Tag Archives: trains

Dreaming in Railcars

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Revisiting Train Travel on Around Dusty Roads

Returning to My Travel Roots

Let’s harken back to the early days of Around Dusty Roads. When I first launched this blog, it was meant to be a place to share my trips, vacations, and travel experiences—my little corner of the internet where I could relive adventures and maybe inspire a few of you along the way. Over time, as life shifted and travel slowed, the blog naturally evolved into a “bit of everything” space. That’s what happens when you stop hopping on planes and start navigating retirement budgets instead.

I’ve certainly slowed down, and while I adjust to new spending habits, travel has taken a back seat. But as my recent posts have shown, I can still wander in my mind. And who knows—maybe someday I’ll get back to exploring in person.

Let’s Talk Train Vacations

Today, I want to toss the ball back to you, my friendly readers. What do you think of train vacations?

My sister and I once took a 7‑day Amtrak trip to San Antonio, Texas, and New Orleans, Louisiana. It was interesting—quirky in places, scenic in others—and I’d absolutely try something like that again. I’ve also long dreamed of riding the Coast Starlight down California’s coastline between Seattle and Los Angeles. Then again, I’d be just as happy driving it so I could stop and explore every overlook and beach town along the way.

The Rocky Mountaineer: A Bucket‑List Ride

Another rail adventure that has lived rent‑free in my imagination is a journey across the Canadian Rockies. There are several trains that make the trip, but the one I hear about most often is the Rocky Mountaineer.

Their ads paint quite a picture:
“With routes to Jasper, Banff and Lake Louise, the Rocky Mountaineer train winds through the heart of the Canadian Rockies, showcasing untouched terrain you can only see by rail.”

From what I’ve learned, the Rocky Mountaineer offers two levels of service. GoldLeaf features a full double‑dome glass car with an outdoor viewing platform, while SilverLeaf offers oversized panoramic windows and gourmet meals served at your seat. Both are daylight‑only journeys, which means you never miss the scenery—towering peaks, turquoise rivers, and valleys that look like they were sketched by an artist with a very generous imagination.

The downside? The price tag. It looks every bit as expensive as an Alaska cruise, maybe more. And I’m curious about the comfort level. When we took the train in Alaska, they packed us in so tightly it felt like strangers were practically sitting in our laps. Our Texas trip was more comfortable—we even had a tiny sleeping car, but at least it was ours.

Sugar Cane Field- View Form the train 2015

Your Turn, Readers

So, dear readers, have any of you taken the Rocky Mountaineer? Was it worth the splurge? How crowded did it feel? Did the scenery live up to the hype?

I’d love to hear your experiences and thoughts. After all, even if I’m not traveling much these days, your stories help keep the wanderlust alive.

 

Scenic Chair Lifts & Sky-High Leaf Peeping

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🎢 Scenic Chair Lifts & Sky-High Leaf Peeping: New England’s Autumn Adventures

Oh hey, Leaf Peepers 🍁—ready to elevate your fall foliage game? If you’re tired of craning your neck through car windows or dodging reflections off the windshield, New Hampshire and Vermont have a better idea: take to the skies.

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🎿 Chair Lifts & Gondolas with a View
Ski resorts across the region open their lifts to non-skiers each autumn, offering a bird’s-eye view of the blazing reds, golds, and oranges below. You’ll be strapped in, feet dangling, soaring over treetops like a migrating hawk. Feeling bold? Snap a few photos mid-air—if your nerves allow. Prefer something enclosed? Opt for a gondola ride, where you can enjoy the same stunning views from the comfort of a cozy cabin.

Photo Credit Deb Neumann

 

🎢 But Wait—There’s More (Thrill Seekers, This One’s for You)

🎢 Thunderbolt Mountain Coaster – Berkshires, MA
If your idea of leaf peeping involves adrenaline and velocity, head to Thunderbolt Mountain Coaster in the Berkshires. This alpine coaster climbs 1,500 feet before plunging down Mount Institute in a blur of hairpin turns and forested speed. You might not catch every leaf, but your heart will definitely skip a beat.

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🚂 A More Sedate Journey

🚂 Conway Scenic Railroad – White Mountains, NH
For a gentler ride through fall’s splendor, hop aboard the Conway Scenic Railroad. Winding through the White Mountains, this vintage train offers panoramic views of Crawford Notch’s cliffs and fiery foliage. Want the ultimate experience? Splurge on a seat in the glass-domed car—360 degrees of autumn magic.

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🌳 Walk Among the Treetops

🌳 Canopy Walk – Vermont Institute of Natural Science
Ever dreamed of strolling through the treetops? Vermont makes it real. The Canopy Walk at VINS invites visitors of all abilities to wander above the forest floor, immersed in golden leaves and birdsong. It’s peaceful, poetic, and perfect for families, nature lovers, and anyone craving a gentle thrill.

Murch Canopy Walk » HF&G

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🧗 Zip Lines & Obstacle Courses

🧗 Adventure Park – Discovery Museum, Bridgeport, CT
Zip lines used to be a novelty—now they’re a staple of fall fun. At the Discovery Museum’s Adventure Park, you’ll zip through a kaleidoscope of leaves, suspended in midair like a squirrel on a mission. But that’s just the beginning: 14 treetop trails await, complete with swinging bridges, ladders, and cable runs. Friendly staff are on hand to help you gear up and get climbing.

The Adventure Park at Discovery Museum: Zipline & Rope Course

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🍂 Leaf Peeping, Reimagined

New England’s fall foliage isn’t just for slow drives and scenic overlooks anymore. Whether you’re gliding above the trees, racing through them, or walking among their golden crowns, there’s a thrill for every kind of adventurer. Seniors, families, daredevils—everyone’s invited to move leaf peeping off the ground and into the sky.

Photo Credit Deb Neumann

 

Gateway to the Klondike

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The ship arrived in Skagway in the wee hours of the morning or maybe it was night.

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It’s getting harder and harder to tell with the late sunsets and early sunrises the farther north we go.

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Skagway is located at the northern tip of Alaska’s Inside Passage.

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As we roused ourselves for the day’s adventures we looked out on a busy dock with a rock wall to hold the bank in place.

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Above the rock wall on the boulders embedded in mountainside we saw logos and ship’s names painted. The story is that when a crew likes the captain they come ashore and paint the ship’s ID on the rocks, the higher and more dangerous, the more the captain is esteemed.

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After breakfast, with the all clear to go ashore, we headed down to find the excursion bus that would take us to the White Pass and Yukon Railroad.

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We needed our passports because this adventure would take us into the Klondike region of Canada.

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The train would take us through the White Horse Pass. During the gold rush in 1896 there wasn’t a train. The stampeeders ( prospectors) had to either take the Chilkoot Trail which was shorter but steeper or the White Horse Pass that was longer but summited lower at 2885 ft.  Both ways were challenging and deadly. The Canadian Mounties waited at Lake Bennett to check supplies. Anyone without enough to survive was turned back at the border.

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I can assure you the train was much easier but even today it was easy to see the challenge.  We passed huge gullies and mountainsides as the train wound its way to the summit.

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We passed over trestle bridges and passed into and out of fog banks and clouds.

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Water poured down the mountainsides  in everything from torrents to trickles as the snow on the peaks began its spring melt.

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Pretty soon we had reached the snowline but even though we were traveling through snow the water continued its downward path. At times we were so close to the mountain side that a foolish person could have reached out and touched the rocks as they flew by…and lost a hand or arm had they been so careless.

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At times we could see across the “gulch” where another train ahead of us was already traveling upward or maybe returning downward.

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We could see where we would soon be. More than any place else that we’d been, this train ride captured the true wildness of the Alaska mountains.

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I admit, I stood in the cold outside the car in an attempt to capture some of the fantastic wilderness that surrounded us. My efforts fell far short of what we actually saw. The fog or clouds (depending on who you ask) only added to the drama of the ride.

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Once we arrived at Lake Bennett we had to wait for the Canadian Customs Agents. We were told not to speak unless spoken to, to have our passports out and open and to NOT TAKE ANY PICTURES!

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2 Agents boarded and made their way down the aisle. They never smiled. They were quite intimidating. The only time they spoke was to ask a foreign visitor for his visa as well as his passport. He had the visas for his whole family so they checked all of them then left the train.

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The bus was waiting to take us to the next stop, a suspension bridge. Everyone headed to the lake to take pictures but the bus driver rounded us up with promises that we’d be back and we could take pictures then. He said we had a schedule to keep.

Scenic Train to North Creek

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OK I have a confession to make before we get started. I don’t know how scenic this train ride was at all.  Four of us took the trip, my sister, my mother and my aunt…my mom’s sister-in-law. But let me start at the beginning.

Saturday dawned very gray and overcast. The forecast was for rain and we just hoped it would hold off until we got back home in the afternoon. Everyone met at my sister’s house so we could go to the train station together. Lorna, my Aunt, volunteered to drive because she had the biggest car, an SUV.

The train ride starts in Saratoga, NY and ends in North Creek, NY home of Gore Mountain Ski area. Sandy and I were hoping the foliage would be in high gear but we were about a week too early. As it turned out it didn’t matter anyway. I don’t think anyone spent too much time gazing out the windows. We could call our train ride the Reunion Train. Although we occasionally tried to figure out what river or body of water we were passing, most of the trip up and back was playing “catch up” , reminiscing and just plain having fun chatting. On the trip north the seats faced each other so it made conversation amongst the four of us easy.

When we arrived in North Creek there was a bus to take folks to Gore Mountain if you wanted to ride the gondola to the top of the mountain. That idea got vetoed pretty quickly so we had the option of taking a golf cart up the hill to main street or walking up the hill.

We may have been a band of Senior Citizens but we chose to walk.

North Creek seems to be pretty much the main street and that’s it. We strolled along looking in the windows and checking menus. We had arrived about lunch time. There were lots of tempting menus but we finally settled on Marsha’s. It turned out that it was a good choice. There was that Open Faced Hot Turkey sandwich again! This one was most definitely fresh roasted..delicious. If you get to North Creek you have 3 recommendations for Marsha’s Hot Turkey sandwich!

Lunch over we still had about an hour to kill so we crossed the street to visit a gallery that was located next to a Pizza place with the name of “Pete’s Ahh”. Very creative!

The Gallery was beautiful. So many lovely arts and crafts from photo postcards (very similar to what I do) to paintings, glassware, even clothing. All the items in the shop are on consignment and all of the artists are local. I asked because I thought maybe I could put some of my work in there but they shot that idea down quickly (but nicely). I don’t live in the Adirondacks anymore. They’d take my work if I ever move back.

Near the door on the ceiling were some metal things. I didn’t realize they were pipes. Someone asked what they were and the clerk said “rain”. She walked to the wall and threw a switch and sure enough, it began to “rain” . The pipes followed above a “creek” in the floor where goldfish swim. When the pipes are turned on the water drips slowly like a gentle rain. You walk over the bridges to get to different parts of the shop.

As we left the gallery the rain that had been threatening outside began to come down for real so we headed back to the train station. There was a covered deck with benches and chairs so we settled in to wait for the train.

I didn’t take too long before the train arrived and soon it was all aboard for the return trip to Saratoga. This time the seats were more traditional in rows. We could have sat in a row of 3 with one  across the aisle but we chose instead to sit 2 and 2. Sandy and Lorna in the front 2 seats and Mom and me in the 2nd set of seats.

The rain was coming down pretty good now and it was getting very dark for so early in the afternoon. We got back to Saratoga around 6pm and hurried back to Sandy’s so that everyone could scatter to their own homes before the weather got any worse.

Just as Sandy and I were about to address the question of dinner a knock announced the arrival of George and Kelly and the kids. They arrived bearing Pizza..yumm so the question of dinner was solved and I got to enjoy a visit with some more of the family. The 40 balloon “Moon Glow” at the airport was rained out but I had completely forgotten about it anyway.

What a great day with all of the family!

A little Engine that Could

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Back on terra firma I realized I was hungry. A pizza place across from the wharf seemed like a quick solution. The pizza was good but it was the 2nd most expensive pizza I’ve ever had. The most expensive was in Honolulu, Hawaii.  But this was 2 slices and a soft drink…$10.00 +. So if you enjoy a slice at Bill’s Pizza expect it to cost you.

So pizza break under my belt I retrieved the car and headed out to find Fore St. I was looking for Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum. I found Fore Street but I couldn’t seem to find the museum. Up and down the street I went then I spotted it. It was just a little sign and it looked like a kind of beat up neighborhood. I followed the signs as the pot-holed driveway wound between run down commercial buildings. I finally pulled into a dirt parking lot that seemed to be the end of the road.

A train sat on the tracks next to the parking lot, the engineer  leaning out of the cab talking to another man. I trotted over and asked if I had found the museum. Assured that I was in the right place the engineer said this was the last run of the day and directed me to the museum to purchase a ticket to ride.

The museum was located in another beat up commercial building. I grabbed a ticket and climbed aboard.

The open air car I was in had wooden benches that ran the length of the car. You sat facing out of the windows on the side of the car. I didn’t have long to wait before the “All aboard” sounded and the train began to move.

The conductor came around to punch our tickets explaining to the children how each conductor had their own punch so you could tell who the conductor was on a run by the shape of the hole in the ticket.

Once all of the tickets were punched we were told a little bit about the railroad. Our conductor was a retired history teacher so he loved this part of the trip when he could  teach again.

The railroad is a “narrow gauge” railroad. All of the cars they have were purchased from Edaville Railroad when it shut down at one time. Edaville is in Carver, MA right near where I live  and almost closed last year  (again) but thankfully it was resurrected  and some real changes are being made. But Edaville has had an up and down history and during one of the down points much of their “rolling stock” was sold off. It seems that this little railroad in Maine  was the beneficiary of Edaville’s misfortune.

The trip took us along Casco Bay, past lovely parks and into a more disreputable section where we came to a stop and everyone piled out. A man was walking his dog but other than that there was nothing here.

The bridge ahead was unsafe so the trip stops there.

A high point of the stop was the osprey nest on top of the bridge supports. There were 3 osprey perched there watching us watch them.

After the brief stop they loaded us back on the train and back we went to the rail yard.

I took a few minutes to explore the little museum.

There were full-sized rail cars, trunks, signal lights and miniature trains, all things train related. A railfan would love this place. The train even had  the “little red caboose”.

As it was time for them to close up, I wrapped up  my visit. I still had to figure out how to get back out of there.