NO Adventure

Editor’s note: This week’s post is from guest writer Jason. Remember that all guest posters receive a free NOadventure t-shirt in charcoal gray American Apparel. Please limit submissions to 800 words(of course, they can be alot shorter).

This week the new Loyola Streetcar opened, connecting the Canal Street streetcar line to Union Passenger Terminal (UPT), New Orleans’ art deco train/bus station.

This opens up all sorts of new adventures for those interested in traveling long distances without ever having to get into a car. Now residents Uptown (St Charles Streetcar), Mid-City (Canal Street Streetcar) or French Quarter (Riverfront Streetcar) can now get to UPT on a streetcar, and depart on one of three lines that connect New Orleans to the rest of the country.

Editor’s note: Here is some maniac’s video of the scale model he built of the UPT.

I have taken many trains across the country, including #1 and #3 below (plus a train to Portland which took three days and regional trains in Pacific Northwest and Southern California).  It is a relaxing, affordable, and contemplative way to travel.  There are dining and lounge cars on each of these lines, as well as sleeper cars (for an extra fee; otherwise you get a large comfortable seat, roughly the size of a first-class airline seat, with two seats on the side of the center aisle) ensuring comfort for travelers at any budget.

1) City of New Orleans.  This eponymous line leaves daily, headed to Chicago by way of Memphis with stops at a dozen points along the way.  This train line is particularly famous because Arlo Guthrie sang about it in The City of New Orleans, which became a country classic. It was re-recorded by Willie Nelson and others country legends.  Johnny Cash said, “I believe it is the best train song I’ve ever heard.”

2) Sunset Limited.  Leaves three times a week, traverses the southern U.S. border all the way to Los Angeles.

3) Crescent.  Leaves once daily.  Goes to Atlanta, Charlotte, DC, Philly and New York.  I took this train a few months ago, and kept going to Boston and then Montreal.  Was one of the best trips of my life.  Here’s a music video I made of the trip.  Enjoy!

NOLA to Montreal, by Train and Song.