Scenic Train Rides Around The World

I'm not sure why on scenic train rides you candescends some streches of track caboose-first.
have a beer, but you can't on a bus. In any case,There's a lunch stop in one of the small mountain
this is one of the reasons to take a train ride.towns. When we took the train (May 2004), it
Another reason is that they go where the roadswas limited to 40 passengers, and tickets sold out
don't, so you'll see scenery you miss when driving.quickly.Agawa Canyon RailroadOne of the more
Trains don't have to stop at traffic lights, and youscenic train rides in the north, starts and ends in
can get up and walk around. Finally, trains areSault Saint Marie, Ontario, Canada, just over the
relaxing for all the reasons above AND theborder from Sault Saint Marie, Michigan. It's an
rythym of the rails.Amtrak has scenic sections,all-day trip that goes through a rocky and
and there are also numerous dinner trainsheavily-wooded wilderness, along the Agawa
operating around the United States now.River, to Agawa Canyon. At the canyon, you can
However, the most scenic train rides are thehave a picnic in a beautiful meadow, or just relax
classics. Below are a few to whet yourand enjoy the scenery, before reboarding for the
appetite.The Silverton-Durango Narrow GageI firstreturn trip.Autumn, when the maples have all
caught this train far from any road. I was in thechanged color, is the most beautiful time to take
Weminuche Wilderness Area, next to a footbridgethe train. It's also the most difficult time to get
over the Animas river, where they stop iftickets, so plan far ahead. The route is also run as
backpackers there flag them down. Morethe scenic "Snow Train," in winter.The Thunder
recently, my wife and I took the train fromMountain LineThunder Mountain Line has scenic
Silverton to Durango. Wherever you catch thistrain rides that take several routes in Idaho,
train, it will be an experience you won't forget.It isstarting from Horseshoe Bend and Cascade.
a classic steam locomotive that goes throughDepending on the route you choose, you'll travel
Colorado's San Juan Mountains, along the Animasthrough dramatic narrow canyons,
river. At times you'll look out the window, oversagebrush-covered hills, mountain meadows, or
the edge, to the water hundreds of feet below.pristine evergreen forests. The tracks follow the
In Silverton you can eat good food, buymountain trails settlers used a hundred years
souvenirs, and see an old-west mining town thatbefore. You may see deer, fox, elk, blue herons,
hasn't much with time.La Nariz Del DiabloTrainosprey, and bald eagles. Rides vary from three to
rides on this line, which goes from Riobamba tofive hours, depending on the route.Amtrak's
Alausi, Ecuador, are scenic and adventurous. OnScenic Train RidesThe California Zephyr, Amtrak's
our recent trip, my wife stayed inside, but I rodetrain from Chicago to San Francisco, passes
on the roof for the first half of the ride. Despitethrough the Rocky Mountains and the more
the occasional rain, there were twenty otherbeautiful (in my opinion) Sierra Nevadas. The
travelers up there. I highly recommend you payCoast Starlight goes from Seattle to Los Angeles,
the dollar to rent a pillow to sit on. Your finalwith views of snow-covered mountains, thick
destination is a valley with a view of a rockforests, and long stretches of Pacific Ocean
formation high above, called "La Nariz Del Diablo,"shoreline. Amtrak's Auto Train is a unique scenic
or "The Devil's Nose."Be careful of tree branchestrain ride that allows you to take your car with
if you're on the roof, and be prepared for ayou from Lorton, Viginia, to Florida.Steve Gillman
five-hour ride. It starts in downtown Riobamba, inhit the road at sixteen, and traveled the U.S. and
the highlands of the central Andes Mountains. You'llMexico alone at 17. Now 40, he travels with his
travel through "cloud forests" and finally down towife Ana, whom he met in Ecuador.
a much warmer climate. Interestingly, the train