In earlier times, they connected us to each other and brought commerce into far flung parts of the country. Though a less popular mode of travel in the US today, trains are still a source of fascination for history buffs, hobbyists and anyone whose heart is stirred by the sound of that lonesome whistle.

I've loved trains since I was little, when my dad and I would take walks along abandoned tracks in West Virginia, where he'd tell me stories of his father's adventures as a railroad blacksmith in the 1930s. So I was happy to hear that this Saturday, May 10 is the first annual National Train Day. It commemorates the anniversary of the completion of America's first transcontinental railroad in 1869, when nearly 1,800 miles of track were joined by a golden spike in Utah. To celebrate, Amtrak is hosting special events at its largest stations around the country.

That got me wondering about what historic train info I could find by searching on USA.gov. I discovered the Library of Congress' online collection of historic railroad maps and field recordings of folk songs about railroad work and life. And I found railroad art, from historic photography to Manet paintings at the National Gallery of Art.

A lot of local governments like Gaithersburg, Maryland’s and libraries like Orange County, Florida's feature web pages dedicated to the contributions that trains made to their towns. And I discovered a number of state train museums, from California's  to West Virginia's, located in my dad's hometown of Elkins. I had no idea that was there! I'll have to stop by when I'm in town for the next Cousins Day.

Do you have any train stories or memories to share?

Air travel, food and those gas prices we keep talking about—with everything getting more expensive, it might be hard to justify breaking the bank to go far away on a full-blown vacation this summer. But you really would feel better if you could take a break and get away, even if it's for just a day. So consider taking a mini vacation in your own town or discovering someplace within an hour or two away on a day trip.

There wasn't a whole lot going on in my town when I was a kid. But living in South Jersey put my parents and me within 90 minutes of some great day tripping destinations like the Jersey Shore, historic Philadelphia and the Amish countryside.

Now that I live in the Washington, DC area, I have a lot of events to choose from and historic places to visit. But I still like to wander to towns I don't know very well.

With today's gas prices though, wandering aimlessly can be an expensive adventure. So before you go, visit your state's tourism web site to find out about places you never knew about or always wanted to visit and map things out. You can also find an abundance of links to historical sites, all kinds of great museums, parks and more in USA.gov's Recreation and Tourism section.

When I visit a town, I like to try to blend in with "the locals." And one thing locals know about is where to get good food, cheap. Learn about the best hometown and hole-in-the-wall restaurants around the country on RoadFood.com. One of my favorites not listed there is a cafeteria I found that's located inside a craft store in Woodstock, Virginia. For about five bucks, I can belly up to the lunch counter and get a big, hot roast beef sandwich and a cherry Coke—the real kind: the lady in the hairnet who calls me "Hon" puts the cherry syrup in herself.

Ready for dessert? Let's go berry picking! I have a favorite spot in Virginia near George Washington's birthplace where I pick blackberries and blueberries by the Potomac River. There are few places I feel more relaxed and at peace than in the middle of that berry patch.

What do they make in your region—a popular food or product? Consider taking a factory tour to see how things are made. Some places, like my childhood favorite, Wilbur Chocolate Factory in Littitz, PA give free samples.

If your interests take a quirky turn like mine do, you might want to explore the more playful side of America by visiting unusual landmarks like the world's largest ball of twine or the guitar-shaped building that I stumbled upon as I was driving through the Tennessee/Virginia border. Search RoadSideAmerica.com for more unique landmarks near you.

Wow. After all that, I'm ready to hit the road again. What have been some of your favorite day trips?

If you're in an office today, you might notice some new faces around the place. Either you really are getting older and the interns are getting younger or your office is participating in Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. Originally created as Take Our Daughters to Work Day back in 1993 by the Ms. Foundation, girls and boys are both encouraged to head to work today with a parent or other significant adult in their lives. It's not just a free pass from a day at school though; it's a chance for kids to get exposed to workplace culture and to start thinking about career opportunities.

This got me wondering about what career-related links there were on Kids.gov. Turns out, there are a lot. Kids.gov is the government's official web portal for kids, with links to more than 1,200 family-friendly sites. The content is divided into two age groups for kids: K-5th grade and 6th-8th grade. Here's a taste of some of the fun, career-related stuff I found in each age group:
 

K - 5th Grade

Most elementary school kids I know love cats and dogs and horses. And that love could translate later into a career as a vet. The American Veterinary Medical Association's animated web site for kids explains the day to day work of a vet and the education that goes into getting a degree in veterinary medicine.

Outer space is always a fascination for kids, as they look at the stars and dream of being astronauts. But not all jobs related to space involve going into space. Using animated stories, NASA's Space Place web site introduces kids to space-related careers including engineering and mapping the stars as an astronomer.

6th - 8th Grade

Mystery...intrigue...maybe the life of an FBI agent who investigates spies is in your kid's future. With the games and quizzes on the FBI's Spy Page, middle schoolers can learn how the FBI uncovers spy tricks and deciphers code words.

Is your kid a good problem solver who loves taking thing apart to find out how they work? They may be perfect for a career as a mechanic. The Bureau of Labor Statistics' page on auto mechanics describes the education that goes into becoming a mechanic and their earning potential, whether they work for themselves, a service station or a car dealer.

If I'd had Kids.gov when I was a kid, I might not have gone around telling everybody that I was going to grow up to be a glockenspiel-playing ballerina/hairdresser. None of those things panned out, but that’s ok; being a blogging bureaucrat is a pretty good gig.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

You cover your world with them—invisible markers of where you've been and what you've done. And as technology changes and the country focuses more on security, your fingerprints are being used to identify you more often, in more situations.

Fingerprinting and background checks have been standard for a long time for government and law enforcement job applicants. But many states are now requiring applicants for mortgage broker licenses and childcare and teaching positions to get fingerprinted for background checks. And as their teachers are being fingerprinted, child safety experts recommend that kids themselves should be fingerprinted too, so parents will have a record of their prints in case their kids are lost or abducted.

While those old-fashioned, thumb-on-the-inkpad fingerprints work for background checks and for identifying your kids, technology has helped develop a whole different way of collecting and using your prints using biometrics, the automated system of identifying you electronically by your unique physical characteristics like your fingerprints and irises, and by your movements like the way you walk, sign your name and type on a keyboard.

Even if the term "biometrics" is as new to you as it is to me, you may already be using fingerprint biometric equipment if you clock in at work with your finger and not a time card, you've been to a major theme park in the past couple years or use a fingerprint reader attached to your computer instead of typing in passwords.

This biometric equipment works great most of the time for most people...except those rare few, like a coworker of mine, born without fingerprints. It was hard for her to get her FBI clearance to work in our agency, but it sure makes for great cocktail party conversation.

What's your experience—have you encountered biometric equipment on the job or in your travels? What do you think about it?

April showers may bring May flowers, but this year, they're bringing some pretty substantial storm damage with them, too.

Friends in Jackson, Mississippi told me that they've been without power for days and that their part of town looks worse than it did when Hurricane Katrina came through three years ago. Right now, the story's similar throughout Texas and Oklahoma.

Rain, drought, tornadoes or other natural disasters—no matter where you live, extreme weather is almost inevitable. A little preparation though, can get you ready to endure those tough weather conditions.

One of the best ways to prepare for a disaster is to assemble a supply kit with the food, medications, tools and other things you use on a regular basis and special items that you might need in an emergency. When I first decided to put a kit together a couple years ago, it felt a little overwhelming to assemble it all at once. So I added a few items at a time to my weekly shopping list. As I put my groceries away each week, I dropped the emergency supplies into my box and it wasn't too long until I checked off all the items on the list and had a full box of supplies. About every six months, I rummage through the box and replace food and water before it expires so everything will be safe to eat or drink when I need it.

USA.gov's severe weather section features links to information to help you get ready for and to recover from specific weather events like hurricanes and floods; extreme heat and drought; tornadoes and earthquakes; fires and winter storms.

And for my friends in Jackson, I found a great section on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website about staying healthy and safe during power outages.

What's your story? Have you been through any extreme weather events?