Rockies to the Red Rocks Three-day Classic

 Imagine the wondrous sights to come as your vacation begins today in Salt Lake City. As you arrive, make your own way to your downtown hotel to check in for the night. Downtown is easily accessible from the airport via Salt Lake City's TRAX line.

Salt Lake City is vibrant and modern yet has a historical undertone that reflects the state's pioneer heritage, and at every turn, the beautiful Wasatch Mountains frame the scenery. You might like to start exploring the city's contrasts, perhaps while wandering between the shops and attractions downtown. The Victorian-era City and County Building features a 256-foot clock tower, and there are plenty of museums, including the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art. Of course, the State Capitol Building and Temple Square are favorites with visitors.

For dinner this evening, Salt Lake City has a vast selection of restaurants, with offerings ranging from casual Mexican fare to upscale new American. Overnight Salt Lake City.

 With some of Utah and Colorado's most awe-inspiring vistas ahead, your rail journey begins this morning at Salt Lake City's railway station. Step aboard Canyon Spirit and take your comfortable, reclining seat in a domed-glass carriage. This luxury train makes sightseeing a priority and provides opportunities from every angle - including from an open-air viewing platform.

Enjoy a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages as the train sets underway and breakfast, which is served at your seat, so you do not miss any of the passing scenes. Canyon Spirit weaves past Provo, enters the historic Thistle Tunnels, crosses Soldier Summit and descends into the Price River Canyon. The scenery becomes increasingly arid as lunch is served, and you can admire passing views of the Book Cliffs before arriving in Moab.

An included transfer takes you to your hotel for the night in downtown Moab, and you are then free to get to know this adventurous destination. Shops and restaurants line the main street, and there are plenty of ways to explore nature just outside downtown's bounds. Overnight Moab.

• Breakfast, Lunch

 Weather permitting, the sunrises in Moab are spectacular. As the sun makes its way over the horizon, the clay-colored cliffs and rock formations are wrapped in multihued skies creating beautiful scenes. You might like to head out on a local trail to witness this for yourself. There are paved walking and biking paths within downtown Moab, and just outside of town are tons of hiking trails you could explore, including in Arches National Park.

Returning to Moab later in the day, you are transferred from your hotel to the railway station to continue the journey onboard Canyon Spirit. Dinner is served at your seat as the train crosses the Colorado border, enveloped in remarkable scenes of the Colorado Rockies, and heads toward Glenwood Springs, where you stay for the night. As the train pulls into the station, a transfer takes you to the hotel, where you have a free evening to soak up the new scenery. Overnight Glenwood Springs.

• Dinner

 After a transfer back to Glenwood Springs' railway station this morning, rejoin Canyon Spirit for another day of jaw-dropping views from a perspective not seen by any other form of travel. Breakfast is served as the train sets off, bound for the "Mile High City."

Views of rugged canyons and the powerful Colorado River guide the course, with the mountain views surrounding. Tilt your head back to see the snow-capped peaks of the Rockies through the glass roof, or step outside to breathe in the fresh mountain air. In your carriage, your dedicated host again narrates the epic journey, highlighting points of interest and telling stories about the past while providing attentive service as the route unfolds.

After lunch this afternoon, Canyon Spirit trundles across the Continental Divide and approaches Colorado's capital city. As the train pulls into Denver's historic Union Station, you are transferred to your hotel for check-in and then can get to know Denver, perhaps at a local restaurant or brewery. Overnight Denver.

• Breakfast, Lunch

 Having traveled from the Wasatch Mountains of Salt Lake City, through the red rocks of Utah, and into the lush alpine scenery of Colorado aboard Canyon Spirit, your journey comes to a close today in Denver. Upon checking out of your hotel, you are free to continue experiencing the city at your own pace.

The city's museums, such as the Denver Art Museum and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, are visitor favorites, as are the Red Rocks Amphitheater and the Botanic Gardens. You could also wander through historic Larimer Square or the city's eclectic neighborhoods, including the River North Art District and Highland, before continuing your onward travels home independently.