Packing for a long-distance Amtrak trip is easier when the things you need most are easy to reach. After using the USA Rail Pass three times while working toward traveling by train to all 46 states served by Amtrak, I’ve learned to pack for comfort, not perfection. My system is simple: bags within bags. Keep…
Planning your first Amtrak trip comes with questions you may not think to ask until you are already at the station. I’m on a mission to travel by train to all 46 states served by Amtrak, and I’ve already used the USA Rail Pass three times, traveling tens of thousands of miles and countless nights…
I’ve always been fascinated by trains and the idea of rail travel, since we didn’t really have them in Hawaii (unless you count the now-defunct Sugar Cane Train). I’ve taken overnight and long train routes both abroad and within the US. With gas prices rising and TSA chaos at airports, I decided to focus on…
The first time I can remember catching a real train (the Sugar Cane Train and the Pearlridge Monorail don’t count) was the summer after I graduated from high school, when I spent three months backpacking around Europe before heading off to college. My friend Meghan and I bought the Europass option that allowed us 8…
It’s just after 4am and the train stops in Chico, CA. We’ve now crossed the 13 hour mark, almost halfway into my 30-hour train ride. I’ve gotten maybe five straight hours of sleep, which is quite amazing and more than I’d hoped. I’m sure I’ll nap again before the journey is up, but for now…
