See the USA by Rail

Every fall when activities hipe up I start planning an escape from the hectic life. Maybe the travel escape tendency arises because fall brings busy schedules after the leisure of summer pushed by overbearing, fussy, frantic people. I do remember as a youth and a parent sensing the desire to escape when having to buckle down again to the strict demands going back to school always presents. That being so, I found the best plan then is to plan a trip.

In researching the topic of train travel I discovered a lot of other people writing about travel. Travelitis is universal. The present economy depends on it! Amtrak, while experiencing some financial hardship, has 22,000 miles of track across 46 states. Amtrak's primary shareholder is The United States Government. If your' interested in a fall trip, the best rates are reported to be during the spring and fall seasons.

Did you know dear Old Uncle Sam publishes travel information. It is quite an excellent site for beginning any trip plan. There are answers to in regard to train and road travel, border waits, motorist questions, car safety, foreign visitors Q&A's, scenic byways, fuel economy cars, and all about AMTRAC services and schedules. You'll be quite pleasantly surprised, as was I, at the truly helpful information.

I won't spoil all your surprise by relating all the available information. But, to let you know you'll be missing out if you ignore the site because if you will drive 2-3 miles (or 30) to save a dollar on gas, then the pages on car milage will feed your need to know how to best conserve gas and its' drain on your pocketbook! They have provided a means to calculate and compare economy automobiles.

Being the granddaughter of a railroad man and having grown up during the years when train travel was a primary travel option, I found train travel one of the most enjoyable forms of seeing the USA. We once journeyed via Amtrak from Washington, DC to New York in the 1990's. Filing out into New York's Grand Central Terminal is exciting and it is a beautiful example of art and architecture! I also enjoyed an Amtrak overnight trip from DC to Mississippi.