Mountain Outin' Tours, Inc.

Since our travel plans are temporarily on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, please enjoy these photos of our National Parks, and savor the thoughts of future travel adventures once the current crisis is contained. --Rolland

With the SARS-CoV-2 virus still widely circulating in the population, our travel plans remain on indefinite hold. It seems strange and unnatural not to be exploring new destinations and enjoying new experiences. Veteran travel writer, Rick Steeves, expresses the sentiments of all of us in the travel industry in the article below. Enjoy the contemplation of travel adventures in the sunnier days which are sure to come.

While you are sheltering at home, we can remember our travels on Iceland's Ring Road in early fall. In this article, you can view scenes along the Ring Road in winter. Enjoy the contrast! in seasons!

Cimarron, 13-20 June, 2020. The ghosts from bygone days linger in towns along the Santa Fe Trail--of mountain men, cattle barons, railroad builders, lawmen and desperados. In Cimarron, the St. James Hotel still sports 29 bullet holes in the tavern ceiling from the town's glory days. The remnants of Ft. Union recall when it was the largest military base on the Santa Fe trail. In Las Vegas, the legacy of the Santa Fe Railway and Fred Harvey is still evident at Montezuma Cas...tle and the recently re-opened Castañeda Hotel. In Colorado, the narrow gauge railways which climbed mountain passes to reach the mining camps are now mostly silent. But two remain in operation as reminder of the mining boom of the 1880's: The Cumbres & Toltec line over Cumbres Pass, and the Durango & Silverton in the San Juan Mountains. Both still operate the original steam locomotives built nearly 100 years ago, providing the opportunity to experience a bygone era of transportation in spectacularly scenic country. A detailed brochure with daily itinerary will be available shortly. See more

Coming, fall 2020: Byways in Indian Summer, 14-27 September. Our fall outing takes along the by-ways in northern Indiana, northwest Ohio, and into southern Ontario, Canada. Our travels will introduce you to a variety of small businesses which provide goods and services to the large Amish/Mennonite community. Contrasting with the "mom & pop" businesses, we'll also tour a motor home manufacturer, Toyota's assembly plant, and the distillery for Canadian Club. There is a lot m...ore, too, including a visit to Pelee Island, the southernmost point in Canada, at the same latitude as northern California, site of Canada's first winery. Historic personages are also remembered: Gene Stratton-Porter, Indiana author and naturalist, Rutherford B. Hayes, whose election as President in 1876 is an eerie portent of today's political drama, Dr. Banting, discoverer of insulin; Alexander Graham Bell, Edsel Ford, and others. And, of course, we'll have a railroad connection too: 3 railroad museums, a charter train on Port Stanley Terminal Rail, and the rail roundhouse at Greenfield Village. For a culinary experience, enjoy a Hungarian hot dog at Tony Packo's in Toledo (made famous by Jamie Farr as Corporal Klinger in the M*A*S*H sitcom of the 1970's, and a bountiful Amish supper with John & Elaine Yutzy at their farm. And not to be overlooked are the "quilt gardens" floral displays throughout Elkhart County, Indiana. Starts in Chicago; concludes in Dearborn, MI (Detroit). Amtrak and airline connections available at both locations. (photos courtesy Elkhart County CVB & The Henry Ford) See more

One of the more spectacular Holiday events is the Festival of Lights at the Mission Inn in Riverside. We have visited this event on several occasions in past years. This year Metrolink is operating special trains from Los Angeles, Orange County and Oceanside direct to Riverside with a complimentary shuttle from the station to the Mission Inn for just $7 round trip on Fridays and Saturdays in late November-December. https://www.metrolinktrains.com/destina/festival-of-lights/

Last year our "Byways in Acadia" outing visited the Magdalen Islands. This article provides an update on the effects of global warming is having on the islands and their inhabitants.

Many times over the years Mountain Outin' has visited Chicago's Union Station, most recently this past March. So you may enjoy this video describing and illustrating the renewal of the Great Hall of the station (located adjacent to the new Metropolitan Lounge.

One of the attractions visited on our May, 2017 "Minnesota Vignettes" outing was the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. On our visit we learned about the burglary at the museum in August, 2005, during which the famed "ruby slippers" were stolen. Here is an update, and good news--the ruby slippers have been recovered, but the person(s) behind the burglary are still unknown (maybe the FBI knows)

Our relationship with Amtrak has been, to put it mildly, strained since Richard Anderson came aboard as Amtrak's President last December. On-board service and amenities have been reduced or eliminated on some trains; reservation policies changed to make it nearly impossible to book groups, charter, private car and special train operations curtailed, cancellation and change penalties increased. But perhaps the most heartless was Amtrak's refusal to operate the annual (for the past 19 years) "Toys for Tots" train in December where the Marine Corps distributed toys to children along the line in New York state. But Santa did come, thanks to volunteers and the Norfolk Southern Railway...

Union Pacific is operating a special train carrying President George H.W. Bush to his final resting place in College Station, Texas on Wednesday. Follow this link to the Union Pacific site which includes photos of the UP locomotive #4141 named for the President, as well as a folder showing interior and exterior photos of the UP business cars being used on the train (hint: they are really elegant). https://www.up.com/media/media_kit/bush41/index.htm

With Thanksgiving upon us once again, the classic side dish to many Thanksgiving menus, green bean casserole, is one which likely had its origins on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad dining cars. This article describes the connection to the B&O. The instructions from the B&O recipe book 1/2 lb string beans; 1/2 lb mushrooms; 1 tablespoon butter; 1/2 tablespoon flour, 1 cup milk, 2 oz bread crumbs: sliver the beans, cook in boiling salted water until tender. Drain. Meanwhile, peel and slice the mushrooms and sautee in butter with the flour and milk added. Cook until thickened. Add the beans and pour the combination in a baking dish. Over the top sprinkle the bread crumbs. Bake in medium oven, 375 degrees just long enough to heat thoroughly and brown the crumbs. Enjoy!

For those of us of a certain age, it seems not so long ago when we began to offer group tours that a nice room at a Best Western motel cost $12. The Motel 6 chain got its name from the fact that they charged just $6 for their rooms. And Howard Johnson's motels and orange roofed restaurants were always a good choice for an overnight stay and a meal. As noted in the essay below, times have changed. Howard Johnson's is gone; our latest bookings at Best Western hotels have been averaging $130, and even Motel 6 in some locations charges triple digit room rates.