Well you *know* how I will react to Andrew Wheeler's course outline.

Heh. Well, yes...

Have to use an automobile to get to either a plane or a train. Unless I walk down to the tracks and hop a freight . . .

AotD: Train. I can't afford to own a car, renting one for trips is usually pointless for me, and air travel these days is dismal... whereas I can get a Business class train ticket for what an Economy class air ticket would cost me, and there's so much less Security Theatre too.

-- Steve's also a fan of rail for its historical importance to Canada, and intends to take VIA's transcontinental train (The Canadian) one year for his summer vacation.

Phil Plait also offers a good analysis.

It sounds like it's not *completely* impossible, but dramatically, overwhelmingly unlikely.

All, plus boat & float-plane. It's been ages since I long-distance trained, although I do the PDX-SEA route several times/year. Ditto re: plane, actually. Heh, ditto re: car, now that I think on't, although I suppose the recent CuMoon - Oly Peninsula/Park jaunt (car & boats) counts as a decent-mid-distance Toad Rip. The fact that drives around here often include ferry-rides still thrills me to bits.

Last Mem'l Day's BoadRip (Day One) involved: car, float-plane, walkies, bus, and ferry. Ultimately we succeeded in getting to Victoria, BC, although 'twas dicey along the way.

Happy/Safe travels to you!