A farm in Illinois July of 2021 (Photo by the author)
January 20th is the last day of this sale!!!!
Amtrak has their annual sale of 10 rides for 30 days going on right now. They are only charging $299.00 for it, and compared to what it normally costs, this is quite a bargain. Normally it is $499.00. Here is what Amtrak says on its website: “This year, don’t wait for travel season to come to you. Right now, you can save $200 on Amtrak’s USA Rail Pass. That’s 10 rides (segments) to or from any of over 500 destinations nationwide for just $299. From town hopping to cross-country adventures, the USA Rail Pass makes travel that much easier — plus, you’ll save too. Don’t miss out on savings — book from January 10-20 to get the USA Rail Pass for just $299. Other terms and conditions apply.” If you are interested in this offer, Go to Amtrak’s website, for more information, and those most important terms and conditions. https://www.amtrak.com/tickets/departure-rail-pass.html/
I personally don’t ride coach if I can help it, but this deal is incredibly attractive to me. If booking coach, try for the lower level of the coach car and, (of course), wear your mask. Words to live by.
A River In Pennsylvania, May 2011 (Photo by the Author)
I don’t know about you, but the way I get through the harsh winter months is getting my spring and summer traveling in order. It gives me something to look forward to, and save for. I live in Southern California, so the weather is normally much nicer than the rest of the Country, but rain storms can and do occur. Right now, rain is wreaking havoc to the tracks in California, especially in the Sacramento area. Sometimes the coast gets slammed, and closes routes. Remember, no area of the United States is immune.
When planning trips, try to be mindful of seasonal problems and avoid routes that might have these disruptions. For example, stay away from travel in the South during their tornado season, if you can help it. Amtrak does stop trains to keep them safe, but sometimes it is better to just avoid it.
On a personal level, I once took the Capitol Limited from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC. It followed the Potomac River through the Appalachian Mountains and it was one of the most stunning trips I have ever taken. The Potomac River was running very high and was full of muddy brown water, but thankfully we made the trip without any problems (minus speed delays here and there). It was the end of May and I was surprised at how much water there still was in the rivers along the journey.
Once again, if you are booking several trains with connections, don’t forget to book the entire thing as one ticket. If you don’t make the connection, Amtrak will put you up in a hotel and re-book you on another train, for your missed connection. Thankfully, this has never happened to me, but I have heard of several people who were stranded in Chicago unexpectedly.
Southwest Airline Burbank Airport 2017 (Photo By Author)
The between holiday week ended up being a nightmare for travelers in 2022, especially the ones flying by air. Southwest had the worst breakdown of service, with them canceling upwards of 50% or more of their planes. Passengers were stranded, luggage was stacked up in airports and, adding to the madness, rental cars ran out.
Monitoring the chaos, in real time, it was apparent that there was sometimes another option for travelers: Amtrak. It is not always a solution, but it could be. As an example: you flew to Albuquerque for the Christmas Holiday. You need to get back to work in Chicago on Tuesday and can’t get a flight out on Monday. The next opportunity the airline offers you is the next weekend. What do you do? You can book a seat on the Southwest Chief and arrive at your destination on Tuesday. It is not perfect, but it gets the job done. If you have booked your flight with travel insurance, you are in even better shape.
Not every Amtrak route was running, especially the Empire Builder (due to the extreme cold weather), but most of them were. Delays did happen, but again, it beat the airlines in many cases. In a win for the traveler, you keep your luggage with you at all times and there are no TSA screenings either.
The Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago 2022 (photo by author)
The Metropolitan Lounge: Similar to areas at airports for VIP air travelers, Amtrak has 6 stations that have a lounge area for passengers who buy rooms on the trains. We have used several of them over the years and are always glad they exist. In this time of almost post-COVID-19, it is generally safer than the normal waiting area. As a general rule, they are not advertised. You need to seek them out.
Obviously, Chicago has a huge Metropolitan Lounge, that even includes a shower if you need it. They have free snacks, drinks and even a no host bar if that is your fancy. You can drop off your luggage and walk around the city if you like, if you have a large lay over between trains. The food in the station itself is mostly fast food, so a quick walk in the area, may be worth your time.
New York has the brand-new Moynihan Train Hall, which has a Metropolitan Lounge on the second floor. I have not been to that one yet, but I am sure it is quite beautiful.
Philadelphia has one for the Amtrak and Acela Passengers.
Washington, DC also has one for Amtrak and Acela Passengers. They also take your bags, if you want to travel from the station.
Portland, Oregon has a small one for the passengers of The Empire Builder and Coast Starlight. We found it after sitting in the cold waiting room for an hour. It was much appreciated.
Finally, my home station, Los Angeles Union Station, has one on the 2nd floor, above the ticket counter. You take an elevator to the second floor. It has snacks and coffee for passengers.
Amtrak 2 Story Superliner Car 2022 (Photo By The Author)
Amtrak trains run on freight rail, especially out West. The Northeast Corridor is the exception, because Amtrak owns that track. What that means is that the tracks are not made for passenger travel, they are made for freight trains and as a general rule, the freight does not mind that the cars sway and bump as they ride along. We passengers do. A couple of things to help you deal with the swaying of the cars. If you are worried, purchase a seat in the lower level of the passenger cars, if possible. The car is closer to the rails and so the sway is much less than the upper level. When you walk through cars (besides masking), make sure you always have one of your hands on the seats in coach, or a dining room chair in the dining room. If the car moves unexpectedly, you have something to hold on to. When in your bed, try to lean close to the walls of the car, rather then the end of the bed, so you do not get pushed out, if you get a bump from changing tracks, or anything like that. If on the upper bunk, definitely connect the straps that are there for your safety. They will keep you from falling out of your bunk in the middle of the night. I personally have no problem with the car swaying and neither does my husband. I sleep well and only seem to wake up, when we reach a station stop. Of course, the interest in seeing where we are, tends to wake me up. The fact that I may actually have cell service for a few moments is also a valid reason for checking things out. I am sure some passengers may be sensitive to motion. If that is the case, you may want to take along Dramamine, or other motion sickness pills. They tend to make you drowsy, which might not be a bad thing on a train trip, especially at night. No matter what, knowing what to expect and bringing things to help you if you need it, is key to having an uneventful journey.
Willis Tower In Downtown Chicago (Photo by the Author)
Any long distance trip on AMTRAK seems to end in Chicago (at least for most all of the Long Distance trains). If you are changing trains, chances are you will do it in Chicago.
This is actually a good thing. Union Station Chicago is right in the loop, so you are close to public transportation (if needed) and hotels. Food can sometimes be a problem (especially on the weekends) so I suggest if everything is closed, head to Giordano’s Pizza at 223 West Jackson Blvd. It is about 3 blocks from the station at the corner of Franklin and Jackson. We have actually used it when we are between train arrivals and departures. It is not cheap, but it is always available and the food is great.
The reason why trains depart and arrive in Chicago is because of the history of our rail transportation. Most rail was built in the late 1800’s after the Civil War. The Great Lakes, stockyards and grain were in Chicago and neighboring states and so moving things around the rest of the Country hinged on Chicago.
A hint if you are scheduling a transfer in Chicago. If you are in a sleeper car, either Roomette or Bedroom, you can use the Metropolitan Lounge at Chicago, to rest between trains, get a snack or check your bags so you can explore the station or the downtown area adjacent to it.
In regard to getting to your lodging, we have walked to our hotel, but it is very easy to get a taxi outside the station. Follow the signs inside the station to the Canal Street exit. You will see a whole line of taxi’s and an attendant to help you. The cost in 2021 was fixed at $3.25 plus tip. Check before your trip, for the latest information on the fares.
I live in Los Angeles and the train I would hear called nightly, as I waited for my Metrolink train to arrive, was the Amtrak Southwest Chief. In those days they would announce all station stops along the route and I would dream of someday riding on it: Flagstaff, Winslow, Gallup, Albuquerque, Fort Madison, Galesburg, Naperville and the final stop in Chicago. I mentioned it to my Husband and he gave the go ahead to book our first trip, back in 2010. It was May of that year and minus the fact that we hit an area of snow, outside Albuquerque, it was, a fairly uneventful trip. We booked our first Roomette and got the full experience. Excellent food and our every need was handled by the car attendant on duty. We decided to try it again another time and as of 2022, we have ridden on different Amtrak trains over 15 times and have no plans to stop.
One of the best parts of riding on that first train, The Southwest Chief, is that you follow a lot of the original route 66. You go through many of the towns mentioned in the Route 66 song by Bobby Troup. “Gallup, New Mexico, Flagstaff, Arizona, don’t forget Winona, Kingman, Barstow, San Bernardino”. If you don’t ever plan to drive the remnants of Route 66, this is a great way to experience it. Lots of sandstone formations to view and as an extra treat, after your stop in Albuquerque, the Chief veers off to the north and connects to the old Santa Fe Trail through the Raton Pass area of New Mexico. According to the time of year, you will probably be sleeping through Kansas and wake up in Missouri. One of the towns you pass is where Walt Disney spent part of his growing up years, Marceline, Missouri. The train that surrounds his parks, was born in that area of our Country.
Up the tracks a bit is the mighty Mississippi River. Fort Madison, Iowa is a wonderful experience and a history lesson, too. The only battle of the War of 1812 that was fought west of the Mississippi River, was at Fort Madison. There is a chimney marker along the train tracks off to the left side, and a reproduction of the original fort, off the right side of the train. Once you cross the swing bridge, you are in Illinois and pass the farmland of the state, all the way to the suburbs and then city of Chicago. The station is right on the edge of the loop and your adventure can begin there. Otherwise, Chicago is the transfer point to many other Amtrak trips.
In my humble opinion, spending the money for a Roomette or Bedroom is the way to go. More on that in other posts on this blog.
If you book a Cross-Country trip on Amtrak, chances are you are going to make a connection. Chicago is the biggest transfer station, and for this exercise, let’s use it. Your train is running late and you begin to worry that you will miss your transfer to another train. What happens?
If you have booked the different segments on your own, Amtrak may say that they have no responsibility for this missed connection, and so they will not pay for you to stay at a hotel in Chicago, or re-book you onto a later train. If they have booked the trip, they have the responsibility to provide you with accommodations while waiting for the next train to your destination. If you decide to take another form of transportation, they might give you a credit for the missed connection, to be used on your next trip by train.
There are several trains that only run 3 days a week. The Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle and Cardinal all come to mind. In that case, they may only give you the first night’s lodging. You are on your own after that. When speaking with an agent, definitely ask about this, if you are booking a trip on one of these trains. What is Amtrak’s responsibility in regard to missed connections to a 3 day a week train? Better to know ahead of time, for your peace of mind, when traveling.
I have wanted to go back to The Grand Canyon for decades. It was 43 years since my last visit and after doing extensive research on the history of the railroads, for my paper, I was ready.
The Santa Fe Railroad was instrumental in bringing the passengers from the East Coast, over to the beautiful areas of our Country, that had never been extensively explored. One of the main ones was The Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon village on the south rim has some buildings that date back to the 1800’s. They are old, but that is part of their charm. You feel like you are brought back to those times when people did not have the means to get to remote places.
We ended up taking the Southwest Chief from Los Angeles to Flagstaff. We rented a car there and after spending the day checking out Flagstaff, we drove the 90 minutes to the South Rim of The Grand Canyon. If you want the entire rail experience, you can book the Grand Canyon Railroad in Williams, Arizona and get brought right to the rim by rail. You still get off the train at Flagstaff and they bus you over to Williams, for pick up by the train.
As to booking hotels, the 5 hotels inside the park are all handled by Xanterra. Bright Angel Lodge, El Tovar Hotel, Thunderbird Lodge, Kachina Lodge, and Maswik Lodge. Each hotel varies in price and Maswik is the only one not on the rim. It is ¼ mile from the rim of the Grand Canyon. The bus has a stop right in front, so you can get to the locations on the rim fairly easily.
We booked 2 nights in the Maswik Lodge, which was the only hotel that had 2 consecutive nights available. Since we had the rental car, the distance to the rim was no problem for us…or so we thought.
A word to the wise, there is no parking for the hotels, that day visitors can’t use. So, you have problems getting to the close-in parking sites, almost from the start of the day. We ended up moving our car in the evening, to have it right by our room in the Maswik Lodge, especially to load and unload our luggage.
Food is a problem, to a certain degree. The fine dining rooms have bookings that you need to make months in advance. We did find that The Bright Angel Lodge has a nice restaurant inside, called the Fred Harvey Burger, which doesn’t seem to need reservations. We ate there twice and enjoyed both meals. Most of the other places are of the grab-and-go type. We made use of them several times. I was surprised at the lack of options offered at a premiere national park. Would it keep me away? No way. The Grand Canyon is so very beautiful.
Make the time to visit, if you are able and have time to do so.
One of the most beautiful times to travel on The Empire Builder is the winter. Note that there are some real reasons to think twice before booking a winter reservation.
The biggest reason is the possibility that your trip will be interrupted by the weather. If you are booked in the sleeper, chances are that if you get delayed for any length of time, Amtrak will somehow keep you in food, even going so far as to get pizza or hamburgers brought to the train.
People in coach don’t get such service, so you may end up without food to eat and no way to get any. In other words, buyer beware of those cheap coach seats.
Many options for getting around Glacier National Park can be a problem, due to winter closures. Rental cars and even hotels are not always available during winter. Definitely check in with the hotel you are planning to book, to find out if you will be able to get around.
BNSF (the rail company that owns the tracks) forces Amtrak to ride with an extra engine at all times, so that means chances are good you are not going to get caught by mechanical difficulties. That is a good thing, but clearing track ahead of your train, is still a cause of stoppages and slowdowns.
As always, figure more time into your travel plans, so you make your connections to other transportation options or other train lines.
If watching snow fall and a spirit of adventure are attractions to you, this is a worth it trip. Otherwise, stick to traveling in the Spring, Summer or Fall.
