ARECENT TRIP to Washington D.C. helped inspire both insight and adventure for my husband and me. Two friends from California were coming east for business in the nation’s capital, and this event was an opportunity to see them which we would not pass up.

How to get there? Driving was an obvious choice, but with gas prices high, summer vacation traffic, and the overall wear and tear on our aging Honda, this did not seem to be the best option. How about air travel? A bit of research yielded startling results: over $1000 round trip for the two of us. That, coupled with lodging and food, made the trip seem like the impossible dream.

What about Amtrak? I love the train. In my childhood in both Connecticut and Maryland, this mode of travel was a frequent part of my life. We investigated. The fat schedule book, available at any station, is clear and easy to read. Most appealing to me was no frisking, no alarms, no dumping my aluminum bottles of luscious Vermont water, no long lines while each would-be passenger disrobed and shed belts, jewelry, watches, shoes, whatever. The whole process is a deterrent for me, and I can’t help but feel the terrorists have won.

The historic Randolph Depot is now an appealing restaurant where you can have breakfast before you climb aboard Amtrak's Vermonter. Photo by Christine Barnes, The Northfield News The train? Hmmm. Price was right at $250 for two, round trip. Hop on in Randolph or Montpelier at a decent hour and arrive in D.C. 12 hours later. Twelve HOURS? Yes. It sounds hideously long, but when you total up all the hours involved in plane and car travel the train is probably not significantly longer. And your serenity is intact.

And here’s what it looked like. Tickets in hand from the internet, we went to the Randolph station for the first time, and discovered the renovated old depot, now a yummy breakfast and sandwich shop. The depot still has ambiance – old wooden benches, ceiling fans from fifty years ago, and plenty of yesteryear photos on the wall. It drips with history, and the staff in the little restaurant are fun and entertaining. At 10:17 a.m. the Vermonter arrived on time at the station. We boarded and almost immediately, gently rocked on down the track, capital bound.

We weren’t exactly traveling lightly. We each had a regulation sized suitcase and a computer. In addition, since there was no dining car, just a snack bar, we had packed an insulated lunch carrier with fresh fruit, trail mix and breakfast bars to see us through. But we found no challenge for baggage storage. It was ample and easily accessible.

It was a joy to ride through Vermont’s calendar-perfect gorgeous hills and farm fields. The whistle warned our passage through small villages, and then the train rose through the mountains and the high trestles and tracks spanned the sparkling rivers that flowed through the valleys below. We gazed in gratitude at the splendor of the countryside.

After a while, we used the drop-down tray tables for our computers and books. The seats were comfortable with ample leg room, and intermittent naps refreshing. Although the Vermonter made around 20 stops in 12 hours, the process was barely noticeable. The cars remained air-cooled. Passengers embarking and debarking were courteous and pleasant. The conductors, both men and women, were congenial and engaging. On the entire trip, the train was no more than 5 minutes off-schedule only once or twice. Impressive.

Traveling south into the more congested metropolitan areas brought back to us why we live where we do. The character of the land changed, and soon the only dirt was that which whipped up in the wind along the concrete and asphalt. Cities rose in the distance, where people’s journeys take a different road than ours. Still, it’s exciting to be here, to experience however briefly, this other world.

Fellow passengers engaged in dialogue about their destinations, their purpose. One young woman and her year-old son were on their way to a family reunion, first in New York, then in Israel. Mom entertained Jerry with songs, stories and occasional challenges: “What’s the capital of New Jersey, Jerry? Trenton? That’s right!” We all laugh. One older couple from Ohio was on a twelve-day pilgrimage to see family and friends on the east coast. They had a fast-paced schedule that would make most of us choke.

The Vermonter pulled into Union Station in Washington D.C. at precisely 10:30 p.m. We hopped off and flagged a cab to our hotel. We were completely refreshed, happy and relaxed from our trip. For us, the Vermonter was the best choice. Stay tuned for next week’s story on the D.C. experience.