Question of the Day - Monday, April 19, 2021

MonaLyssa33

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No, but it is definitely something I want to do. There's a train ride that goes along the North Shore in Minnesota during the fall that looks like it would be an absolutely gorgeous ride.
 

susanm9006

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If anyone wants to try an Amtrak trip, the train that goes from Denver to Salt Lake City is a day long trip that goes through the mountains and is absolutely stunning. And it’s cheap, something like $75 for a one way.
 
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Norachan

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We have a thread going about flying on airplanes; but how about train travel? Have you ever taken a trip by train?
Yes, I have. I love long train journeys, there's something so romantic about an overnight train ride.

I did an over night trip from Bangkok to Surat Thani, which arrived in time to get the ferry to Koh Samui. I had a couple of overnight train rides in India. I did the Mumbai to Agra, Delhi and Rajhestan route one year, then the other way from Amritsar to Delhi a few years later. I think the longest train ride I ever took was from Beijing to Turkestan. 2 nights, 3 days across the Gobi desert.

Hahhh, I want to go traveling again.

:cloud9:
 
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MoochNNoodles

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Id say start planning and by the time you’re ready to go she’ll be weaned... but by then messing with nap time is like playing roulette or taking your own life in your hands... Now might be better! 🤪
 

debbila

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I took the train with my mom to the World's Fair in NY when I about 12. We were living in Maryland so it was a day trip, not overnight. As an adult, I went to the old World's Fair grounds in Canada by train. My friend and I rode all the subway lines too while we were there. Since moving to Arizona, I have taken the Verde Canyon Railroad trip a few times. It takes you through the Verde Valley canyon on a 2 hr. ride each way. Beautiful scenery and a ghost ranch that was used to film the movie How The West Was Won.

I want to take the Durango to Silverton train trip in Colorado. I love trains.
 

Mia6

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Yes, many. As a child my mother and I would take the train to Albany. New York for visits with her sister and family.
I loved the dining car, first time I ever had fish, trout!! I learned to tie my shoes and tell time on a few of those trips.
 

Lari

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I thought breastfeeding made travel so much easier! No bottles or formula to carry and prepare. Ready-made food on demand.
True! Good point. I'm sure the time between feeds will get a bit longer in the next few months as well.

Covid is still an issue, alas.
 

Tobermory

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The only future train trip I would consider is the Rocky Mountaineer to British Columbia.
Oh, wow, my family and I took that trip in 2002 to celebrate my mom's 80th birthday. It was amazing! We started in Vancouver and ended in Banff. I'd love to do it again some day. Pricey (very), but wonderful for a very special occasion.
I want to take the Durango to Silverton train trip in Colorado. I love trains.
My husband and I did this one a few years ago. Lots of fun and incredible scenery. If you can, spring for the railcar that lets you ride inside. Otherwise you have all kinds of stuff blowing in your face (like cinders). For some reason, the trip wore us out and had we known about it, we would have opted to come back by bus.

I used to travel a lot for work, and I always preferred taking Amtrak rather than flying when I did an East Coast visit. Much more civilized! Except for the time when some guy managed to unzip my purse and take my wallet during the crush to get on the train in NYC. I got him though! I chased him down the aisle (hurtling over suitcases), grabbed his arm, and yelled "GIVE ME MY WALLET!!!!" at the top of my lungs. He did. No one tried to help me, but I think they were all stunned. Everyone sat there with their mouths hanging open. :)

And I used to take Amtrak for day trips from SW Michigan to Chicago. Nice not to have to deal with parking in the city.
 

Silver Crazy

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Havent been on a train for years, wouldnt even know how to buy a ticket now..lol
On a few of our desert trips we put our bikes on the Ghan that travels North/ South from South Australia to Darwin across the central desert and get dropped off in the middle of nowhere and ride our way back home.
The train was mainly freight and had a few passenger cars and a dining car at the end with a bar and aways someone with a guitar...was real fun..took about 3 days to get from home to nowhere..lol
 

Willowy

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my family and I took that trip in 2002 to celebrate my mom's 80th birthday. It was amazing! We started in Vancouver and ended in Banff. I'd love to do it again some day. Pricey (very
I looked that up, and oof! That is pricey! But about the same as a cruise. . .might be a good alternative for those of us who will NOT be getting on a cruise ship, lol. I may suggest it to my mom; she wants to travel more but is claustrophobic and afraid of drowning so cruises are a big no.
 

Tobermory

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I looked that up, and oof! That is pricey!
Yeah, it was $900 per person for two days when we did it in 2002. I can only imagine what it is now. And we didn’t get the pricier seats with the big windows in the upstairs of the rail car. But the seats in the main part were super roomy and comfortable, the aisle was wide, and it wasn’t wall-to-wall people. And breathtaking scenery.
 

Willowy

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Is it somewhat cruise-like? Games or anything? What do they do at night? It said there's drinks and gourmet food but it didn't say anything else. But some of the trips are 12 days long so I don't imagine everyone sits all day for that long.
 

Tobermory

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Is it somewhat cruise-like? Games or anything? What do they do at night? It said there's drinks and gourmet food but it didn't say anything else. But some of the trips are 12 days long so I don't imagine everyone sits all day for that long.
I’ve never been on a cruise, but no games. It was actually quasi-educational. Each car had a staff person assigned who would point out geographical, historical, agricultural, geologic, and other aspects of the countryside as we traveled. It was interesting and the information was presented in short, conversational snippets. Just a few minutes here and there throughout the day. And, of course, he served us food and drinks as well. Otherwise, we amused ourselves: read, chatted, walked a bit through the cars, or pressed our noses against the windows to watch the gorgeous scenery. They actually had a cake for my mom so our fellow travelers gathered to sing “Happy Birthday” to her.

The train stopped overnight in Kamloops, and we were bused to inexpensive (but nice) area hotels and picked up in the morning and taken back to the train for the second leg of the trip to Banff. That was it for us. We stayed in Banff on our own for a few days, then rented a car, drove to Calgary, and flew home.
 

mani

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I love train travel... especially overnight ones in cabins. I like the ch-chung-ch-chung :)
I think the best I did was in the early 80s when China only just opened up to the outside world. Four of us travelled first class from Shanghai to Bejing. There were flouncy cushions with embroidered storks, and flower patterned flasks full of green tea. I think it must have been pre-revolution stuff that survived and they brought it all out again.
 

NY cat man

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Is it somewhat cruise-like? Games or anything? What do they do at night? It said there's drinks and gourmet food but it didn't say anything else. But some of the trips are 12 days long so I don't imagine everyone sits all day for that long.
On trains like the Rocky Mountaineer, it's all about the scenery, so the train only travels during the day and stops at hotels each night. On these trips, you're not taking the train to actually go anywhere, it's all about the experience which when I checked their web site, cost $2800 per person for a 7-day trip.
 

Lari

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On trains like the Rocky Mountaineer, it's all about the scenery, so the train only travels during the day and stops at hotels each night. On these trips, you're not taking the train to actually go anywhere, it's all about the experience which when I checked their web site, cost $2800 per person for a 7-day trip.
Which comes out to $400 a day for food, commentary, and transportation, and I'm hoping the hotels are included in that as well. So a bit steep, but not a rip off for what you get.
 

NY cat man

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Which comes out to $400 a day for food, commentary, and transportation, and I'm hoping the hotels are included in that as well. So a bit steep, but not a rip off for what you get.
If you check out their site, they have packages that run from 7 to 15 days, priced accordingly. I would love to take one of them, but Michele refuses to leave the cats in someone else's care for even one night, let alone 7.
 
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