In\u00a0Arizona\u2019s beautiful Verde Valley, winter is a brief season.\u00a0Not long after the final autumn leaves drop to the ground, new buds are already beginning to take shape in the treetops.\u00a0As days inch ever longer,\u00a0we eagerly anticipate\u00a0Spring\u2019s\u00a0arrival\u00a0around the next\u00a0curve of\u00a0this scenic Sedona canyon country.\u00a0At Verde Canyon Railroad,\u00a0Spring\u00a0is a raucous reawakening, rich with wildflowers and wild creatures.\u00a0Beginning in late January and continuing through May, eggs and hatched\u00a0eaglets\u00a0throughout the\u00a0canyon\u2019s various nesting locations\u00a0are monitored closely\u00a0by Arizona Game and Fish\u2019s\u00a0\u201cEagle Watch Program,\u201d\u00a0of which the train is a proud sponsor.\u00a0Eagles have long been a hallmark of Verde Canyon Railroad\u2019s historic route and are even proudly featured as the \u201cface\u201d of the train\u2019s vintage FP7 locomotives.<\/p>\n
As\u00a0new generations of the\u00a0wild denizens of Verde Canyon are born,\u00a0a\u00a0crescendo of wild blooms begins…\u00a0subtly at first,\u00a0with delicate, sweet-scented\u00a0early\u00a0risers\u00a0carpeting the arroyos and cliffsides,\u00a0and\u00a0then picking up steam with ever more showy\u00a0flowers of cactus,\u00a0yucca\u00a0and ocotillo dotting the landscape\u00a0with color.\u00a0A sure sign of\u00a0Spring is the arrival of the train\u2019s favorite seasonal employee, \u201cE.\u00a0Bunny\u201d! This is some bunny<\/em> quite special! The huge rabbit bounces\u00a0his way through the\u00a0depot\u00a0to visit all\u00a0guests on Saturday, April 16th<\/sup>,\u00a0sharing a big smile,\u00a0armloads of hugs,\u00a0handfuls of Easter treats\u00a0and\u00a0abundant fun family photo-ops.<\/p>\n While Spring is one of the most popular seasons for visitors,\u00a0the special merits of\u00a0late winter\u00a0are\u00a0also always\u00a0worth a salute.\u00a0Before the\u00a0Cottonwoods and Willows\u00a0go green\u00a0in mid-March, the\u00a0Verde Canyon\u2019s magnificent bone structure is on full display while the rare\u00a0riparian forests slumber along the river and the rails.\u00a0On February 14th, 1912, while \u201cgandy dancers\u201d were completing the building of this historic rail route,\u00a0Arizona became the 48th<\/sup>\u00a0State in the U.S.\u00a0Just in time for the \u201cValentine State\u2019s 110th<\/sup> birthday, the\u00a0train\u2019s\u00a0beloved\u00a0Chocolate Lovers\u2019\u00a0Special\u00a0whisks lovebirds along an adventure of sumptuous sweetness. On February 11th<\/sup>, 12th<\/sup>\u00a0and 13th<\/sup>,\u00a0passengers may partake in a bit of romance on the rails, savoring a fine selection of chocolate pastries, hand dipped bon-bons and Valentine-inspired cocktails while the wild winter scenery streams past the panoramic windows of the train.<\/p>\n Throughout the year, Verde Canyon Railroad\u00a0provides depot visitors a close-up glimpse of Arizona\u00a0birds of prey\u00a0during \u201cRaptors at the Rails,\u201d\u00a0shared by\u00a0Phoenix-based wildlife rescue, Liberty Wildlife, of which the train is also a proud sponsor. Most of the animals Liberty Wildlife intakes each year\u00a0can\u00a0be rehabilitated and released. Some animals have injuries that are too severe\u00a0to allow them survival in the wild\u00a0and instead become a part of the organization\u2019s educational program, or even foster parents to orphaned babies. On select dates\u00a0throughout 2022 Liberty Wildlife will be present at the depot prior to the train\u2019s departure, sharing fascinating information and close-up glimpses of beautiful Arizona owls, hawks, falcons, vultures and\/or\u00a0bald eagles\u00a0with visitors.<\/p>\n Every season offers a different reason to ride Verde Canyon Railroad. Along with classic favorites, new special events on the horizon include Grape Train Days wine festival the entire month of May, as well as Saturday morning departures and Moonlight Friday\u2019s this summer.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"