I just caught these latest posts, having just returned from a trip out to State College to visit Penn State yesterday and today, and I was commenting earlier on how much less isolated State College would feel if it were accessible by rail! (Of course, what I'd like is if we didn't have a third world transportation system, and there was a 220 mph high speed train making a stop downtown like you'd find in most civilized countries these days!) Same goes for Blacksburg, VA and my undergrad alma mater, Virginia Tech! (I'd definitely have visited more in recent years if there were a train there.)
I'm heading down to Williamsburg for a visit to William & Mary, and I'll be traveling on Amtrak and renting a car down there. I'll likely take Amtrak when I head up to Boston too, so I do put my money where my mouth is when it comes to rail. I really do prefer a relaxing, civilized train ride over putting all that wear and tear on my car, dodging tire re-treads and other debris, having trucks throw up rocks into my windshield, etc.
I had a good drive yesterday and today, and I don't mean to imply that I hate driving, but this was a good example of the type of trip where rail could've been a viable option. Traveling alone, packing light...