There are so many places to see and each city could be a place to explore for a week but I am picking and choosing only the must see or top places to visit. These are places that are unique or so very popular that you don’t want to miss them. There are so many places to choose from that you might find other places that YOU don’t want to miss. So bear with me as I take you on my list of Must Sees. Washington DC is quite a city but now it’s time to move along. The south may still be quite warm even during the spring so we will head south and then west along the Southern States.
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| St. Augustine Spanish Buildings |
Many people from other countries think of the US as Disney World and Coca-Cola. Florida will be our next stop and it’s up to you to decide if the fantasy world of Disney is your destination or if you prefer to explore the Everglades, the Keyes or the beaches of Miami. Cape Canaveral Launch Site is also in Florida along with the oldest United States city of St. Augustine. Take your pick of these and then we will start west.
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| French Quarter in New Orleans |
Next stop is New Orleans and is a city more European than most US cities. The architecture comes mainly from the Spanish and French influences long before Louisiana became a State. The wrought iron balconies and courtyards found in the French Quarter remain a large part of the charm of New Orleans. If you arrive for Mardi Gras you will have to be here in late February or early March and the weather at that time can still be quite chilly because of the high humidity. Since we are traveling a little later than that, we will enjoy New Orleans as it is normally (without it’s make-up on). It still is unique and I suggest you explore more of the city than just the French Quarter. The Superdome is not far across the downtown area. Audubon Park is near Tulane University and the surrounding area has many remarkable older homes that have remained or been restored after Hurricane Katrina. A trolley ride from the French Quarter can bring you to this area. Again, like most large cities, New Orleans is a place where you could spend your entire vacation as there are so many wonderful places to enjoy. We are headed west now and the train is waiting.
Texas is a huge state and the first one we will pass through on our way to our next stop. We are also crossing New Mexico before we reach Arizona, the home of the Grand Canyon. From the view outside the train windows you can understand why so many people enjoy exploring the United States on a motorcycle or in a car or RV. There is a lot of country and it takes a while to get from one place to another and there is so much to see in between.
The Grand Canyon is the natural wonder that is known throughout the world as one of those places that you can’t believe until you see it. I have been there twice. The first time I was too young to really appreciate what I was seeing and my family was in a hurry as we were moving. The last time I was there, I had grown too old to hike down and back up. How I wish I had been there when I was in my young adult years. Many ride the mules but I am not comfortable with placing my trust in a mule when I don’t like heights. The scenery is spectacular but you do need to be cautious as it is a very long way down and not all areas are protected. Helicopter rides are also available for those who love risk taking. Every time you look into the Grand Canyon the light has changed just a bit to make the scene different. The photos above are ones that I took while we were there. You can gaze at it for hours. My suggestion is to go while you are young and make the most of it by taking a trip to the bottom instead of just looking from the rim.
If you just have to go to Las Vegas, it will have to be a side trip by bus, plane, rented vehicle or some other means than the train. Otherwise we will continue on our way to California to see the world’s tallest or oldest trees. They are located in several parks. The Sequoia National Park is one of the least visited but most spectacular due to its location. Depending on the weather the roads are sometimes closed so it is wise to check first. Not only the oldest (largest) tree is here, so is Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the lower US and Kings Canyon, the deepest canyon, along with caverns and caves. If Sequoia National Park is closed, the tallest redwoods are in the Redwoods National and State Parks in northern California. You have to see the redwood trees to believe how big they really are.
We have skipped past Death Valley, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Yosemite National Park. All of these are wonderful places to visit depending on your time and budget. We will talk more about them in the State descriptions later. It is hard to not see everything but at least you are getting an idea of where some of these places are! To see the Great Salt Lake in Utah you can take a train from the San Francisco/Sacramento area and even continue on to Denver, Colorado to see the Rocky Mountains and the ski areas nearby. (Not much snow there during the summer months though.)
By now it must be almost summer and we have headed north with many places to see along the way. We are going through Oregon and then Washington State. Seattle is the jumping off place to head into Canada and on to Alaska. Seattle and the area around it are some of the most interesting places to see but for now we are heading back to the east.
We will cross the Rocky Mountains to Glacier National Park where we will get off. We can explore it if you choose and then take a side trip down to Yellowstone National Park, one of the most unique geological sites in the world. Geysers, hot springs, plus rivers, mountains, wilderness and bison, wolves, bears and deer are waiting for you. Back country hiking and camping can be arranged if you want to get really up close with nature at its best.
Back to the train so we can cross the wide open great plains of the United States until we get off to see Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. The four Presidents carved in stone are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. Only by standing in front of this great carving can you truly appreciate the artistry and engineering skill involved in creating the grandeur on the mountain. There are other tourist sites nearby to make this area a destination for travelers.
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| Vintage Chicago Night Skyline |
You will see the headwaters of the great Mississippi River from the train windows and we will be going through Minneapolis (home to Mall of America) and then on to Chicago where there are many museums, the Navy Pier, Millennium Park, and many other sites to see. We will change trains again here to go south a bit to St. Louis, the city along the Mississippi River where so many pioneers left for their covered wagon treks across the west. The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, more commonly called The St. Louis Arch, is a memorial to those people with the vision to settle and expand this vast country. The view from inside the top of the Arch is worth the tiny elevator trip.
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| Niagara Falls at Night |
From St. Louis we return to Chicago and board a new train heading east again to Niagara Falls. From there we will return to New York for your plane trip home.
I can’t believe how many places you didn’t get to see and I’m sure my choices might not be your choices. We didn’t see the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia or Cape Cod or where the pilgrims landed in Massachusetts.
If you have plenty of time and money, it would be easy to spend a year or more wandering around any country to get to know the people and enjoy the food, culture, and “places to see”. The United States is almost like 50 countries joined together as one so you need about 50 years to explore them all. Each state is unique and has places that are interesting to see, regional foods, people with different lifestyles and cultures. The state descriptions in future writings will tell you about many of these places.
