BLOGGER SPOTLIGHT: Provincial Supertramp

provincialsupertramp.blogspot.comI was contacted by “Provincial Supertramp” due to my work as a rail advocate and a rail-centric blogger. In her email she detailed her intention of traversing America by train and disclosed her desire to blog about her travels, trials, and tribulations - but that’s not all.

Provincial Supertramp, a twenty-something female from Sacramento, California, and a self-professed rail enthusiast, hopes to help change the perception of rail travel in the process. Not only will this blog appeal to anyone interested in railroads and the state of train travel in America, but Provincial Supertramp is one of those “artsy” writers that have a unique blend of perspective, insight, and honesty. 

According to the first post on her blog she will make a difference:

“How could we, as a nation, have forgotten so quickly something so glorious as all that? 110 years after the first train ran in the United States and the railroad catalyzed the country’s industrialization, modern commerce, vast geographic expansion, and the development of our national identity, our modern railway system appears to have been sidelined by an American obsession with the speed, control, and cutting edge technology of automobiles and jet airplanes. While we relied almost solely on railroads for intercity travel and freight until the 1920s, and they played an important role in all of our most crucial moments in history, in the past 60 years trains have rapidly lost their place of honor amongst American modes of transit. Seeing this travesty, I have taken it upon myself to endeavor to single handedly restore the honor and glory to this historic institution.”

Wow, that is a lofty, and noble, cause. I wish her the best of luck. As someone who firmly shares her opinions regarding the value and worth of rail travel, I support her. As such, I encourage you check out her blog and travel with her as she “sees America,” both visually and socially, from the best vantage point possible - on a train. “All aboard!”