A Train Trip Through the Smoky Mountains Is a Dream Getaway [PHOTOS]

I love trains. I love the railroad. I love the history of it all.  And I come by it naturally.

YOU COULD SAY RAILROAD IS IN MY BLOOD

My grandfather, his brothers, and their dad were all railroad men. They worked the L&N line and, tellingly, in their younger days, they all lived along or near a track that is no longer there. It was the one that ran from Owensboro down alongside U.S. 431--for the most part--through Russellville and beyond. J.R. Miller Boulevard, which bisects Owensboro, is where those tracks used to lie.

During a hospital stay, my grandfather's room was next to a track. He would record the sound of passing trains onto cassette tapes.

That love is in our blood, but, oddly enough, I've never ridden a train except for ones at theme parks. It's why taking such a trip is a bucket list item of mine.

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THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS RAILROAD

Traveling by rail would be exciting anywhere in the U.S., but how awesome would it be to do so through the Great Smoky Mountains aboard the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad?

HOW ABOUT SOME WHITEWATER RAFTING WITH YOUR RAIL EXCURSION?

One of the packages available combines a train excursion with whitewater rafting on the Nantahala River.

THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS RAILROAD FALL CALENDAR IS PACKED

With few exceptions, every day in August and September means a special ride through the Smokies on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. And October is absolutely PACKED, as well it should be. It's the heart of fall...the best time to visit east Tennessee or western North Carolina; Bryson City in North Carolina is where the trips begin.

A late summer or mid-autumn train trip through the Smokies. It sounds amazing. Seriously...say it out loud, then see if you don't start making plans.