Route 66 N Arizona upgrades (Scottsdale, Sedona: sales, hotels, home)

[exlexisnexis]

I just went up to Nothern Arizona nd noticed they have repaved parts of Rt 66, put up signs recognizing Rt 66 as being a Historic landmark and they have replaced the fencing along Rt 66 as well.
Has anyone heard of any projects being planned for N Arizona?

Richard

[exlexisnexis]

looks like N AZ will be getting upscale train visitors soon this should be good for the areaa



Ariz. at center of luxury train resurgence

A Colorado company is bringing back luxury rail travel, and its trains increasingly are trucking through Arizona.

GrandLuxe Rail Journeys was born last year, when Colorado Railcar Manufacturing bought out American Orient Express. The parent company is known for manufacturing railcars for everything from light rail to old-fashioned trains.

For the first time, it is delving into selling tickets and running those trains, too.





Under a deal it inked with Amtrak last month, GrandLuxe will attach seven of its vintage rail cars to the back of Amtrak's Silver Bullet trains this winter. The special trains will run November through part of January along three routes: Los Angeles to Chicago, San Francisco to Chicago and Washington, D.C., to Miami.

And in January, GrandLuxe will debut a non-Amtrak itinerary focused on Arizona. The train will begin in Santa Fe and end in Scottsdale, stopping at the Grand Canyon and Sedona.Jackie Johnson, 60, GrandLuxe Rail Journey's assistant vice president of sales and a former Scottsdale resident, recently spoke with The Republic about the company's new direction, Arizona's beauty and train travel's comeback.

Question: Why did GrandLuxe want to buy a train travel company?

Answer: Our parent company is called Colorado Railcar Manufacturing, and it is the only U.S.-owned manufacturer of passenger railcars. When they (American Orient Express) were ready to sell, they knew about us. . . . They knew we were well aware of how to build railcars of any type and had the experience of selling and marketing travel-related products.

(We work) for anyone who needs any type of railcar manufactured. Not only have we built many of the cars being used at GrandLuxe, but also all of the domed railcars in Alaska as you exit cruise ships to take tours, many of the railcars used by Rocky Mountain Air, and also many of the commuter railcars used in various communities such as South Florida.

Q: Were you worried about stepping into uncharted territory with this merger?

A: There has always been a vision of going beyond railcar manufacturing.

All of us here have a background in travel, tourism and hospitality. The owner had been with Holland America and Sheraton hotels. I spent many years in the cruise industry as an executive with one of the cruise lines.

Q: Some people might assume rail travel is antiquated. Is that changing?

A: It's (seeing) a tremendous resurgence in popularity. People are returning to the grand tradition of rail travel. People, especially in the luxury market, want all the grace and tradition of luxury travel not necessarily offered in other modes of hospitality and transportation. (Rail travelers get) full accommodations on the train, all meals on and off the train, wine with dinner, all of the tours at every stop - it's all included in the purchase price. We call it a lifetime experience.

Q: What's the benefit of partnering with Amtrak?

A: It's an opportunity for people to travel from Chicago to Los Angeles on the back of an Amtrak with luxury rail service. . . . They'll have services of a butler and a porter with each car, so they're able to travel with more luxury, comfort and style.

We also know there are people who love rail travel and want something slightly more than what they've had in the past. Now they have an alternative to the basic services offered by Amtrak.

Its not only the people who want to travel in luxury, but people who are interested in rail travel. That is their passion. We see other markets who never thought of rail travel but it sounds more adventuresome to them. That will open up new markets.

Q: Rail travel definitely takes longer. What are the upsides?

A: There are people who don't want the hassle of air travel. We know that exists today. They can travel for two nights and three days, enjoy the social area and then return either by air or by train.

Q: Who's your target traveler?

A: It tends to be baby boomers roughly age 50 and above. They are relatively well-educated, well-traveled. Many of them have traveled the world but they've never seen their own country. They appreciate good service.



Q: So what is causing the resurgence of rail?

A: On a basic level, people today in the U.S. expect to be able to take vacations. It's no longer something that is an occasion, it's something they plan to do several times a year. There is more interest in family, and they want to use that vacation time to travel together.

That is generating products that are more all-inclusive.



Q: How important is the Arizona market to your strategy?

A: The Southwest is a focus of our itineraries. We have one called National Parks of the West that originates in Albuquerque and tours the Grand Canyon and Sedona. We believe some of the most magical, breathtaking experiences can be had in Arizona, not only at the Grand Canyon, but Sedona. It's an experience people will remember all of their lives.

We have a new itinerary, which we'll launch in 2008, called Grand Canyon and the Southwest. We are growing our presence in the Arizona market because we believe the culture of the Southwest is very appealing to our clientele. We have the natural beauty of the Grand Canyon, and then those pre- and post-tours in Scottsdale.

Q: What do the trains look like?

A: There are sleeping cars, lounge cars and dining cars, so guests can enjoy the elegant vintage furnishings during their leisure time.

Q: Price must be a barrier for a lot of people. The Amtrak itineraries start at about $800 and regular routes are around $3,000.

A: For people curious about the value, they can use the (lower-priced Amtrak routes) as a test. It is much more affordable than if they were taking one of our full tours.

Q: Would you compare the pricing to a cruise vacation?

A: Many of our passengers are cruise passengers, also. We tell travel agencies they need to think of it conceptually as a cruise on steel wheels.

Q: What do you personally like about riding the rails?

A: I like the friendliness of the guests. And as much as anything, I thoroughly enjoy seeing the most beautiful parts of our country. It's among the most beautiful in the world.

[exlexisnexis]

Finally the road to the Skywalk will paved!!!!!!!!!!


Tribe gets OK to pave road to Grand Canyon West

After six years of waiting to pave Diamond Bar Road that leads in to Grand Canyon West, the Hualapai Tribe is finally getting the green light.

The Grand Canyon Resort Corporation, wholly owned by the Hualapai Tribe, had to put the road improvements on hold in early 2001 ago due to a lawsuit filed by a neighboring landowner against the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Mojave County, according to officials.

Diamond Bar Road is a 14-mile stretch of unpaved Mojave County road that leads to Grand Canyon West, home to the new Grand Canyon Skywalk exhibit.





The landowner also filed a lawsuit regarding the environmental impact of the roadway.

On Thursday, the tribe announced that all the lawsuits had been dismissed and that permanent paving of Diamond Bar Road would begin as early as October.

"Having these lawsuits dismissed is a relief for us," Sheri YellowHawk, chief executive of Grand Canyon Resort Corporation, said in a statement. "We've had the funds in place for six years and to finally be able to put this project into action means tremendous potential success for our business."

When the Skywalk opened in March, automobile traffic on Diamond Bar Road greatly increased and Mojave County had to make temporary improvements in April to make the road more accessible.

The road was widened, smoothed and had gravel added to reduce dust, officials said. Due to its location in one of the largest ancient centennial Joshua Tree forests in the world, the road had to be environmentally and ecologically surfaced and treated with all organic materials. The roadway was also approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, according to officials.

The new paving project will cost and estimated $20 million, officials said. The Hualapai Tribe has saved $12 million of federal grant money specifically for the project, and the other $8 million will come from future revenues generated at Grand Canyon West and the Skywalk.

Hualapai officials do not believe the paving project, which begins in October, will affect travel to Grand Canyon West.

[carecare7]

I hope they realize that Boomers are not their parents' generation. Many Boomers still are raising young children while in their fifties. I hope this company realizes that and doesn't just cater to the senior market like so many train companies are doing these days. That senior market will die off and the Boomers will be wanting to take their kids along.

[exlexisnexis]

the newest Pixar movie causes some interest in Route 66. What people might not realize is that most of the movie, including characters, cars, places and the plot itself were based on real people and places along Route 66.

[exlexisnexis]

I just saw the mini series THE LOST ROOM .

This miniseries had an almost all star cast and was a great sci fi mini series that was centered around a motel room on rt 66,I rented it through blockbuster dvd but I bet net flix has it to and it was really good

[LordBalfor]

Originally Posted by exlexisnexis

the newest Pixar movie causes some interest in Route 66. What people might not realize is that most of the movie, including characters, cars, places and the plot itself were based on real people and places along Route 66.

Yeah it's a great movie. We specifically visited a few sections of Route 66 - in part because of some Arizona Highways DVDs we bought and in part, I will admit bcause of the animated movie Cars.

Found the sections of Route 66 to be mildly interesting. Nothing earthshaking there, but parts of it were a bit of a trip down memory lane. On future trips we will probably hit a few more Route 66 stretches. I wish all those little towns along the road well. Some are trying for a resurgence (with a bit of success). Most are really still struggling.

Ken

[exlexisnexis]

This is a good thing for the Ash Fork ,Seligman area $$$$$$$$$$$$ brings growth!!!!!!

$400 million cement plant for Seligman
Cement plant could be open in Seligman by 2011

Wednesday, September 19, 2007


The new cement plant, called 'Seligman Crossing,' is proposed for a
location mid-way between Peach Springs and Seligman.
The Cemex Corporation announced their plans to bring a full-scale
cement manufacturing facility to northern Arizona Sept. 17. According
to representatives with Cemex, the facility, called "Seligman
Crossing," will be located between Seligman and Peach Springs along
the Interstate 40 corridor, roughly three miles from Route 66. An
opening date for the facility is currently slated for 2011, though
construction on the project could begin as early as 2009.

[rambrush]

But they already have a plant out there and it is on the reservation land.

[exlexisnexis]

Arizona is the fastest growing state in the USA,90% of the concrete they produce will be for Arizona,I guess the other plant was not able to produce enough product.