7 Stunning Overnight Train Trips to Take With Your Kids
7 Stunning Overnight Train Trips to Take With Your Kids
These overnight train rides — including New York to Chicago, and Los Angeles to Portland — are ideal experiences for family bonding.
A few summers ago, when my son Marcel was four, the two of us took an overnight train from Schenectady to Chicago and back over four days. It completely transformed our relationship. Before the trip, he wouldn’t let me put him to bed, cut up his food, or bring him to the bathroom. He’d say, “Can Mama do it?” creating all the problems you would expect. He did, however, want me to come along on the mythical “night train” trip that he had dreamed up; he’d been begging me for months. One night, in a moment of weakness, I answered, “Maybe this weekend” and set off a chemical reaction that was too much for his body to bear. His eyes lit up and he bounced around the room like a pinball. There was no backing out, so I bought a round trip ticket on the Lake Shore Limited, a name he’ll remember for the rest of his life.