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Here's another trip I made with the help and advice of all you folks here at the Railforum Amtrak board!
I caught the Adirondack north, making sure to grab a seat on the right side facing forward for the scenery upcoming (after Fort Edward). Most of the Montreal-bound people were in different cars; mine was mainly people going to Schenectady, Saratoga and the Adirondacks (where only one or two doors open at the short station stops). Quite a lot headed for Saratoga! There is a new station there I'd like to see some time; I think I might even be able to go and return by train with no overnight stopover if I take the Adirondack up and the weekend Ethan Allen back.
Crossing the Hudson after (Albany)Rensselaer station, the nice view of Albany is on the left, so I made sure to see that--including the view of the old D&H Building. Crossing the Mohawk after Schenectady is interesting too, albeit brief, as are a few things you pass before (I think) crossing, e.g., there is a long building where rr cars used to be built or repairs. You do not get to see Saratoga Spa from the train at all. Fort Edward is pretty picturesque, including the upper Hudson (nicer view on left there too). Whitehall seems nice too, though actual station is in a depression. But the real scenery is of course the upper Hudson (all views to right), which becomes what I think is called Champlain Canal, which becomes Lake Champlain. Port Edward stop has an old rr engine (on the left), and you get a cool view of Fort Ticonderoga across the water (on right) before reaching that station, which is now in the middle of nowhere (used to be downtown). Westport is not really downtown (Westport has a nice downtown), and you go inland around here and wait for the southbound Adirondack to pass. Then comes Port Kent, a seasonal stop only when the ferry is running, which is now I believe mid-June to Columbus Day Monday. Our train made the ferry in the nick of time--you have to wait for the train to leave before you cross the tracks and head down, but it isn't difficult, and once the ferry folks saw us, they waited. That is good because there are fewer ferries than last year and the wait for the last one, at around 6, would have been long (though Port Kent ferry area does have a snack bar and so on.) The crossing was breezy and delightful, and for those of us without vehicles costs under $5. The ferry gets right in to downtown Burlington, where if you stay at the Marriott, Marriott Courtyeard, or Hilton you can walk; most other (cheaper) hotels/motels/B&Bs probably require a taxi, which you may need to book in advance--though I did see one taxi at the ferry landing.
Burlington is a nice small city with a park along the lake and a big shopping street closed to cars, Church Street, where everyone hangs out. There are perhaps too many modern buildings for a New England town but further up the hill is the University of Vermont and lots of nice homes. There is plenty to do and see,for those esp with cars (inc Shelburne restoration to the south) but I was here only for the rest of the day and night. I had dinner at a "gourmet" Asian restaurant, good but too pricey, and roamed around the shops, which seemed to stay open till 8 most nights.
Next morning my hotel supplied a voucher for a taxi because its shuttle was going only to the airport, so I did not have to take the bus you all kindly informed me about nor pay for a taxi on my own (which would have been about $15); I did, of course, give a tip to the taxi driver, though. I reached Essex Junction early and ate a very fine breakfast in AJ's Kitchen (which opens very early) across the street from the station, which had been recommended to me by someone I met on the ferry who lived in the Burlington area and was making a day round trip with a visiting friend!
I went across to the station about 8:40 and chatted a bit with the very well-informed caretaker, who I gather opens the station building at 8. I asked if there was a bus to Montreal now that the train didn't go there, and he said the bus is now at Burlington airport! He also explained to passengers that the train would go down to Palmer Mass and then onto the CSX track there, whereupon the seats that had faced forward would face backward, so if there was room and we wanted to change, we should do so right after Amherst (or before that if we liked).
The train was on time and quite a few people boarded; I'd say 35, 40, even more. This was my first time on the Vermonter north of Hartford and my first time ever on the track above Palmer. The train was somewhat more in need of refurbishment than the Adiondack had been, with a toilet not working, but the ride itself was still comfortable and very attractive scenerywise, even though foliage intrudes on the view more than it does on the Adirondack (which goes right on the water's edge--here, along the CT river further south, for example, there is often 1 stand of trees--but not more, between train and water). In a few spots on the ride further north, though, the train is in a depression with nothing but woodland around it; I would imagine quite nice in foliage season, but no view of anything else when the train is lower like that.
Most of the towns we passed were on view and nice to see--White River Junction seemed esp appealing (I have been there by car but didn't recall where train station is; seemed to be right downtown though), and Bellows Falls perhaps the nicest spot of all. I would say a round trip (from Springfield or south of that) on just this train in late March or early April would be simply splendid.
Quite a few people boarded in Waterbury and White River Junction but I was surprised how few in Brattleboro and Amherst; maybe I missed seeing them? We were maybe a little late the whole way down (but picked up the time by Springfield). The track change ijn Palmer was interesting. After that we were on track I'd traversed on the Boston branch of the LSL, which I saw passing us as we were changing tracks and which we pretty much followed into Springfield behind it. I am surprised this train doesn't leave a little earlier and make that connection, allowing Vermonters to go west if they should like.
The train ride south of Springfield to Hartford has a few attractive spots but lots of foliage in the way--when I made this trip in early April northbound I recall seeing lots more. After a longer stop than others in Hartford, we headed down to New Haven--again, a few attractive spots but nothing special. In New Haven I watched the engine change--trains from Spingfield require such a change for NEC. The ride from New Haven has some attractions on the left side--water views around Bridgeport and Norwalk and even when you get to (I think) the Bronx (though nowhere near as pretty as west of New Haven heading to Boston). We left New Haven on time but had some track congestion in Westchester or the Bronx (I forget) and got into NYP 10-15 minutes late (but I gather the train can make up the time before continuing on to Washington). Penn Station was hot, with a broken escalator at the platform, but I found an elevator to get from platform to that middle (lower?) level and then a working escalator to take me up to the Amtrak ticket area. I then walked out and went into K-Mart to buy some cheap stuff before catching a crosstown bus (I had a Metro pass from before), where I stayed overnight with a friend in New York City before returning on the Empire Service the next night--an easy ride as usual.
Thank you all again for your tips about the Vermonter!
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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Gil is right, Ms. Sojourner. I still see only a total of 4 stops a day (two in each direction) for Saratoga Springs. Believe you might have misread the timetable, as it almost appears from a quick glance that there are two Ethan Allens but N/B 291 is daily except Friday while 293 is Friday only. S/B, 290 is M-F while 296 is Sat and Sun.
Hoping someday to take a rail trip to Saratoga Springs in conjunction with my love of the ponies.
Posts: 1530 | From: Ocala, FL | Registered: Dec 2006
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I have always wanted to take that line. I think I will when they add the dome car someday in the future
Posts: 465 | From: elgin (s-line) | Registered: Dec 2008
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Yes, I have taken the Ethan Allen (between NYP and Albany) at two different times and thought they had added a second one, but I see from the schedule is just a weekend vs weekday schedule. I've fixed my post; you can drop yours, Mr N.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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I've done the very same trip as Ms. Sojourner, and it's a delightful one. The walk to the ferry at Westport is short, and Burlington is a great town. There are city buses that run to the airport (where I had to go to pick up my rental car), but a taxi from the airport to Essex Junction is very costly (about $25) even though the distance is only a few miles. Nice to know there are hotel shuttles.
White River Junction is charming and compact little town, and the station is at the south end of downtown. It has a small railroad museum.
Bellows Falls is even nicer, and it used to be possible to connect to the Vermont Railway's tourist train, but unfortunately that has apparently stopped running. Don't miss the "Miss Bellows Falls" diner (in a real former RR car) for breakfast.
Posts: 614 | From: Merchantville, NJ. USA | Registered: Aug 2000
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Thanks for the additional info, RResor. I did not think the taxi was that high; the voucher the hotel paid to Essex Junction was just for $15, but maybe a private passenger would pay more--or perhaps you traveled from further away, not downtown Burlington??? Anyway, it was very nice the hotel gave me a voucher because their shuttle could not take me! I did give a tip, of course.
I was actually in White River Junction area by car years ago, but I mainly remember going to Woodstock and Queechee, which are nearby. I don't think we went downtown in WRJ. I have never been to Bellows Falls, but it definitely is appealing for a future trip!
Just a correction to your post: The ferry I took was from Port Kent, not Westport. It runs seasonally to downtown Burlington, and Amtrak stops in Port Kent seasonally as well, only when the ferry is running.
There is another (shorter, more requent) ferry from Essex, NY (not to be confused with Essex Junction VT), which is near Westport, but it is not a short distance from the Westport train stop, I don't think! Also, this Essex ferry comes into Vermont in Charlotte, not Burlington, so one would need a car (or taxi) on getting there.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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My bad. Your post mentioned Westport -- yes, I took the Port Kent to Burlington ferry.
You should also be aware that in two or three years the Vermonter will be re-routed back to its original route through Greenfield, MA rather than Amherst. This will eliminate the backup move and shorten the trip by about an hour, while also avoiding interference by CSX freight trains. The Federal funds have been made available to Vermont and Mass. There may also be a second train White River Junction to New Haven.
Posts: 614 | From: Merchantville, NJ. USA | Registered: Aug 2000
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