Good morning America, How are you? Don't you know me, I'm your native son.
I suddenly realized that I am very jealous of my husband's travel opportunity to Chicago mainly because I have never been there. I am even more envious of the thought of him traveling cross-country by rail, especially on a train made legendary by a very cool Arlo Guthrie song. The rates were pretty low, so I might have to make a reservation for myself in the process.
I also took the trouble of checking an airfare from Jackson. I found that the prices were even less expensive than rail and the non-stop flight takes about 2 hours into Chicago-Midway. Granted, at this point a plane sounds much faster and cheaper at this point, but it certainly lacks the enchanting notion of having intimacy with the scenic countryside via a constantly changing panaramic view, not to mention the fun of hopping from the club car to the dining car and so forth.
Perhaps, I have overly romanced this train ideal.
I also took the trouble of checking an airfare from Jackson. I found that the prices were even less expensive than rail and the non-stop flight takes about 2 hours into Chicago-Midway. Granted, at this point a plane sounds much faster and cheaper at this point, but it certainly lacks the enchanting notion of having intimacy with the scenic countryside via a constantly changing panaramic view, not to mention the fun of hopping from the club car to the dining car and so forth.
Perhaps, I have overly romanced this train ideal.
posted by Nikki | 4:31 PM
3 Comments:
In my opinion, the train is fun (and more comfortable), and I'd take it for 3 or 4 hour trips over a plane, even if it is more expensive, as you also get to avoid the airport hassle, but I'd take a 2 hour flight over a 13 hour train trip. Maybe you can scout out a shorter train trip sometime for a weekend getaway later. I loved the 3-hour train trip to NYC, but 13 hours is...long.
The train is only $30 more than plane round trip at this point. I keep urging him try find out when this school is so I can go ahead and try to book a cheap fare soon either way. I will admit 13 hours compared to 2 is quite a difference, as I was quite surprised to find a non-stop flight out of Jackson, which is an hour and a half away. It would take 13 hours by vehicle anyway. However, the train station is only 20-30 minutes from his mother's house which is 3 hours away, but she could just drop him/us off and pick him/us up from the station. We would not have to bother with some long term parking area. The arriving train station and airport are both in the neighborhood of 9-10 miles away from the location of the school, so that really is not an issue.
Can you tell that I have over analyzed this already?! :)
Wow, if you have to drive 3 hours to get to your mother-in-law's house, then another half hour to get to the train station, you're looking at a one-way trip that is creeping up on 24 hours! OK, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but the fact is, each one-way commute would take up an entire day. The train is fun, but the way I look at it, if you take the plane, that's an entire extra day - or two - you have to spend checking out Chicago.
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