Posted on 07/29/2010 6:43:09 AM PDT by Willie Green
What is it about trains that stir the imagination of a bygone era? Taking a train excursion is now an adventure for all ages.
For a glimpse into the golden era of luxury train travel — complete with dining cars, observation cars and panoramic views — a tour to Branson, Mo., is a great place to start. From the window beside your comfortable reclining seat — a seat with honest legroom — you will have a view into history, not just a vista of the cities and countryside along the way.
"Most everyone does a Branson trip by motor coach," said Pat Thompson, program and tour coordinator at the Traverse City Senior Center. "What is so unique about our Branson trip is we are taking the train both ways."
In Grand Rapids, board Amtrak's Pere Marquette, which gets its name from Father Jacques Marquette, the French missionary who founded Sault Ste. Marie in 1671.
Grand Rapids, the second largest city in Michigan, is situated on the banks of the Grand River and the train to Chicago connects the two cities with landscapes and waterways in between. The Pere Marquette travels along the shores of Lake Michigan; the 176-mile trip is considered one of the nation's loveliest short-distance train rides.
Coming into Chicago, the Pere Marquette crosses the South Branch of the Chicago River, famous for its backward flow. Chicago, the nation's third-largest city, is known for its ethnic neighborhoods, as well as its intriguing history. Chicago is one of the largest rail centers in the United States, the first railway having opened there in 1848. Chicago's Union Station, completed in 1909, is the only surviving example of Chicago's great turn-of-the-century train stations. At Union Station you will transfer to the Texas Eagle.
As the Texas Eagle heads south out of Union Station, you'll get a dramatic view of the towering city skyline. In 1885, the first skyscraper in the U.S. was constructed after the Chicago Fire of 1871 had destroyed the entire central business district.
The Texas Eagle also passes through Springfield, the capital of Illinois, which boasts a large number of attractions and historic sites affiliated with Abraham Lincoln. Before the train pulls into St. Louis, the Gateway Arch is visible just to the south of the Eads Bridge. It is the distinctive image of St. Louis. Opened in 1967, the Arch rises to a vertical of 630 feet and is the tallest monument in the United States.
The Texas Eagle enters St. Louis, known as the "Gateway City" and seen as the dividing mark between eastern and western halves of the U.S., in addition to the gateway through which pioneers first migrated west via the Missouri River and Oregon Trail. Named for King Louis IX of France and founded in 1764, it passed to the United States in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase.
"As you disembark in St. Louis, the first night is spent in Fenton, Missouri," Thompson said. "From Fenton we take a luxurious motor coach into Branson the next morning. In the town of Sikeston, Missouri, we stop for lunch at Lambert's Café."
At Lambert's Café, also known as Home of the Throwed Rolls, the waitstaff throws the rolls at you instead of serving them the regular way. If you want a roll, you stick your hand up, and someone from the restaurant fires it at you. You might ask, what if the thrower misses? He just throws another one.
In Branson, travelers will see some wonderful shows — shows by Shoji Tabushi, the Brett Family, Andy Williams, The Twelve Irish Tenors, The Osmonds and Buck Trent. A recent addition to the Shoji Tabushi show is music from some of Shoji's native Japanese culture — the Taiko drums.
The Branson tour includes a visit to Silver Dollar City, with its unique craft shops and Branson craftsmen demonstrating skills in pioneer and Ozark Mountain crafts. Silver Dollar City is a theme park situated at the site of one of the Ozark's oldest attractions, Marvel Cave, designated a National Natural Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Last, but not least, is lunch at the College of the Ozarks, also called "Hard Work U." All full-time students work on campus, rather than pay for their tuition.
Branson in November and December has been recognized recently as a "Top 100 Event in North America" by ABA, the American Bus Association.
"Branson during the holidays gets you in the Christmas spirit, because all of the shows are Christmas shows," Thompson said. "Not only do you have Christmas carolers strolling, but the lights and decorations are outstanding — all of Branson is lit up for Christmas. You won't want to miss it."
LOL. We’re talking seniors here. The average age of the club members is around 70, probably.
When you’re old yo haven’t got time to waste on a stupid choo-choo!
For me, it was from London to Hong Kong, with the biggest highlight being the Trans-Siberian. What a trip! I love travelling by train. Beats any other.
Train excursions are both more affordable and more scenic than most airline or cruise ship packages.
...and is operated without subsidy by a private company. Feel better?
That also is not true.
At best, it is a self-supporting non-profit organization subsidized by tax-exempt status and "volunteers" performing maintenance/restoration work as well as operating the museum.
So you are trying to sell this like a vacation or adventure? Because head to head, I’ll compare airline ticket prices and time of travel to train tickets and time of travel to the same destination any day of the week and you know very well how trains stack up in that case.
I don’t mean to break your heart Willie, but private not for profit corporations are still “private”.
So you are trying to sell this like a vacation or adventure?
I have a better idea.
How about you read the article that was posted,
and then try to guess which one best fits with the topic of the thread?
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