posted
2nd question, One route i really fancy taking is th empire builder, i'm guess that come the hight of winter there isnt many places worth stopping at. Any thoughts.
MB
Posts: 6 | From: North Norfolk, England | Registered: Oct 2007
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Coming in January you will not likely encounter trains that are sold out in coach......except for probably the Silver Meteor and Silver Star southbound to Florida.
In other words, you will probably be able to 'get on the train' without much worry.
Sleepers are another matter. Those are often sold out in advance and it would be unwise to count on just walking up to the ticket office and getting a sleeper on that days' train. Sometimes you might. Other times you might not.
Obviously it would be cheaper if you had a set itinerary and made those reservations in advance.....probably even using a USA Rail Pass, but I recognize that this compromises the 'adventure' a bit.
In January I would strongly advise riding the 'Empire Builder' from the west end (Seattle or Spokane) eastward. If you ride this train westbound the best scenery will pass after dark both nights.
Places to stopover - I have three suggestions for unique places to get a night or two off the train -
Izak Walton Inn in Essex, MT - It's an old railroad lodge on the route of the Empire Builder. Rustic. Trains outside the door all day. Restaurant on site. It's adjacent to the Glacier National Park and odds are you will see plenty of snow. Cross Country ski enthusiasts fancy this hotel during the winter.
The Vagabond Inn (Executive Olde Towne location as there are several Vagabond Inns) in Sacramento, CA. It's on the routes of the California Zephyr and Coast Starlight. The hotel is across a busy street (and parking lot) from the train station. Nearby is historic old town Sacramento and the fabulous California Railroad Museum. You can also catch any number of Capitol Corridor trains down to the Oakland/San Francisco Bay area for sightseeing (lodging is less costly in Sacramento).
Finally, the Henry Clay Inn in Ashland, VA. The front door of this hotel, a small Colonial Style inn, is literally 50 feet from the train station. The Inn does serve breakfast for it's guests and they have a dining room that serves supper on weekends. There are a couple of restaurants in town within a block or two of the hotel as well. The regional trains between New York, Richmond, and Newport News stop in Ashland. The long-distance trains for Florida and the Carolinas (including the Auto-Train) pass through without stopping. Ashland is a small college town with a number of historic homes. It's a nice place to recharge your batteries off the train for a couple or three nights while still getting to do some train-spotting. It's also possible to get the regional trains into Washington, DC for a daytrip of sightseeing....again, you will find lodging less costly in Ashland than you will in the immediate DC area.
I hope that your trip is a real adventure and that you will tell us about it when you have completed the journey.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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