Why bother with out-of-the-way airports, overbooked flights, taxis or expensive downtown parking? Take a train ride instead! Trains go right where you want to go, delivering you from the heart of one city to the heart of another. What could be more convenient? Save yourself the aggravation and give yourself more time for your business or fun things to do with the family. If you're looking for a new adventure, an exciting and different way to travel is by train. Train travel is increasingly attractive to travelers who want comfort and convenience, but are also budget-conscious. Plus, a scenic train ride can even be a vacation in itself. Need more reasons to take the train? 

1. Trains are an increasingly cost-effective alternative to planes, particularly if you’re going a relatively short distance or wanting to venture into areas of the US that you'd otherwise not see. 
2. Train fares tend to be the same day after day on any particular route, whether it’s Monday or Saturday, April or August, two months in advance or two days before departure.
3. Amtrak allows you to bring 200 pounds of luggage — plus personal items — for free. Try bringing that on a plane!
4. There’s something refreshingly traditional about taking a train, particularly if you’re traveling over a long, multi-night route. The days of silverware and fine china in coach class may be long gone in the airline industry, but on overnight trains you’ll still find dining cars with full-service meals and uniformed wait staff. During the day, many train travelers choose to read books, play cards or simply enjoy the scenery rushing by.
5.  Rather than cramming yourself into an ever-shrinking airplane seat or squinting at road signs trying to figure out where to make your next turn, why not relax on a train? It’s one of the least stressful forms of transportation out there: someone else does the driving, you’ll have more legroom than you would on an airplane and you’ll be able to move around at will — not just when the captain turns the seatbelt sign off.

There are many train journeys you can take across the United States with stops in exciting cities, historic landmarks, and national parks along the way. Hit the rails and travel through 46 states by train with access to over 500 destinations from coast to coast on America’s national passenger rail network, Amtrak! 

If you are looking for a weekend getaway, Amtrak tours are the perfect way to get a taste of a region. These packages last just a few days and include fantastic destinations like Chicago, Toronto, New York City, Seattle, Los Angeles and even national parks and Niagara Falls! 

Why not experience the beauty of the great American West aboard the Southwest Chief, departing from Chicago and traveling through New Mexico and Arizona. Venture to the country’s perennially popular national parks, including Grand Canyon, Glacier and Yellowstone, via the railroad. Amtrak vacations aboard the California Zephyr offer a cross-country expedition from the Midwest to San Francisco. You even have the option to explore the historic and exciting destinations of the East Coast with a train trip aboard Amtrak’s Acela or Adirondack. Best of all, you can choose between different travel styles for your Amtrak train trips, including independent and escorted journeys.

Amtrak has train tours that travel to many beautiful destinations in the United States. These include trips to National Parks, California, Canada, Midwestern United States, Northwestern United States, Southern United States and Western United States. 

A fun Amtrak adventure is a roundtrip Grand Canyon Getaway visiting Williams, AZ along the way. This 6 day 3 destination includes 3 nights' hotel accommodations, roundtrip service in Coach accommodations on the Grand Canyon railway, a Grand Canyon Freedom Tour and 2 meals included. 

If you're closer than Chicago, This trip is also available to start from Williams, Arizona! If you're looking for a shorter train trip, this is the trip for you. Save yourself the trouble and stay in Arizona by booking this 4 day 2 destination train journey to the Grand Canyon! This trip also includes 3 nights' hotel accommodations, roundtrip service in Coach accommodations on the Grand Canyon Railway, a Grand Canyon freedom tour and 2 meals included! 

What better way to  experience the Grand Canyon than in a luxury train ride? There are more ways to explore Grand Canyon with different beginning destinations. Book a session with me to learn more! 

If you're looking for the ultimate train experience, the Grand Rail Experience on Amtrak is for you. This 14 day 5 destination train journey includes hop-on, hop-off sightseeing tours of Seattle, Washington, Los Angeles, California, and sightseeing tours of both New Orleans, Louisiana and Washington DC. 

This trip comes with 7 nights' hotel accommodations, and 7 nights onboard Amtrak! It also come with roundtrip Coach accommodations from Chicago to Seattle; Seattle to Los Angeles; Los Angeles to New Orleans; New Orleans to Washington, DC; and Washington DC to Chicago onboard the Empire Builder®, Coast Starlight®, Sunset Limited®, Crescent®, and Capitol Limited® along with many choices for accommodation options.

Once on board, sit back and relax as you head west to begin your around-the-country adventure on the one and only Amtrak tour! 

Ready to start planning? Book a complimentary planning session. 

Ready to start planning your next cycling tour? Book a Complimentary Adventure Travel Planning Session.

Visiting a national park is not only for good health and great scenery, it offers the chance to be active if you take advantage of the many hiking, walking, kayaking and other active travel opportunities that are available.

The National Park system provides plenty of opportunity for a variety of vacations and tours. Well over 250,000,000 people visit these sites every year. From educational tours, back-to-nature experiences to relaxing seaside vacations, the plethora of opportunities for recreation at the National Parks is endless. Recreational activities available vary from park to park and season to season. At many parks, you can hike miles and miles of trails and paths on your own or participate an interpretive hike with a ranger; bike; swim; visit the visitor centers and museums and partake in events and interactive displays; ski; fish, and in some, even hunt. And of course, you can always just relax and enjoy the scenery!

At many parks there are special natural attractions to visit and watch. No one would visit Yellowstone National Park without watching Old Faithful erupt at least once!

Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park are known as winter wonderlands with wildlife viewing opportunities, geysers and other thermal features shrouded in mist and fog, and majestic snow-capped mountains, lakes, rivers, and streams laid out before you.

​Enjoy a horse-drawn sleigh ride through the Elk Refuge and see more than 5,000 elk when they migrate to a lower elevation during the winter near Grand Teton National Park. When visiting you can choose  between a snowmobile or Snow Coach tour through Yellowstone National Park including stops at Old Faithful and West Thumb Geyser Basin. 

If you're looking for the perfect opportunity to sight see Yellowstone National Park or Grand Teton National Park and get some amazing shots,  let me help. Schedule a session with me today. 
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