Another Way to Get to Summer Solstice Versus Flying or Driving!

May 13, 2008

Sat nam!

I just thought I'd pass this info along. I love both Summer and

Winter Solstice and have been going for quite a few years now.

However, I learned the hard way regarding luggage when I flew United

to last year's Winter Solstice. I was so used to flying Southwest

that I automatically packed 3 carry-ons.

But that turned out to not be the best idea, because United only

allows 2 with your ticket and it ended up costing me $160 extra for

the 3rd piece, ouch! Granted, I do tend to overpack but I still think

3 pieces is not that unreasonable to set up a comfy " home away from

home " especially when you're camping (though I am a double

Virgo/Cancer rising, ha, ha!).

So when I started perusing airline tickets for this year's Summer

Solstice, I really only wanted to fly Southwest because you can check-

in 3, though the 3rd is now 25.00 extra but that still seemed

reasonable. Ironically though, there are airlines with cheaper

flights (but they only allow 2 carry-ons unless you want to pay big

bucks for a 3rd... United anyway, so forget that, I already went

through that once!).

Anyway, I decided to take a look at Amtrak, really just for the heck

of it. I've always had it in my mind that taking a train would be

really expensive. However, that's not the case from my location

anyway.

I ended up purchasing a round-trip ticket from Los Angeles to

Albuquerque for $140 with my 10 percent AAA discount. I leave on

6/18 at 6:45 p.m. and arrive in Albuquerque on the 19th around

noon... then from there, I'll be catching a ride up the mountain.

And, (not that I'm going to pack this much, hopefully not, anyway!),

but you can actually bring FIVE pieces of luggage on the train, as

long as they're under 50 lbs. But having that option (and a portable

luggage carrier from Costco!) makes me one happy camper!

It's a 16-hour trip. So I'll have to get a little creative (hopefully

sleep!) to help the time pass, but I know they have a dining car and

a lounge car where I believe they show movies (however, don't quote

me on that!).

Also, from what I've been told, the route that I'll be taking is

quite historical. In addition, for us " yogis " , train travel seems to

fit quite well with our independent, adventurous nature, so I'm

looking forward to it.

For myself, I just bought a seat, versus purchasing a sleeping room,

but the seats are supposedly twice the size of an airline seat and

they recline.

If you want a sleeping room, the price is really high, almost twice

the cost of many of the airlines. However, the smaller sleeping room

does have one set of bunk beds so you could split it with someone and

maybe it would end up being about the same price as flying but a lot

longer route, of course.

In any case, here's just one more option to get you there if you

have " Solstice on the brain... and in your heart " as many of us do as

the time draws near.

Anyway, I hope to see you on the train (I'm sure Solstice attendees

will be standing out in one way or another!) if that's your chosen

route of transportation!

Sunder Kaur

May 13, 2008

Great Sharing!! Thank You! I haven't been to Solstice in some time. Since I've had my son, I've been a Women's Camper! This year we are flying (already bought tickets) but next year should my son again choose to want to be at youth camp, I will look into taking the train. He'll be 6 by then and what great opportunity to be on a train to New Mexico! Thank You!!! Siri Prakash Kaur, Corte Madera, CAEatandTell Joyful Living through nutrition, yoga & meditation www.eatandtell.net "4 things that block prosperity: comparing,

complaining, criticizing & bitterness." Yogi Bhajan