Hawaii is truly the American Paradise and Oahu is the island that stands at the center of this remarkable island chain both literally and figuratively.
Spending Time Around Our Backyard It feels a bit like being put on restriction and sent to my room for a while as punishment. 2026 was planned with a number of travel itineraries, but things fell apart early on. The first being our fourth try to exploring Egypt. It seems there are several places that…
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On a recent trip through France we spent time visiting the Tournon Lamastre Steam Railroad line which features open-air cars (in the warm months), beautiful old steam engines and fantastic scenery.
About 125 miles north of the city of Avignon along the Rhône River in southern France is Doux Gorges, located in Saint-Jean-de-Muzols, a commune (community) in the Ardèche department. The area features some of the most beautiful and remote wilderness in France and attracts tourists, hikers and bikers from all over.
A network of railway lines was constructed around Vivarais between 1898 and 1903 to provide access to markets for farms and vineyards in remote areas of the region. When the Vivarais railway network closed in 1968, a group of enthusiasts decided to acquire it and some of its’ rolling stock. In June, 1969 a tourist operation started between Saint-Jean-de-Muzols and Lamastre. The Meyzieu Tourist Railway Company (CFTM) was created, supported by a group of volunteers who restore and maintain the railroad rolling stock. In February, 1970 access was restored to the railway station at Tournon, and the new Tournon – Lamastre line, 21 miles long, was officially opened for full service in April 1970
At the Train de l’Ardèche station
The journey begins
Pulled by restored and beautifully maintained steam engines over one hundred years old, today’s train cars carry passengers into the most beautiful and inaccessible part of the Doux Gorges. the trip offering views of an untouched and rugged landscape. At the station of Colombier le Vieux – Saint-Barthélémy le Plain, the locomotive has to be turned round on a turntable and placed at the front of the train for the return trip. Watching the two men push the turntable is a sight worth seeing.
Offering full day or half day excursions, the Train of Ardèche travels through the mountainside overlooking the gorges. It is particularly popular with hikers and bicyclists (who can load their bicycles aboard) for the trip uphill to Lamastre and then the walk or ride back downhill through the gorge. The trains do not run everyday so it is important to check the schedule when planning the trip (official site link below).
Navigating with a cellphone is great but sometimes the best option, especially for making plans, is a paper map. Over the years we have collected maps while visiting places around the world and have marked them up with attractions to see and routes to follow. On occasion we have modified maps before our trip to help simplify a place and how to best get around. Here we offer a number of our travel maps that cover major cities, metro systems, parks and hiking trails. Feel free to download, use and print these pdf files to help plan your future trips. Clicking on each map will set-up the download page.
Amsterdam Tram Routes – The best way to get around Amsterdam is by the tram system. It’s fast, comfortable and inexpensive.
Seeing Budapest using public transportation – Budapest is a wonderful city with a remarkable public transportation system. Modern light rail and subways can take you all around the city.
The Trains of Metro Rome Rome is a large metropolitan area with commuter trains servicing the international airport, the historic center and the seaport of Civitavecchia. Using public transportation can save time and money.
Bus routes on Maui, Hawaii – This island has an incredible public bus system that will take you around the whole island except up through the National Park.
Key West Florida is an American original – Easy to get around on foot the heart of this town is a joy to explore.
Public transportation Sydney Australia – A fantastic, modern city with a great public transportation system that includes regional trains, light rail and a fleet of ferries.
Driving Oahu and seeing the attractions – Oahu is an island you need to drive around but there are- a couple of bus routes that service Honolulu and the Pearl Harbor area that are convenient.
Walking tour of Florence – City walking tours are all the rage now and this one lays out a self-guided tour of of this city south of the Arno.
Rome’s Metro System – A simplified guide to Rome’s Metro system from the port of Civitavecchia to the International Airport.
The Forum in Rome – A 3D map of this ancient Roman site.
One day tour of Rome – A guide to hitting the major sites in just 8 hours on your own.
Colonial Williamsburg
Mt. Rushmore National Park. A good map for deciding where to hike at the park.
The Ringling is the heart of Sarasota, Florida. A remarkable collection of art and circus memorabilia.
Paris Metro – a simplified guide – The Paris Metro is world renowned and here we offer a simplified system map focused on the main tourist destinations.
Singapore Metro Map – Inexpensive, incredibly clean and efficient this city’s metro is one of the best in the world.
Disney World Transportation Systems– Larger than New York’s Manhattan the Disney people have provided an efficient system to get you around that includes buses, boats, monorails and cable cars.
Tourist Guide to Singapore bus routes – In addition to the Metro there is a modern fleet of mostly double-decker buses that can take you around the central city, along the coastal Marine Parade area and to the airport.
The Trails of Iguazu Falls Argentina This park has over 30 miles of trails and it’s important to know which ones are the most spectacular to get the most from your visit.
The New York subways are fast way to see Manhattan and this map eliminates everything but the Manhattan stops and the locations of major sites.
Yellowstone National Park is the size of the state of Delaware and you should need a plan before you get there. Here are 5 major attractions along with driving routes.
Utah Driving Park Tour – Utah has the countries largest collections of National Parks along with some great state parks.
The Acropolis in Athens – A 3D map of this ancient site.
Mendenhall Glacier – Hiking trails around the glacier and the glacial lake.
HikingHaleakalāNational Park – Hiking trails on Maui’s great volcano.
Australia’s Blue Mountains. Only a short train ride from Sydney the Blue mountains are a great trip for a day or two with lots of hiking trails.
The Blue Ridge Parkway includes several dozen of great hiking trails needing some planning to decide where to plan your hikes.
Thailand is known for its “water markets” and they are a magnet for tourists as guides load visitors into boats and float them through these interesting markets. The floating water markets are really colorful with shops that sell everything from snakes to furniture with generous offerings of souvenirs as well. But this market is different and its focus is that of a local farmers market.
We woke up early on the morning of our second day in Bangkok and headed out to see this very unusual marketplace. About forty minutes out of the city is a market set-up in the middle of an active train line. It runs for several blocks through town along the railroad tracks with vendors displaying their fruits, produce and seafood on both sides of the tracks. There are stalls and tables on wheels with awnings that stretch across the tracks. Shoppers walk on the track’s ties as they examine the offerings.
We arrived in the morning as we were warned that by afternoon on a warm day the smells of the seafood can get a bit overwhelming. The market was packed with shoppers along with a fair number of tourists as we all walked along the tracks. On either side there were a number of cafes with the side on the tracks wide open and people sitting and enjoying coffee and tea. At one end most vendors were displaying produce with a couple of hard goods merchants here and there.
As we worked our way though the market there was a change in the activity around us and in the distance a train horn sounded. Quickly awnings were cranked back off the tracks and stalls were moved away from the tracks. From the direction we came from you could make out the shiny metal of a train engine with orange and yellow stripes coming towards us. It moved slow and as it sounded its horn people pushed back to clear the actual tracks. As we stood there, as far back as we could get the train moved past with only a foot between us.
After the train went by we walked on past the seafood sellers which was alive with shoppers and marine life and the market ended right at the platform of the Maeklong train station.
As we travel we’ve visited probable hundreds of “farmers markets” from Tahiti to Italy, Alaska to Argentina but the Maeklong Train Market is the one that sticks out the most.
A beautiful city for walking, with its canals, flower gardens, parks and historic sights. The city of Amsterdam is laid out like a fan with the Central Train Station being the base of the fan. The tram routes sort of radiate out through the city from the Central Train Station and Centrum neighborhood with the city’s famous canals arcing across the fan.
Inside the first canal’s arc is the Centrum. It is the heart of Old Amsterdam that houses a majority of the museums and major sights and measures only about a kilometer quare but there is much more to explore outside the Centrum area. If you have the time. To get around quickly and inexpensively be sure and make use of public transportation.
Click on the map to download a pdf copy
To use public transportation in Amsterdam you will need to get the public transport chip card (OV-chipkaart) available for use to ride on all trams, buses and metros. The most convenient option for visitors is a disposable one-hour card or day card (valid for one to seven days). One-hour tickets can be bought from the conductor or driver on the tram or bus.
Buying A Chip Card
The main fare used is the non-personalised (rechargeable) GVB card, available at GVB ticket vending machines, GVB Tickets & Info locations, and many newsstands and supermarkets. The 24 hour ticket is €8.50 and currently €19 for a 72-hour ticket (February 2021).
Using Your Transportation Chip Card
The most important thing about using your chip card is to always to check in and check out. At the start of ride, hold your card up to the card reader until you see a green light and hear a beep. Also remember to do the same every time you leave the tram/bus/metro.
Seeing Amsterdam from a boat on the canals is another popular pastime and the most popular is the Hop On Hop Off Boat Amsterdam. It will allow you to make unlimited use of the sightseeing boats that cruise through the historic canal district. Hop On Hop Off Boat Amsterdam is the best way to explore the city’s canals and you can hop on and off as often as you like and wherever you want, or just sit back and enjoy the tour. At last check the tickets were €34.
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The Intentional Travelers 