One of the things i do get jealous about when it comes to America is the idea of Route 66, a road that cuts 2,500 miles across America from Illinois in the North East to California in the South West via Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.
I do have a romantic idea, probably heavily influenced by The Grapes of Wrath book, of loading up a car and just taking off for a month of driving across the vast expanses of America.
There is just not that sort of thing in the UK, a road trip here is mainly Motorway driving between cities but as Britain is only 874 miles long and people walk it for charity, it isn't in the same league really.
There is a drive across Europe but as they drive on the opposite side and i have enough problems driving on the side i know, it would just be a scene of carnage in my rear view mirror as i go around roundabouts the wrong way and speed up the Autobahn on the wrong side of the road.
It was musing this that i discovered it is possible to get a train around the World.
A Eurostar train from London to Paris, Trans-Siberian Railway from Paris to Moscow, Trans-Mongolian railway from Moscow to Beijing, Trang-Saigon Railway from Beijing to South Korea, Ferry from South Korea to Japan, train across Japan, Ferry across the Pacific to Los Angeles, Amtrak's trans-continental train across USA to New England, Ferry from New England to Iceland, Ferry from Iceland to Ireland, train across Ireland and a short ferry trip and train ride back to London and the Reform Club to collect the £20,000 wager 80 days later which would come in handy to pay for it all.
What a great thought it is though, the ultimate road trip on rails.
11 comments:
lucy,
route 66, talk about myth.
US train rides
- there is a train that goes thru Glacier National Park that is supposed to be awe inspiring.
- the narrow gauge train from Durango to Silverton is fun and beautiful. burns coal. open box cars. meanders crazily thru mountains. let's nuts off to backpack in the weminuche wilderness :-)
q
Why is Route 66 a myth?
having been on a big chunk of it, trust me when i say it is dead. there may be exceptions, but the bulk is long stretch of road over barren territory and abandoned downs dying on the vine...
q
So it's a dark desert highway with the cool wind in my hair with the
warm smell of colitas rising up through the air?
Yeah sure. Makes me think you never been in a desert
Q
I haven't ever been to a desert but i was relying on that whoever wrote Hotel California has and knows what 'Colitas' is and what it smells like. Never got the line about killing the beast with steely knives either. The 70's was a weird time for song lyrics.
Ill have to investigate colitas as I've spent much time in the desert and don't know them (sounds like a plant)
q
Colitas appears to be a slang term for marijuana... Nasty odor in my opinion
q
The Eagles were drug driving!! No wonder the lyrics are strange. The whole song isn't about drugs is it? Would make sense, check out anytime you like but you never leave etc.
One of the stories is that the 'Hotel' in question is actually a church of satanism, but I don't think the band ever confirmed this...
I have always considered it a song about the driver finding a bar called Hotel California in some desert town and the characters in it. Damn.
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