Every once in a while, when I hear that whistle blow, I want to ride the rails! Not as a tramp, though- I want the air-conditioned, bathroom-laden, microwaved-sandwich sellin’ comfort of Amtrak! They have weekly specials and many attractive destinations. And with only 3 different trains, 3 days of travel, and a couple thou, you can get yourself and a buddy from Seattle to Birmingham in a private room with meals included. Amtrak recommends going to Chicago to DC to Birmingham- though I’d like to swing through Louisiana on the City of New Orleans and swing out on the Crescent…

Or maybe I can set my sights lower and take the Empire Builder out to the Wisconsin Dells to see Circusworld and ride the Ducks…