Epic and global train trips

Orange County Register via The Wichita Eagle reports on epic train journeys around the world.

Writer Gary A. Warner shares some of his favorite train trips

VIA Rail: Vancouver-Jasper. The route from Vancouver to Jasper in the Canadian Rockies is called "the ski train" in winter. Come summer, the 1950s dome car features views of pine forests, vast lakes and some of the tallest peaks on the continent.

The Indian-Pacific, Australia: This epic 2 1/2-day Australian rail ride from Sydney on the Pacific Ocean to Perth on the Indian Ocean covers 2,704 miles.

Rovos Rail, South Africa: A fatal accident has cast a shadow over the once exemplary record of this luxury train that operates throughout South Africa and sometimes to the north. Rovos excursions in the past include an epic trip to Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe-Zambia border and then on to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.

Southwest Chief: The successor to the classic Santa Fe train roughly parallels old Route 66 from Los Angeles to Chicago.

Read the full story: Great train journeys: riding the rails around the world

Photo by Bruce C. Strong / MCT

Staycation: "ditziest word" says Kansas paper

Kansas paper, The Wichita Eagle, gives a very good opinion about the silliness behind the travel concept of a staycation:

"The ditziest word in current use is 'staycation.' That's the shameful, second-rate substitute for travel that various pundits are currently recommending."

Ecotravel News has previously written about this trend, even proclaiming it the "ultimate in ecotravel." So although we still do stand by this claim, The Eagle's poor opinion about it has struck a chord.

The Eagle writes that traveling anywhere outside your immediate area will give you experiences and education that you'll never get from just staying at home. Even if money and high prices seem like taking a vacation difficult, there are ways to save, like get a cheaper hotel or cut down on sightseeing expenses.

And if that travel is friendly to the environment, even better.

Read the full story: 'Staycation' is outdated thinking

Kansas reporter's Southwest Chief train ride

Kansas newspaper, The Wichita Eagle, posted a great travelogue by reporter Mike Hutmacher about his 24-hour train journey from Newton to San Bernadino, California.

Eschewing a harried plane trip, Hutmacher took Amtrak's Southwest Chief train that travels back and forth between L.A. and Chicago.

Hutmacher was prepared to be bored during the day-long journey but he found interesting people to talk with and even enjoyed the dining car experience:

"It was refreshing that I could choose when, what or if I wanted to eat, as opposed to being offered a tray with a stale ham sandwich, a cup of fruit, a bag o' nuts and can of soda."

He also notes that traveling by the rails should become more popular since gas prices continue to go up and more people are looking into alternative forms of travel.

Read the full story: Patience makes Amtrak trip from Newton a rewarding train journey