Has anyone seen the commercials lately for CSX and how much gas it takes to actually run a train? It's something phenomenal like 1 gallon for every 90 miles. It is incredibly cheap travel. Too bad we gave trains the shaft after WW2 and opted for trucks and planes for our basic mode of travel and transport.
I have always liked train travel and have yearned to go on another train trip somewhere......anywhere. I have found it to be incredibly contemplative just sitting there looking out at the world completely lost in my own thoughts. The prices are fabulous too. For about the same amount as a plane ticket from Boston to San Francisco, you can have a room complete with a toilet, shower and meals free. Now I know what some of you are saying....."Rita I want to get where I am going as fast as I can". But what if you made time to not rush.........
Lyn is less than enthusiastic about train travel. Primarily I think it is because she will be "stuck" for hours on end with no running room. I am trying to convince her that this really isn't a bad way to go when you just want to relax and let everything go. I mean that is what vacations are about right?
The last time I was on a train it was 1989 and I went to Orlando with my Aunt Irene. Now my Aunt Irene is such a great traveler. She is game for anything. I guess that was also part of the thrill of my first train trip. The trip was my idea and of course she was all for it because it sounded fun. We sat in coach the whole time (I would definitely get a room today) and I spent hours looking out the window and imagining what was happening in all the little towns that we passed along the east coast. We had snacks and cocktails in the entertainment car. The food was good (by 23 yr old standards) and it was an all-around adventure.
I dream about taking a trip out to Seattle by Amtrak and maybe catching the Eurorail in Europe one day. I have visited the Amtrak website many many times checking prices....looking at timetables......plotting an imaginary adventure. With gas prices the way they are today.....I can better afford a train trip than flying or driving!
Maybe I am getting old and the idea of leaving the driving up to someone else sounds more than appealing.....but it is the cheapest travel around with nice amentities if you want them. With gas prices well on the rise, I am hoping that one day Lyn will decide that she might want to give this a shot.
Just once..........
4 comments:
Oh, I too day-dream about another train trip. Luckily, my parents LOVED the Amtrak Auto Train back in the 70's ~ Orlando to DC and then the drive to Boston. We always spent summers and winter vacas in Boston when I was very young so it made sense to take the Auto Train rather than fly so we could have our own car and not bother with inconveniencing a relative, etc. I remember having the sleeper suite and eating in the diner car w/ my parents, towns rushing by. I believe we actually did the cross-country trip at least once when I was very young. I'm thinking D may be up for a train trip or two. We have been thinking of taking the Acela to NYC for a weekend get-away ~ still on our "to-do" list. And the Eurorail...always day dreaming about that...traveling through Europe. D doesn't share that same day-dream so...we'll see about that! A friend of mine traveled through Europe via the Eurorail one summer and had the time of her life. Anyway, Lyn, in my experience, it's definitely worth at least a quick trip ~ who knows, you might get hooked!!
I think it would be fun! You get to see much more of the country and probably meet some interesting folks as well. (Have we convinced Lyn yet?)
Unfortunately she is tough to convince. She did browse the Eurrail website when I pulled it up for her which was a huge stride in itself!
I truly believe that we will all be going back to train travel in the future if we hope to travel anywhere. With recent news reports on airlines closing smaller airports and reducing flights in larger airports....what other choices will we have?
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