Car-free getaway | Take the day train to Centralia

Is $4 gasoline blowing a hole in your budget? Then ditch that gas burner and go green. Here's a summer getaway that gets you there with no time behind the wheel.

The objective: A day trip on Amtrak.

The place: Halfway between Seattle and Portland, historic downtown Centralia teemed with miners, loggers and railroad workers in the early 1900s. Today, its former speakeasies, hotels and brothels house a collection of antiques malls, vintage shops and cafes. All are within a short walk of Amtrak's restored depot, built in 1912.

What makes it special: Centralia had a colorful history, starting with its founder, George Washington, the son of a black slave. His picture appears on one of several large murals on buildings around town. Inside the Shady Lady vintage store, 216 N. Tower St., owner Holly Phelps has set up a small museum dedicated to the brothel era.

What makes it tasty: McMenamins Olympic Club (112 N. Tower) is a classic hotel, pub, theater, restaurant and pool hall inside the former Olympic Club, one of the few bars to survive prohibition. Stop in for a pint of Terminator Stout or a salmon scramble (www.mcmenamins.com). Save room for a root-beer float at the Centralia Perk Cafe, 101 S. Tower St., inside an old bank building.

Getting there with no car: Amtrak trains (four Amtrak Cascades trains and the Coast Starlight Express) travel daily between Seattle and Centralia. The 70-mile rail trip takes one hour and 40 minutes each way on the Cascades trains and two hours on the Coast Starlight. One-way adult tickets start at $20. See www.amtrak.com.

— Carol Pucci