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I'm in the process of finalising my transcontinental trip in September, flying out from Boston on 6 September and out San Francisco on 1 October. My goal is to cram as much railroading and photography into this trip as I can. Some time ago I asked whether I would go to Colorado or Canada. I chose Canada.
My plan: spend my first full day in Boston and visit friend at MIT, and another day in Cape Cod. I have friends here in Oz from New England (lol) in New South Wales whose names (they're a couple) mean "spring field" and "caring heart" in Chinese and I'm going to take some souvenir photos of Springfield and Hartford for them.
Then I will go to New York, visit Ground Zero on Sep. 11 and squeeze in a day trip to Princeton University and Trenton if it's got any safer. I've got to be in Toronto by the morning of Sep. 15 so I'll probably take the Maple Leaf to Viagra Falls a day or two before. I think the Adirondack is more scenic (?) but I don't know if I have time to make the jaunt from Montreal to Toronto.
I'm going on the Canadian and the Rocky Mountaineer. I decided to splurge and go on Silver and Blue and GoldLeaf. I will remember it forever.
After I get to Seattle I have a week to play with. I am tempted to fly to Albuquerque (oddly cheaper to get to than Phoenix) and take the Southwest Grief to Flagstaff (is this a pretty route?) and spend a day at the Grand Canyon. Then SWC to LAX and Coast Starlate to Oakland (is this the most pretty part of the CS?). I will spend a day at Yosemite before flying home.
Whadda you people think?
-------------------- Make the most of it before Amtrak dies. Posts: 10 | From: Melbourne, Australia | Registered: Feb 2006
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ABQ to Flagstaff is very pretty, but in the distance. There are huge red rock formations and lava flows and distant mountains. The evening sun will enhance the color of the rocks.
It is Indian country, and the rails parallel historic Route 66, now Interstate 40. Consequently, there are still the tourist attraction and Indian souvineer billboards catering to the tenderfeet exploring the west. Some of the towns appear to be one big highway rest stop.
Up close you will witness the frequent high speed (90mph?) freight traffic on the Transcon, but BNSF is not likely to make you wait for any of them.
Flagstaff has a beautiful well maintained station with close lodging and convenient car rental (Hertz in station). But if you take the Grsnd Canyon Railway to the rim, you would instead disembark at Williams Junction and a van would take you from this lonely spot to the hotel that is associated with the train.
I would enthusiastically recommend the ABQ-Grand Canyon choice for your extra week.
Posts: 1572 | From: St. Paul, MN | Registered: Dec 2002
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The Albuquerque Airport is a very nice small city airport. I've used it regularly when trying to get from North Carolina to ride trains 'out west'. You can get the city bus from the airport to their downtown transit center (which is right next door to the Amtrak station) for only a dollar.
I would second TwinStar's suggestion that you consider the Grand Canyon Railway for reaching the Canyon's south rim from Williams, AZ. It would give you a nice ride behind an immaculately restored steam locomotive. If you'll be using a rental car in Flagstaff, getting to the Williams station is a fairly easy drive too.
-------------------- 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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I agree, the Grand Canyon Railway is a fun way to get up to the Canyon and back. We just did a day trip but I would suggest spending at least one night at the Canyon. www.thetrain.com is the website. They have lots of different packages.
We'll be in OZ in late October for WARR (World Airline Road Race) in Sydney. We are thinking of taking the train down to Canberra since we've not been there and it seems like an easy trip to do.
Best for your holiday,
Frank in Sunny Santa Barbara
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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The SW Chief was the first train I took west of the Mississippi, and for me Albuquerque to Flagstaff was simply magnificent, red rock desert that I thought almost like being on another planet! I very much enjoyed staying in Flagstaff; I found it convenient to stay downtown--I stayed at quite reasonably priced Monte Cristo Hotel just a block or two from the train station, funky historic hotel where rooms are named for actors etc. who supposedly stayed there. Train station was cool too, with the gandy dancer statue outside. And the freight trains go by just about every 10 minutes; puts you to sleep quite nicely at the Monte Cristo. Lots of good inexpensive places to eat in downtown Flagstaff too, Thai, BBQ place in a basement, terrific breakfasts of eggs with chorizo, etc etc. Also, the Museum of Northern Arizona (I think that's the name)--I walked, but it's probably 2-3 miles--is really neat. There is also an observatory up the hill; I didn't go to that but one could (maybe better to take a taxi). However, it was a mistake to take the bus excursion to the Grand Canyon; we weren't there long enough! So I was glad I stayed in Flagstaff but sorry I didn't do the train to the Grand Canyon. You could have the best of both worlds, though, if you stay in Flagstaff and rent a car, take it to Williams, and then do the train. Depends on how much time you have.
With regard to Springfield and Hartford, though I've visited both cities, Hartford most recently, and found neat things to see in them, they are definitely not in the first tier of places most people want to see in the US. But Hartford has the fine Wadsworth Atheneum, oldest art museum in US; the state capitol, which you can tour for free, and adjoining grounds, Mark Twain House and adjoining Harriet Beecher Stowe House, and a nice old train station. Springfield, just a quick shuttle away, has a good museum complex, esp good art museum; an armory of note; I think the Basketball Hall of Fame and something re Harley Davidson (I didn't go to those); there is also an attractive suburb with fine homes, Long-something (Longwood maybe?)-- I think you can walk there but I was there with a car. Dr. Seuss was from here, and it's where his famous Mulberry St is (well, there are other Mulberry Streets all over the US, but HIS was Springfield). There is now also an exhibit or something dedicated to him, but that wasn't open when I was there. Not sure you can get to these places without a car. The train station is ugly modern but the approach over water is kinda neat. I enjoyed taking the old route from Springfield to Albany, on the Lakeshore Ltd Boston-Albany branch that goes once a day and that one can only reliably take westbound (I recommend business class on this); you can change in Albany for a southbound train to NYC and so would see some of the attractive Montreal to NYC route (southbound south of Albany, sit on the right side facing forward)--well, the part you would see is on ALL the routes that go through or begin in Albany to NYC, so I shouldn't really call it the Montreal route; but, anyway, if you want to go by train from Boston to Springfield and then to Hartford, then you wouldn't go this way, I guess. But really, I would personally not recommend Springfield and HArtford if you are just spending 2-3 weeks in the USA for the first time, esp if you are going by train and overnighting in them. I mean, they are tired old cities compared to some, and though I am fond of such places, I think you would do better taking the Adirondack and spending that night and another day and night in Montreal, then taking VIA Rail to Toronto and spending two nights there, using the half day to see something of Toronto and the full day for an excursion to Niagara Falls (I am sure there are bus excursions from Toronto, or you can rent a car), returning to Toronto for dinner. Then catch the Canadian next morning.
Re NYC: If you go to Ground Zero, be sure also to walk down along Hudson River to visit Battery Park, where among other things the remnant of globe that was at World Trade CEnter is on view, also Dutch Memorial, other war memorials, also fab view of STatue of Liberty (which you can visit along with Ellis Island by ferry nearby, if you have time, lines can be big, get there VERY EARLY), and be sure to see the original Bowling Green (revolutionary associations), also you might visit or at least pass Fraunces Tavern (not best food but it's very old for USA and there's a famous bullet in the wall and a little museum upstairs), then go up Broad Street to the Wall St area inc Stock Market (main door actually on Broad St), famous old J P Morgan Bank nearby (more bullet holes), old Federal Bldg at least from outside (statue of G Washington) on Wall Street, turn left here for Utrillo view of Trinity Church down Wall Street, go in the church (it's at Wall and Broadway) if time and its peaceful graveyard (some notables buried here), continuing up Broadway, be sure to see adjunct St Pauls closer to Ground Zero (where rescue workers slept, and which debris failed to harm), then right above St Pauls on Broadway see the Woolworth Building (has another name now; try to get inside this one-time tallest skyscraper in world and Cathedral of Commerce), then go over to Park Row and the little park outside City Hall--you will see how close things are to Ground Zero and how difficult a day it was for everyone down there. From the east side of Park Row the Brooklyn Bridge is observable, and you might head down Fulton (I think) to visit the South ST Seaport Museum too, or into Chinatown, good dim sum at Golden Unicorn or Dim Sum Go Go on Chatham Square. If you don't do the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island due to time constraints, you can take a boat ride from South Street Seaport area; also, back down near Battery Park, consider the Staten Island FErry, which I think is free) and back, be sure to take in view of Manhattan approaching back. (You might want to see the film Working Girl if you do this!)
Princeton is lovely. Trenton I haven't gotten to yet (it's a state capitol so I do plan to go) but though I think it's likely safe enough in the daytime if you are sensible about which parts you go to, what exactly do you want to see there? I would think Hartford or Springfield would be more than enough of lesser older cities of this sort in just 2-3 weeks. And I would certainly recommend Philadelphia over Trenton (even though I haven't been to Trenton, I think I can safely do that). Though it's very hard to see much of a big city in one day; so what I really think given your itinerary is that you're much better off not knocking yourself out, instead of attempting NJ too (or Philadelphia) why not just try to see more of NYC, e.g., Central Park (by zoo inc clock, and up further by lake and maybe even walk around reservoir), Frick Museum and/or Metro Mus of Art, walk on 5th Avenue inc see Rockefeller Center, go over to secret streets like Beekman Place and upper Tudor City, maybe see UN, and definitely Grand Central STation inc Campbell Room, NY Public Library (main reading room, periodical room, thre are tours) . . . Central Park West also nice, Museum Natural History . . . there's really a lot there.
If you do take the Adirondack from NYC to Montreal, i.e., northbound, sit on the left side facing forward only as far as Albany and then make sure you sit on the right side, as the train crosses the Hudson River after the Albany-Rensselaer Station (which is in Rensselaer) and after a foray into the wilds of Schenectady, you then cross the Mohawk and come to Saratoga and then Fort Edward and return to riding along the Hudson, and it's on the right now as you face forward (so you want to grab one of those seats in Albany when you can), and then the Hudson gradually becomes Lake Champlain, with Vermont across the water--it's really a beautiful ride (unless the weather is very bad, I suppose; that has never happened to me so far!). Crossing the border is especially fun into Quebec because it's very different from the ugly Rouse's Point and you really know you're in another country. And the approach into Montreal across the St Lawrence is near too. It's a long ride though, very slow. Oh, it's also a lot cheaper than NYC to Toronto on the Maple Leaf, I'm not sure why, probably because it's so slow or maybe there is some kind of Quebec subsidy???
About the scenic part of Coast Starlight, I have only been on that route between Seattle and Sacramento and between San Luis Obispo and Los Angeles further south (actually the latter on Pacific Surfliners, which I took all the way to San Diego and then back up to LA) so I cannot say about the part in between, but for me the MOST scenic part was from Mount Shasta (I saw more in this area because the northbound train was late!) to past Klamath Falls (really, almost all the way to Eugene), that is, northern California and Oregon, but I still liked the California coast part too, and some neat stuff near LA too. On the California coast there was some early morning fog but it was clear by around 9AM; that was last August. We really loved stopping in Santa Barbara, BTW; you could take a Pacific Surfliner from LA to SBA and then catch the Coast STarlite the next day. We took business class on the Pacific Surfliner but I'm not sure if it's a good idea to take a day sleeper on the Coast Starlight if you go all the way from LA to Oakland; it's great if you have the parlor car, but if your day sleeper is on the wrong side, that won't be of any use. If you go coach on the Starlite, get seats on the left side facing forward (the ocean side). Coach or sleeper, you will have the observation car regardless.
The reason we didn't take Coast Starlite from San Francisco/Emeryville all the way down the coast last year was because it was superdisgusto late and I was traveling with my sister who would NOT spend all day in Oakland waiting for a train. So instead we took San Joaquin and bus to SLO, stayed there, Pacific Surfliner to SBA, stayed there, and more Pacific Surfliners to the south. But this year the Coast Starlite seems to be running much better (so far). I think UP was doing a lot of trackwork last year?
Sorry for the long stream of consciousness post!
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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Thanks for the advice, and would love more if people care to post on it.
This trip comes immediately after a whirlwind tour of Norway and Switzerland on Eurail!
The train from Sydney to Canberra runs twice a day and the times changes depending on different days of the week. It's a scenic run especially the section between Campbelltown and Goulburn. The station in Canberra is a long way out from the city you'll probably have to get a cab. However, in Oz, tipping taxi drivers does not occur (unless you're in a good mood).
Re the Southwest Grief (TM): I once took the Indian Pacific train from Adelaide to Perth in Australia, across the desert. This has the world's longest straight stretch of track at ~300 miles. It was the sheer boringness of the journey that was the highlight: flat as a pancake and no variation in anything as far as you can see. I hear the New Mexico deserts are a bit different.
Sojourner, what did you think of the Rocky Mountaineer? Last week I dreamt of being on it - big glass domes, royal-class breakfasts and unimaginable scenery. Lol!
Posts: 10 | From: Melbourne, Australia | Registered: Feb 2006
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New Mexico deserts are way different than "flat as a pancake". The reason no railroad runs east or west from ABQ is the grades are too steep. Heavy trucks on I-40 sometimes crawl up the grade at a full powered 15 mph. ABQ at 4900 feet is at the foot of the 12000 ft Sandia Mts. The Tramway to the top is an attraction worth trying.
The train gets up the plateau by rejoining the Transcon and climbing up the valley of the usually dry Rio Puerco River after you leave the Rio Grande near Belen. After rejoining I-40, you will see missions and pueblos that are 3-4 centuries old, cross a lava bed, and pass by notable points of ancient cultures. Around Gallup will be the huge red rock mesas and a crossing of the Continental Divide at near 7000 ft. If it were still light you would see the Painted Desert in Arizona, known for its horizontal layers of varied color. At Winslow the train passes the beautiful La Posada Hotel, one of the most architecturally significant of the old Harvey Houses.
Doing all this at 90mph to the roar of passing fast freights adds to the experience. And running alongside is "The Mother Road", the former Route 66, whose heavy traffic is such a contrast to the sparsely populated land. Far from boring.
Posts: 1572 | From: St. Paul, MN | Registered: Dec 2002
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