I just completed a trip aboard the longest passenger train in the United States, almost a mile long from tip to tip. I stepped on it in the afternoon in Virginia and woke up the next morning in Florida. And best of all – I had my own car there waiting for me! It’s Amtrak’s AutoTrain…

We have just passed through all the big holidays, ending with New Year’s Eve/New Year’s Day. At the end of the year, many of us like to have some time for reflection, not just of the past year but often over our lives in general. When we do, it’s easy to feel discouraged…

I had planned the trip for three years. I had the train tickets. The rental car. Hotel reservations. Non-refundable tickets for a musical, a lobster dinner cruise, and a whale-watching tour. All four granddaughters were super excited: we were going to Prince Edward Island…

I recently went by train to visit my best friend. It’s hard when your best friend lives so far away (10 hours by car) but fortunately, Amtrak goes directly from my home in Michigan to where my friend lives near Omaha, Nebraska. Also fortunate in that I love traveling…

Not everyone has the time, money, or inclination for international travel. If you are leaving home with grandkids in tow and including any kind of volunteering along the way, your trip qualifies as voluntourism. You don’t have to go far from home…

I previously wrote about voluntourism here, touching on some of the necessary considerations. If voluntourism is something you’ve decided you’re passionate about, doing it with your grandchildren can be a way to not only enjoy skip-gen travel…

Over the past decade, there has been a sharp increase in the number of travelers who wish to contribute in some meaningful way as part of their travels. To meet this demand, there have sprung up innumerable “volunteering” organizations…

Wars, inflation, climate change… all on top of our own personal problems and challenges. No wonder we so often feel stressed! Most of us have tried the standard remedies: meditation, yoga, deep breathing, listening to music… the list goes on…

I had a dream trip planned for August of 2020, but we all know what happened that year. COVID put an end to everyone’s travel plans. That summer, I had planned to take my oldest granddaughter to Prince Edward Island to celebrate her 12th birthday…

I love train travel. I think it’s in my blood. My grandfather was a depot agent in the small town of Douglass, Kansas, so my father grew up around trains. While I did not, the sound of a train whistle in the distance still stirs a sense of excitement in me…