Top 5: Railroad Bliss

Top 5: Railroad Bliss

• 2.14.2011

I've often blogged about the things that make me happy... Kraft Mac & Cheese, Coffee, Tivo, Sun, large bodies of water (this includes giant bathtubs, but not lakes).... but I don't think I've done a list specific to travelling. Since I travel each week on the Acela to NYC, this seems like a giant oversight... so here is a top 5 of the things that make me happy on the train.

1) Footrest

I know this seems small - but it quite literally makes the whole experience more comfortable. I especially love that the Amtrak one folds out to make it two different heights. What I don't like? Folding them back up. I got my left thumb snapped in one in December and it hurt like a bitch. 

2) Giant Windows

These windows are gigantic. Now, I pretty much always pick the aisle seat because I'm a control freak .... but the giant windows let me see the pretty scenery as I coast through New England on my way to and from NYC (or further).

To be honest, I didn't take this picture myself ... and considering the amount of pictures I take with my phone its embarrassing I couldn't find one in my own collection.... but heck, this sure is pretty.

3) Less children

I love children. I really do. I'm one of the first to oooh and aaaah at babies and toddlers even if they aren't especially cute. But, by some miracle of nature people seem to only take children in cars and on planes. At this point I've probably just jinxed myself for the rest of my train life ....

Pretty sure they tell you to close those overhead compartments
Source

4) Big Seats

Even when the train is stuffed to the brim with people, I still feel like I have personal space. I'm not a huge person but I have a solid 3 inches plus on either side of my before I get to the armrest. This is incredible. 

Source

5) .....
The fifth is harder to come up with..... is it the large overhead storage? the no change fees on travel? the easy rewards system? I think its that I find less "fake" on the train. Its real people going places and I know that happens on a plane ... but it feels different. The conductor getting your ticket sometimes takes a minute to have a conversation and I can't even remember the last time someone taking my plane ticket made eye contact.

In the event you were wondering if I was qualified to make these decisions, I think I am. I have taken the Acela 27 times since mid-October. I'm also banana pancakes crazy enough that I keep track of this stuff in spreadsheets.

But, I've been part of a train family since birth... my parents attempted to take a cross country trip with me as an infant (we all jumped ship in Chicago). I've been pretty "local" in the last few years with the most recent trip  to Orlando in 2007 ... 

choo choo.