Ideal Bite

When airlines were going the way of banks and everyone was in a tizzy over fuel prices, my friend Jim announced what he thought was the next big thing: trains. His declaration stuck in my head because it makes total sense. Compared to Europe – ah, Europe – the U.S. is kind of a train wreck. Who hasn't done (or knows someone who's done) the post-college-Eurail-backpack-hostel trip? No one actually flies around that continent – at least not at 21 - because Eurail is so damn easy, cheap, pretty clean, and sometimes speedier than flying. Case in point: the Paris-to-London Chunnel.

I don't even know where our local Amtrak train station is, and there’s no incentive to take it (where are my frequent rail miles?). NYC’s got a pretty great high-speed Acela train to Philly and D.C. – and yeah, there are still die-hards out there glamorizing train travel – like my friend who trained it for three days (shower and bed excluded) from SF to NYC. Who's got that time? Or, apathy for hygiene?

This month's GOOD magazine's all about transportation, including a great interview with DOT advisor Joseph Sussman about using stimulus cash to rebuild railroads and get peeps on trains for 400-mile-and-under trips. So if I took a train to LA next month instead of flying as I plan to do I’d save 285 pounds of CO2 from entering our CA air. That’s good news for the planet and for someone like me who hates to fly.

For a good laugh, check out David Sedaris's latest New Yorker piece on bar car alcoholics.

-Senior Editor Theresa, off to book a much-needed trip on the wine train…

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