautiful spot for a picnic.

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DETOUR

Riding Amtrak from Colorado, consider jumping off for a day in Raton. While there’s not much to recommend in this tiny town, rent a car and head to Capulin Volcano National Monument (www.nps.gov/cavo/). You can drive to the rim of this beautiful cinder cone volcano, formed 60,000 years ago, and take in the 360-degree views; there are also several short hikes. Stay a few blocks from the train station at El Portal ( 575-445-3631), built in 1905. Simple rooms hark back to 1930s America.

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Jump on the 8:57pm Amtrak or the 3.45pm Amtrak bus shuttle to Williams, a tiny tourist town 35 miles west of Flagstaff, and sleep at the Lodge, an updated Route 66 classic (or stay in Flagstaff and take a shuttle or cab in the morning). The Grand Canyon Railway departs from Williams. Catch the predeparture Wild West Show at 9:30am, with goofy cowboys wearing spurs, silly banter and an Old West façade, before boarding the vintage train for the two-and-a-half-hour ride to the canyon.

As the train slowly chugs north, out of town and down in elevation into the shrubbery of the desert, the mountains softly arch in the distance, nothing but shaded silhouettes, and the coolness of morning fades. The train lulls you along, passing landscape void of cars and buildings, and with few other hints of the 21st century. Cowboy singers pass through the train, plucking Johnny Cash, and someone walks down the aisle with bottles of soda and water. Folks exchange stories and talk politics until the train pulls into the station at Grand Canyon National Park, a short walk from the canyon rim.

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ABOUT TICKETS & SEATS

While Amtrak offers private sleeping cars, the eight-hour stretch heading west from Santa Fe, NM to Williams, AZ is covered during the day. To get off the train along the way, book each leg separately; ask about an Amtrak Rail Pass. The best seats on the Grand Canyon Railway are the ultra-basic Coach with wood-framed windows that slide up, or the luxury car, with cushioned leather armchairs, champagne and access to the train’s open-air rear platform. First-class seats lack historic charm.

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Americans resist the train, thinking that they need the flexibility of a car, and perhaps feeling anchorless without it. But this trip is easy, with no middle-of-the-night departures. No, you don’t have the same freedom you have in your own car, but it offers a different kind of freedom. You don’t have any choice but to slow down and enjoy the ride.

Jennifer Denniston

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TRIP INFORMATION

GETTING THERE

Santa Fe lies 63 miles north of Albuquerque. There is a regular shuttle service between Albuquerque Sunport airport and Santa Fe.

Do

Absolute Bikes

Rent a bike, perfect for exploring the museums and parks of Flagstaff. 928-779-5969; www.absolutebikes.net; 200 E Route 66, Flagstaff, AZ; per day $35-70; 9am-7pm Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm Sat, 10am-4pm Sun;

Amtrak

Amtrak’s Southwest Chief stops daily in Lamy, NM (with