The train is a wonderful way to travel and see so much along the way. The US offers many different train trips so that different parts of the country can be enjoyed.

A rail trip you must take in your lifetime is the Alaska Railroad. This train starts in Seward and travels to Fairbanks while viewing beautiful scenes of wild Alaska right outside of your window. There is an Alaskan tour guide on this trip that tells you interesting information while you look at the panorama of the outside. The best part of this trip is traveling right through Denali Park and seeing bears, eagles and moose. With extra large windows on the train it’s easy to take those pictures that you’ll want to show off when you get home.

Every train lover will also want to travel on the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. It is amazing to know that this train has been operating for 126 years since it is one of those wonderful vintage steam locomotives. Even though I am afraid of heights, I enjoyed the breaktaking scenery of this ride that hugs a mountain on one side and drops down several hundred feet on the other side. This is a super way to see Colorado at its’ best.

For that rail experience in the east, the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad is a scenic trip. This ride travels for 53 miles, goes over 25 bridges and through two tunnels. All of these trips start in Dillsboro and Bryson City. It’s amazing to see what western North Carolina has to offer with the gorgeous landscapes and changing vegetation. I’ll never forget the valleys and river gorges all through the Smoky Mountains from the windows of this train.

On a trip to the Grand Canyon, I decided to board the Grand Canyon Railway. This was started back in 1901 and was brought back to life in 1989. This is the best way to travel to the Grand Canyon National Park and to see some historic structures along the way that you may miss otherwise. If you wish, you can also take one of the vacation packages that they offer that include Grand Canyon hotels, RV parks and even more. If you are going to the Grand Canyon, I recommend taking a trip on this railway.

California has some train rides that you would love to take. One is the Shasta Sunset Dinner Train. This trip sounds mild, but look out. The railway starts at the southern part of Mt. Shasta which is 14,162′ high and travels to a company town of McCloud. This is logging country and forest products are everywhere on this trip. The exciting, and sometimes scary, parts of the ride are the sharp curves, steep grades and a nail-biting switch back that I’m still trying to get over. Just remember that you will also enjoy a delicious dinner while going through all of this excitement and beauty.

One way to calm down after Mt. Shasta is to take the Napa Valley Wine Train. This is a 37 mile trip from Napa to St. Helena. A meal is offered for an extra cost, but the best part is the sampling of the different wines from the region. There are some optional stops to tour the Domain Chandon Winery or the Grgich Hills Cellar. I opted to take these stops because this is what Napa Valley is all about; the wine.

There are so many wonderful train trips in the US and each of them has its’ own special theme.

Author Bio: Ira Riklis on Travel

Category: Travel
Keywords: Ira Riklis on travel