I am taking holiday the Labor Day week and wanted to do a retreat. I didn’t want to have to drive but would if I had too. I was planning to go on this Church retreat not sponsored by one Church but many. It was to be 3 days and 2 nights, with meals for $25.00 down and $110.00. Not bad I thought! It is in Leakey, Texas just out side of San Antonio. ETT 6 hours 11 minutes per the internet maps. I Thought I would take the train there and back. Round trip with tax $83.54 sign me up. I would save on gas, ware and tear on my car, and lessen my carbon foot print. Here is the rub. I could not get any transportation from San Antonio to Leakey. I have to rent a car. Next plan I thought I would take the bus, after all they stop in small towns near by. Round trip $114.38 then I found they don’t stop anywhere near Leakey. With plan three was I fly and take the shuttle. $146.00 ballpark, shuttle was $45.00. I call the retreat coordinator and ask if I could ride with some of the other Church groups or if they could give me a lift from San Antonio. She thought it was a great idea. She gave me a list and I started calling, and as luck would have it all their vans were full. I call the coordinator back and told her to send me a refund. She said she would try to find something. Two day latter she called me and said she had no luck! She has sent me a refund.

Not to have sour grapes are anything like that. Trying to go Green and reduce the carbon print is not very easy at times. I thought the train thing was just the thing. I did some home work and for a country that was made by the rail system we now have one of the poorest passage rail systems in the world. However, I did see reports to day on MSN about more people are taking the train because delays with flight and have to be there two hours and then you may be bumped. I am hoping that maybe trains may make a come back. When I lived in Europe we used the train for everything. When I live in New Jersey I used the trains and subways in New York.

We have be come were we are attached to the hip with cars, and flying. Got to get there fast got to have a car so when can go places when we get there. I say “Bunk!”  I did a short trip to San Francisco and use the train and then used public transportation in the city it work wonderful. I got see a lot of things that I would not have if I had to drive everywhere.

I know I am just one voice in this world but I am going to start pushing to bring back rail travel. I will write my Senators and Congressmen about this and I will advocate bring back the train. I know if all of us who are in the Green Family Community were to push for it, something would happen. So think about and let me know your thoughts.