First, some thoughts on train travel, although Emily has already covered this topic from the cross-country perspective. If you think of a ride on Amtrak as an adventure, then it is a great value! On what other ride can you spent twice as much time as anticipated without having to pay more? At Disneyland? I don't 
think so. If you stand in line for 45 minutes for Pirate's of the Caribbean, ride the ride, then want to go 
again, they make you get off and spend another 45 minutes in line. Not on Amtrak. You can arrive at the station ready to board your 1:58 train to Bakersfield, arriving at 7:00 p.m. and actually arrive at 
11:00 p.m. FOR NO ADDITIONAL COST! There are things that you can do on the train that you can't do in a car. For example; you can sleep on the train without having people pinch you and yell at you to WAKE UP! You can lay on the floor and play game boy. You can give yourself a manicure. You can entertain fellow travellers with knock-knock jokes for miles on end. You can even host a pizza party at the Altamont Commuter Express station for all of the other passengers who missed their connecting train and make lots of grateful, new friends! The Alameda County Fair had everything going for it; pleasant weather, lots of shade, fabulous over-priced fried food, magicians, pig races, frisbee dogs, newborn farm animals and a great kids' midway. We give it twelve thumbs up and wish the rest of you could have been with us!
