quote:

Originally posted by BrenauMom:
[...] The train trip I would like to take leaves (I think from Chicago) and tours 5 National Parks. Glacier may be one of them, I forget exactly but I know it goes to Grand Canyon and Yellowstone. Last time I checked, it cost around $1500 per person.

I found it .
The program where I first saw this was on again this weekend.

It is the National Parks of the West Tour on the American Orient Express.

http://www.vacationsbyrail.com...nal_parks/index.html

Thanks, Sheltie. It was fun to read your memories!

quote:

Did your family drive? Wondering (from your younger perspective) what was great? What do you remember.

Most of all, it was a sense of being transported from Midwest Suburbia to Real Beautiful Nature.

The natural scenery was obviously amazing. Even the smell of the place was wonderfully "outdoorsy."

We took a guided hike up to a glacier.

Next to the road, we saw a grizzly bear, and we got pretty close to mountain goats too.

I caught multiple rainbow trout so big, that an adult wanted to borrow them for a picture - of him!

There was some kind of cool visitor center or restaurant made from gigantic timbers.

We went by car, pulling a small house trailer.

Thanks, Peg-
I will keep that in mind.

Sandy,
Sounds like a lovely trip and I hope you'll report back since Glacier is on my short list of US destinations.

I did want to mention that the trains are often severely delayed so you might consider over-planning a bit. It is not unusual to have major delays of many hours so you don't want to be without something you desperately need. I always remember the story of my friend's brother's family that very nearly ran out of diapers for the baby. I know your kiddo is much older but you are often delayed in the middle of nowhere. That was a winter trip and I think the delays are more common then but there are other delays caused by non-weather issues.

Peg

quote:

Originally posted by Sheltieguy:
As a small boy, my parents took me to Glacier National Park, and it was great, for lack of a more creative work.

A train trip with a sleeper sounds really cool too.

Did your family drive? Wondering (from your younger perspective) what was great? What do you remember. I ask because we are taking our (will be) 12 YO and would like her to remember it as great!

As a small boy, my parents took me to Glacier National Park, and it was great, for lack of a more creative work.

A train trip with a sleeper sounds really cool too.

Thanks, Dawn!

Sounds like a great trip Sandy. I have not been to Glacier, but have heard wonderful things about it. My former BFF's cousin did and intership there one summer and raved about it.

Same BFF's grandparents took a train across Canada and LOVED it. So, I think you'll really enjoy it.

Dawn

quote:

Originally posted by BrenauMom:


Glacier may be one of them, I forget exactly but I know it goes to Grand Canyon and Yellowstone. Last time I checked, it cost around $1500 per person.

I did no think that Amtrak went to Yellowstone. In fact, we were originally thinking of going to Yellowstone, but decided on Glacier in large part because the train goes right through the park and stops just 1 mile from our hotel.

BTW, I think it wonderful that you made such efforts to connect Dena with her grandparents!

I have never been on a long train trip. I did take a one day North Georgia Leaf Tour in the fall years ago. The colors were wonderful.

Years ago, when Dena was little, we always went with my bil's family to Florida for Christmas. It was the only time Dena saw those grandparents. One year we decided to go down a week earlier than bil's family and only ride back with them. At first we were going to fly but the cost of a one way plane ticket is ridiculus so we decided to take the train to Orlando. It turned out that to take a train from Atlanta to Orlando you have to go thru Washington, DC (4 hour layover) and it takes TWO DAYS!
My sil said, "You can go to Winter Park instead and my parents can take you to Grandma's." so I checked on that. That train did not go thru Washington, it went thru Alexandria, Va. (4 hour layover) and still took 2 days .
Then I had a brain storm. I realized I was going to have the same problem (in reverse) in June of the next year because we were planning to spend a week with the grandparents in Orlando and then they were going to bring us home on their way to visit relatives in Ohio. (when Dena was little I went to great lengths to arrange for her to spend time with her other grandparents because she saw my parents several times a week)

The solution to my problem was to buy round trip plane tickets (much cheeper than one way... or train tickets) which allowed us to fly to Orlando in December and "return" in June of the next year!! Worked like a charm

So we never got to ride the train. The train trip I would like to take leaves (I think from Chicago) and tours 5 National Parks. Glacier may be one of them, I forget exactly but I know it goes to Grand Canyon and Yellowstone. Last time I checked, it cost around $1500 per person.

The train is expensive! We could have flown for less $, but we really wanted to adventure of taking the train. From what you're all sharing, my guess is that the extra $ for a sleeper is worth it. (Plus, when you get a sleeper, you have access to showers and a semi-private larger bathroom.)

I have only been on the train once--from DC to Florida many years ago--and we did NOT get a sleeper car. We were trying to economize and we paid for it. We were in the last 2 seats in the last car and we were whipped around the whole trip--hard to get comfortable. If I had it to do over again, I would get a sleeper...of course, I could better afford a sleeper now than back then too! hehe

Thanks for the response. We did book a family sleeper car! I am so looking forward to the trip.

Sandy,

Our closest friends did a train trip for their honeymoon 19 years ago, and they LOVED it! One of the things that they wish they had done differently was to get a sleeper....they didn't think they'd need it because their trip was only about 27 -29 hours or so, and they thought they'd be fine sitting up and sleeping.....they still talk about regretting that decision and it's been almost 19 years! (Their anniversary is in July).

Never been to Glacier National Park, but I do hear that it is beautiful.

I did an overnight train in Europe which was AWESOME but it was a LONG time ago. I actually really like the train....it's a good way to relax, talk and not worry about where you are going and if you are following the directions properly : )

My in-laws routinely took the car train from New England to FL and slept overnight. They did it for years and thought it was much preferable to driving the whole way.

I bet it will be beautiful!