Vista Dome Car
Vacationing in the Caribbean
The name Caribbean is almost synonymous with Sea, Sun and Sand. Magnificent beaches abound ranging from dazzling white sand, to pink sand to rich golden brown sand through to beautiful black sand beaches. These beaches seem to call you to dive into the sparkling blue water and then relax on the beach soaking in the sun and admiring the beauty of the scene. For those who want more activity at the beach than reclining on a lounge chair sipping a cold drink, Caribbean vacations offer a range of beach activities. On almost every island you can find jet skis, ocean kayaks, parasailing, surfing, wind surfing, kite boarding, water skis and banana boat rides at the major beaches.
The opportunity to go surfing is a key element in deciding on a vacation locale for a growing number of people and Barbados is the surfing paradise of the Caribbean. The island's location far out in the Atlantic Ocean allows waves to travel thousands of kilometers across the sea before finally unleashing their power over Barbados' coral reefs. Barbados receives waves to surf from all directions thus providing for unlimited surfing conditions all over. The number one surfing location in Barbados is the internationally recognised Soup Bowl in Bathsheba. All over the island however there are beaches suited to surfing, from Brandons Beach near Bridgetown to Accra Beach. South Point Beach has a fairly powerful and clean wave while the shorebreak at Inchcape on Silver Sands Beach seems to break 365 days a year. For those who do not know how to surf but want to learn while on vacation, Barbados has many surfing shops to provide instruction.
The Dominican Republic is known as the kiteboarding capital of the world and for the past four years the Kiteboarding World Cup has been held in the Dominican Republic town of Cabarete. Along this region of the North Coast of the Dominican Republic, nature has created the perfect blend of wind, water and waves to generate incomparable kiteboarding and windsurfing conditions. In June of every year, Windsurfers also flock to Cabarete for the annual World Cup Windsurfing Competition.
As fun-filled as Caribbean beaches are, today there is much more to a Caribbean vacation than activities at the beach and these activities are both beyond and behind the beach. As you move beyond the beach there is a range of activities including Deep-sea Fishing, Dolphin/Whale Watching and Diving.
Fishing is a recreational pastime on every Caribbean island and throughout the Caribbean certain pelagic game fish can be found with some of the more sought after species being sailfish, marlin, tuna and wahoo. As these species are migratory fish they are more abundant at certain times of the year on each island but there are other species that can usually be found year round at different islands. The game fishing off the waters of Tobago is a sport angler´s dream with some of the world´s most exciting game fish, including blue marlin, white marlin, swordfish, wahoo, tuna, barracuda, dolphin (mahi-mahi) and shark. Jamaica's northern waters are also well-known for deep-sea and sport fishing. Anglers can hook a large number of fish, including mahi mahi, wahoo, blue and white marlin, sailfish, tarpon, barracuda, and bonito.
Visitors can now go whale and dolphin watching in a number of Caribbean countries including: Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines. In fact, there are an amazing thirty species of whales and dolphins in the Caribbean. The most frequently spotted species include humpback and sperm whales, and bottlenose, spotted and spinner dolphins. Whale watching vessels are usually medium to small-sized vessels carrying less than 75 people, which offer an excellent opportunity to get a great view of the whales. While each of these islands offers whale watcing, the activity has developed in Dominica to the point where Dominica has become known as the "Whale Watching Capital of the Caribbean." The island boasts a 90% success rate in spotting whales or dolphins during a whale watching excursion. The island offers excellent year round whale watching opportunities including spectacular sperm whale mother-calf pairs, whose spouts can sometimes even be seen from shore.
Those sparkling blue waters that provide so much enjoyment topside also provide a world of adventure below its surface. The Caribbean is one of the top regions for scuba diving and snorkeling with breathtaking marine life. The Cayman Islands are one of the premier areas in the world for diving with crystal clear turquoise waters that run deep with wondrous walls, shallow coral reefs, new and old wrecks and some of the most dynamic marine life. Tobago is another island that offers a myriad of diving opportunities for both the new and experienced diver plus the holiday snorkeler. Home of the elusive manta rays and the Caribbean's largest brain coral, Tobago is a year round scuba diving destination.
Behind the beach on each Caribbean island there is also a range of vacation activities that can include hiking, bird watching, river tubing, visiting natural attractions, history tours and enjoying a vibrant nightlife.
The natural landscape with abundant rain forests makes hiking a popular vacation activity in the Caribbean and Trinidad has a range of hiking opportunities with hikes varying in difficulty from 1 to 8. There are tour guides for those who want guided tours and almost every weekend hiking groups visit various natural attractions. The 32-kilometer trail from Blanchisseuse to Matelot on Trinidad's north coast is considered a jewel. Along the hike one alternates from unspoiled rainforest to untouched beaches. The trail rambles over a succession of small ridges, crossing several small streams and passing through abandoned estate lands with cocoa, coffee, tonka bean, nutmeg and papaya (pawpaw).
Dominica, lying in the Eastern Caribbean between Martinique and Guadeloupe, calls itself the Nature Island and rightfully so. Its landscape is covered with lush untouched natural rain forest. Within those forests are tall cascading waterfalls, hidden fern grottoes, mountain lakes, boiling lakes, hot springs and mysterious regions of volcanic activity. All these natural wonders within a 29 mile by 16 mile island that has almost 300 miles of footpaths, so that in almost every part of the country, trails weave their way into gorges and across valleys, climbing up to 4,000 foot mountains, creating a hiker´s paradise. In Dominica, there are trails for every level of hiker, varying from easy 30-minute walks to more moderate 45 minute to 2-hour hikes to strenuous 6-hour treks. All of these in a land that seems to bear fruit everywhere, so that all over you see oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes, bananas, papayas, guavas, star fruit, breadfruit, passion fruit.
The natural landscape of the Caribbean also allows bird watching to be another popular year round vacation activity. Trinidad and Tobago has some of the most diverse bird species to be found in one location with over 460 species in a combined land area of 1,868 square miles. Asa Wright Nature Center, is Trinidad and Tobago´s premier birding location and it has been widely recognized as one of the most successful eco-tourism stories in the world. Asa Wright, with a listing of 159 bird species, is a 270-acre conservatory, located on a former cocoa-coffee-citrus plantation partly reclaimed by secondary forest and largely surrounded by impressive rainforest. The center has several cottages that are available for rent and one can choose to spend a night, a weekend or even longer. There are numerous trails throughout the property and very knowledgeable guides. Two of the highlights are the short walk to the manakin leks to see these beautiful little birds dance to attract a mate and to see and hear the Bearded Bellbird. Another special attraction of the Asa Wright Nature Centre, is a breeding colony of the nocturnal Oilbird, or Guacharo (Steatornis caripensis). Located in Dunston Cave, this is the only known easily accessible colony of this species. These visits must however generally be booked in advance as the number of visits and visitors is limited.
Wet, wild and wonderful are the words that describe yet another popular outdoor Caribbean vacation activity; River Tubing. On Grenada's Balthazar River, Dominica´s Layou River, Jamaica´s White River or Great River you can spin and swirl in large modified tubes as the river currents take you on a thrilling ride down river. Along the way you can enjoy the scenery of natural untouched rain forest and at the end of your ride you can swim in the river´s natural pools.
Nature has blessed the Caribbean in innumerable ways and provided it with a host of natural attractions. On the island of Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands is a national park known as The Baths. Here giant granite boulders are scattered about a beach lapped by the blue Caribbean Sea. Standing almost 50 feet tall, these massive boulders form a series of grottoes in which to play and explore. Within this seaside labyrinth are many placid pools that create a truly romantic locale.
St. Lucia boasts of one of the most unique Caribbean natural attractions with what is probably the world´s only drive-in volcano. Located at La Soufriere you can drive your car to the semi-active volcano and then take a guided tour. The five acre wide hissing crater is a red, blue and green tinged landscape, which has 24 steaming vents that hint at deposits of iron, copper oxide, magnesium and others minerals bubbling to the surface. The entire area gives a fascinating picture of what the earth must have looked like 400,000 years ago when the dome of molten lava collapsed.
The bioluminescent bay found at Puerto Mosquito (Mosquito Bay) located on the southern shore of the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico has to be rated as one of the things you must see before you die. A trip into the bay on a balmy night is a magical experience because when the calm waters around the bay are disturbed, the microscopic organisms in the bay emit a blue-green light and so swimming or kayaking in the bay is like floating among the stars. The 2008 Guinness Book of World Records has officially declared this magical bioluminescent bay the brightest recorded in the world.
The Caribbean was considered desirable property in the 17th and 18th century, which led to numerous battles between France, England, Spain and Holland and many islands changing ownership several times. The need to protect these islands resulted in numerous fortifications, while the change of ownership led to varying architectural styles. Many of these historic sites are well preserved and provide interesting glimpses of the past. Two of these sites are Brimstone Hill in St Kitts and the Garrison Historic District in Barbados.
The Brimstone Hill Fortress has been converted to a National Park and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of historical, cultural and architectural significance. The fortress is considered one of the best preserved historical fortifications in the Americas. It has been described as "a monument to the ingenuity of the British military engineers who designed it and to the skill, strength and endurance of the African slaves who built and maintained it". Tours of Brimstone Hill are conducted daily, and highlights include the hospital, ammunition stores, artillery officer's quarters, the Prince of Wales Bastion, and the Citadel of Fort George. In addition to learning about the historical significance of the fort, a visit affords one the opportunity to enjoy attractive panoramic vistas of forested mountains, cultivated fields, the historical township of Sandy Point, and the neighboring islands of Nevis, Montserrat, Saba, St. Martin and St. Barts.
The Garrison Historic Area in Barbados surrounds the Garrison Savannah, which is the center of much of the sporting and recreational activity in Barbados. The Savannah however is a historic location for much more than sport. The historical significance of the Garrison Savannah goes back to 1650 when Charles Fort was erected in the area and then in 1705, St. Ann´s Fort was added. This area developed into a military complex and being the site of a military complex, numerous buildings were constructed from the 1660´s to the 1800´s. These buildings today give the Garrison area much of its historical and architectural interest. On any walk around the Garrison area you cannot miss seeing the numerous cannons that are located in the area. These form part of the Barbados National Cannon Collection, which constitutes the largest cluster of 17th Century English cannons in the world. One of the prominent buildings in this area is the Main Guard building facing the racetrack. This elegant Georgian building from 1802 with its handsome clock tower and wide verandah is now an information centre and houses exhibits about the West Indian Regiment. As you continue around the Savannah there are numerous 17th- to 19th-century military buildings constructed from brick brought as ballast on ships from England and also several memorials. Another significant building in this area is the Barbados Museum, which is housed in a compound that was formerly a military prison, and centered around a large airy courtyard with trees and flowering shrubs.
When night falls your activities do not end as the Caribbean has an array of bars, clubs and world class restaurants. For true local flavor however, the weekly street parties are unmatched. On the island of St Lucia the fishing village of Gros Islet transforms itself every Friday night into a colorful carnival scene, featuring soca and reggae music and a "jump up" (dancing in the streets). The Fish Fry on Friday´s in Grenada´s village of Gouyave provides you the opportunity to sample an array of freshly caught local seafood to the backdrop of calypso rhythms. Not to be outdone the Sunday School in Tobago´s Buccoo Village held every Sunday night allows you to dance to the music of the steelband while looking out on the fishing boats gently rocking in the bay.
With so much to do on a Caribbean Vacation, your only difficulty is to choose an island.
About the Author
Brian Ramsey is the author of Discovering the Birds of Trinidad and Tobago, and operates the web site, Outdoors Trinidad. For more information on outdoor activities in the Caribbean visit his other web site site, Caribbean Outdoor Life. For beautiful tropical island pictures you can also visit his Images Caribbean web site.
Vista Dome Car
 |
 Mint Lionel Northern Pacific F3 A B and 4 car Vista Dome Passenger set  US $895.00
|
 Lionel Illinois Central Passenger Set Complete 6 Car Set plus Vista Dome US $600.00
|
 LIONEL 2552 ILLUMINATED VISTA DOME SKYLINE CAR 1957 FROM CP SET BOX ONLY RARE US $400.00
|
 Lionel 2522 Presidential Vista Dome Car Master Carton US $395.00
|
 LIONEL O 39110 TRAIN OF THE CENTURY FULL VISTA DOME CARS SET SEALED 416321 US $315.00
|
 LIONEL TRAINS POSTWAR 2552 CANADIAN PACIFIC SKYLINE ALUMIN VISTA DOME PASS CAR US $234.95
|
 Lionel 2532 Silver Range Vista Dome Aluminum Car GORGEOUS w OB US $195.00
|
 MTH Train 70 ABS Full Length Vista Dome Passenger Car Smooth 20 67184 US $186.99
|
 K Line Trains 6 22423 Great Northern 21 Aluminum Vista Dome Passenger Car Set US $184.95
|
 MTH 20 6765 Baltimore and Ohio 70 ABS Full Length Vista Dome Smooth Pass Car US $174.95
|
 Lionel 7211 Southern Pacific Vista Dome Daylight Car US $170.20
|
 Lionel North Pole Central Vista Dome Vixen Passenger car US $168.15
|
 LIONEL 52220 TCA ALUMINUM VISTA DOME CAR CITY OF CHATTANOOGA MINT US $149.00
|
 Lionel 6 52106 TCA City of Chattnaooga Aluminum Vista Dome Car Brand New MIB US $131.55
|
 Lionel 2432 Postwar 2432 CLIFTON VISTA DOME PASSENGER CAR With Box US $129.99
|
 MTH MILWAUKEE ROAD FULL VISTA DOME ADD ON CAR RUNS GREAT WITH LIONEL US $124.95
|
 MTH RFP FULL VISTA DOME ADD ON CAR RUNS GREAT WITH LIONEL US $122.95
|
 MTH GREAT NORTHERN FULL VISTA DOME ADD ON CAR RUNS GREAT WITH LIONEL US $122.95
|
 WILLIAMS 85209 AMTRAK VISTA DOME CAR 85309 COACH US $100.00
|
 Lionel New 6 19121 Union Pacific Aluminum Vista dome car US $100.00
|
 K LINE 4618 10505 CANADIAN PACIFIC SKYLINE O GAUGE ALUMINUM VISTA DOME CAR OB US $100.00
|
 New York CentraL MTH 70 ABS Full Length Vista Dome Passenger CarRibbed Lionel US $99.99
|
 MTH MISSOURI PACIFIC FULL VISTA DOME ADD ON CAR RUNS GREAT WITH LIONEL US $109.95
|
 MTH ERIE RAILROAD FULL VISTA DOME ADD ON CAR RUNS GREAT WITH LIONEL US $109.95
|
 MTH CANADIAN PACIFIC FULL VISTA DOME ADD ON CAR RUNS GREAT WITH LIONEL US $109.95
|
 Lionel Trains 6 39112 Spririt Train of the Century Full Vista Dome Car 3 MIB US $99.95
|
Fall Foliage Trains Treat Riders to a Brilliant Confetti of Color
Suddenly, there's a nip in the air... and, in most parts of the country, one needn't travel far to catch a glimpse of fall's annual pageant of colorful foliage. For those seeking more than a glimpse, some satisfaction will certainly be gained from a city park stroll or a countryside car trip. But, for those most dedicated of leaf peepers among us, there can only be one suitable course: a woodland rail safari through autumn's color-drenched hills and glens.
Trains are a natural choice for fall color lovers. Narrow rail beds cut discrete and scenic pathways through sometimes remote and, often, otherwise inaccessible wilderness. The general absence of typical roadside distractions, like fast food joints, billboards and gas stations, heightens possibilities for viewing foliage and wildlife alike! And, eco-friendly trains leave greener footprints than their roadway counterparts.
Onboard, panoramic windows offer sweeping forest views and many trains feature extras ranging from snack-bars and photo ops to dome seating, fine dining, bar services and tour guides. A number of excursions incorporate off-train opportunities for hand picking one's own pumpkin straight from the field!
Tracking down a foliage train may be easier than you think. Scenic and heritage railways offering leaf-peeper expeditions can be found in dozens of states. The 2009 guide to fall foliage train rides (http://www.traintraveling.com/events/fall-foliage-trains), posted on TrainTraveling.com, features an extensive list of such railways. A surprising roster of mainline Amtrak routes also offer opportunities to catch autumn's brilliant array.
Out West
Among the most unlikely destinations for the dedicated leaf-ophile, the Western US is full of foliage surprises. Thanks to its vast native stands of Aspen, the state of Colorado hosts a unique seasonal color change known locally as the "Gold Rush." Outside Colorado Springs, changing climatic zones turn tree-spotting into a high-altitude adventure aboard the Pike's Peak Cog Railway. For Denverites, Amtrak's California Zephyr provides a unique chance to commune with autumn's colorful bounty.
In the Pacific Northwest, the Mount Rainier Scenic Railway's always-memorable roll through the famous mountain's foothills is made all the more spectacular when its leafy route is ablaze with seasonal color.
Just Off the Prairie
Despite its close association with unending flatlands of cattle, corn and grain, America's heartland is gifted with an abundance of vibrant foliage. On Michigan's Upper Peninsula, the Toonerville Trolley Train and Riverboat host a Tahquamenon Falls Wilderness Excursion that ranks high on any foliage follower's list.
When fall's colors splash across the Midwest's best known resort towns, local tourist railway trips rise in popularity. The French Lick Scenic Railway, at French Lick's Indiana Railway Museum, treats foliage fans to a colorful run through the Hoosier National Forest. In Missouri's Ozarks, the Branson Scenic Railway adds extra trains to accommodate the increased demand.
Down in Dixie
Appalachian ranges give rise to impressive autumn forest canopies across much of the South. With its mountain-climbing steam train, West Virginia's Cass Mountain Railway State Park annually thrills thousands to sweeping vistas of red and gold wilderness and occasional sightings of moose or eagle. North Carolina's Great Smoky Mountain Railway transports visitors along a colorful route through its namesake Appalachian range.
Known for their famous horse farms, the bucolic blue hills of Kentucky provide perfect fodder for seasonal passengers to enjoy fall color excursions hosted by the Bluegrass Scenic Railway & Museum.
Back East
Of course, for autumn's richest golds, deepest ambers and most vivid reds, all tracks lead to -- or through -- the Northeast. The world's oldest steam-driven rack railway, the Mount Washington Cog Railway, scales New England's loftiest mountain, offering stunning autumn panoramas along the way. Back on earth, dozens of tourist trains ferry foliage followers on unique woodland journeys. The Berkshire Scenic Railway in Massachusetts, Green Mountain Railroad in Vermont, New York's Catskill Mountain Railroad and Delaware's Wilmington & Western Railroad are among the best.
Thanks to Amtrak, even city dwellers can join the leaf peep party. The Adirondack, Ethan Allen Express and The Vermonter are among the trains that give New Yorkers a genuine sampling of autumn's palette. Philadelphians and Pittsburghers hop aboard The Pennsylvanian for a colorful cruise through Amish Country and the Allegheny Mountains.
Ready to Go
To catch changing foliage at its seasonal peak, go by the calendar. The TrainTraveling.com website features a 2009 guide to fall foliage train rides (http://www.traintraveling.com/events/fall-foliage-trains). Listings include locations and scheduled dates for railways across the U.S.A. as well as Canada. Leaves change earliest in the country's north and mid-section, generally between late September and mid October. In more southerly locales, leaves change later with some color often lingering into early November.
Temperature and precipitation directly impact the quality and duration of peak color periods. Media resources like The Weather Channel provide updated information regarding local foliage view-ability. In any event, remember to dress appropriately: much of the best fall color is found in higher elevations where colder temperatures prevail.
About the Author
Michael Gleason publishes TrainTraveling.com, a passenger rail travel guide for commuters and tourists in Europe, North America and worldwide.