These trips are incredible (and I'm not just saying that because I get to go on them all FREE!) ... I have never been a part of an event that overloads all the senses. Although I am not a total fan of the music performed aboard (I have heard it described as singer/songwriter ... the musical artists are all over the place ... folk, country, jazzy, soft rock), the concept is incredible. Travel aboard private, vintage rail equipment, with your favorite artist, up close and personal ... enjoying free time rapping, singing, carousing, drinking, eating. Open mic so you can make a fool out of yourself in front of your fellow travelers ... there are so many layers to this gig. The trips are high priced but you are paying the super high costs of moving the PVs, the musicians, the behind the scenes music staff, the train staff (cooks, porters, etc), but again, it's a wonderful once-in-a-lifetime experience. The artists may not be "A listers", but they have enough of a following that these trips always sell out ... many come back again and again making for a family atmosphere aboard train. Many participants who not only enjoy music, but can play ... they bring their own instrument for playing at "open mic". The trips are very intimate as there are only about 40 paying passengers aboard. The brains behind the project happens to be a railfan, so traditionally, his routing is very well thought out and enjoyable (from both a musical and railfan point of view), but with the new Amtrak rules, it had to be rerouted to an endpoint to endpoint trip.
-bill