The day was finally here. My mom drove me and my dad to the Metra Station to go to Chicago. When we arrived at Union Station everything was moving quickly.

What better way to celebrate graduation than with a relaxing visit with family? And what better way to transition from the hectic pace of finals and term papers to the tranquility of the Pennsylvania countryside than with a scenic trip aboard the Pennsylvanian?

The next visit to the store brought about an announcement over the store PA system asking, Hey Richard, how soon can we go to the big city to see an Angel game? It took him about five seconds to get to Check Stand 2 to see who had made the request. The rest of this story is that Richard planned a sports escapade on our beloved Amtrak train that will live in my memory for many years to come.

Are you a die hard Disney fan? Have you ever thought of taking the train to Walt Disney World? If no, it is an incredible experience. You'll enjoy the train ride more than flying. Amtrak is your Cinderella stagecoach to the castle.

I have been taking the Silver Star between Columbia and Rocky Mount for a few years now to travel to college. This time, however, was the first time I took the train south of Columbia to my hometown of Ft. Myers, Florida, to see my dad's family.

Earth Day was started in 1970 as a day to shine a light on the state of our environment, but has evolved into a world-wide campaign to protect our planet. On April 22, celebrate our world: get involved and help create a healthier planet. Take a ride on Amtrak to travel greener and visit the links below to learn more.

I fly constantly, and have had a few years recently in which I racked up over 100,000 miles per year on one airline alone. I'm used to airport congestion and weather delays and figured that something would go wrong for a quick Christmas trip to visit my family, so I decided to take Amtrak. I'm so glad I did.

Not having any family here, we decided to go bike riding for Christmas. It would be a lazy 60 miles from Fairfield, California to Sacramento via the most bicycle friendly city in the United States - Davis.

When I get to combine what I love to do, I am doubly thrilled. On Wednesday, April 1st, I combined my love of train travel and walking by taking the Downeaster to Durham, New Hampshire, to complete a 10k walk through the University of New Hampshire campus and surrounding parts of town.

In June 2012, I had the opportunity to take a beautiful train trip from Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, to Montreal, Canada. I read about the Amtrak Adirondack route and that it was the most scenic train trips in the nation. I decided to see it for myself.

Trails & Rails is an innovative partnership program between the National Park Service and Amtrak that brings the National Park experience onboard to share with passengers traveling on Amtrak.

After going down on a red-eye bus to Washington, DC, to visit family with a friend, 4:00 struck and I was to board the westbound Capitol Limited to Pittsburgh. Upon reaching my sleeping berth, Room 12 in Utah, I settled into my seat to enjoy the scenery that was the US Capitol as we rolled out of the station.

Watching the sights roll by is one of the highlights of these scenic train rides. Below are our picks for the 12 most scenic Amtrak routes. Browse the list and see if you agree.

My grandson's train tour started when I met him in Chicago at Union Station. We boarded the Southwest Chief from the Metropolitan Lounge where we had relaxed until train time. We were shown by Jose, our Sleeping Car Attendant, to our bedroom accommodations which were spacious and comfortable. Jose showed us all the features and explained that the Dining Car Attendant would be stopping by soon for our dinner reservations.

Holly and I met in Seattle, Washington, on March 2, 2012 at a house concert where I was performing. To make a long story short, I already had plans to travel on the Acela Express from New York Penn Station through Washington, DC to New Orleans. On a wing and a prayer, I invited Holly to meet me in New Orleans to go to Jazz Fest, explore the Crescent City, then return with me on the Sunset Limited.

Whether you're getting ready for your next train trip or just looking to take an audio adventure, tunes like these will get you in the rail-riding spirit. Load up your music player and create your own Amtrak SoundTrack. If you come up with a great mix, share it with us.