Our Amtrak Journey

As a birthday gift two years ago, my parents gave my family and me a cross-country adventure from our hometown of Kansas City to Flagstaff, Arizona. I have two young boys who are in love with anything with wheels, horns, or tracks, so the trip on Amtrak was perfect. I was also excited because the journey would take up through the beautiful Rocky Mountains and across parts of Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona I never would have seen otherwise.

The scheduled departure was in early June, just after school let out and when the weather is still nice enough to be pleasant - even in the desert. My mother dropped us off at the train station in the late evening, and the train with four exuberant passengers set forth. It was late enough to get the children ready for bed by the time we were leaving the metro area, so my husband and I took turns brushing teeth and reading bedtime stories. 

 Falling asleep was so easy for the boys. I believe the lulling effect of the tracks and the steady hum of the train itself practically sang them to sleep, for they were out in record time. 

 The next morning we stopped in southeastern Colorado where we could make out the Rockies from my husband's window. We dined on pancakes and eggs, fruit and cereal in the dining car, and read the newspaper in the observation car. The children were eager to play the board games we brought along, and so we sat in our little rooms most of the day letting them win. We made a longer stop in Albuquerque, New Mexico that afternoon, and I got out to buy a few souvenirs and local treats from the venders who were just outside the train.

The trip lasted only 24 hours, but as we rolled in to Flagstaff late that evening, I wondered where all the time went. It was cool and dark at the station, and we could smell the pines and mountains all around.