[cripplecreek]

I still prefer to drive on my time. I can’t pull the train over for a picnic on the beach, or wander off into the woods to get a peek at a hidden waterfall the locals tell me about.

I have considered a great lakes tour as an interesting alternative vacation.

[MamaB]

Oh, yes we did that too. We saw one of the highest waterfalls in the NW. We had stops along the way to sightsee. We were not on Amtrak since that goes straight through. We were on GrandLuxe and it was fantastic. Seeing the glaciers up close was one of the sights I will never forget. We were on the train about 12 or so days and nights. I was kind of disappointed in Yellowstone. Old Faithful went off on schedule but the rest was not what I expected but maybe I expected a lot more than what it is.

We also went through one of the longest tunnels in the country and it was pitch black for about 7 miles. This trip did not go along the beach since the ones here in the SE are the best in the country or should I say, they were the best in the country. We see that a lot more often than we would the NW Nat’l Parks. I am thinking about having about 10 or so pictures enlarged and framed. The one of Mt. Rainer was terric and looked like I was standing right next to it. We also got some good ones of the animals in Yellowstone including a mama moose and her baby who were taking their time walking across the road.

The company sold the one we went on but the people who bought it are planning trips for next year. We can’t wait. We want to go on the one that goes to the Grand Canyon. We had been talking about flying out to see it but this is so much nicer. The food was out of this world.

I had torn my rotator cuff just before we left here and was going to have to have surgery when I got back but being waited on hand and feet for 2 weeks made it heal on its own. You will never know what you are missing until you take one of these trips. Let me tell you one thing though. It did take us a little while to learn to walk on a moving train.