Vacation Idea!

I stole this idea from a brunch-mate this morning.. I went to Big Bend in 2003 and I'd love to back to that area, especially to the McDonald Observatory, but.. it's so far (8hours) and I don't enjoy driving. Apparently the Amtrak train can take you via sleeper car to Alpine, Texas, which is only 20 miles from Big Bend and the other major attractions in the area. It's $200 (approx.) round-trip, which is pricey + a rental car.. but taking the train is just so much more fun (at least in theory).
Fun fact: pre-1959, Alpine was "the largest city in the largest county in the largest state of the Union", and now its population is 5,700.