Thinking about ...

We're thinking about taking a train trip west. It looks like we could take the Empire Builder from the Dells to Glacier National Park (Essex, MT) and back on a long weekend. We could catch the train here after I get off work on Thursday, arrive Essex on Friday evening, spend the night at the Izaak Walton Inn, catch the train back Saturday morning and arrive back at the Dells on Sunday afternoon. Timed properly, this would be something I could do without even taking a vacation day.

The trick, of course, is that it is not likely to be something we can manage this year. I am planning (hoping) to go to Texas in April. Since the trip to Montana would mean spending two days looking out the window of a train, I want to go when the land won't be bare or snow-covered. And Tom has commitments that will likely keep him occupied on weekends all summer and fall. Also, the Inn, while reasonably priced, is probably booked up a year in advance.

We are still thinking. It may make more sense to go all the way into Washington State, stay over a day or two, and then come back, taking a week do it with no hurry.

We'll see. I have seen most of the southwest and California, but I have never seen any of the northwest. The train would be a fun and easy way to do it.