(The following column by Bruce Dorries appeared on the News Leader website on July 22, 2010.)
STAUNTON, Va. — To paraphrase a sage of the silver screen and a deceased Second Amendment activist, “They can take my car when they pry my cold, dead fingers from the steering wheel.”
America’s collective sentiment about four-wheeled rights must rank near our feelings about religion, speech, assembly, press and guns. We practically equate automobiles with freedom.
But a different vision of freewheeling passes through your mental landscape aboard the Cardinal.
Amtrak’s service from Staunton to Chicago, and on St. Louis aboard the Lincoln line, then back to the Valley this month, gave me second, third and fourth thoughts about the independence provided by the horseless carriage. Automobiles are not the only way to go.
First, time and money: three of us made the roundtrip with Amtrak for $370. AAA provided a considerable discount — that’s my kind of car club perk.
Time cost: about 21 hours to the Windy City, where we found a four-star hotel for $90 per night. Another five hours aboard got us to the Gateway City. We made great time, sleeping comfortably through most of the corn (and wind farm) belt. From our comfortable seating we saw the finest scenery, well, right here in the Valley. Granted, West Virginia does have wonderfully wild stretches.
When I drive out for Midwestern family reunions, it’s a two-day trek. Four days of summer pass by on the highway. An interstate hugging hotel runs about $90. We’re crowded in the car. We get cranky.
Flying starts with a 3-hour trip to Dulles, followed by a lengthy wait in the security cattle call. And it’s costly. Family air travel is a necessary hassle at best, if you ask me. Security and kids really don’t mix.
One workday morning on the rails, I overheard a passenger say, “This feels like a Sunday.” Our total trip felt like getting two extra weekends. Time well spent, even when waiting for another train to pass.
A neighbor with a nostalgic bent ferried us to and from the Staunton train station. He shared tales of the various presidents and celebrities who passed through the depot before the coming of ubiquitous air travel and automobile addiction.