Only two weeks until I depart on the first leg of my rail adventure and plans are coming together well. While I’m still lining up interview opportunities and sight seeing, most of my lodging and locations are set:

January 5

I depart via Amtrak from Kansas City, MO to Lamy, NM. I arrive in Lamy on the afternoon of the 6th and take a shuttle to Santa Fe, NM, where I’ll stay for three nights at the Santa Fe Sage Inn. The Santa Fe Sage Inn, a favorite Santa Fe hotel and New York Times hotel pick, is located in the Guadalupe Shopping and Dining District. I’m eager to explore the year-round Farmers’ Market across the street from the hotel. I’ll also enjoy lunch at the Four Seasons during my visit.

January 9

On the 9th, I leave Santa Fe for a weekend in Albuquerque, NM. I’m looking forward to staying at the Nativo Lodge where Native American contemporary artists transform guestrooms into large scale installation works of art.

“Nativo Lodge’s new artist rooms offer our guests a very unique experience unlike anything else in New Mexico. Most people experience art in galleries or museum settings. Guests in these artists rooms get to sleep in a room that is an art piece in itself. These artist guest rooms are designed by emerging New Mexico Native American artists. The artwork in the rooms is deeply rooted in cultural traditions but is expressed in surprising ways.”

January 12

I head to Flagstaff, AZ for the week. I’m still confirming lodging and activities, but during my stay, I’ll take a day trip to the Grand Canyon and am planning an overnight visit to Sedona, AZ.

There are such exciting story opportunities with this trip. In addition to research for my book, Wanderlust: A Woman’s Journey of the USA by Rail, I’ll be writing articles about women traveling the rail solo and also interviewing individuals about what makes their locale unique. I want to focus on the diversity of the USA. I’ve always loved immersing myself in various cultures, reveling in the differences that make us so unique. This trip offers an exciting opportunity to share the individual and collective uniqueness of each area: illuminating, while honoring, the diversity that exists.

Two weeks until departure!