I admit, I’ve always found trains romantic. Maybe it’s the lingering dream of Western expansion attached to them—or maybe I’ve just seen too many old movies. Either way, train travel in the 21st century still maintains a heavy dose of charm inside, where café cars retain a bit of retro flair, and out, where oft-scenic countryside rushes by in a blur of pretty color.

Keeping train travel at the forefront of transportation options—as it has been for more than 30 years—is Amtrak. Serving travelers with more than 30 routes and short- and long-distance trains that cross the country, Amtrak doesn’t hover above miniaturized landscapes—it takes travelers right through the heart of them, whether in spectacular canyons or bustling cities.  I took two Amtrak routes through the latter—the Acela Express and the Northeast Regional—to explore two stops that are part of Amtrak Vacations’ American Heritage by Rail journey: New York and Washington, D.C. Lucky for me, the destinations were as fantastic as the rides to them.

Tasting the Big Apple
My trip began in New York City, where nearly 47 million tourists from across the world land each year for a bright, busy dose of culture and iconic sights. Amtrak Vacations provides access to it all: Admission to museums, Broadway and off-Broadway tickets, Gray Line tours around town and to the Statue of Liberty, and On Location tours themed by favorite movies and TV programs filmed in the city.

Of course, too, there’s admission to New York’s signature: the Empire State Building at Fifth Avenue and 34th Street. Completed in 1931, the building—the tallest in the state—stands, including the spire, 1,454 feet above the city. The main observatory is located 1,050 feet up on the 86th floor, and on a clear day yields a view up to 80 miles away, encompassing parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts in addition to New York State. Here, visitors can walk the circumference of the building on their own or with an audio guide; interpretive signage and powerful binoculars are placed throughout.

For the truly fearless, a second Empire State Building observatory is located on the 102nd floor; admission tickets can be purchased only on arrival and for an additional fee.

Those who prefer to stay closer to the ground can board a double-decker Gray Line for any of its four loops around the city. The Uptown Loop covers Harlem, Central Park and Museum Mile, with such artistic giants as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum; the Downtown Loop highlights Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Little Italy and the World Trade Center Site; the Brooklyn Loop crosses the bridge to New York’s most populous borough for the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the Brooklyn Museum and shopping, all in the popular Park Slope neighborhood; and the Night Loop trawls Chinatown and trendy SoHo. A 48-hour Gray Line pass allows riders to hop on and off the bus throughout a two-day period, providing maximum sightseeing while saving on what can be exorbitant cab fare. Buses run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; night tours depart at 6 p.m.  Taking a bus tour—and securing a map—is a good way for tourists to become oriented with the city’s five boroughs. Seeing some major highlights aboard the bus, too, allows travelers more time to shop, peruse museums and just walk around. There is something to be said, perhaps a bit ironically, for taking the time to soak in such a fast-paced destination.

Eventually, though, whether after hitting big-name attractions or strolling the always-packed Times Square, tourists will get hungry. The city is rife with restaurants for every taste and budget, to be sure—a little pre-trip research on restaurants near hotels is advised—but Amtrak vacationers should take the opportunity to eat at one of New York’s most famous spots, Tavern on the Green. Located on the west side of Central Park, Tavern on the Green began as an 1870 sheepfold. In 1934, then-Parks Commissioner Robert Moses initiated its transformation into a high-society restaurant, sending the sheep to Brooklyn’s Prospect Park and placing uniformed coachmen at the door. It closed in 1974, only to be opened with a fresh face again after a $10 million renovation in 1976.

Now the restaurant caters to diners with brunch, lunch, pre-theater and dinner menus nearly every night of the week (hours can vary and reservations are a must). Further enhancements since the reopening include dance space, topiaries and a 40-foot garden bar fashioned from trees felled in New York City parks; added to Tavern’s already-lavish, chandelier-strewn interior, they make for a dazzling conclusion to the first leg of the American Heritage rail journey.
     
Capital Exploring
The American Heritage by Rail package usually takes travelers from New York to Boston, Boston to Philadelphia, and Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., over the course of 10 days. In Boston, vacationers can eat at the legendary Hard Rock Café, and in Philly, they can dance under an expansive evening sky aboard a luxurious Spirit of Philadelphia dinner cruise.

I, with just a few days to get away, headed from New York straight to Washington, a city so steeped in American tradition it’s impossible not to feel reverent on every street corner in town. And that feeling starts at Union Station, a 1908 epicenter for arrivals on Capitol Hill. It’s condition deteriorated after World War II, and it sat in decline—debate on razing it entirely ensued—until $160 million was allocated to its restoration and refurbishment in 1988. The station visitors arrive at now officially opened in 1989, augmented with impressive marble floors, gold-leaf-accented vaulted ceilings, food courts and restaurants, and upscale shopping.[LB1]

Perhaps the best way for a Washington novice to get an overview of the capital’s layout—and map out the monuments and memorials they most wish to see during their stay—is with a Gray Line or trolley tour. Amtrak Vacations offers plenty of options: Gray Line bus tours for a full or half-day to attractions such as Arlington Cemetery, the Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Monument and the National World War II Memorial; and Old Town Trolley tours highlighting the sights by day or night.

I opted for Old Town Trolley’s Monuments by Moonlight tour, an intriguing way to hit the most popular monuments and memorials in a different light. All of Washington’s signature stops are well-lit after dark, and the soft glow of accent lighting under the stars adds even more solemnity to visits to the Lincoln Memorial, dedicated in 1922 and revered for its 19-foot-9-inch-tall statue of one of the country’s most beloved presidents, and the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, dedicated in 1997 and depicting scenes photographed during the FDR era in a series of four outdoor rooms. Friendly, educational narration aboard the trolley fully complements seeing the sights firsthand.

Washington is home to a vast collection of museums, as well, most notably the Smithsonian museum complex off the National Mall. Beginning with the collection of British scientist James Smithson and institutionalized by Congress in 1846, the Smithsonian is headquartered in the Smithsonian Institution Building (or Castle) on the mall. Officially a government trust, the Smithsonian’s 19 museums, zoo and nine research centers are located throughout the country, though a number of them reside in Washington. Ten are on the Mall, including the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of American History and the fairly new National Museum of the American Indian.

Beyond the Smithsonian complex, the Newseum, located on Pennsylvania Avenue, documents the history of American media in an engaging, interactive format on each of its seven floors. Initially located in Arlington, Va., where it opened in 1997, the Newseum moved to its new location last year, largely because of popularity: At its old location, the Newseum attracted more than 2.25 million visitors each year.

The new Newseum, at 250,000 square feet, is three times as large as the original, boasting a glass façade; an emotionally moving display of front pages covering the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks; gallery spaces dedicated to memorable moments in radio, television and online media, as well as Pulitzer Prize-winning photographs; and a Today’s Front Pages gallery featuring a number of international front pages. More than 700 newspapers around the world send electronic copies of their front pages to the Newseum each day; the gallery displays up to 80. 

Amtrak Vacations can also provide access to the off-the-beaten-path National Museum of Crime and Punishment, opened just last year to explore the history of criminality and justice in America. Showcased here are an interactive, CSI-style forensic analysis crime lab; a mock police station; a capital punishment room; and a crime-fighting gallery focused on law enforcement professionals.

Riding the Rails
With an Amtrak rail journey, the destinations are only half of the vacation experience. The other stars are naturally—and impressively—the trains.

First things first: The benefits of train travel are many. Seating, for example, is far superior to that on airplanes; Amtrak’s seats are roomy, with plenty of legroom and reclining capabilities. Overhead luggage and in-car compartments safely stow travelers’ baggage, too, making relaxation an easy and practically essential part of the trip. Café cars offer a bevy of snacks, meals and beverages on the short-distance trains American Heritage by Rail travelers take, and designated “quiet cars” prove fruitful for those who’d like to relax and read, sleep or work without the distraction of other passengers’ personal electronic devices or loud conversation. Electrical outlets throughout mean professionals can work on trains, too, or charge and use cell phones—something little-heard-of in today’s travel standards.
I took two of Amtrak’s northeast trains; the first, from New York to Washington, was the Northeast Regional line. And while it may be referred to as Amtrak’s economy line, it’s economy in style: The sofa-like seating, well-placed café car and clean facilities didn’t leave me wanting for more. Coach and business classes are available; business-class riders receive a complimentary beverage and access to conference tables and phones.

From Washington to New York, I hopped the Acela Express, Amtrak’s top-of-the-line, high-speed, northeast-serving train—and it’s a beauty. The café car has a kitschy feel with diner-inspired décor, and first- and business-class cars throughout offer seating with or without fold-out conference tables; a quiet car is available, and first-class cars offer at-seat meal and beverage services—even a newspaper—keep that dream of luxurious rail travel alive.

And on both trains, I was more than privy to the best part of them: the view. Large windows in every car afford full observation of the scenery passing by; while travelers might not have the chance to smell the roses, they can at least see them—and that, when it comes to visiting new places, is a priceless experience.

Sure, I didn’t have a great romance on the train—at least, not one with a handsome stranger. But I did fall in love with the train itself, its quiet passage on the way to bright city lights a welcome respite before the bigger adventures to come.
 
Planning Your Trip
To plan your own Amtrak Vacations rail journey, call (800) AMTRAK-2 or visit www.AmtrakVacations.com.

For vacation-planning assistance, contact your AAA Travel agent or AAA.com/travel.