You know, this particular episode was produced as our corporeal forms passed through four of these United States as we wound our way to the annual Mac Mecca at the Javits Center, and we can honestly say that this has been the least stressful trip we've taken down here. The year of the first New York Expo, we drove, figuring that four hours from Boston to NYC would be a cakewalk, right? Except that-- silly us-- not having visited New York before, we made the admittedly ludicrous assumption that hotels there would have a place for guests to park their vehicles. Not so. In fact, there's nowhere to park in Manhattan that doesn't charge by the nanosecond, not counting that terrific "Seventy Bucks And The Limb Of Your Choice" daily rate. So our cunning plan to save money on airfare simply shifted our travel budget laterally into a parking expense instead.

Then last year we figured, hey, let's fly in. True, the shuttle flight costs a bit more than driving in and parking the car for a week in Honest Ted's Discount Car Hole, but we figured we'd save on stress-- the stress of forcing one's vehicle through Manhattan traffic (which is harrowing even for a veteran of Boston driving conditions), as well as the stress of paying exorbitant rent just to stow said vehicle in a structure that inspires no more confidence in the car's safety than leaving it unlocked and running in an iffy neighborhood with a sign in the window that says, "Radio? Heck, we've got a STACK OF GOLD BARS IN HERE!!!" Unfortunately, we failed to reckon for the compensating stress (as well as the cost) of having to get between LaGuardia and Manhattan. Twice. It's a reasonably hefty cab fare, and this all doesn't even factor in the universally acknowledged fact that airports are the single most stress-inducing structures on the planet. Don't get us wrong; we didn't have any particularly nightmarish experience or anything. It's just that dealing with the hassle of getting to and from two international airports, dealing with airport parking, the x-ray machines, baggage check, irate cabbies, and the other perils inherent in this mode of travel only to spend less than an hour in the air seems, well, kinda dorky.

So this year we decided to take the train. Now, we hadn't dealt with Amtrak in years-- and never on a trip that was more than a couple of hours long. We had gotten so used to flying for our respective day jobs, trips home for the holidays, etc. that certain serious benefits of Iron Horse travel had escaped our attention. For one thing, there's no security check-- meaning you don't have to keep telling yourself that x-rays don't harm computer equipment as you send your laptop (read: your entire life) through the dark, scary tunnel. You also don't have to empty your pocket change, house keys, wrist watch, wedding ring, PDA, pager, cell phone, commemorative Elvis belt buckle, wallet chain, and dental fillings into a little cup-- only to have the metal detector get sprung by a stray atom of iron that spontaneously attached itself to your left shoe, thus introducing you to the wonders of the body cavity search.

But wait, it gets better! There's no baggage check and, therefore, no baggage claim; you don't have to stomach that sinking feeling when most of the people on your flight have gone merrily on their way, encumbered with various pieces of luggage, while you yourself are standing there wondering whether your clothes are enjoying their unscheduled vacation in Guam. There are also no mandatory seatbelts, no pre-flight safety demonstration, and no overhead bins to squeeze shut. And if the worst happens, instead of dying in a horrible plane crash, you perish in a twisted, screeching derailment-- much less stressful. Best of all, working on an iBook in a coach-class jet seat is well-nigh impossible, but the extra legroom on the train makes iBook use a perfectly comfortable activity. And get this-- there's even a 120v power outlet just under the window in case you start to run out of juice. It's a Mac road warrior's dream.

So there it is; our unsolicited thumbs-up for traveling by train. Sure, it takes longer-- five hours total, in our case-- but those hours are a lot more pleasant, productive, restful, and fun. If for no other reason than getting a comfortable computing environment complete with A/C outlet, we suggest you consider it the next time you have a relatively short trip scheduled. Now, please excuse us; we're going to put the iBook to sleep and watch Connecticut pass us by.