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I'm putting together one of my quick weekend jaunts and I'm curious about Providence, RI.
Does anyone know the distance between the Providence Airport and the Amtrak station downtown?
What's the taxi situation there? Waiting at the curb like in most cities or two hours away like in Grand Junction, CO?
Any idea what neighborhood the cab fare from airport to downtown would be? To make this one work I'm probably not going to have time for mass transit unless there happens to be a direct bus from airport to the station area.
Thanks,
-------------------- 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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A little work with Mapquest and Google yielded the following information:
1. It's 9.78 miles from Theodore Green Airport to Amtrak downtown. Probably 20-30 minutes depending on time of day.
2. The Marriott hotel website says it's a $30 cab fare from the airport to the hotel (and the hotel, the website says, is right next to the station).
Dunno about the taxi situation, but I've flown into/out of Providence, and it is NOT a big airport like O'Hare. Probably a good ratio of taxis to customers.
Dunno about the buses, either.
I'd take a cab, myself.
Posts: 2236 | From: Evanston, Ill. and Ontonagon, Mich. | Registered: Feb 2007
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Have not yet been to Providence on my capitols tour but 2 things I know about it, not in answer to your questions but in case it is helpful to know, David: the capitol (aka statehouse) is said to be very nice and worth a tour, but I think it is closed weekends . . . Providence is not far from Newport, which is also well worth seeing (I was there many moons ago and hope to return when I visit Providence).
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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Exactly the info I was looking for. The info from the Marriot website in particular Henry.
You know, I was in Western Massachusetts (Williams) for a reunion in 2003 but on that trip we took the Crescent to NYP and then up the Hudson River to Albany where we rented a car. I've not been on an NEC train north of Penn Station since 1994.
THAT'S the situation I'm trying to rectify here!
Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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Did not know you went to Williams, David. I was just there (by car) a few months ago, went to the Clark Institute and also the college museum, walked around the campus, had Thai food--was a very lovely day. I had been through before but never stopped at the museums, not sure why. The way you went is probably the best for training it, and the ride up the Hudson River from NY to Albany is really lovely (if you sit on the river side).
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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Without getting too specific, my wife has relatives on her dad's side in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticutt......very large Irish family. Some years ago (like 30) my father-in-law had a falling out with the family and moved to Florida becoming Republican and Protestant in the process.
My wife recognizes the importance of maintaining ties with that side of the family and the Williams event is a semi-annual family gathering. We had a great time in spite of being "Frank's daughter and her husband" and loved the college campus (our home is in a small college town) and the lovely Berkshire Mountain vistas. We may try to go back for the next one!
-------------------- 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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That is interesting about your father. Around here, and even more so in New England, many of the old-line Protestant Republicans are becoming Democrats, or at least unaffiliated. I presumed you were talking about a college reunion because you called it Williams; the place is actually called Williamstown. What made you pick it for the family reunion--good location, good motel to stay in, or just some relatives living there? The Berkshires are pretty nice in general, with a lot to do, though can be overpriced in season. There's all that music in and around Tanglewood, and the Mount, Edith Wharton's home, was an interesting tour; the Shaker Museum/Farm in Hancock, with its round barn, also worth a visit. I don't much care for the Norman Rockwell stuff in Stockbridge, but the old inn there is a popular lunch stop (and can be hard to park!) West Stockbridge is a cute little town, though I don't remember anything to do except stop for a bite and visit knickknack shops. The same for Lee; there's also an outlet mall near Lee for shopping (but I imagine NC is better for that). Much further east--but I think it's still the Berkshires--I strongly recommend Deerfield Mass--restorations, museums, origin of arts & crafts movement, not to mention the interesting history of the Deerfield Massacre and famous captivity; it's not too far from Amherst, another very nice town (though for some reason I've never been to Emily Dickinson's house). In fact, there are a lot of things in the Berkshires to which I've never been (Northhampton, North Adams modern art museum), but it really is pretty, lots to do in summer, pretty foliage in fall. Hotels/motels can be high, though I do recall an inexpensive but perfectly fine Super 8 just outside Deerfield.
Vermont is also quite nice if you are going for longer. You could perhaps take the Ethan Allen through Albany to Rutland; I've never been on that little spur (it branches off the Adirondack route at Fort Edward, I think) but I did stay in the Rutland area; Woodstock Vermont is very nice (but too crowded weekends); Queeche Gorge pretty nice but very busy too; it's better on weekdays. Further north, we like the restoration near Burlington; Stowe Vermont; lots of other nice places. Lake Champlain is gorgeous on a nice day (esp crossing by boat from NY). Anyway, you'd need to rent a car and I suspect that is easier and cheaper to do in Albany. If you do have to stay in Albany overnight for some reason, the Hampton Court downtown has pretty good prices, esp weekends Triple A rate, and there are things to see there too (the capitol tour is quite nice, and free; the state museum, also free; the Ten Broeck House; etc etc). In driving from Albany to Williamstown, avoid Rte 2, esp in bad weather.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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Wasn't my picking at all. Someone in my wife's extended family has a connection with the college and that's how they started doing the reunions there......actually at the Williams Inn. It's a place large enough to lodge the 75-100 or so folks who generally come plus there is a conference room which they book for an evening banquet. It's a major event and since the majority of the family can be there in 2-4 hours, it's a location that doesn't particularly favor the CT crowd or the Boston crowd. It's all about fairness.
My own 'collegin' was done not at Williams but at a small private college here in North Carolina and then graduate school at the University of Maryland. I was actually in the DC area in the early 90's when Amtrak tested the German ICE train and the Swedish X2000 and was fortunate enough to get a ride on each of them.
Part of my upcoming jaunt Sep 29 - Oct 1 (which is now booked and will be reported on in early October) includes an Acela ride from Boston to BWI. Can't wait!
Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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Now I see why you are always so knowledgeable and helpful when the subject of travel to Baltimore comes up. Do you know, I have never been there? I mean, I've been through many times on the train, but I really do intend to stay at least one night in Baltimore some time, see the harbor, etc etc. I also have to go back to Annapolis one of these days, because when I was there, I did not tour the capitol.
Am waiting to hear about your jaunt--enjoy!
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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PRE-POST - HUGE ACHIEVEMENT HERE.....IT'S MY 1500th POST!!!!!
I'm hardly the Baltimore native but I was dating a girl who was. My apartment in College Park was three blocks from the MARC Commuter Train stop and I made countless trips up to Baltimore on the train during my two years there. It was a good period in my life and while Baltimore is what it is, a big city with warts, I have some fond memories from that area.
(Notice though that I did not opt to stay!)
The inner harbor area is very nice and the B&O Railroad Museum is only a few blocks away. It's a MUST for the serious railfan and has the nicest collection of 19th century locomotives anywhere.
The best thing about the Inner Harbor area is that you can get there via light rail from Penn Station or just step off the train at it if you take a weekday MARC commuter up the Camden line from DC.
-------------------- 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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What you omitted to note, Mr. Presley, does this lady post at internet sites using the handle "NotLisaMarie"?
Posts: 9977 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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No 'Notlisamarie' in our house BUT our home wireless internet connection is named
'Graceland'
and I did spend a couple of years living in Greater Memphis long ago!
Oh.....and if there were a 'Notlisamarie' in my house, it would not be the lady from Baltimore. My 'Notlisamarie' is the girl I began dating after leaving Maryland.
Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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If we want to be consistent, NotLisaMarie would be the hypothetical handle of Mr. Pressley's (hypothetical?) daughter. His significant other would be NotPriscilla. But then, that could be confused with "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert", who was not the star of the Naked Gun movies.
Posts: 1572 | From: St. Paul, MN | Registered: Dec 2002
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Ah........Zip Code 5......crisp, clear, cold air. Winter comes early in Minnesota.
I suppose that someday there may be a 'NotLisaMarie' in my house.....but my daughter isn't talking in complete sentences yet.....much less typing.
She did enjoy a train ride over Labor Day at the Kentucky Railway Museum. She does say "Chooo CHOOOOO" when she sees a train.
I'm optimistic.
-------------------- 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
| IP: Logged |
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