Revising A Dream -- And Saving $$$, Too! Hee Hee Hee

Richie, with his usual self-confidence is sure that one fine day he will win the lottery.  His wife is far more sanguine about this unlikely event actually occurring during her lifetime.

But, always supportive, the wife has always been willing to spell out how to spend the windfall.  First, 90 per cent of it will go into annuities, interest-bearing accounts and so forth.  The remaining  10 per cent will go for "fun."

It is good to share so the original "fun" was declared, "Take everyone we love on a river cruise in the Loire Valley, France.  We decided to sweeten the pot and throw in 1st class air fare and $100/day for postcards and souvenirs. 

To take the crowd with whom we wanted to share would require 10 to 12 boats.  For years, we have spent many a happy hour listing guests and pairings for each boat.  We sit at the bar and I scribble on bar napkins.  "Oh, no - we can't put them with the so-and-sos!"  A very pleasant way to pass the time between beers.

And then ... I heard about this:  individuals can rent private railroad cars which are hooked onto existing Amtrak trains and thence off to pretty much wherever you want to go -- and in opulent luxury, chef, stewards, open bar and all. 

Googling "US private railroad cars" turned up Colonial Crafts which offers the following:

Los Angeles to San Diego   30 passengers   $4,970 or $166 per person.  With full meal service, $5,922 or $247 per person.

Los Angeles to San Francisco   20 people   $11,476 or $547 per person which includes two layover days in San Francisco. 

Los Angeles to Reno   5 days including going over the (shudder) Donner Pass - BBQ ribs for all!

Amtrak charges $2.10 a mile for the first train hooked on, but only $1.60 a mile for the second.  It's $100 for overnight parking at a station. 

Now is substituting a group party on wheels a better deal than everyone going to France?  You betcha - it'll give us the money for us - on our own - to take the Orient Express from London to Venice and then Venice to Paris.  Our train tickets would be $11,000.  Have to make sure we'll have $11 grand leftover.  Or else we'll be back in the bar saying, "Okay the railroad car seats 30 - who gets to go?"