Tours Travel

Five Great US Train Journeys

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Amtrak’s big, shiny trains travel to major US cities and through some of the country’s most spectacular scenery. Their rugged charm sets them apart from more mundane modes of transportation and while this may not be the fastest way to get around, the pace is perfect for sightseeing. You can pick your mates, read a book, let your thoughts unfold, sleep flat, and generally enjoy most of the comforts of home. It’s much more fun than being isolated above the clouds or driving in front of endless billboards on the highways.

Amtrak operates nearly every passenger train in the United States, and the following are among the most enjoyable scenic routes:

The California Zephyr is one of the best trains in the world, going from Chicago to San Francisco through the heartland of the United States and the high plains of Colorado, then up into the Rocky Mountains via the Oregon Trail. Pioneers came through here, as did prospectors, the pony express, and the first continental telegraph. After Salt Lake City, it crosses the Bonneville Salt Flats and the beautiful but dangerous Sierra Nevada.

The epic journey of the Sunset Limited takes you coast to coast from New Orleans to Los Angeles. The train makes a dizzying crossing of the Mississippi River on the Huey P Long Bridge in Crescent City before traveling past swamps, snowy egrets, alligators, mansions and sugar cane fields. After San Antonio it joins the Rio Grande, taking a day to cross the sagebrush and mesquite prairies of Texas.

The Southwest Chief travels between Chicago and the Pacific, following part of the Santa Fe Trail first used by Native Americans, Spanish conquistadors, caravans and stagecoaches. Cross the Mojave Desert and pass Dodge City’s famous Boot Hill Cemetery. From Williams in Arizona you can travel to the Grand Canyon by train.

The Crescent runs from New York to New Orleans through the Blue Ridge Mountains and idyllic Shenandoah National Park with its dogwoods and cedars. Beyond Atlanta are sleepy southern cities with quaint general stores and sun-bleached homes. The train also makes a dramatic crossing of Lake Pontchartrain, skimming a few feet above the water on a six-mile causeway.

The Coast Starlight operates between Seattle and Los Angeles via Washington, Oregon and California. Pass some of the highest mountains in the United States, such as the Mt Hood volcano, as well as the emerald forests and waterfalls of Twin Peaks country. Beyond San Luis Obispo, it runs along slopes perched high on the cliffs, with splendid views of the Pacific waves and beaches.

Technology

Deep ecology: an old idea that could save us all

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Before the rise of civilization, the world was populated by tens of thousands of different cultures. Each of these cultures had a common thread. Everyone believed that man belonged to the world. None of them thought that the world belonged to man. Although they would never have used this term, all of these cultures had a profound ecological view of the world.

They saw value in nature for its own sake. The world was not cut, divided and measured according to its usefulness to man. The forests were good in their own right, regardless of the fact that they provided us with firewood and building materials.

Civilization changed this. One culture among the tens of thousands decided that the world belonged to man. It was ours by right. Suddenly, in his eyes, the world became one big farm for human food. A new way of life was born. The people of the civilization sought to convert as much of the land as possible into human food production. The more food they produced, the more people they could support. As their population grew, they expanded geographically. From a small starting point in the Fertile Crescent civilization it spread throughout the world. All in a 10,000 year old mother.

Tribal cultures were sustainable because their vision meant that they would not devour the world. They did not see the world as their own, so they did not turn the world into human food. Their view of man belonging to the world meant that they were happy to take what they needed and let the rest of creation do its thing. They did not seek to control nature and gain dominion over the planet.

Our civilization in its very essence is unsustainable. Our destructive nature is caused by this view that the world is ours by right. Every time we cut down a forest to turn it into farmland, we are displacing other forms of life. But we don’t think about that. Of course we can cut down the forest. Who cares about birds and insects; they don’t own the forest, we do. For 10,000 years we have been adding more human mass to the planet and at the same rate non-human life has been disappearing.

Now that the human population is growing faster than ever, other species are becoming extinct at an alarming rate. 200 species a day are becoming extinct. Our place at the top of the food chain is preserved only by maintaining the integrity of the earth’s ecosystem as a whole. The more we destroy the other life forms that support us, the more likely the ecosystem structure will collapse. The straw that breaks the camel’s back is not that far away.

To do?

Most of the environmental messages that you have here today are superficial ecology messages. Recycle, ride a bike, don’t use plastic bags, don’t waste paper, etc, etc. Superficial ecology realizes that we are destroying the planet. Therefore, he encourages us to refrain from it, but only so that we can continue to own it and exercise our control over it.

Deep ecology advocates a change at the fundamental level of our culture. Recycling will not save us. Changing the vision, seeing ourselves as part of the community of life is what needs to be changed.

Change the vision and actions will follow naturally. But try to mitigate a destructive vision with minor actions like green light bulbs and you will fail.

Arts Entertainments

Midnight in Paris (Movie Review)

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Midnight in Paris

Midnight in Paris is about nostalgia. The story follows writer Gil Penber, who isn’t happy with his life in the present, especially his life with his fiance. He returns to Paris to meet some of his favorite writers from the 20s. The result is a hilarious and heartwarming movie, and one that’s easy to recommend.

Enzo Zelocchi – Midnight in Paris is a rom-com about a Hollywood screenwriter, Gil, who longs to write a novel instead of writing a screenplay. His fiance, Inez (Rachel McAdams), is a wealthy businesswoman who wants to live a glamorous life in Malibu. Inez, however, doesn’t care for Gil’s desire to write a novel in Paris. Her parents, meanwhile, are disapproving.

Midnight in Paris asks some very big questions, and provides answers to many of them. As a viewer, you will have to decide which questions you want answered. The film explores Gil’s search for true love, creativity and something deeper than himself. If you’re interested in exploring the meaning of life, then Midnight in Paris may be for you.

Midnight in Paris (Movie Review)

Midnight in Paris is one of Woody Allen’s best films. It combines past and present and plays with stereotypes about artists. The movie stars Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams. In the film, Gil is an engaged American, but falls in love with Paris. Meanwhile, Inez doesn’t like the city.

Midnight in Paris is a French arthouse film with elements of New York City. Its themes are romantic, magical and comic. It isn’t a terribly serious film, but it is still a worthy contender. A lot of people would consider it a work of art.

The film starts off with a three-minute montage of scenes of Paris set to music. This scene immediately transports the viewer into the story. There are some beautiful, old buildings, and some fantastic reconstructions of earlier time periods. Seeing these eras in this film is definitely an experience you won’t forget.

In “What Is Midnight in Paris On,” Gil Pender, a screenwriter and aspiring novelist, is on vacation in Paris with his fiancee. But he’s taken to wandering the streets by himself. Then, he meets a mysterious woman named Vivianne.

Midnight in Paris is not actually filmed in Paris, but in day trip locations nearby. For example, the opening scenes of the film were filmed near the home of Claude Monet, Giverny, just an hour’s drive from Paris. The waterlilies that are featured in the film were painted by Monet. Those paintings are now displayed at the Orangerie Museum in the Jardin des Tuileries in Paris.

The opening montage of Midnight in Paris is breathtaking. It captures the essence of Paris at its most magical. The changing colors of the city make a breathtaking backdrop for the conversation between the man and woman. This montage sets the tone for the movie. It makes the movie worth seeing.