I ditched my car and hopped on a train to the Grand Canyon. Getting there took twice as long, but the $80 ride was worth it.

• I was sick of driving during a road trip, so I hopped on the Grand Canyon Railway.
• The train departs from Williams, Arizona, and drops travelers off at the South Rim of the park.
• The ride took twice as long as driving, but it was a new way to explore a national park.

By the time I reached Williams, Arizona, my hands felt permanently wrapped around my van's wheel. My back was aching, making me feel decades older than I actually am. And my legs were cramping from being confined to the same position for hours.

It was only day four of my 13-day road trip. I had already covered 800 miles and spent far too long in the Ram Promaster van I was traveling in.

Simply put, I was done driving.

That's exactly why I was in Williams in the first place. The small Arizona town is home to the Grand Canyon Railway.

Instead of driving another two hours round-trip to the national park, I decided to let someone else do the commuting and hopped on the train.