ALL ABOARD!
By Gwen Fontenot
Summer is traditionally a time for family vacations and for creating memories with our friends and families. Some families have a tradition of going to the beach every summer. Others go to a favorite camping spot. Still others try to visit new places each year. So, what do you do when you’ve visited the same place numerous times but, for whatever reason, you don’t have other options for your summer vacation and have to return to the same place?
That’s exactly what happened to me this summer. When planning our annual vacation with my youngest of kin, it became apparent that I would not be able to extend our trip beyond three or four days, including travel time. So, once again, I knew that New Orleans was going to be our destination.
We can think of lots of things for adults to do in New Orleans. We can entertain ourselves simply by dining at a variety of wonderful restaurants, partaking in festivals or musical activities, or visiting some of the museums in the city. But, when your entourage consists of a four-year old, a nine-year old, and an eleven-year old, that changes things! Having been to New Orleans with this group three of the past four years, I knew they were going to be less than impressed when I announced our destination.
I have had the good fortune of spending time in Europe during the past few years and have thoroughly enjoyed the adventures of traveling around the continent by train. While trains have long been a part of America’s landscape, their predominant role in the U.S. is in the distribution of goods, not as a means of transportation for people, except, of course, on the East coast. Like most Americans, I have seldom had or taken the opportunity to travel by train in the U.S. So, I thought “Why not do something different and surprise the little ones with a train trip to New Orleans?”
Having only traveled on Amtrak’s commuter train between Washington, D. C. and Philadelphia, I really didn’t know what to expect for our journey to New Orleans. I can tell you that non-commuter train travel in the U. S. is for those who are not in a hurry and want to enjoy the experience. If you want to get somewhere fast, take a plane or drive if the destination is close enough. But, if you want to leave the driving to someone else and you really don’t mind being a “slow traveler,” Amtrak is a great way to travel.
Anticipation rose as we sat outside the station just feet away from the tracks and could hear the whistle blowing from what must have been miles away. As the train slowed to a stop, the conductor exited the train, took our tickets and assigned our seats. After stowing our luggage, we made our way upstairs to a clean and non-crowded car with large, comfortable reserved seats located immediately next to the Diner-Lounge car. For longer trips, sleeping and family room accommodations are available. And, for those of you who prefer to travel with electronics, electric outlets are available at every set of seats, which makes it ideal for DVD players and electronic games to occupy both young and old.
While passengers are allowed to have food and beverages in their seats, the train offers both a café and dining area where food and beverages may be purchased and/or consumed. We elected to pack a picnic lunch for the trip but were impressed with the variety on the menu.
The large windows on both sides of the train allow for easy viewing from the two seats on each side of the aisle. But, if you really want to relax and have a great view, the Diner-Lounge car is the place to go. The Lounge area offers large upholstered seats facing floor-to-ceiling windows (they actually curve into the roof of the car to allow you to see the sky above). Small picnic style tables and benches are placed throughout the car making a great place to play games, read, color, or actually eat. Moving between the cars was very easy and safe.
The route from Lafayette to New Orleans took us through New Iberia, then on to Morgan City with a great view of the Atchafalaya River, through the bayous, swamps, and sugar cane fields of Southeast Louisiana, over the Huey P. Long Bridge in Jefferson Parish and finally winding through Metairie to downtown New Orleans. The four-hour journey can be enhanced by downloading podcasts and/or written transcripts of each segment that have been prepared by the National Park Service's Trails and Rails Program and the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences at Texas A&M University. (For more information and for podcasts, go to www.amtrak.com.)
The number of passengers on the return train was greater as many were traveling to destinations such as Lake Charles, Houston, San Antonio and other points between New Orleans and Los Angeles. Even then, we didn’t feel cramped or crowded. We were even joined by a tour group of baby boomers from the New Orleans’ area who were riding the train for the first time just for the experience and taking a bus back from Lafayette. So, if you and your family and friends haven’t experienced train travel or you are just looking for something different to do, get on board Amtrak!