Think about the last vacation you went on. When you think about it, you probably have memories, good or bad, pop into your head. The memories you create on vacation are always special and great to have, but everyone needs to take a vacation with unforgettable scenery as well. One breathtaking vacation is through America’s National Parks.  America by Rail offers numerous National Park Train Tours. The Six National Parks Tour takes you through some of America’s greatest tourist attractions. The train tour takes off from Chicago and hits many must see attractions along the way. One of the more historic attractions is the Santa Fe Trail. The Santa Fe Trail was established in 1821 and was a vital part in opening up trade opportunities between Mexico and the United States. Along the tour, you will get to see The Grand Canyon, one of the United States most popular tourist attractions! The Grant Canyon has miles of colorful sightseeing that everyone should experience! The sculpted rock formations and waterfalls in Zion National Park and vibrant rocks in Bryce Canyon National Park are both incredible sites to see. Another popular tourist attraction stop along the tour is at Yellowstone National Park. You will get to experience what many recognize as the first national park. Be sure to have your camera ready for all the great wildlife you will be sure to see! These are only some of the stops the train tour makes, be sure to check out the full trip itinerary to learn about all the stops you will take. Does this not sound like the type of vacation you would like to take? Don’t worry, America by Rail offers a variety of tours so you are sure to find one that you will love!

One of the top must see attractions one can travel to by train is the Golden Gate Bridge. It has so much recognition that it has been deemed as one of the top most photographed bridges internationally. It has also been designated as one of the modern Wonders of the World. This sleek, majestic structure connects the city of San Francisco to Marin County. This county is home to over 250,000 people. The construction of this bridge was definitely out of necessity when the proposal for its creation was first presented in 1916. Prior to that, the only way from San Francisco to Marin county was by ferry. The ferry services were originally created for the transportation of water to San Francisco in 1840s. In the 1860s, the ferry began transporting people at a cost of $1.00 per person taking around 27 minutes for a one-way trip. Despite the fact that the city’s growth rate was below average when compared to other U.S. cities many dreamed of a way to connect the two locations. It was James Wilkins who first proposed the idea of building the bridge. As a response to the call for engineers, Joseph Strauss rose to the challenge. He had previously constructed around 400 draw bridges in his career as an engineer. However, these bridges were significantly shorter, therefore making this project especially challenging. Strauss estimated that it would take $17 million to build it. It is amazing to behold this structure which took large amounts of funding to create. Consider visiting it yourself on a train tour in California through America by Rail. There were some who were against the construction of the bridge. There were concerns that the bridge would disturb ship traffic and those making their living off of ferry services opposed the commencement of the project. Nevertheless, the project was finally underway in 1925. Two forces backing the construction of the bridge were the Secretary of War and the automobile industry. The name of the bridge was determined by the city engineer, M.M. O’Shaughnessy and Joseph Strauss. It was named after the waterway forming the entrance to the San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean, which was named The Golden Gate Straight. Many marvel at the great structure today. If you’d like to experience this modern marvel, consider booking a train tour to California. Visit http://www.americabyrail.com/ for details!

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