Your travel4seniors.com editor recalls three memorable train rides. My first was in January 1942, when my Philly high school senior class went to Washington DC. I was impressed by the city, but remember the experience because it was a historic and hysterical time in U.S. history.

Just three weeks before our train trip, the nation had been shocked into World War 2 by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. As we rode our bus through the capital city, we could see armed soldiers at many of the major buildings. They were on steps, at street corners and on rooftops. They wore World War 1 khaki uniforms with wrapped leggings, topped by old circular WW1 helmets. They were armed with 1901 Springfield rifles and bayonets. Of course, they could have never stopped an enemy air raid, nor even a squad of Japanese or German infantry.

My next two most interesting train rides were from Rhode Island boot camp to San Francisco to board my ship in early 1944 Then after WW2 ended in late 1945, I rode a troop train from San Francisco to Maryland for discharge from the Navy. I’ve had many train rides since, but none were as memorable as my first three wartime experiences.

With today’s ever-increasing confusion and prices for air travel, and  gridlocked holiday highways, consider taking the train on your next trip. Trains take you conveniently from city center to city center. They offer more interesting scenery than sky and clouds. You’re not confined in your seat during the journey, and train tickets are much cheaper than air fares.