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Ride the train from Austin to San Antonio for only $12
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The Amtrak pulls into the Austin train station
The connection between Austin and San Antonio is a very real one. Many people work and play between the two cities, but most only take the I-35 route in their cars. Few ever ride the rails between A-Town and SA-Town, but those people don't know what they're missing out on.
Only a handful of people are ever waiting in the train station. Even though this station is conveniently located in the heart of downtown, just off Congress Avenue. These passengers are the wise ones who know how to take advantage of the treasure in their own backyards.
You can't beat the price at between $12 and $15 one-way. And the Amtrak runs every day. You can catch it at 7:00pm every night in Austin, and it will get you to San Antonio at around 9:45pm. Yes, it takes a long time, but it's a rather beautiful ride. And much more spacious than the Greyhound, which is more expensive.
From your train window, you can see houses (which look great when they're all lit up during the holidays), rivers, plains, forests and grazing cows.
The dining car closes after the train passes San Marcos, but while it's open you can get a yummy sandwich, a cookie and a beer. Sure, it will end up costing more than the price of the ticket, but it's all in the name of good, train-riding fun.
You also get to meet Amish people on the train. With their simple lifestyles, we could all learn a thing or two from the Amish about economizing.
You can meet some other interesting characters on the train too, and more often than not they'll want to play cards with you. Indulge them; it's a great way to make new friends.
Or you can sleep in your reclining seat. As the train chugs over the tracks, it makes for a rather pleasant lullaby.
And true Austinites know that riding the train is cool. You can't get to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry in a taxi. If there was no Orient Express, how else would Hercule Poirot solve any murders? And no one would tell the tale of Jesse James if he held up a Subaru on the Interstate.
I suppose you could drive to San Antonio. You could brave the dangerous I-35. You could spend gazillions on gas. You might blow out a tire and have to spend even more money to repair it. Give your hard-earned cash to car insurance companies. Waste your money on parking permits.
In these days of recession, you may want to take a nice vacation to San Antonio, to get away from the daily grind of Austin. But you'll think twice about it because you can't really afford a vacation right now. But give the Amtrak a try. It's cheap, it's fun....it's an adventure. And while I-35 might stress you out, on the Amtrak you can sit back and enjoy the ride. And isn't that, really, the meaning of life?
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