From Mountains to Canyons, Valleys to Brooklyn: Four Great American Trains to Discover 1. America’s Highest Railroad2. The “Grandest” Railway3. A 150-Year-Old Narrow Gauge Railroad4. And One RR that runs in “A Hole in The Ground” There is just something about historic railroads. Unfortunately, many of the engines and trains that have been saved…
Category: Rail Travel
Drink Your Way Through Cheese Country: Discovering the cheese and liquor trends of Wisconsin by train (Itinerary)
Travel across Wisconsin on the Empire Builder train with stops in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Dells, and La Crosse to discover the best places for a craft brew or distilled spirits — and, of course, plenty of cheese. Day 1 – Milwaukee Welcome to Milwaukee! Located on the “Fresh Coast” of Lake Michigan in southeastern Wisconsin, Milwaukee…
Celebrating Amtrak’s 50th: 8 Incredible Small Town Stops
Train travel may be the most leisurely, scenic, and affordable way to visit small towns in the U.S. Since 1971, when the first Amtrak train departed New York City on its way to Philadelphia, Amtrak, known as America’s Railroad, has taken eager travelers, lulled by the clickety-clack of the tracks and enamored by the sense…
Our 8 Favorite Places For Stargazing
Stargazing is a luxury in itself. Busy lives may keep us from stepping outdoors to observe the night sky, but locale can be a deterrent, too — without darkness and clear skies, many city dwellers miss the special sights of the night sky. That’s where astrotourism comes in. Read Jill’s story at Travel Awaits.
8 Beautiful Colorado Train Rides
The wind brushed my face, causing me to question whether the breathlessness I felt was from the wind, the altitude, or the utter enormity of the Colorado Rocky Mountains I was viewing up close on the train. Riding in an open-air car, the pace was a leisurely 12 miles per hour, which felt like a…
Colorado Fall Road Trip (Itinerary)
Road trips are the travel trend for 2020 so when deciding on our next adventure, fellow travel writer Heide Brandes and I decided to experience the great outdoors of Colorado where we could learn fly fishing and falconry, tour the Royal Gorge Park, and take a train ride on the Royal Gorge Railroad. Day 1:…
Train Talk on NPR with Thomas Wilmer
While visiting Carmel-by-the-Sea, I got a chance to sit down and talk about my favorite topic — train travel — with Thomas Wilmer on his award-winning NPR podcast, Journeys of Discovery. Listen here.
San Francisco Bay to the Monterey Peninsula by Train – Itinerary
Follow along on a seven-night trip traveling to San Francisco, Sausalito, Monterey, Pacific Grove, and Carmel-by-the-Sea with a train ride on the Coast Starlight. Day 1 Arrive at SFO. Take BART to lodging. Check in at Clift Royal Sonesta. The Clift Royal Sonesta is very excited to announce the reopening of their renovated hotel, a…
5 Things You Should Bring On A Long-Distance Train Trip
Long-distance train rides can be a relaxing cross-country adventure — watching the landscape pass, meeting fellow travelers, playing cards, or reading in the observation car — or a long and uncomfortable ride. Your experience will depend on your mindset and how prepared you are before departing. A few important items can make all the difference…
4 Reasons To Travel By Train
Five years ago, I set out to explore the United States by train. The vision started in part because I had spent three months in Europe as a teenager traveling with my mom and two Eurail passes. My sister was in the military, stationed in Augsburg, Germany, so we used her house as a home…
Jill Dutton | Travel Journalist 