Thanks SRS. I suggested the train because the usual Christmas plan, before she went into the nursing home, was for Hubby to drive up with me, celebrate the family gathering and then next morning I would catch the train back and he could spend more time with his family. It worked well.

The look I got from him when I suggested the train was a look of horror, but the last time he caught a train was decades ago and they were affectionately known then as the Red Rattlers - clackety-clack and a rough ride. The express long distance train is a smooth ride but I really don't know for sure whether it would feel ok for him, although he could walk around a bit as needed.

We can travel up another time to catch up with the family. Some cousins live down south but I haven't seen them more than a couple of times in the 25 years since we were married. [Side note: a few of his close family are a bit challenging to deal with, IMHO, but some of the others are worth spending time with.]