Southern Pacific Caboose

Superseded by advances in technology and railroad management, the noble caboose no longer rides the rails in the United States. Southern Pacific #1886, shown here, has not only been saved from the scrappers by the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum, who have spruced her up to like-new condition inside and out from the wheels to the chimney.

Riding past this, I added the museum to my bucket list.

Back to My Happy Place

Car 33, Room A, aboard the Southwest Chief, boarding at Chicago Union Station. Welcome to my favorite vacation spot.

You can have your beaches. You can have your spas. My idea of total relaxation and rejuvenation is a weekend – or a week – in a private sleeper aboard a long-distance train across America.

Amtrak is my happy place.

Box Dinner

Was it a box dinner? Yes – we didn’t have a dining car on the Empire Builder out of Portland until we hooked up with the #8 in Spokane at midnight.

Was it awful? NO! It was phenomenal!

Another score for Amtrak: consistently better food onboard than in any business class menu on any airline I have ever flown.

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