Recently, many signs in life have been telling me to slow down and smell the roses. Actually, an older lady stopped me and said those exact words as I rushed inside the market. So I listened to her story. She’s 91 years old and said, “when you get as old as me, you realize to take in every moment…slow down and enjoy the small moments in life.” I plan on taking her advice. Traveling allows me to slow down and “smell the roses” but I will smell the roses a little more in day-to-day life.

I usually take quick train trips like the two-hour train ride from London to Paris. I’ve been reluctant to try long train rides because it forces you to truly slow down and just sit. But now, I am inspired to take a train trip with beautiful scenery. Here’s top 3 train trips in the US with beautiful scenery:

1. California Zephyr

   Start: Chicago

   End: San Francisco

   Hours: 51 hours

   Price: about $650 for Sleeper Car (2 people) **Price depends on time of year.

   Perks: According to Amtrak, this “is one of the most beautiful train trips in all of North America.” The train runs through Chicago to San Francisco, making stops through Denver, across the Rocky Mountain, into Red Rocks of Utah to Salt Lake City. It also crosses Sacramento and ends in San Francisco. This train experience runs year round.

   Curses: This journey starts in Chicago, so for us east coast gals, we have to take additional train or fly to Chicago. The price is also based one-way which means you need train or fly back home for additional fee.

   
   
   

   2. Cascades

Start: Eugene, Oregon

End: Vancouver, British Columbia

Hours: 10 hours

Price: about $300 round trip

Perks: This train experience is the first on my list to try because it crosses alot of states I usually skip in visiting such as Oregon. Starting in Oregon, the train passes through Portland and Tacoma and head to Seattle. According to Amtrak, The journey includes scenic areas of evergreen forests, Olympic Mountains, and the Columbia River Gorge. Stop at British Columbia and enjoy the natural beauty of the region. This train experience is year round.

Curses: Flying into Oregon maybe a challenge. If British Columbia is closer to you, fly into Canada, then take the train to Oregon.

3. Napa Valley Wine Train

Start: Downtown Napa

End: St. Helena

Hours: 3-6 hours

Price: Varies by Package

Perks: This train ride matches wine and scenery for ultimate experience. Remember my friend Whitney, a sommelier. Well she advises to try the Napa Valley Wine Train experience, where she called the experience “top-tier high class.” Read her full story on the blog. The wine train also includes round trip transportation and food.

Curses: East coast gals, we are flying to West Coast again. There’s also no disembarking on this train ride.

There’s many other train rides to enjoy, however, these listed train rides are not only scenic but also adventurous. It truly will allow you to slow down and smell the roses. Which one do you plan on experiencing?