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Sun 16 Sep, 2007 02:45 pm
...The Train Comes Rumbling Through.
I tried to do this in the fall of this year, but I got side-tracked by other issues. So now I am looking towards April-May 2008.
I want to do a 30-day around the country trip on Amtrak, before I and it expire. Amtrak offers a 30-day unlimited travel deal that doesn't cost all that much. And, as a veteran travelling in an off-peak season time, it becomes even cheaper. Unlimited stops to get off and back on.
Right now I have planned out how to spend 25 of the 30 days. I intend to have the 30 days expire (insert joke here) in Boston, figuring I can catch the commuter trains back home.
Amongst the major cities I will be hitting are (All aboard): Chicago, Milwaukee, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Albuquerque, New Orleans, Orlando, Philadelphia, Detroit, Toronto, Montreal, Boston, New York and Washington.
With a couple of exceptions I have been to these places before, and I wont be staying long in any place. So I am going to be looking for things I haven't seen before. I've never been to Chicago's Chinatown so I have found what seems to be a nice little hotel there. We all know the expression about not wanting too see how laws or sausages are made. But I hope to see a sausage factory in Milwaukee. There must be more to see in Portland then Powell's Bookstore.
So that is the plan. I hope to meet up with many A2Kers. And I will be armed with a laptop computer and a cellphone.
This is wonderful! I know you've travelled a lot, and I covered 13 cities in 29 days back in 1999, so I know it can be done. My only concern is that you find out about typical amtrak delays. I know there are somewhat famous delays from Seattle to SFrancisco, I think via Dunsmuir, but those are the only ones I've ever heard of - and they wouldn't affect you.
This is an exciting plan!!
Toronto!
~~~
If the timing's right, I'd like to do a bit of the Windsor - Montreal corridor run with you.
New York! I know someone who lives in New York.
Joe(He's a weirdo)Nation
oh - and I'd like to vote "all of the above"
Did you say Seattle? Have you been there before?
Oops, excuse me, he did say Seattle. At the SF a2k get together, in whatever year, say, 2004, Jjorge had a hell of a time getting to town on his train ticket from Seattle. I've since read many times about really messed up tracks between the two cities, and serious delays of a day or two. (Rather like a certain place on highway 101 between very northern CA and, say, Sonoma county, CA. But that's for cars.)
On the train situation, I'd look into it, RJB. I'm not sure where the gum up is - thinking, it's in Washington - I gathered from whatever articles I read, the train is routinely very late, plus, Jjorge can testify.
On the other hand, I don't know the ontime record.
RJB, though I've read repeatedly, over the years, about messups on whatever route that is, I really post about it not so that you don't sign up for that train, but that you allow a bit of a time balloon there - if the problem does seem to be ongoing.
When Johnboy was a lad of 16 or so (stop writing in the 3rd person, johnboy):
I walked out on Route 250, stuck out my thumb, and headed west. There was a girl friend involved, whose family had moved to California. But I never got there. I got so wrapped up in life on the road. What was going to be over the next hill. The girl friend was forgotten. The highway was my lover.
I came home, finished high school and then did the college thing. And then came Vietnam. I managed to put that experience in a box and it is now in a closet which I never visit. Other veterans of that war and this one were/are not as lucky as I. But I digress.
So I worked for a year or so at a job I enjoyed and did well at, but then I got itchy-feet. So the thumb came out and I spent the next four years in Europe, parts of Asia, and a whole bunch of Africa. A whole bunch of Africa, from Cairo to Capetown. Mostly by thumb.
Forty years have passed by, and you know what, I don't care if the train is an hour or a day late. I can cope with that, just as I could cope with standing by a road in Tanzania wondering why there were no vehicles heading south for a day or so when I was a lad.
Gothboy plans to come along. I would love for yall to meet him.
Just like Batman and Robin. Go for it!
Albuquerque! The Duke City! We can hardly wait.
[size=7](Even though Dys doesn't like you).[/size]
I know you can cope with it, though it might be two days, not one. I'm thinking as well of the people to meet you. Most of us are flexible-ish.
I need to research my mems of those articles, to show I'm not just a thorn.
I'm trying to add the element of mystery time to the dateline of the trip, and figure you can communicate with a2kers via lap top. But if people are going to travel to meet you, a 1 or 2 day stuck train matters.
On my 29 day trip, I did follow my well worked out schedule, except the one time I really disliked a city, hopped the train, and spent two more days in the next one.
Here's jjorge -
http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=243487#243487
Twelve hours, osso waves hand. But since then, I've seen probably ten articles about stoppages.
Hey, just build in room. That was my point. A trip by oneself, which mine was, in another country, is diff than one to meet people across this country. The people you meet across the country need to have some plasticity, and you will need to apprise them.
What am I getting at - well, your schedule may be fine - seems tight to me.
martybarker wrote:Did you say Seattle? Have you been there before?
Yeah. So is there anything really cool to see there? You have a few months to mull that over. Thanks. -Johnboy-
Oh you know, the basic touristy stuff would include the Pike Place Market. The original Starbucks is there as well as a seafood restaraunt where a scene from Sleepless in Seattle was filmed, the Space Needle and the Seattle Center, the underground city tour.
But I'm a nature lover and would suggest that if you have time to head north you should make it to the Antacortes Ferry Terminal and go over to San Juan Island. The ferry ride is beautiful and Friday Harbor has some funky little shops and restaraunts. On the other side of the island is the Lime Kiln lighthouse where you can sometimes catch Orca's swimming by. Coming back though, I'd suggest driving back to Seattle over Deception Pass through Whidbey Island over the Clinton-Mukilteo ferry back to wherever. Deception Pass is beautiful. There is another Amtrack station in Everett,WA if you don't want to go all the way back into Seattle.
However, if you've been here before you may know all this already but this is what I do when people visit me from out-of-town.
I like Seattle, what I've seen of it, except for the highways...
Don't trust me on the trains, rjb, I'm just commenting on what I've read... which is to leave time room.
Rather hear your take on it...
How exciting!
I have no idea if Amtrak passes through Houston, rjb, but if it does, it would be great to see you.
Or maybe I can horn in on your Boston visit...
boston awaits johnboy! and mac11!
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