The interesting part is that the ride up might be even better than the stay at the top.
From the bottom, a mere 6,559 feet above sea level, the line looks close to impossibly steep. In other words, you probably wouldn't want to hike it. It takes about 15 minutes to go up 3,819 feet at 12 mph, passing over all sorts of interesting rock formations. The tram passes over the site of a 1955 plane crash, which is why one area is called TWA Canyon. You might even see some unusual birds and animals along the way.
Passengers arrive at 10,378 feet. Keep in mind that the temperature drops several degrees along the way, so dress accordingly. You can take all the time you want to look around. There is the top of a ski slope on the other side of the mountain crest, which looks like a good-sized challenge. A restaurant is scheduled to reopen in 2018.
Two trams go at the same time to keep things balanced, so they leave every 15 minutes. We went down at dusk, so we saw the sun set as we began going down. Then at the bottom, we had dinner while watching the lights of the city and the valley flicker on at dusk.
It's $25 for adults, as of 2017, with some discounts for the usual categories available. Expect some lines at peak tourist times, like the balloon fiesta. And expect to be more than satisfied when you are done.
One picture really doesn't do the place justice. So let's go for a ride.
Be notified of new posts on this site via Twitter @WDX2BB.
No comments:
Post a Comment