Amtrak Trip to Cumberland, MD

Yes, it's a cheesy subtitle. Just be glad you can't see my little striped cap and hear the wooden train whistle! I must confess to being a train freak. This might be due in part to the fact my dad never had sons, so my sister and I had every cool "boy toy" known to man. Fire engines, fishing poles, Matchbox cars AND Hot Wheels, and an entire village built around our electric train set. When we would go to the Indianapolis Children's Museum, other little girls would head straight to the miniature dollhouse furniture, while my sister and I would climb to the top floor to see the electric trains. This must have made my dad's day!

Trains have taken on a completely different yet equally awesome role in my adult life. Years ago I married a man who didn't like to drive (and that never changed). I provided the taxi service for every short jaunt, out-of-town kids' sporting event, and week-long vacation. Plus I drove a lot for my job. Although most people I know cannot abide the thought of taking a trip by train ("Soooo slow! Never on time! I could fly and be there in 1/10th the time! Weird fellow passengers!...") for me the idea is an actual slice of heaven. Having someone else drive while I look out the window at scenery I never get to see, or while I read a good book or even NAP...now that is luxury. Who cares if it's running late?

My bucket list goal is to take a train trip all by myself. Just a long weekend. I've been looking at maps and websites, and trying to figure out where I want to go. I don't want to drive a car at all, and other than that I don't need much; just a little bit of nature, a little shopping, a few coffee houses, and a place to sleep with pillow top mattresses. I don't want to take a cab anywhere, so it has to be close to the train station. And I can't take more than one extra day off in addition to a weekend, so it can't be clear across country. But a little bit far because I want a sleeper car. I've traveled by sleeper car before, but always with a very chatty child who thought it would be very fun to stay up all night. I've never been able to drift off to sleep with the rocking train motion without worrying that someone would escape down the hall the moment I went into R.E.M. So all that said...what is going to be the perfect destination?

She's Got a Ticket to Ride

As you may have already surmised from photos at the right, my go-to destination ended up being Cumberland, Maryland. At first I chose the destination solely because the time table of the train trip lined up so perfectly. I'll be leaving from Elkhart, Indiana at 10 p.m., sleeping through the night and waking in Cumberland at 9 a.m. The Cumberland Holiday Inn is not even a block from the train station, and they will stow my luggage until check-in time. I'll have an entire day to explore the area and get a good night's sleep. I'll have all day Sunday till boarding the train again at 7:30 p.m. I'll be able to have dinner on the train, watch a movie in the lounge car, then hit the hay and wake up in Elkhart at 8 a.m. Is that perfect timing or what?

As I said, I'm a fan of sleeper car travel. I think everyone (who has the opportunity) should enjoy at least one sleeper car trip, because I'm convinced sometime during the remainder of my lifetime long-distance passenger train travel (in the U.S.) will disappear. Some things to know about a sleeper car train trip:

• At first glance, it seems terribly expensive. If you ride sleeper instead of coach, train travel is hands down more expensive than flying. My total train fare for the round trip will be over $500. But when you stop to consider this includes the travel, two night's lodging, and all meals and snacks (sleeper car customers receive free dining car meals, and 24/hr snacks and beverages), it's really not so bad.
• Sleeper cars are usually toward the back of the train, so if possible board toward the back. If you have to board near the front, it can be a long hike hauling luggage through the train.
• Unless you spring for a family size or deluxe bedroom, there is likely very little room for luggage in your berth. You can always take the items you need from your suitcase, then stow it on a luggage rack at the end of your car.
• The most basic sleeper berth does an amazing job of cramming the necessities into a very small space. The room has two bunk beds, which are made by folding the two window seats for the bottom, and pulling the top bunk away from the wall. Porters will take care of the "turndown" for you while you are at a meal, or down the hall freshening up.
• At either end of sleeper cars, there are hospitality stations where guests may help themselves to soft drinks, coffee, juice or water 24/7. Usually the car's restrooms and showers are located across from the hospitality stations.
• Most sleeper cars (unless deluxe variety) do not contain private bathrooms. But guests can shower 'down the hall', and the shower bathrooms are equipped with amenities such as hairdryers at the mirrors.
• Porters are available to assist sleeping car guests 24 hours a day, and tipping is customary, usually $10-30 per trip. Porters will take dining car reservations, and also assist with wake-up calls and the like. If you will be staying on the train through the day, they will also put your beds back into the chair position if you wish. They will give you ample warning when your station is arriving (will wake you in time to get dressed, gather your luggage, etc.)
• It's best to not count on cell service while in the train. Trains often travel down remote corridors and many carriers do not provide service to those locations. There is a "land line" phone in the sleeper berth, although using it might add an extra charge.

The City of Cumberland

After initially choosing Comuberland due to my travel time constraint, I found much more to love about the area. I might have chosen to visit this neat little city even if the train did not go straight into its heart. A few things to know about Cumberland:

• Sitting on the confluence of the Potomac River and Wills Creek and nestled in the Allegheny foothills, the Cumberland area offers a unique, lush beauty.
• Rich in railroad history, day trips are available on scenic steam engines throughout the region.
• Cumberland is the western terminus of the former Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (C&O), and a continual biking and hiking path stretches along the C&O Canal over 185 miles to Washington D.C.
• Cumberland is home to an active Historical District, with many points of interest and shopping opportunities in its "Downtown Mall"
• The C&O Canal trail, downtown mall, and area hotels are all withing a few blocks of the Amtrak Station. Several of the hotels rent or lend bicycles for the path, and guests have virtually no need of a car.

My Trip

After a wonderful night's sleep, I intend to leave my bags checked at the Holiday Inn, and get my nature on. I'll spend Saturday on the C&O bike trail. Nothing but me and a camera (well, some snacks and water...). It would be a great day to just ride awhile, stop and read, take a nap by a little rushing stream, then turn around and do it all again on the way back. I'll get back to the hotel, soak in the hot tub, and head out for a fabulous dinner. Then play the evening by ear--what's playing at the theater? Is there a book store with a coffee shop? An art gallery? Then back to the hotel for that pillow top mattress!

Sunday I'll sleep in, read a bit, enjoy the hotel breakfast, maybe take another swim, then shower and pack. I'll spend the day exploring the Downtown Mall before boarding the train at 7:30 p.m. Once back on the train, I'll let the porter know I'll have dinner at last-call, then enjoy sitting at a table with three other people I've never met. (Dining car tables are for groups of four, and you will be seated with others if you do not have four in your party). If there is a good movie playing in the lounge car, I'll take that in. Otherwise, I'll retire back to my sleeping berth for more time with a book, then shuteye.

When the porter wakes me to let me know the Elkhart station is coming up, I'll know I'm within a few minutes of checking off another item on my bucket list. And hopefully I'll also be basking in the glow of completing a totally selfish trip. And formulating a hub on solo travel!