Ride Amtrak’s California Zephyr Across Country For a Colorado Vacation

The California Zephyr begins its climb from Denver to Winter Park. Photo credit: Jill Dutton Sometimes the mountains call to you. When they do, one way to experience their majesty is a train ride from Denver to Grand Junction, stopping in Winter Park and Glenwood Springs on the way.   Departing Denver on Amtrak’s California…

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Take a Train Ride through New Zealand on the Tranz Alpine

Using one whole morning of our time in New Zealand to ride the Tranz Alpine served two purposes- one, it would provide us with a very scenic way to get across the south island, and two, it allowed my husband to take a break from driving and sit back to enjoy the views. Apparently some […]…

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A Saturday Morning in Kansas City

Spring is the perfect opportunity to get out and explore Kansas City. Thanks to the KC Streetcar, you can spend a Saturday morning with a trolley ride from Union Station to the City Market, enjoy brunch at The Farmhouse, a farm-to-table restaurant, walk and shop the City Market, then return to Union Station for a…

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Sweet Torture: My First Time Experiencing Reflexology

I lay back, feet soaking in warm water, as she started to rub my forehead. “Oh, this is going to be good,” I thought. Then she moved her hands to the top of my head and the pseudo-torture began. First, she dug her fingers into tender hollows that I didn’t know existed. I imagined a baby’s…

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A Love Affair with Kayaking Started with a Scary Ride

I keep my Advanced Elements Inflatable Kayak in my trunk. Friends laugh and tease me, but whenever I find a chance to get on the water, it’s there waiting for me. No need to lug it out of storage, attach it to the top of my Camry, and drive down the highway looking like a…

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Black & White Photo Challenge – Tracks & Trains

It’s “all aboard!” for Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge which this week is all about tracks & trains. I used to love train rides when I was a kid, especially traveling down from London to Kent to visit my grandparents. Nowadays I rarely take the train except to go downtown. It’s much more economical […]…

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Notes from the Train: The Good, the Bad, the Glorious

Trips are rarely all good or all bad; yet, it’s the blending of these moments that creates a journey. Below are a few notes on the good, the glorious, and the not-so-good (seeing a derailed train, dragging luggage through a blizzard) during my trip through Colorado by rail. March 6: Arrival at Winter Park Arrived…

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Chicago

My wife and I take the train to Chicago every couple of years. It’s a three hour trip from Grand Rapids that affords beautiful views of Lake Michigan. Train travel is one of my favorite methods of getting from point A to point B. I like it because train routes tend to bypass major highways…

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