Mexican ‘Copper Canyon’ train trip a museum benefit
By DAILY CHRONICLE
Midwest Museum of Natural History, 425 W. State, Sycamore, will host an information session at 2 p.m. Nov. 11 about a trip March 7-16 to Mexico’s Barranca del Cobre – Copper Canyon – which is a group of six distinct canyons in Sierra Tarahumara in the southwestern part of the state of Chihuahua, Mexico.
Refreshments will be served at the discussion session. RSVP to the museum or call Carder Travel at 815-756-1547 or visit the Midwest Museum of Natural History on the Web at www.mmnh.org.
According to a recent news release, people who would like to take a ride on one of “the 10 most spectacular train trips in the world” or ride the “train in the sky” can realize that dream and also help the museum through this fund-raising trip.
The overall canyon system is larger and portions are deeper than the Grand Canyon in the United States. The canyons were formed by six rivers, which merge into the Rio Fuerte and empty into the Sea of Cortez. The walls of the canyon are a copper/green color, hence the name. It is, at the very least, seven times larger than the Grand Canyon in Arizona with which it is often compared.
MMNH has teamed up with Globus Journeys and Carder Travel for an opportunity to experience some of the natural and historic treasures of Mexico, and each ticket sold will include a tax-deductible donation to the museum. Reservations are being accepted for the 10-day excursion.
The trip begins with an included transfer from DeKalb to O’Hare airport for a flight to Tucson, Ariz., before traveling south through Tombstone to Nuevo Casas Grandes, Mexico. There, the group tours a pottery studio, and the Paquime archaeological site, called the most important archeological site in northern Mexico. Next in Chihuahua, participants will see the 18th-century cathedral, the Government Palace, and the former home of Pancho Villa. They will see the natural beauty of the Sierra Tarahumara mountain range on the way to the lumber town of Creel, and a visit to the cave dwellings of the Tarahumara Indians.
From Divisadero, the train journey starts through Copper Canyon on the world-famous Chihuahua al Pacific Railway (El Chepe). Started in 1871, it is considered one of the world’s finest engineering marvels. The complete route from Chihuahua to Los Mochis crosses more than 39 bridges, passes through 87 tunnels, and crosses the Sierra Tarahumara traveling from more than 8,000 feet to sea level. At one point, the track actually crosses over itself. The group experiences one of the most dramatic train rides in the Western Hemisphere with incredible scenery along the way before arriving in El Fuerte, where the group takes a walking tour of the colonial city.
Also, in San Carlos, a Mexican resort community located on the Sea of Cortez, a full day at leisure is planned for relaxing.
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