A Pleasant Train Ride
Many
travellers heading to the Canadian west take a route that will take
them through Yellowstone National Park. In doing I suggest they leave
the tedium of Interstate-80 and head to Blair, Nebraska, a few miles
north of Omaha. As you drop from the bluffs out of Iowa toward the
Missouri River you enter Nebraska's DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge.
Over the next few miles you will see many species of waterfowl swimming
in the marshy area or perhaps gliding, wings extended, to make a perfect
touchdown nearby. There is also a steamboat display where you can
see samples of the cargo of a sunken steamboat. You may be surprised
at the kind of goods carried by these steamboats. Good camping is
located in this area.
Driving west you come to Fremont and the nearby Fremont Lakes State
Recreation Area, which has several lakes for swimming and fishing.
Camping is also featured. This might be a perfect spot to rest a while,
and use the park as a centre from which to scout the surrounding parts
of Nebraska.
Railbuffs will be interested to know that Fremont has lines of the
Union Pacific, the Burlington Northern, and the Fremont and Elkhorn
Valley railroads passing through it. There is good train watching
at the depot downtown, and west of the town, where you can find places
to park along the Union Pacific Railway.
A real treat is
the Fremont Dinner Train that runs a dining train on the track owned
by the Fremont and Elkhorn Valley Scenic Railroad. The evening dinner
tour is a gastronomic delight. If you like fine food in elegant surroundings
with fine service, this is the trip for you. The staff's objective
is to take you back to the years of gracious dining on trains in the
1940's.
 To do that, the company managed by affable Bruce Eveland,
has rebuilt several coaches dating to the early 1900's. Canadians
who take the trip may find a touch of familiarity. Some of these coaches
came from Canadian railways and now have a new lease on life. The
Fontanelle Springs, an ex Canadian Via car, celebrates its new life
as a lounge and dining car.
Bruce meets the boarding passengers making them feel comfortable right
from the beginning. This showering of attention continues as you are taken
to your table, and all throughout the trip. Friday and Saturday nights
are formal trips and you will want to dress appropriately, coat and tie
for men, and dresses for women. The Sunday afternoon trip is less formal
and the train stops over at Hooper giving the passengers a chance to visit
the small town. Hooper's main street is listed as a historical street.
Some of the trips are extra special. On these trips, a Murder Mystery
accompanies the dining. Each table is a team and the occupants must
try to follow the clues given throughout the trip to be able to solve
the murder. And there is still a 5-course dinner to enjoy.
Other special trips are run on Halloween. There is also the New Year's
Eve 5-course dinner, later wine tasting trip with a 5-course gourmet
meal where you can enjoy wine samples from around the world. And you
might have a special interest in romantic musical evening on Valentines
Day.
Happy RVing!
For more than four decades James Stoness has travelled
the roads of North America, photographing and writing about what he has
seen. His travel articles and beautiful pictures have been published in
several magazines and newspapers. He is also the author of five western
novels.
In the “Touring North America” scenic tour series, James brings a new
concept in Scenic Travel Books. The premise that several Minitours can
be created so they interlink, makes it possible for the potential traveller
to chain several Minitours together to make a longer trip. The maps, coloured
photographs, and descriptions help you plan your trip, and enjoy your
progress along the route.
Visit James at www.stonesstravelguides.com.
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