Trains

Trains are a great way to travel from one city to another. Sometimes they may take longer than driving a car, but often they are much cheaper, there is plenty of leg room, the seats are comfortable, it's possible to sleep or do other work, or there's the option of looking out the window and enjoying the passing scenery. I've taken long train rides many times in Europe but I haven't taken a train in the States since I was a kid. My mom, sister, and I went from Kansas City to St. Louis to visit one of her friends. The trip seemed to take forever (I think it's around 6 hours) but I remember looking out the window most of the trip, watching the changing scenery.

While visiting my dad in Albuquerque to help him with his knee surgery, one of the things I wanted to do was visit Santa Fe. I absolutely love turquoise and the style of Southwest jewelry so it was definitely a must. My dad's girlfriend and I had planned to drive there (around 45 minutes to an hour) but at the last minute we decided to take the train- and I'm so glad we did. I hadn't been in the SW since I was 11 and since arriving in Albuquerque two weeks before, I hadn't gone much further than a 15-mile block all within the city, so this was a wonderful way to see some of the landscape (most of which is on an Indian reservation).

It was an overcast day that eventually led to snow, but it kind of added to the awe of the landscape.

(Note: when taking a train, it is important to be on time and to know the schedule after your intended time of departure because it is possible you may want to extend your stay... and in that case, pay attention to how the free transport gets from the bus station to the center because you may be running in the other direction trying not to miss your train. It's not like we did any of the above or anything)

Here are some images from the trip: