Roots, Rails, and Rambles

18/06/2024

“No one goes until everybody goes” is a sentiment we can really get behind. It’s also the unofficial slogan of Trap Day on Monhegan Island – the day before the opening day of lobstering season, when the lobstermen (yes, there are plenty of lobsterwomen too, but the term is used inclusively) haul about ten tons of lobster traps from their winter storage, down to the wharf and onto their boats in preparation for the sunrise start on Oct. 1 of lobstering season. They literally ride at dawn, together, in this cherished island tradition.

And this year, WE’RE GOING TO BE THERE!!! Trap Day an All-Community event in which visitors are invited to participate by pitching in or cheering from the sidelines. This is a great opportunity to be part of a noble legacy, AND there is rumored to be pie.

Our September trip to Monhegan Island is one of our cherished traditions (although we typically go in May). It’s a wonderful environment in which to unplug, breathe deeply, immerse yourself in the music of our special guests: this year Seth Glier, Vance Gilbert, and Crys Matthews. The scenery is spectacular, the accommodations cozy and comfortable, the front porch inviting and delightful. We take over the entire Monhegan House, waking each morning to the sounds of crashing surf before stumbling downstairs to a sumptuous breakfast and a day of whatever suits our fancy: hiking, bird-watching, sea kayaking, shipwreck exploring, climbing the lighthouse, and a LOT of restorative ocean gazing. At night, after a delicious dinner in the hotel dining room, we push the chairs back and enjoy an acoustic intimate performance by our guest artists. It’s like the best house concert ever!

This year we’re bookending the trip with overnights in Boston, and we’ll be taking the Downeaster train from there up to Maine, for an overnight in Boothbay Harbor before boarding the ferry for the hour-long ride across the Muscongus Bay to Monhegan Island. As a repeat guest commented: “It’s a great hang!”. We heartily agree and hope you can join us!

https://www.rootsontherails.com/monhegan-sept-and-oct-2024

17/06/2024

GET READY TO RUMBA!! No, not Rhumba – that’s a ballroom dance made famous in 1930s New York nightclubs and Ricky Ricardo’s fictitious Tropicana. What we’re talking about is authentic Afro-Cuban Rumba – based on the traditions of enslaved people from Africa and preserved by Cuban followers of the Afro-Cuban religion.

Join us in Cuba, November 11 - 20, 2024, where we’ll learn all about Rumba and so much more. Those who wish can dance with some of the revered “keepers of the flame” of this tradition. But this trip is not just about dancing: Those with a passion for American classic cars can see (and ride around in) some amazing examples of lovingly restored vintage treasures, still operating after almost 80 years. The ornithologists and birding afficionados will get a chance to get up close with the elusive Tocororo, Cuba’s national bird, and perhaps get a glimpse of the rare Bee Hummingbird! Hemingway fan? We can go see his house and the bathroom wall on which he recorded his weight every day. Those with an interest in seeing Cuba through the lens of ordinary Cubans will appreciate the opportunity to spend time with artists, musicians, dancers, entrepreneurs, historians, and other to see Cuba through their eyes. Anyone who lived through the 1950s and 60s will have a chance to reevaluate everything we have been taught about this amazing place and its people. A small group enables us to tailor the daily itinerary to your interests and passions.

We’ll be exploring not only the vibrant city of Havana (while staying in a beautifully renovated property right on the fabled Malecon), but also venturing out to the farming community of Vinales, as well as the port city of Matanzas – a fully immersive experience that goes farther and deeper than the cliches of cheap mojitos and tacky floor shows.

Click the link to get further details, and feel free to call us to discuss any questions. These trips tend to sell out quickly, so acting sooner than later is recommended.

https://www.rootsontherails.com/cuba-november-2024

16/06/2024

We are just returning from an EPIC round of travel! First we had a week in one of the world's most fascinating cities, Istanbul, where we drank endless cups of delicious tea and had absolutely perfect weather for touring some of the world's most iconic and important wonders -- The Blue Mosque, Haghia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern -- as well as some of the lesser known but equally impressive sites. We explored local neighborhoods, fed treats to a lot of cats, ate amazing food, criss-crossed the Bosphorus from Europe to Asia on the amazing ferry system, and generally enjoyed this great city at a pace at which we could absorb every detail.

THEN, to experience something completely different, we headed to Norway! The weather gods (and the endless daylight) favored us with virtually perfect conditions for a series of stunning train rides North past the Arctic Circle where we boarded an incredible sustainable ferry/cruise ship powered by batteries and liquid natural gas for a three day cruise down the coast to Bergen. We enjoyed stunning scenery, ate delicious food, relaxed in comfortable cabins, and really had an opportunity to take in the pristine beauty of this ecosystem. After a few days in beautiful Bergen, we headed up the Sognefjord on a fast catamaran with perfect weather to take in the majesty of the fjord, the glaciers, and about a million stunning waterfalls. Two of Norway's spectacular train rides, the Flåmsbana and the Bergansbanen returned us to Oslo, which is quickly becoming one of our favorite cities.

Both trips, as different as they were, exemplified everything we love about what we do: curious and engaged travelers, great camaraderie, a balance between group activity and independent exploration, and unrivaled settings in which to enjoy it all.

Here's hoping you can join us on one of our upcoming adventures to Monhegan Island, Maine in late September 2024, or Cuba in November of 2024! https://www.rootsontherails.com/

We're also plotting some really exciting new adventures for 2025! Stay tuned and see you soon!

07/06/2024

- we are having the absolutely BEST time on your beautiful ship! The cabins are so comfy and well-organized (PLUGS!!), the food has been exceptional, and the crew have been magnificent. You may have to eject us by force when we reach Bergen!

09/05/2024

Seth Glier put together this marvelous video extolling the gloriousness that is Monhegan Island. We'll be there at a perfect time -- after most of the tourists have left, but the weather is still fantastic! Oh, and did we mention the music? Each night we'll have an unplugged, acoustic concert with nothing but the sound of crashing waves off in the distance to interrupt us. Join us!

https://www.rootsontherails.com/monhegan-sept-and-oct-2024

07/02/2024

I'm not sure if anyone has ever tallied up how many carpets stores exist in Istanbul. Suffice it to say that there are some areas of the city where you can't swing a dead cat (or a live one!) without it landing on an exquisite hand-kntted, vegetable dyed, 100 year-old silk (or wool) masterpiece. You also stand a chance of it landing on a factory-woven, chemically-dyed fake from China.
Whether you're in the market for a carpet, or just looking to learn more about this fascinating art form, we'll help you avoid getting hoodwinked or hassled by bringing you to places like this one. The store has occupied a back corner of a hidden courtyard for decades and is now staffed by offspring and relatives of its original owner. The pressure to buy is minimal, and any haggling is really more akin to gracious negotiating. You're welcome to sip tea and ogle for as long as you want while the carpet experts will happily explain the different styles and qualities of their wares. Prices range from surprisingly affordable to "in your wildest dreams", but the learning experience is unbeatable whether you buy anything or not.
This is how we roll: we search out the hidden gems and deal with only the nicest people. We gravitate toward what is authentic, and find a balance between the "Top-Ten-Must-See- Attractions" with the "I don't think I would have found that on my own!" places and experiences -- all at a pace that is conducive to really appreciating where we are and all it has to teach us.

Join us in Istanbul in May 2024!: https://www.rootsontherails.com/istanbul-turkiye-may-2024

MOVIE — At ŞİŞKO OSMAN who has a large collection you can find rugs and kilims in various sizes, different colours and designs. You will feel as if you are a...

29/01/2024

Dylan Thomas. Jon Langford. Both beloved Sons of Wales, Both prolific artistic geniuses. Both deft with a pen. Not quite sure about Thomas’ guitar-slinging prowess – perhaps it’s been underreported. Wouldn’t you love to explore the lush landscapes Wales with one of them? Well, Thomas is a little bit …..let’s just say “expired”, and who knows if he would have been any fun anyway? Jon Langford is not only robustly still on this side of the dirt, but is a delightful traveling companion and a terrific co-host of our Wales trips. Regaling us with tales of his many incarnations in the punk, post-punk, alt-country, country-punk, folk-punk worlds, Jon Langford is FUN personified. He’ll have his guitar along to play for us along the way, and we’ll enjoy a final night concert with him and his vast array of musical co-conspirators in his hometown of Newport. You should join us!

https://www.rootsontherails.com/scotland-and-wales-april-and-may-2024

25/01/2024

Happy Burns Night!! We're getting excited about our April 2024 trip to Scotland and have a few spots left on the trip. While you may not feel particularly inspired by the haggis (or bagpipe music for that matter!), you've got to admit that this guy really gives it his all!!

We're going to Wales, Norway, Istanbul, and Monhegan Island, Maine this year too -- so if haggis and tartan don't float your boat, check out our other offerings:
https://www.rootsontherails.com/

Tonight is Burns Night, where Scotland celebrates its most famous Bard, Robert Burns, by reciting poetry and eating haggis 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🥃We join Army vete...

20/01/2024

Wait, wasn't this the Roots on the Rails page? You're not seeing things -- our name has changed and we've been undergoing some administrative changes at Root on the Rails -- all pointing in a very positive direction. Here's the back story:

As many of you know, Charlie Hunter, the originator and visionary behind Roots on the Rails has been gaining tremendous and well-deserved success in his career as one of the most respected plein air painters working today – check out his work here: https://www.hunter-studio.com/ In the last few years, Charlie’s time and attention have been increasingly focused in that direction, and so his availability for trips has been steadily shrinking. We may still see him from time to time if the rail travel aspect of a trip is particularly appealing to him, or if by some miracle Amtrak reverses it’s misguided dismantling of our national passenger rail system and private rail charters become a possibility again. I hope you’ll all join me in extending our deepest thanks to Charlie for taking the leap twenty years ago to create and nurture this unique community. The experiences and relationships that have grown out of what seemed initially to be a somewhat niche undertaking have been life changing for so many of us, and the miles under our collective belt would surely span the globe multiple times over.


Sarah Ovenden is officially taking the reins (or should we say the throttle?) and is in the process of rolling out a name change that reflects the ways in which our model has been evolving. Maintaining our allegiance to rail travel and great music, but expanding to include our new modes of adventure, we’ll be re-naming the business Roots, Rails, and Rambles. At our core, we remain committed to providing types of extraordinary adventures we’re known for. Some will be trips in which we bring the music with us, some will involve searching out amazing music wherever we find ourselves, some will involve trains (wherever we can find good ones, we’ll ride them!), some will involve multiple forms of transportation, some will be in the US, others will be elsewhere in the world, some will be large groups, some will be small, some will revisit places we know and love, while others will involve exploring new destinations and experiences.

20/01/2024

OK! It's official! Our 2024 trips are open for sale -- Scotland, Wales, Istanbul, Norway, Monhegan Island, ME! Wherever you'd like to go, we'd love to take you! Details and links under the "Upcoming Trips" tab:

World-class, highly-curated small-group travel to very interesting places.