Exclusive! Reba McEntire Reveals What She Loved Most About Her Scenic Train Adventure

It’s no secret that Reba McEntire has always loved the American West. And for the Grammy-winning entertainer, there’s something special about taking in its magnificent scenery from a train window. When the country music legend isn’t recording music or filming her hit NBC sitcom Happy’s Place, she enjoys riding the rails.

“I love trains! They will take you where you can’t drive,” Reba tells Woman’s World. “It’s smooth and you don’t stop. You’ve got everything you need.”

Reba recently partnered with Canyon Spirit, a daylight-only train experience that showcases the dramatic landscapes of the American Southwest. She and her fiancé and Happy’s Place costar Rex Linn took a two-day journey along the Rockies to Red Rocks route, traveling from Denver, Colorado, through the Rocky Mountains to Moab, Utah, with an overnight hotel stay along the way.

Reba McEntire and Rex Linn Relationship Timeline

“The scenery in between each place was beautiful. You get on the train in Denver and you start early in the morning and ride until about sunset. You get off and go to the hotel. You have dinner,” she recalls of the first night in Glenwood Springs.

“The next morning you get back on the train and wind up in Utah,” she describes. “We spent the night there and toured all around Moab and went to the State Park, which was absolutely gorgeous.”

The journey gave Reba a chance to experience the American West from a different perspective. Canyon Spirit’s oversized windows offer sweeping views of rugged mountains, winding river canyons and striking red-rock landscapes, while the daylight schedule allows travelers to take in the scenery throughout the ride.

Why Reba McEntire loves traveling by train

Beyond the beautiful views, another highlight of the Canyon Spirit experience for Reba was feeling pampered.

“The thing I loved about the train was the hospitality,” she says with a smile. “The food was amazing. The train was so clean and it’s got that big dome glass top that you can stand and take great pictures. Also there was one girl that would tell us the history of every little town we came through. So it was a history lesson.”

For anyone who loves documenting their adventures with photos, the route offers plenty of opportunities to capture the spectacular scenery.

“The pictures we got to take are like masterpieces,” Reba gushes. “They are just absolutely gorgeous.”

Reba shares her favorite parts of the experience

The Oklahoma-born entertainer also loved sharing the trip with friends who appreciate travel as much as she does.

“Rex and I went with some friends from Tennessee and Texas,” she says. “Melissa Peterman [her co-star on NBC’s Happy’s Place] went with us. It was a group of people who love to travel.”

She continued, “A lot of people don’t want to be in an enclosed space like that for two days. You’ve got to pick people who are versatile, who like each other, who want to meet new people. So it was a combination of Californians, Texans, Tennesseans and we all meshed together and have remained really close friends. It’s a lot of fun when you get to travel with a different group and see it through their eyes.”

For Reba, the trip offered a chance to slow down, connect with friends and appreciate the journey as much as the destinations. She was especially enthralled by the railroad’s history and the engineering behind its route through the mountains.

“We went through so many tunnels. It was just really fascinating to see the architecture that people had to do in blasting out the sides of the mountains to make sure these tracks could go through in these tunnels,” she says.

“It was just so much fun to me. I love the history, but I think I’m attracted to it more than anything because I love trains.” The experience only strengthened Reba’s love of rail travel, and she already has a few more adventures in mind.

Reba McEntire reveals other train trips on her bucket list

“I want to go to other countries,” she says. “I’ve always been fascinated with the Orient Express and there’s a train that goes from Cape Town, South Africa up to—I think—Victoria Falls. I’d love to do that!”

Reba has enjoyed her partnership with Canyon Spirit and looks forward to more journeys on the rails. “It’s a great group and a great organization to team up with,” she smiles. “They are very professional and it’s a top of the notch organization. And there’s just something romantic and nostalgic about trains that I really love!”

Reba’s Canyon Spirit Rockies to Red Rock trip at a glance

• Train experience: Canyon Spirit, a daylight-only 2-day scenic train journey through the American West
• Route featured: Denver, Colorado, to Moab, Utah
• Overnight stop: Glenwood Springs, Colorado
• Scenery: The Colorado Rockies, dramatic canyons, winding rivers and the rugged landscapes of the American Southwest
• Onboard highlights: Panoramic dome windows, dining, hospitality and historical narration
• Reba’s favorite part: The beautiful scenery, welcoming hospitality, delicious food and fascinating railroad history