The Easy(ish) Way Down I-95 — The concept is super simple. Why drive all the way to Florida when you can take your car with you on the train? Amtrak runs the Auto Train service from Washington, DC. to Orlando taking about 17 hours. Here’s my story with my family of four. Booking and Planning I like trains, and…

When travel plans take you to the scene of a recent terrorist attack — Paris, August 19, 2017 We knew something terrible had happened in Barcelona before we’d even gotten off the train in Paris. While we still dozed in our bunks on the Moscow-Paris Express, friends and family, knowing we were en route to Barcelona, texted us to warn us of the attack…

From Berlin to Paris on the Moscow-Paris Express — Author note: I wrote most of this in 2020 and 2021, long before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. August 18–19, 2017 An overnight train was Desmond’s (my seven-year-old son) only request, but finding a suitable one was a challenge. Forty-five years ago, overnight trains crisscrossed the continent en masse (there were thirty night trains…

Adventures at a Spanish Fiesta — “Excuse me, sir, can you help me understand why your carry-on would test positive for explosives?” the security agent said. He wasn’t panicking but I certainly was. And I sensed that he thought this was more than just a routine false positive. I’d already taken off my belt, shoes, and…

A knee-jerk reaction that will inevitably hurt the club —

Keeping a child interested in Berlin — August 15th — 17th, 2017 Berlin I’ve visited Germany many times. Most memorable was a trip to Bonn for a weekend in 1998. If contemporary history is your thing, the Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (in English: Museum of the Federal Republic of Germany) is the place for you. In fact, it’s one of my…

A couple of days in Cheshire with a seven-year-old. — August 13–15, 2017 The Jodrell Bank Observatory After another sumptuous breakfast at the Talardy Hotel, Des (my seven-year old) and I loaded snacks in the car before heading east on the A55 towards England. We crossed the national boundary where we were greeted by a sign that simply read “England,” without the slightest hint of a “Welcome.”…

A Couple of Days in Wales with my Seven-Year-Old — August 11–13, 2017 St. Asaph — The City That Assumed It Was I wasn’t going to write much about St. Asaph because even though I’d been going there for about fifteen years, I’d completely taken its quaintness and beauty for granted. However, it’s a charming little place with an extraordinary history and deserves more than just a passing mention.

The Journey to Wales — August 10, 2017 “Des is sick.” My heart sank as I hung up the call with his mom. Des, my son, had a fever and spent part of the night huddled around the toilet. I called American Airlines as soon as I knew, but, as you’d expect the only options they gave were…