I have a goal (or a dream) of traveling the US via the rail on a two or three week jaunt, just to see the country.

I’m a fan of traveling.

Yes, that’s a pretty big blanket statement, but it leads to so much more. I’ve been lucky enough to see some cool places in my lifetime, but the reality is it’s pretty much been on the East Coast. Outside of a trip to Texas in 2007 for a wedding and Nebraska for a job interview in 2003, I’ve basically stayed on my side of the country.

Well, besides that trip to Ireland in 2010.

But in the past year or so, I’ve really been working on something I’d like to do — see the U.S. via train. This is something I should have done soon after getting laid off from my job. I probably could have found a way to afford it. Now? Unless there’s some company out there who would like to pay for it in exchange for stories and photos, it’s probably going to be a while — if ever.

See, this dream travel of mine goes beyond a “Cannonball Run” of crossing the country and back as fast as the trains will take me. No, it would be more of a journey of discovery — both personal and of new places. In recent months, I’ve been plotting what I would do on this trip — photographically, geocaching, possibly disc golf and whatever else — and what kind of cost I’d be looking at.

A trip like this wouldn’t be cheap, that’s for sure. But it also wouldn’t be some sort of massive expense. If done right, this could be one heck of a wild trip. And it’s one I’d like to do, whether solo or not.

I won’t rule out the possibility of this happening. I’m going to keep planning as if I am going to be able to do it. Of course I may have to tweak things slightly over time, but it’s something to have.

And with that in mind, I’m going to share my plans here. This will be covered in a couple of posts as putting all of this together in one post would be a massive undertaking to read it. Therefore, it will be broken up to make it easier to read.

First, allow me to say this. The reality is I’d be hoping to do this as cheap as possible. That means likely no bed cars or anything like that. I’ll snooze in my seat.

The train is coming!

If all was right in the world and I had a little extra money, I’d probably invest in something like an iPad Mini (yes, I like them better than the full-size ones) and a portable hard drive for photos. Outside of that, I wouldn’t be carrying a laptop or anything like that as I’d want to pack as light as possible.

The biggest thing is my camera equipment. I have a backpack camera bag, but I’d still have to figure out where to carry some clothes. My goal would be to not have many clothes. Despite this being a trip of probably three or so weeks, my hope would be to wash clothes every couple of days on stops. So I’d basically probably look for a bigger backpack camera bag that I could have locks on and would carry everything I bring. The only other things I’d want to have would be water, medications and some snacks. I don’t want to be carrying 50 pounds, that’s for sure.

Planning

Amtrak has rail passes for use in the U.S., which would likely help quite a bit. Though I’d want to price out the actual trips first. A 30-day pass, which includes 12 segments is $669. If I read right, each time the train stops is a segment. If that’s so, it might be cheaper just to plot out the trip as one like this will be way more than 12 segments. An 18-segment pass, which is good for 45 days, is $859.

This is what the Amtrak site says about the passes:

For each pass type you are allowed a certain number of travel segments within the travel periods. All travel must be completed within 180 days of purchasing the pass. Pass prices are subject to change and are not guaranteed until actual travel reservations are made.

So, for the sake of these posts, I’m going to probably go with the costs on the individual trains. If this whole trip come to fruition, I’ll probably do more research to see how the passes work and see if it would be more economical to purchase those.

And, to share a little of my planning — I wouldn’t be doing this trip to see all major cities. Maybe a couple, but for the most part, I want to see America. Some of the smaller towns. The different places. Those stops that one might never really do, outside of a crazy trip like this.

So an extended stay in, say, Chicago, wouldn’t be happening. If I’m visiting a place like Chicago, I want more than a one- or two-night stay.

Each of these stops, too, I’ve done some research. I’ve looked for either geocaching, or cool things to photograph, or just a spot that seemed interesting. I’d be looking for neat laces to eat, or a local barber or anything — just to get that experience of the trip. And, maybe meet up with some fellow geocachers or disc golfers and see some other parts of the area.

For those who have done trips with me, you know I’ll plan a lot of things out. And this trip would be no different. It would be based on the following:

• Food
• Geocaching
• Photography
• Disc golf
• Life experiences

If any of those were met, it’s probably a place I’d like to stop and explore.

And over the next week or two, you’ll get to see this trip I’ve planned. From the route I’d like to take to the places I want to stop — and why — and anything else along the way. I’m even going to include current costs, so I have an idea of what the money situation would look like. Hopefully one day, I’ll be able to look back and use this as a map to this trip.

I hope you enjoy the series!

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Top o’ the mornin’ to ya!

See, a story about being langered isn’t always easy to write about on the blog. Do you want to share something like that with the world to see?

When I was a wee bit younger, several of us would get trollied during the weekend. It was all well and good because you could get pissed the night before, get up the next day and go like a champ.

As you get older, having that feeling isn’t so nice.

Early in the evening — experiencing the nightlife of Dublin!

Take us to 2010.

We went on a vacation to Dublin. There were five of us in total, all family. Me and my brother, who are great fans of Guinness, knew there would be several pints of the black stuff tossed back in the fair city.

Why wouldn’t there be?

However, to me, this wasn’t a trip where I’d just get intoxicated and stay that way (unlike some trips to Montreal in my youthful days). That being said, it seemed silly not to get lit up on night.

And this is how it happened…

Me and my two brothers signed up for a pub crawl. It was rather cheap and it looked like fun. They took you to several bars, fed you at one, allowed you to pour your own beers at one (tap system on the table, way too cool) and you got to see some interesting places. Me and my one brother figured we should get toasted at least one night on the trip and this was as good a time as any.

We met the crawl people at a brewpub. Turns out we were the only three on the tour. The owner actually debated canceling it, but decided to let it go on and we were with our tour guide, who was an absolute blast. We hit several bars. Eventually, my one brother left to head back to the hotel. But two of us carried on.

One Guinness turned into two. Then three. Then four.

You get the picture.

And I can tell you this — the Guinness in Ireland seems a lot stronger and it definitely tastes better than the Guinness in the U.S.

Five then six.

Yeah, no kidding, right?

I should also note that I had become more of a social guy when it comes to beers. Maybe one or two a night if I met some people out at the local watering hole.

Ahhh, the sweet nectar of Dublin!

So let’s say my body wasn’t in the shape to necessarily be able to process these pints as I would hoped.

Seven and eight…

All said, I figured a good dozen or so pints passed through my system that night. We saw some great pubs. Listened to some great music. Saw a World Cup soccer match at one pub. And as the night wore down, we bid our tour guide (who, at that point, was off the clock and have been boozing a bit with us) adieu and made our way to the door and the fresh night air.

That’s when my brother said — do you have any idea how to get back to the hotel?

In Dublin, there’s this massive sphere that goes way into the sky. It can be seen from all over. I was told it’s called the Stiffy by the Liffey. It’s honestly named the Spire of Dublin, and it’s a nearly 400-foot tall stainless steel structure.

I knew our hotel was right near the structure.

So, I pointed to it and said “Head toward the (phallic reference)!”

And off we went.

In the end, we were in Dublin. Two brothers with an affinity toward Guinness. And that is why I got trollied.

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I never used to be a huge fan of New York City.

I think it’s more of living there than anything. That’s probably more like what I wasn’t a fan of. Growing up in upstate New York, but close enough where getting to the city wasn’t hard, it never truly interested me.

In more recent years, that’s changed.

Depending on which system I take to the city, I might end up in Hoboken and have to take the Path train into the city. It’s not the last train, but the late-night trains can be rather interesting (and packed).

I’m still not sure how much I’d want to live there. If I did, I know the few places I wouldn’t mind being at. But one thing I’ve loved is taking a day trip or two during the year. It’s fun to catch up with friends, walk around, see things and take photos.

It really is a remarkable city.

There is so much to do. It’s the city that never sleeps. Times Square is always a thrill for me, especially at night. I love seeing some other places, like skating at Bryant Park. Or going when it’s the holiday season and seeing the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. There’s always good food, too, even if it’s just a dirty dog on the street.

The beauty of the city, in my eyes, is it’s easy for me to get to and it’s easy for me to get out of there. Even if I drive, it’s only a few hours. But when you drive, there are so many more things to worry about.

The biggest thing is I like to often make it a one-day trip. Head down early in the morning and come back later at night. If you’re driving, it makes for a long day. And if you park on the outskirts of the city, you need to get into and out of the city and watch the schedules and all that good stuff.

Who needs that when you are heading to the city for some fun and whatever else?

More recently, I’ve been taking a train whenever I go down. I drive about an hour to an hour and a half from met and grab a train. It ends up being much cheaper as you can avoid parking in the city. That’s worth the price all alone. The only bad thing is not wanting to carry much, whether when you go into the city or when you are walking around.

If you get the last train, having this up on the seat isn’t always necessary, as I’ve found out.

The days are always fun, too.

But when the day is over, I’ve already purchased my ticket when I am riding Amtrak. It’s the last train, too, as that allows me to milk the amount of time I have in the city. When it’s done, I bid my goodbyes to friends, head into New York’s Penn Station and am off to upstate. It’s usually quite peaceful on the train as there aren’t many people.

One time, I even upgraded to business class. The seats were bigger and more comfortable. And nobody was in the car with me. When we were about 10 minutes from my stop, the lady working the train even came back and lightly shook me to wake me up. Top notch.

I do take the Metro North sometimes, too. That’s not the last train as it runs pretty late. It’s also usually nosier, brighter and less comfortable. But it’s cheaper than Amtrak. And if you are with somebody else, it’s pretty nice in that regard. You can just chat it up.

So I guess it depends what you look for. I think the Amtrak deal is better because it’s more comfy. Plus, it’s closer to home in regard to driving. Therefore, I can be thankful to have a shorter drive. But it’s more expensive.

I like that last train. I’m sure I’ll do it again.

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Traveling is great, but it’s always nice to head home!

I love traveling.

It’s truly refreshing to see other places in the world, whether near or far from your home base. To see how people live, interact and do the same sort of things you might do is a fun way to almost escape reality.

Traveling is tiring though!

I’ve heard people speak about this in the past and I always wondered what they were talking about. When I traveled years ago, I’d go full-force for several days, sleep in, have full days and nights and come back raring to go. But as I’ve aged ever-so-slightly, I see what people are talking about.

It can wear you out.

With traveling around wherever you are, packing in things to do, places to eat and, sometimes, a few cordials, some people “work” harder when on vacation than in the real world.

Personally, I don’t usually skip a beat once a vacation ends. I can kick back into gear doing what I need to do and usually have no “lag” in regard to energy and such. Even after flying somewhere. I don’t know why that is, but it seems to work well enough for me. It could be that I usually try and plan a day or two off after a vacation.

But I have realized something — when ending a vacation, it does always feel good to be home at last.

No matter where I’ve been, it’s nice to get back to normal. And I can say, even if I ever won some massive lottery and got to travel at will, going home is always mice. Friends, family and everything else — it’s nice to be back to normal.

I’ve been lucky to travel to some pretty cool places in my life, whether work-related or personal. From Ireland to Montreal to Austin to Florida — I’ve had some fun times.

But it’s always nice to come home.

The best part of it is it makes you yearn to keep traveling. To see more places and things. To get a feel of a culture you aren’t used to as much as normal. But that’s why it’s a vacation and not home, right?

Put yourself into these situations. How many times have you come back from a great vacation and said something along the lines of “That was a great vacation, but it’s great to be home at last.”

My feeling is many of you have said it. I know I have.

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I’ve never met Abraham Lincoln.

I wasn’t around in the 1800s. And, being I’ve never met any United States President, I’m pretty sure Abe is not somebody I would have met, even in the 1800s.

I tried to come up with something to do with this prompt, but I found nothing. I truly tried.

Then I remembered — I had met Honest Abe.

Well, sort of.

It all came on a short trip to Washington D.C. in 2011. It’s best shown in photos.

Abe looking over D.C.

Abraham Lincoln.

Lincoln’s pad. A lot of people hang out here. Where’s the beer?

Checking out the Washington Monument from Abe’s pad.

Abe is pretty accommodating when you visit his pad. Sometimes there’s kids running around, seemingly out of control. But overall, it’s pretty easy to get around. He usually doesn’t have beer, though. It would be hard to serve that many cordials to people visiting. But hey, at least you get to meet Abe, right?

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I’m pretty sure I’ve said this before in blogs, but allow me to do so again — I’m a daydreamer.

Winning lotteries.

Having the dream car.

Taking the ultimate trip.

You name it, I’ve probably day dreamed about it at one point or another. Well, not everything. But ya know.

One thing I’ve always wanted to do is what I call the “ultimate road trip.”

This trip would entail many months on the road. It would include geocaching, photography, seeing many things and, more recently, disc golf. The were would be many stops for minor league baseball, too. Oh how I would love to see so many baseball games at different stadiums across the United States. And you know there’d be some stops at a few professional wrestling events. And covered bridges and waterfalls.

There would be amazing foods, great hotels, some camping and whatever else I could get into.

To set out on the open road and just take off and see all you can see … what a road trip that could be.

I might need more than a year for this road trip!

Ahhh, to dream.

Basically, it would be a road trip around the United States and Canada. See, I love traveling. My trip to Ireland in 2010 was amazing. And I’d love to see that country again and in other spots. I’d love to visit other places in Europe and other parts of the world, too.

But I also want to see my country and that of the country next to us as well.

The beauty of doing this?

All by car.

I firmly believe you truly do get to see more things when you drive. You can stop when you want, look at different things and enjoy the surroundings. You can’t do that via plane, train or bus. Or boat, for that matter.

Nothing but the open road.

The problem is stretches of boredom. I don’t know how many of you have driven through some of the more, um, boring stretches of the United States, but there are times you want to pull your hair out.

Case in point. I went to Nebraska in 2003 for a job interview. I flew into Omaha and then drove four hours across the state on Interstate 80. Oh my was that a boring drive. There wasn’t much to see and the road went on and on and on.

That being said, 85 was the average speed, it seemed, so you could move along.

But when doing this for a road trip, I think it would take away from the boredom, especially if you had a friend or three with you. With geocaches and disc golf courses and photography spots and local breweries and good food … what a trip it could be!

I have a bookmark list on my web browser of places I want to visit throughout the United States and Canada. There are places to eat, or crazy and cool spots to see something. Or a great geocache. Or a top-notch disc golf course. Or a stretch of road that is historical. Or some wild spot out of the way that only locals truly know. Maybe stop at a bar for a beer and talk to some people from the area who can help you out and show you something.

This would be great.

Add in all the national parks one could find, or meeting people I’ve only known through blogging, geocaching (online) or something else and it would be marvelous.

This, of course, requires money, of which I don’t currently have.

Still, it’s something I constantly dream about. I don’t have any routes planned, but if given the chance to do this, I would start planning quickly. I’d purchase some maps, a better GPS and plot a basic trip.

Then I’d go.

When all was said and done, of course, I’d look to publish a book with stories and photos from this trip.

Who knows if this will ever happen. Dreams, sometimes, do come true.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!