In the weeks ahead, I’ll be traveling to Illinois for a work-related project. As is my habit, I went to travelocity.com to find the best price on airfares. But then I paused. I hopped over to www.amtrak.com and booked a seat on the train instead. Even with an upgrade to a roomette, the cost was only $150 more than a plane ticket.

Yes, it’ll take 20 hours instead of two, but it’ll be a delightful trip. I love train rides, and the longer the better. This train ride will take me through some of America’s prettiest landscapes, including the mountains of West Virginia and beyond. I’m counting the days. I can hardly wait.

Funny thing was, the amtrak website is now reporting that the train is sold out. Seems like lots of people are voting with their wallets. Maybe now we can take away the $13 billion annual subsidy donated to US airlines and give that money to developing a better inter-continental rail system.

It’s time. Traveling by air has become a nightmare, and now we’re being threatened with virtual strip searches. Travelers report being ordered to remain in their seats throughout the flight, with no access to their stowed items. Contrast this to the joy of train travel.

Traveling by train is sheer delight.