Ellen Creager

Yes, it makes your suitcase heavier. Yes, it takes up more space.

But all the travel e-books and mobile app guides in the world put together are still less handy than a sturdy little guidebook you can hold in your hand.

Among the various brands -- Frommer's, Fodor's, Lonely Planet, Moon, DK, Rick Steves and more -- there are likely enough volumes to pave China.

Many of them publish in e-book form, too, spinning travel advice through the digital realm.

AGAWA CANYON, Ontario, Canada -- There are no animals, no birds, not one moving creature, except for a man on a lake who raises his hand as we pass. It is overcast. Sky the color of cotton wool muffles the harsh rocky landscape; the snow and hills blend into a black-and-white panorama dotted with the drab loden of the pines. Snow falls in fits and starts. It is already more than 2 feet deep. Let spring come somewhere else; winter has settled here, as always.

Last year, the Agawa Canyon Snow Train did not run. This year, it has $11 million worth of new equipment, upgraded coaches and splendid new burgundy paint. It has a warm dining car with good service and hearty food. It is running each Saturday through March 10.

The question is: Does anyone have the patience to ride the Snow Train anymore?