
“Travel far enough, you meet yourself.” —David Mitchell, author of Cloud Atlas
When the early settlers, businessmen, and explorers of America traveled far, they traveled by train. Although they were on the trains for days, they would use the time to write, observe the country and meet fellow travelers. In reality, they would engage in the kinds of activities that one does to meet themselves.
Americans travel, that’s undeniable, but we often miss out on the real traveling of our country because we hop on a train in one place and hop off in another. Don’t listen to those that call middle America a bunch of “fly-over states” because they have probably never enjoyed the country from a cross country trip on America’s native son, the passenger train.
I wasn’t convinced until I took a train for the first time, going from Paris to Berlin during a “year off” between high school and college. Nothing beat watching the scenery pass by with my travel soundtrack in my ear, a good book, and a drink. And that wasn’t even aboard one of the incredible vintage trains we found all over the United States.
The great part is you don’t even have to travel far for a memorable American railroad experience. We chose these ten trips from around the country for their use of vintage rigs, the cool destinations and the stellar (and sometimes retro, a la Pullman Rail Journey) service.
10. Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad
9. Cape Cod Central Railroad
Plus, every year around Christmas—guess what—the Polar Express comes to whisk children away into their favorite holiday story. Tickets for this special event start at $29/$39 for kids and adults in Standard Class, to $59/$69 for Diamond Class.
8. The Mount Washington Cog Railway
You’ll notice a whole different weather and ecosystem this high up. Panoramic views of mountains and valleys are visible for New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont and even north into Canada. Don’t forget to take your photo at the summit marker!
(780)