| Looking for a unique travel idea that travel | | | | Another noteworthy trip must be the 9-day |
| industry insiders say is the modern-day | | | | journey that visits four of the Pacific Northwest's |
| counterpart of a 20th century steamship cruise? | | | | most stunning national parks. For those who |
| You might want to try rail cruising, which pairs | | | | choose to start their trip with the eastbound leg |
| enthusiastic travelers with classic luxury trains | | | | of the Great Northwestern National Parks tour, |
| riding the rails through some of America's most | | | | the trip gets underway in Seattle, Washington, |
| beautiful countryside. Taking anywhere from just | | | | and heads first to Mt. Rainier National Park, where |
| a few days to more than a week, these train | | | | train passengers can enjoy a stunning view of the |
| trips offer well-appointed furnishings, gourmet | | | | Cascade Range's highest peak (14,410 feet). From |
| dining and first-rate service to a small clientele | | | | there it's on to the Columbia River Gorge, |
| that in most cases is limited to just a hundred or | | | | beautiful Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, pristine Glacier |
| so passengers. | | | | National Park, Helena, Montana, and finally |
| If you watch TV's Travel Channel, you may | | | | Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. |
| already be familiar with rail cruising from a travel | | | | Westbound travelers start at Grand Teton and |
| show about one of these tour trains, the | | | | wrap up their excursion in the Emerald City of |
| American Orient Express (AOE). The train, which | | | | Seattle. |
| was recently renamed the GrandLuxe Express | | | | Remember, these are high-end tours that offer |
| when AOE's parent company changed its name to | | | | outstanding comfort and five-star cuisine in a truly |
| GrandLuxe Rail Journeys, is made up of polished, | | | | unique environment, so expect to pay accordingly. |
| bullet-like lounge and dining cars originating from | | | | Fares for the 2008 season, which includes eight |
| the 1940s and 1950s. Inside, mahogany and brass | | | | separate departure dates between early May and |
| give the cars and compartments a chic art-deco | | | | late June, start at 5,250 dollars per person for the |
| touch that definitely suggests the Golden Age of | | | | National Parks of the West Tour. The |
| train travel. | | | | Northwestern National Parks tour starts at 4,710 |
| GrandLuxe Rail Journeys sends its trains on | | | | dollars per person. Included in the fare is the cost |
| excursions that offer passengers views and | | | | of travel, some of the best food on rails and on |
| experiences never dreamed of by 20th century | | | | board sleeping accommodations in two-person, |
| patrons of steamship cruisers. One of the most | | | | original Pullman sleeper cars. Taking advantage of |
| breathtaking must be National Parks of the West, | | | | early booking can cut the cost of the trip by an |
| a 10-day luxury pleasure trip that starts its | | | | average of about 250 dollars. |
| south-to-north leg in Albuquerque, New Mexico. | | | | If fares like these are just too steep for your |
| From there, the train winds its way to Santa Fe, | | | | wallet, you can still enjoy the luxury of rail cruising. |
| Sedona, the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, a choice | | | | GrandLuxe Rail Journeys also offers rail trips that |
| of Bryce Canyon or Zion National Parks, Salt Lake | | | | are significantly easier on the pocketbook. For |
| City, Yellow Stone National Park and finally, | | | | example, you can journey from Chicago to Los |
| Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park. There's | | | | Angeles for 1,599 dollars or take one of many |
| also a version of the excursion that starts in | | | | 789-dollar trips that link cities like Washington, D.C. |
| Wyoming and then heads south (instead of north) | | | | and Miami, Denver and San Francisco, Denver and |
| to finish up in Albuquerque. | | | | Chicago, and Chicago and Washington, D.C. |