When it comes to modern luxury, any expert will tell you that experiences trump things. So what better Father's Day gift for the man who already has everything anyway than a once-in-a-lifetime adventure?
One luxury travel specialist, Zicasso, has put together just that with a tour through the Italian Emilia-Romagna region's "Motor Valley," which is home to the Maserati, Ducati, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Pagani automobile brands.
Or if Dad is more into trains than cars, the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad in southern Colorado is offering a "summer school," where railroad enthusiasts can live out their childhood dreams of becoming a steam locomotive engineer or fireman.
The 10-day, Italian motoring package takes visitors through the legendary test tracks and museums of the country's prized brands. The first stop is in Modena, where the Maserati family founded their car brand in 1912 and continues to operate. Modena is also home to the super-elite Pagani brand of supercars, which produces less than 20 autos a year.
The trip continues to Bologna, home to the Lamborghini sports car brand and Ducati motorbikes, then on to Maranello, where Ferrari's factory headquarters and museum are based.
Highlights of the package include guided factory tours, the opportunity to take cars and motorcycles on drives through the countryside and on test tracks as well as a chance to test your hand as a professional Formula One pit crew member during a pit stop simulation in the Ferrari Museum.
The package also includes cooking classes and tours focused on the region's food scene, including delicacies such as Parma ham, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and balsamic vinegar.
The 10-day, customizable itinerary begins at $4,129 per person for four-star accommodations and $5,189 for five-star hotels.
The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad runs 64 miles between Antonito, Colo., and Chama, N.M. Photo Credit: Rich Grant, Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad
In Colorado, the locomotive engineering and fireman schools run through September and start at $2,225 per person.
But the classes are almost sold out. Not only is the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad one of the few places in North America that offers certification classes, it's also the nation's highest, longest and most authentic steam railroad, running 64 miles between Antonito, Colo., and Chama, N.M.
And did we mention the scenery? This is where the train scenes for "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and the "Indiana Jones" movies were filmed.
Railroad officials said that some of the people taking the course hope to be able to run steam locomotives at the dozens of operating railroads in the U.S., including Disney World in Orlando and the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad in California.
Other people, including lawyers, accountants and retired granddads, they said, take the class just for the experience of living out a childhood dream.