Don't think I mentioned that my recent trip to Tahoe was by rail. Yup ... I adore traveling by train. It's calm, peaceful, communal, and actually gives me a sense of history. I can sit at the window while going through Utah and just imagine that I'm on the transcontinental in 1870.

Pictured is the California Zephyr -- which runs between San Francisco (Emeryville) and Chicago -- stopped at Glen Canyon, CO.

Yeah, it's a about a 28 hour trip from Denver to Reno, but when you have the time, the train is a blast. And you actually get the chance to meet people! On this last trip, I met a Mennonite couple, a 20-year-old veteran just back from Afghanistan, and a windmill engineer who is deathly afraid of flying.

So, if you ever get the chance, try taking the road (or railroad) less traveled.