In railroad lingo, private varnish is the name used to describe classic old rail cars that have been refurbished and brought back to the luster of their glory days. There are more than a few people who do exactly that as a hobby. And make no mistake, it takes big bucks, not to mention hours…
The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, is pretty much the ultimate get-away, and has been for a hundred years. Very classy … very tasteful … very, well, very. It’s a beautiful facility in one of the most beautiful parts of this country. The first hotel was built on the property in the…
For most rail enthusiasts, the Trans-Siberian Express – covering 5,753 miles from St. Petersburg through Moscow to Vladivostok – is the ultimate train travel experience. It’s certainly been on my must-do list for years. In less than two months, I’ll be taking off for an extended rail journey and a version of the venerable Trans-Siberian…
For years, I’ve had a dozen or so of the world’s more interesting or exotic train trips on my bucket list. So far I’ve managed to cross off several, marking them “done”. These include the Glacier Express and the Bernina Express in Switzerland, the two trans-continental trains in Australia, the Indian Pacific and the Ghan,…