Martina McBride, playing MGM Grand, lucky in love and travel

I was on Twitter the other day, and I saw Martina McBride posted a photo of a combination shower-toilet she was about to use. It did not look glamorous.

"Getting ready to navigate this shower. Yes, that is a toilet u see in there," McBride wrote, which was pretty funny, looking at that toilet in the center of the shower.

So I asked McBride -- who performs Saturday with George Strait at the MGM Grand Garden arena -- what was the deal with that thing?

"That was on the Amtrak train," she reported. "It was good! I was just grateful the water was hot and the pressure was good. I couldn't complain."

McBride was on Amtrak for a three-day trip to promote her 11th album, "Eleven," during 11 train stops from Los Angeles to New York.

She's a big fan of the train, especially compared with tour buses. It was comfortable, nice, relaxing and more a scenic venture.

"When we travel on a tour bus, first of all, we rarely look out the window. Secondly, you're on interstates with billboards and truck stops and lots of traffic.

"When you're on a train," she said, "you go through small towns and see people's backyards. You feel like you're seeing the country in a more intimate way."

That's a nice little endorsement for Amtrak, considering McBride (like all famous touring musicians) is a travel expert.

In fact, in the event you're considering where to visit this summer, I asked McBride to name her favorite destinations.

McBride -- a native of Sharon, Kan. (population 200), but now in Nashville -- picked Napa and New England.

"They're beautiful," she said. "Napa is the closest thing we have to Italy in this country. I grew up on a farm, too, so I love all the land, and the whole attitude toward food."

She loves New England for being quaint and distinctive.

"If I'm gonna travel someplace, especially far away, I really want it to be different. I want to feel like I'm someplace unique. And New England feels like that for me."

McBride comes to Vegas occasionally for concert tours and country music awards shows. I tried persuading her to return next year to renew her vows for her 25th wedding anniversary.

McBride, 45, and her music-industry husband, John McBride, celebrate their 24th anniversary this May. They're not planning anything special this year.

"For the 25th, we might renew our vows or throw a big party," she said.

That's when I told her a Vegas renewal could be a good party, even with their three daughters in tow.

"I know! That'd be fun," she said.

I also pointed out the obvious: Being married for 24 years doesn't really live up to the dramatic relationship lyrics from old country songs.

"I know," she said. "There's not much material to write from there."

How's the marriage?

"It's really good. We're best friends. We work together. We have kids. It's a big ol' life, and we're lovin' it," she said.

Long marriages run in their families.

"Both of our sets of parents have been married for over 45 years," McBride said. "I think you get lucky, really," in finding the right mate.

"It takes some dedication. You have to decide to make it work. But mostly, you either get lucky with the person you pick, or you don't. So I got lucky."

Doug Elfman's column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Email him at delfman@reviewjournal.com. He blogs at reviewjournal.com/elfman.