Spend your next family trip exploring a new area aboard a 100-year-old steam engine. The steam engine still chugs itself to the Grand Canyon and back and has become a global showcase on how ingenuity can save the past for the future.
The Grand Canyon Railway is considered to be the last daily standard gauge U.S. railroad to run steam engines in scheduled regular service. Currently, The Grand Canyon Railway uses recycled waste vegetable oil as fuel on No. 4960, a steam engine built in 1923. On select days through October, this massive steam engine pulls the daily train, running from Williams, Arizona, to South Rim, Grand Canyon. Waste vegetable oil typically used for French fries, chicken wings and other fried foods saved this train from becoming a museum display. By using this recycled fuel, the great machine runs on a neutral carbon footprint.
It’s estimated The Grand Canyon Railway reduces the number of cars in the national park by about 70,000 per year. The railway strives to utilize biodegradable fuels whenever possible and is the first tourism railway to receive ISO 14001 third-party certification of its environmental management system.
Read This Next
#WhereverFamily
Insta FeedHotels
Jul 13, 20263 Hotels Around the World Where You Can Cook Locally
The need for human connection with locals when traveling is growing in popularity among younger generations. Food has become one of the most authentic and powerful ways to help create these connections, and many hotels around the world offer unique experiences to help turn this into a reality.
Sponsored Content
Best of Both Worlds
Enjoy the best of both worlds when you fly with TAP Air Portugal thanks to the Portugal Stopover program. With the program, TAP passengers, whether traveling for business, leisure or both, can stop in Portugal for up to 10 days at no additional airfare on the way to their final destination. What does this mean for travelers wishing to explore by both land and sea? It means after flying to Portugal with TAP and experiencing the country in an entirely new way, travelers can then embark on scenic river and ocean cruises from Portugal’s port cities, or fly with TAP to another European destination.
Europe
Jul 10, 2026New Luxury Family Beach Resort on Caorle Seafront in Italy: Cavallino Bianco Caorle
Overlooking the sea in Caorle, Italy, Cavallino Bianco Caorle - Venezia, a 101-room, 5-star, family-oriented beach resort, recently opened. Every space on the property was intentionally designed to reflect different facets of the same promise: to give true value back to family time, following the resort’s philosophy of “It’s Family Time – Live it Now.”
Hotels
Jul 9, 2026Refreshed Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa Elevates Family Getaways
Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa, a 560-room resort in the Greater Palm Springs area, recently completed a comprehensive, multimillion-dollar renovation. With the updates come new resort experiences, a Kids Eat Free package, new pickleball courts, upgraded poolside cabanas, the debut of Seven Olive Modern Gastropub and Topgolf Swing Suites, and more.
Hotels
Jul 8, 2026Childcare Brand itavi Expands to California with Hotel del Coronado Partnership
Family hospitality company itavi brings its model to California this month with the launch of Ocean Explorers at Hotel del Coronado. The new partnership mark’s itavi’s continued expansion across the United States, following recent debuts in Arizona (Arizona Biltmore and Fairmont Scottsdale Princess) and Hawai’i (Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort, Fairmont Kea Lani, Four Seasons at Wailea, The Ritz-Carlton Maui – Kapalua and more).
Hotels
Jul 6, 2026Fairmont San Francisco, “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” Partner
It’s a tale as old as time still being told today as Fairmont San Francisco recently announced a collection of immersive guest experiences inspired by Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, on stage at San Francisco’s Orpheum Theatre July 14–Aug. 9.
ShareThis