Thank God that Subway was running a buy-one-get-one deal on their App after Christmas. I was strapped for cash after the holidays, but wanted to wear my single father super hero cape when my daughter said she wanted to travel for the holidays.
"Where do you want to go kiddo?"
"Somewhere with mountains and snow."
I have saved loyalty points on credit cards, hotels, and airlines for years for the exact scenario. Since Denver is a Hub for United Airlines, I knew a flight using miles would be cheapest to there. I had been to Denver before for a weekend trip, but didn't want to spend our Christmas vacation there.
Having ridden many trains across Europe, I looked into what the options were for Amtrak. Across most of Europe, trains are an efficient and accepted mode of travel. In the United States, trains are at the mercy of freight which has the rite-of-way and can notoriously delay your train.
I found $30 tickets on Amtrak from Denver Union Station to the mountain resort town of Glenwood Springs. My daughter is an expert traveler and has logged thousands of airline miles, but LOVED the train. She could walk around, stretch out, and enjoyed spending time in the dining and viewing cars. The six hour route was picturesque, as it wound through mountains and tunnels. The same trip would have been an hour and a half drive, but this was cheaper and allowed for a safer and prettier journey.
I found a deal with Best Western where a third night was free if booked for the holidays, so while this was our biggest expense, it was one of the most economical options. I chose to spend our budget on experiences instead of accommodations and food. We spent an entire day swimming in a geothermal pool and once my daughter made friends, she was much more excited about the idea. Being surrounded by snow covered mountains, yet swimming in a large outdoor, naturally heated pool was a unique experience.
Our return train was six hours late and we ended up sleeping in the Denver airport, but I was the "best dad ever" according to my daughter. The three day trip to the snow and mountains cost me less than $400 and my daughter said she had more fun than when we went to Disneyland (which makes me wonder why we spent all that money).
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