The enchantment of train travel
It's special on a train
We're going to a wedding this summer in upstate New York, one of my favorite places. I say we, because there are a lot of us - my immediate family including all my cousins.
After that, we are all heading back down to NYC. I had booked a train ticket, because I was going to leave before everyone else, but now everyone is headed down to the city on the same day, so I canceled the train ticket and I'll ride with one of them in their cars.
I sort of regret it because the trains to and from New England, and upstate New York go through incredible vistas.
What's interesting is that when trains were new in the 1830s and 1840s and beyond, the tracks were built going through towns that were big and small - mostly small towns and some not even existent yet.. So if you take a train trip these days, you pass through and stop at stations that are literally in the center of town. You can get off the train and be in a coffee shop, library, hotel or whatever, in what literally is steps away, in many places.
I've taken the train from Boston to NYC often and it's amazing how you ride through and stop at the center of towns like Providence, RI; Mystic CT; New London, CT and so many more small towns. It's how it was done in the past.
Upstate New York trains take you right next to the Hudson River, literally feet away. If the tracks were built today, I would guess that waterfront property would be full of houses and buildings, feet from the water. But luckily it's not that way due to the train's right of way. It's a wide open view.
These small towns grew up around the train stations so it makes a lot of sense.
I believe if the trains were platted today, they most likely would be in warehouse districts or unseen places, away from the cities, sort of like airports, where we would have to Uber into town.
But since train tracks are permanent, we get to see the cities and towns that they encouraged to grow over the years. And in the beginning, they were built close to and inside of towns, and where there were no towns, towns were started and grew up.
A train ride is an adventure in itself. It's about the journey, not the destination.
There's a tv show I've seen called Mighty Trains, where this guy Teddy Wilson takes us on a trip through various countries - from one end to another. It's enjoyable all because of the scenery and small towns along the way.
Another show I have seen in Railroad Alaska, where we follow two trains which travel from southern Alaska daily - one a passenger train, the other freight. The adventure comes in where the track workers have to clear the tracks of Alaskan elements - landslides, broken tracks, avalanches, etc. All while the railroads are running.
People live along the routes and flag the trains down to catch a ride - there are no stations along the way. It's quite enjoyable.
If you have the time - train travel is worth the trip; and adventure. There are books here geared to train travel in the U.S. and around the world. Check them out for a new type of adventure.
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