v

2.21.2007

six-night luxury train ride: denver to oakland

I kind of love-hate the idea of identifying things you want to do before you die, because you’re never going to get around to most of them. Nevertheless, taking a luxury train ride is one of mine. This sweeps is for a six-night train tour aboard a refurbished streamliner-era train. (Did you know the original diners were old dining cars that people turned into roadside eateries?) The itinerary is spectacular. Starting in Denver and ending in Oakland, the train passes through the Colorado Rockies, Arches and Canyonlands National Parks and on to Napa via Lake Tahoe and Sierra Nevada. The sponsor is Classic Trains Magazine.

Speaking of dying, what if I died blogging? I wonder if people would say, “She died doing something she loved to do.” If they did say that, I would have to say that I would feel kind of misunderstood. There are other things I love to do as much as blogging, like, guess what, traveling. As much as I love o travel, it is not the way I would want to go. The stories I’ve heard about people dying while away (in places like Morocco, Aruba and New Mexico, all on vacation, all parents of people I know, all of natural causes, i.e., no aviation disasters for this fearful flyer) have been nothing short of dreadful. First of all, they’re sudden deaths, the worst kind. Secondly, getting home is highly complicated, and can involve criminal investigations, to rule out foul play.

What do I love to do besides blogging and traveling and swimming and cooking and drinking, preferably Pinot Grigio? I love sleeping. Yes, sleeping. If I went that way, people could safely say I died doing something I loved to do. As for the 1,000 places we’re advised to see before I board that train for the sweet hereafter, can you believe the book is about to become a TV show?

To enter, click HERE. The deadline is May 11.