Family traditions are a big part of the holidays, and many locations around the U.S. cater to that with special Christmas trains. The Premier Rail Collection, comprising a number of passenger rail companies, has put together The Train to Christmas Town, based on the book of that name and written by Peggy Ellis. It will be offered beginning Nov. 27 by the Santa Cruz & Monterey Bay Railway in Santa Cruz, Calif.; the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad in Alamosa, Colo.; Cape Cod Central Railroad in Hyannis, Mass., and Piedmont & Northern Railway in Belmont, N.C. Riders board festively decorated cars and sip hot chocolate and eat cookies while listening to a reading of the book in the voice of the author. At Christmas Town there’s a visit by Santa, and on the return trip there’s caroling and photo-ops with Santa and his elves. Prices vary by location, and tickets may be bought at www.traintochristmastown.com.
The best deals in soccer
If you’re a fan of professional soccer and want to get the best deal on tickets, you need to get yourself to South Africa. That’s according to a study done by GoEuro.com, a website for comparing transportation costs in Europe, and Onefootball, a popular soccer app. The study looked at the cost of attending the top division games in 25 countries around the world. South Africa was the cheapest, with an average ticket price of just $9.59. England was the most pricey, with an average cost of $82.60 per ticket. The U.S. occupies the No. 5 spot, with tickets averaging $46.22. Another part of the study ranked the best value, based on ticket price and the quality of the league. Germany took the top spot there, while the U.S. was buried at the bottom. See all of the rankings at http://tinyurl.com/pyg5jx7.
Discover where it all began
Wildlife naturally is the emphasis of most safaris in Africa, but AndBeyond has added a twist with its Human Origins Safari. The trip is keyed to the recent claims that Homo naledi fossil skeletons unearthed in South Africa represent a new human species. The 17-day/16-night tour starts in the Ngorongoro Crater area of Tanzania, which teems with wildlife that includes black rhinos, lions and elephants. Here there also will be a visit to Olduvai Gorge, best known as the home of the earliest remains of Homo sapiens. The first week is spent at Ngorongoro and in the Serengeti before moving on to Johannesburg. There’s an exploration of the city there along with visiting the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site where Homo naledi was discovered. Sabi Sand Game Reserve is next, and the tour concludes with four days in Cape Town, including a bicycle outing to the region’s wine country. The trip is priced from $13,181 per person double occupancy, which includes lodging, meals and drinks; internal flights and transportation; game viewing and city tours; a hot air balloon flight over the Serengeti and more. International air is extra. Info:
Phil Marty is a freelance reporter.
