Tim and I left from work (Woodinville) around 1:00pm on Thursday, September 3rd. From the parking lot to my parent's doorstep it is almost exactly 500 miles (according to Google Maps). Not that I printed directions, mind ye. The journey from Seattle to Idaho is our very own Anderson Family migration. We need no maps! In fact we make the trip every year at least once if not three times. Believe it or not, driving my Toyota Corolla all the way is cheaper than flying by Horizon Air. Even if you schedule your flight two months ahead of time you will pay around $120 per person for an 1 1/2 hour flight from SEATAC airport to Le Bois (That's Boise - city of trees in French). Gas at $2.98 per gallon, round trip, is less than $100. Not only is it cheaper to drive, but the landscape you will witness on the drive is absolutely magnificant AND you don't have to borrow your parent's "vehiculors" (that's Tim's pronunciation of vehicles) while your visiting home. Aha!If you find that tidbit of information fascinationg than listen to THIS! My mother informed me that Boise will be conducting a study throughout the month of September that will determine whether or not the old Union Pacific Railroad Train Depot, built in 1925 and shut down in 1971 (the year my parents married, the year of make on our Chevy truck, and the year Starbucks was established), will be reopened for its intended use: travel.
For the past 37 years the depot has been a popular site for weddings and events. Not only is the Spanish-inspired architecture AMAZING, but the station is surrounded by Platt Garden - by far the most beautiful public garden in The City of Trees - surpassing even Julia Davis Park in granduer. I am absolutely enthralled by its cascading water features, koi ponds, and variety of flowering plants.I have never before ridden a train to anywhere - but I've always thought that the experience would be romantic. Depending on the distance of your trip, Amtrak fares are incredibly cheap (considering tall gas prices). I know that a trip from SEA to PDX (Seattle to Portland) is about $28.00 round trip. I also know that a trip from Seattle to... say... Flagstaff, Arizona is about $117 one-way. The dollars and cents sound really good, don't they? But there's a hitch. It'll take you two days to get to Flagstaff, and at least twice you'll be riding a bus (Greyhound) from one depot to another.
I know this because I once tried to plan a vacation by train to the Grand Canyon. I've never seen the Grand Canyon, and I've never ridden a train. I thought it'd be a kickin' trip - but I'm not big on making flight connections let alone bus and train connections. That is an easy recipe for "Lost Lacey". Maybe someday I'll feel differently, but until then I'll just keep a postcard of the Grand Canyon on my refrigerator so that I can say, "Yeah.... I wake up to a view of the Grand Canyon every morning." Stretch and yawn. "Just livin' the life, man."