The Berkshires

Last week we visited my sister Paisley and her family in rural New England. Ella had visited them last year with her grandma, but the rest of us hadn't been there since they moved.

We went to Albany by train. We like trains, especially in Europe and Japan where they really know what they're doing. And we dislike airports a little more each time we visit one. Then there's the environmental impact - how do trains compare with planes on greenhouse gas emissions per passenger mile? I guess it would be favorable but I admit I don't know for sure.

The ride from Chicago to Albany takes about 16 hours, overnight. If you're by yourself and can manage in a coach seat for that long, it's pretty cheap. However I would not try it with two young children. We had two tiny rooms in the sleeper car. The room is barely larger than a twin bed, and there is a toilet in one corner. I found this extremely weird. It was more like a bathroom with a bed than a bedroom. I would much rather share a separate lavatory with the rest of the car, thank you.

The top bunk is raised up during the day so there's more headroom below, then lowered at night so that a tiny person can fit up above. To get to the top bunk, one climbs up the toilet and the tiny shelf, then twists around in a DNA-like helical manner.

I am a light sleeper. Amtrak leases access to its tracks from the freight companies that own them. Some of the sections are delightfully smooth, but many are horribly bumpy. The top bunk has straps on the open side to help keep you from falling out, and you need them. Most people, myself included, stand no real chance of actually sleeping on this ride. Some resting perhaps, but REM is right out. My dad, God bless him, could sleep anywhere in any position under any conditions, and would have had no trouble at all.

From Albany we drove the rest of the way to my sister's. This is complicated because the train actually stops in Rensellaer, a very nice station but far, far away from the nearest rental car. You have to go to the Albany airport, which is a $40 cab ride from the train station. When you return the car, same thing.

Rural New England is rural, yes, but it is a hell of a lot more interesting than, say, rural Illinois. There are hills, for example, big ones even. And trees! Lots of 'em! And the roads are twisty and charming.

More to come soon, including NYC and Killer Bunnies...