laughlin San Francisco bound Amtrak (& 800/USA-RAIL; www.amtrak.com) trains leave from New York and cross the

San Francisco bound Amtrak (& 800/USA-RAIL; www.amtrak.com) trains leave from New York and cross the country via Chicago. The journey takes about 31 2 days, and seats sell quickly. At this writing, the lowest round-trip fare costs anywhere from $266 from New York and from $244 from Chicago. Round-trip tickets from Los Angeles can be purchased for as little as $100. Trains actually arrive in Emeryville, just north of Oakland, and connect with regularly scheduled buses to San Francisco s Ferry Building and Caltrain station in downtown San Francisco.

Traveler s checks are something of an anachronism from the days before the ATM made cash accessible at any time. Traveler s checks used to be the only sound alternative to traveling with dangerously large amounts of cash. They were as reliable as currency, but, unlike cash, could be replaced if lost or stolen.