posted
My wife and I just returned from a visit with relatives in the Phoenix area. While our trip there was courtesy of SWA, we did take an excursion to the southern part of the state and came across some Amtrak info.
We took a detour off I-10 to visit Maricopa. It is now almost a Phoenix suburb but hard hit by the housing bust and quite an unattractive spot. But, Amtrak has a daylight agent there (in addition to one during the night time train arrivals). Hard to figure why when the one in Tucson is now night time only.
He said he has 50/60 passengers total - on and off - on train nights. The station is a very unattractive Ambox, but decent size as it is a crew change point. The CZ observation, Silver Horizon, was the station until 1999 and now is slowly decaying (a broken frame insures it will never run again). But it still is nice to see. He said Amtrak is talking of fixing it up for a Road Foreman's office (they insure the engine crews are observing correct operating and safety procedures.)
They have tried to get a bus operator to Phoenix but they either want to charge too much or go out of business. They will get one if the train goes daily. The passenger count is about half of what it had been when it stopped in Phoenix. Good luck if you get off without a prearranged pick up.
Our next stop was the Tucson station and as noted is now closed during the daytime (it had been open with rental cars when we stopped several years ago). Is Amtrak truly incompetent? Why have a station open in the god forsaken town of Maricopa (5 days a week) when the beautiful Tuscon station is closed? Sorry for the mini-rant.
Downtown Tuscon is slowly being gentrified and the area is nicer than our last visit. The Hotel Congress looks prosperous (they have 6 'quiet' rooms as it can be a party scene at night) and have added a nice terrace area.
The station is fully occupied - offices on the 2nd floor and a very nice market and restaurant on the ground level.
Our final Amtrak stop was on our return from seeing some gorgeous country in the high plains near Bisbee and Patagonia, AZ (lots of border patrol presence). We rejoined civilization at Benson. The town is a former railroad junction where 3 lines headed south to Nogales and the copper country around Bisbee. The town has recreated one of the five RR buildings for their visitor center and chamber of commerce. To get the grant they had to make an exact replica and they chose the smallest of the five - a Wells Fargo express office. Of course Amtrak stops down the street at a spot that is a 'replica' of a bus stop. Don't ask why they didn't use the visitor center. Anyway, Benson is worth a quick stop if you're cruising down I-10.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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I used to board the MARC Commuter trains near my apartment in College Park, MD in a replica of a bus stop too!
Does the one in Benson have a plexiglass shelter or is it just a patch of asphalt by the tracks?
Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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quote:Originally posted by palmland: Don't ask why they didn't use the visitor center. Anyway, Benson is worth a quick stop if you're cruising down I-10.
So, why don't they use the visitor center?
Sorry, couldn't resist hitting your low-hanging curve ball, palmland! Anyway, thank you for the update of "places along the route of the Sunset Limited in Arizona." I hope the Maricopa city fathers don't get too mad at your impressions of their fine 'burg! Good to hear Tucson is working on their downtown. The only thing I have to add regarding "stuff to see" around Benson are the Kartschner Caverns. A truly awesome limestone cave complex found not long ago by some hikers in the hot country-- so popular you will almost definitely need a reservation to get in. The entrance is relatively close to Amtrak's Benson stop- by car a half hour or so.
Posts: 588 | From: East San Diego County, CA | Registered: Oct 2004
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notelvis- there is a shelter, in addition to the asphalt strip with a steep slope up to track level. It's definitely not ADA compliant nor very good for anyone not into high hurdles. The shelter is not so fancy as a plexiglass one, but painted white on its 3 sides.
RRbob- Well, the Amtrak rep liked the visitor center but said it would be too hard to deal with the fiber optic cable where the raised platform would have to be (of course there is no platform where the train does stop).
Right you are about Kartschner caverns. Wish we had gone there instead of the oh so touristy Tombstone - but it is nice the buildings were preserved. The state apparently wants to do it right for the pristine caverns. A decontamination process is required for anyone entering. Reservations are still required for weekends, but we were told we'd probably be able to get in on the quiet Monday we were in the area. Something to save for the next trip.
It was surprising to see that in addition to the border patrol stationed along many spots on one of the dirt roads we traveled that they were also stopping all traffic northbound on I-19 from Nogales and on the secondary road we were on from the small border town of Naco. When they saw us, we were quickly 'profiled' and told to keep moving with a quick 'sorry for stopping you'.
None of the locals seemed to be too worried about immigrants (at least not that they would admit to us). There was some speculation about what the border patrol did with all the forces and equipment in the area. We certainly didn't feel concerned about banditos on our wanderings - well maybe a bit when we saw the fully armed agent walking out of the woods complete with helmet, night gogles and automatic rifle.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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I have lived in Phoenix since 1971. In that time, I have arrived or departed from Phoenix, Tempe, Coolidge, and Maricopa. Maricopa is not the kind of place I would like to hang around at night.
I wonder if about the same amount of people from Phoenix are riding the train as they used to when it stopped in Phoenix. Now, when I ride the Sunset Limited, I drive down to Tucson to get on it. I believe a lot of people from Phoenix do this.
Posts: 446 | From: Phoenix, Arizona | Registered: Jul 2000
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Konstantin-according to the agent, ridership at Maricopa is about half what it was in Phoenix.
We had a long conversation with someone who lives in central Phoenix. Her view was that the outlying suburbs of Phoenix (including Maricopa) were hardest hit by the housing bust. Last to be developed and first to go under due to their distance from Phoneix and lack of amenities - just boxes stuck in the desert. Many vacant homes and now gangs have moved into those area. Scottsdale and Paradise Valley are the only areas that have held their own.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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Great.. My wife & I are heading to Maricopa to visit some friends for a day (arrive around 1:00am on Friday, leave around 11:00 pm that same day) in November.
We are staying at the casino hotel. Is there anything we need to know about the transfer from Amtrak to the hotel?
Posts: 1418 | From: Houston, Republic of Texas | Registered: Jan 2001
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Is the Casino or friends picking you up? If not, you might want to make early arrangements with a taxi.
I asked the agent why they didn't work a deal with the casino to tie in with shuttle service to metro Phoenix. He didn't know.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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Karen has volunteered to pick us up. We will call her if #1 is late.
Posts: 1418 | From: Houston, Republic of Texas | Registered: Jan 2001
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Anyway, thank you for the update of "places along the route of the Sunset Limited in Arizona." I hope the Maricopa city fathers don't get too mad at your impressions of their fine 'burg! Good to hear Tucson is working on their downtown. The only thing I have to add regarding "stuff to see" around Benson are the Kartschner Caverns. A truly awesome limestone cave complex found not long ago by some hikers in the hot country-- so popular you will almost definitely need a reservation to get in. The entrance is relatively close to Amtrak's Benson stop- by car a half hour or so.
