Take the Train

The photo is my view of the Colorado River from the window of Amtrak's California Zephyr. I just returned from a Seattle-to-Denver roundtrip. Three days each way!

Train travel is undeniably expensive and can be frustrating out West, where the connections aren't as convenient as on the East Coast, but I indulge myself whenever I can.

There's nothing quite like seeing the countryside by train -- from junkyards to smalltown backyards, to breathtaking mountaintop vistas that I'd never glimpse on foot. It's relaxing and one of the few places where I can lose track of time in my deadline-driven life.

I might never get used to sleeping on the top bunk in a "roomette," but I love waking up in a new place and heading into the Dining Car to meet whomever I am seated with by the friendly car attendants.

However, trouble is brewing. Amtrak appears to be undergoing the same, sad chipping away of services and civility that airlines have experienced, and the Trump Administration consistently proposes slashing its budget.

I learned on this trip that Dining Cars might be phased out altogether, in favor of "boxed meals" and prefab snacks. The vintage Parlor Cars that used to offer wine-and-cheese tastings on some routes are already gone. The colorful brochures that featured interesting facts about the train route? Also gone.

I meet so many people who tell me they've always wanted to take a train trip.

Please do it while you can -- and speak up for keeping Amtrak in business.