My first real train ride was last May 2006. I've ridden pseudo trains in the Philippines (LRT & MRT) and Hongkong (MTR) but these electric powered trains are just not the real thing. The electric train is like riding a 100cc scooter while the real train, the Amtrak, is like riding a 1000cc Harley Davidson. It's a different kind of experience.
My date with destiny started in April when my parents advised me not to ride a train and instead have a friend or relative pick me up. I appreciate their concern but my mind was set, a trip to the US won't be complete without a real train ride. Finally it happened last May 17: I rode the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner from Solana Beach, California to Irvine, California. It was a short 1 hour train ride but the experience was worth it. The view was, as the train line suggest, the Pacific coast line. My friend Celine brought me to the Solana station while my Uncle Pong picked me up at Irvine station.
The original plan was to take the Silver Service / Palmetto line from New York to Orlando, Florida but that didn't materialize. Time was not on my side. That would've been a day (and night) trip passing through 9 states: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington DC, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. The cost is the same as riding a budget airplane. The trip would've been fun and will give you a different view of the country. When I have another opportunity, I won't miss that train.
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