Photo by Vincent Alban originally appeared in the Boston Globe.
It took several decades for him to accomplish, but 84-year-old Nat Read traveled the entire 21,400-miles of Amtrak railroad.
“I feel fulfilled,” Nat told the Boston Globe as he arrived in the train station at Brunswick, Maine. “It was a day I will remember forever.”
To celebrate, he planned to take three more trains back to his home in Altadena, Calif.
Nat has always been an avid traveler. But, a few years ago, he realized he only had to complete 10 more trip segments to traverse the entire spiderweb of Amtrak destinations. But, COVID put a halt to his plan. This year, he was committed to finishing the journey he started.
“I have a fascination with watching America go by,” he told the Globe. “Sitting up high in a rail car and looking at the deserts of the West, the farmlands of the Midwest, the small communities of the Northeast, and being on a magic carpet to watch America unfold. I’ve never grown tired of that.”
Train travel isn’t his only source of adventure. Nat has also visited all seven continents, spent time in 100 countries, and stood on both the North and South poles, the paper noted.
Despite checking one item off his bucket list, Nat isn’t giving up on his adventures.
“I’ve set different goals and satisfied them one at a time. I’m 84 years old now and kind of coming to the end of the list,” he said. “I’m sure I’ll think of something.”
The full story and photos can be viewed at the Boston Globe.
To start your own Amtrak adventure, purchase a USA Rail Pass for $499. You can hop on or off at 500 destinations by taking 10 segments over 30 days.
After closing his business and enduring several painful years of uncertainty regarding what to do with his life, Greg founded Forward From 50 to help men and women over 50 to live more purposeful lives by pursuing things they are passionate about. A Wisconsin native, Greg currently lives in Arizona.