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I’m in the midst of planning a very last minute trip home to visit my father who is not in good health and wondered if some of you might have suggestions about my journey. I live in Edmonds, Washington and will be traveling to Morristown, Tennessee (in east Tennessee about an hour from Knoxville)
I leave tomorrow (Tuesday, February 26) at 5:17 pm on the Empire Builder out of Edmonds arriving in Chicago at 3:55 pm on Thursday, February 28. Then I’m scheduled to leave Chicago on the Cardinal at 5:45 pm, arriving in Cincinnati at 3:17 am on February 29th.
And that’s about as close to home as I can get via the train. I’m guessing the last leg will have to be a rental car from Cincinnati to Morristown, but wondered if any of you are familiar with the area around the Cincinnati train station, especially what I might expect to find at 3:00 am (not much I expect).
Normally, I would probably just try to find a hotel at that hour, but my financial resources for making this trip are very limited, so things get a bit more complicated.
Any of you wise and seasoned travelers out there have any suggestions for a worried daughter who just wants to make it home to see her dad? Much appreciation in advance for any help or suggestions you might have.
Sue
notelvis Member # 3071
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Hi Sue,
I'll try my best to be helpful.....and I just drove by the outskirts of Morristown a couple of days ago.....
I think you're probably going to have two choices when you get to Cincinnati -
One is a lengthy cab ride to the Cincinnati Airport (which is actually across the river in Florence, KY) where you could rent a car. (I doubt that any rental agency would meet you at the train at 3:00am BUT you may want to give Enterprise a call.....they might surprise me.
The other would be a shorter cab ride to the Greyhound Station where you can still get a Greyhound south to Knoxville. Now.....Morristown I don't know about since Greyhound has greatly curtailed the number of intermediate cities they serve.
However, Greyhound DOES still serve Greeneville, TN with their route that goes up I-81 from East Tennessee. You might get lucky nd find something that works.
If you are going to check Greyhound, they have a website at <www.greyhound.com> which could be helpful.
Finally, you may want to look at staying on the Cardinal from Cincinnati another three hours or so to Ashland, KY. Amtrak and Greyhound use the same station in Ashland and from there you could perhaps, if the schedule works, get a Greyhound south to Wytheville, VA where you would change to a bus heading towards Bristol, Johnson City, Greeneville, maybe Morristown, and Knoxville.
Good luck.....I hope you're able to get something to work out.
George Harris Member # 2077
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Even if it is heresy here, I would suggest that you check into the possibility of cheap flights into Knoxville or Nashville, or Atlanta. In fact, I would say for flying Atlanta would be your best bet. It is about 250 miles from there to Morristown TN.
If you do not intend to fly at all, then look into Greyhound into Knoxville from Cincinatti, or even Chicago. According to their web site, there is a 7:10am bus out of Cincinatti that will get you to Knoxville at 12:15 noon. Undiscounted fare, $63.50 seems rather steep.
You can greyhound into Morristown itself, but it is not a worthwhile connection, running only once a day leaving Knoxville at 5:30am, station at 713 N. Cumberland St. According to their web site, you must leave Chicago at 11:55am to make that one.
Hope this helps.
notelvis Member # 3071
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George is correct.
I was just coming back to say I had had a few minutes free and checked the Greyhound website myself. Greyhound to Knoxville kind of fits. Greyhound into Morristown is an awkward connection both ways......like 18 hour layover awkward.
Yuck.
TwinStarRocket Member # 2142
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The Empire Builder to Cardinal connection might be a bit risky, considering the Cardinal only runs 3 days a week. Though the Builder has been on time the last few days, there have been lengthier delays of late.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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Miss Sue--
Somehow, I think the most painless way out of this dilemma is simply to rent an auto from Chicago and get rolling down the road. You could likely make it to around Indianapolis by 10PM where at the various exits North of town on I-465 you can find the major brand hotel of your choice. At the interchange with which I'm most familiar, Meridian St., there is Marriott Courtyard, Wyndham, and a regional chain, Signature.
If you do not wish to use air transport for a family emergency (my family would "expect' from me use of such), this is likely the best way to do the journey; alighting #50 at Cinci at the odd hour, an arduous (expensive) taxicab ride to CVG where presumably a rental concern has a 24/7 facility, is simply not worth it.
Sorry to learn your Father is "not doing well'; thoughts and prayers for the best possible outcome.
Seattle Shue Member # 4363
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Thanks you all for taking the time to share your thoughts. My brain accepts any and all help it can get today!
I have researched every conceivable Greyhound option and all are fairly nightmarish. I liked David’s suggestion of staying on the train longer to avoid finding myself alone in Cincinnati at 3:17 in the morning. I have started researching car rentals at stops farther down the line, perhaps Charleston, WV. I’m willing to drive a little farther if it means getting off the train at a saner hour.
Alas the new problem is finding a one-way rental, which I feel is necessary given my uncertain return plans at this time. Onward I search…
Again thank you all for the suggestions and good wishes. I’ll get there somehow and my chosen route is certain to give my dad a good laugh. I’ve never been known for traveling from Point A to Point B in a straight line!
Sue
palmland Member # 4344
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A variation on Mr. Norman's good suggestion is to make your planned connection to the Cardinal but detrain in Indianapolis at 11:50pm. Then get a good night's sleep at a nearby hotel.
Hotels.com shows the Indianapolis Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza in the station itself, but it is somewhat pricey. Within a half mile is a Days Inn at $69.
The next morning Enterprise should be able to pick you up at your hotel. AAA shows the drive to Morristown as 9 hours from Chicago, 6 hours from Indy, or 4.5 from Cincinnati.
You might want to reserve a car in Chicago in case you miss a connection (no cancellation penalty) and then go with Mr Norman's scenario.
The good thing about taking the train to Indy is that service is daily so it might make your return plans easier and it saves you the hassle of driving out of Chicago in the afternoon.
TwinStarRocket Member # 2142
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Speaking of no straight lines, another option might be Memphis on the City of New Orleans. It's a safer connection from the Builder, an almost daylight arrival time, but about a 420 mi drive vs. 280 mi from Charleston.
On the Hertz website, I found you could rent a one-way car in downtown Huntington, WV (close to Cardinal stop?) for about $75/day. But the closest Hertz drop-off point to Morristown is Knoxville.
Seattle Shue Member # 4363
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Thank you all for the thoughtful suggestions and responses. Many minds truly are better than one in this case.
After much wear and tear on my laptop today (what DID we do before the internet?), I have a winning itinerary! Turns out that AAA estimates the drive time from Cincinnati to Morristown (256 miles) to be 4 hours/35 minutes vs. Huntington, WV to Morristown (321 miles) to be 4 hours/54 minutes. That did it for me. I’ll stay on the Cardinal longer, detraining at a sane hour in Huntington (7:09 am), rent a car one-way for $69 a day (versus $109 a day from Charleston, WV… what’s up with that?) and make my way down the road to dad in Morristown. Whew.
Again, thanks all for sharing your knowledge. It made a huge difference for me today. I’ll check back in once I actually get there just to let you know it’s possible to get there from here!
Sue
P.S. TwinStar, I thought about the Memphis option, but having driven across my beloved home state once, I declared it to be the last time!
George Harris Member # 2077
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Considering weather report, taking the City of New Orleans to Memphis might be a very good idea. Driving from anyplace in Indiana, West Virginia, eastern Kentucky on Thursday or Friday might not be. the weather report does not look real friendly for the area. It looks like if you go to Memphis you will be in south of the freezing weather all the way across I-40.
I don't know your level of familiarity with this road, but if Morristown is/was "home" I probably don't have to tell you much about I-40. Having relatives well scattered in West and Middle Tennessee points, I would say that other than lots of trucks it is generally a pretty good road. Just try not to hit Nashville or Knoxville at rush hour. You might even want to consider the "hound" across state. I know bus stations do tend to be exhibits of all that is strange in American humanity, but it would be all daytime, so probably less creepier than a night on the bus.
The City of New Orleans is normally on time or close. If it is, there is a 9:00am bus that gets to Knoxville at 6:15pm, with time zone that is 8h15m with one hour stop in Nashville, which would be your lunch stop. It only makes four other stops in between. I would suggest taxi between train and bus in Memphis. There is a trolley right outside Central Station that will get you within a couple of blocks of the Greyhound statiion if you do not have much to carry, and you would be there on a weekday morning.
The Memphis and Knoxville bus stations are still where they have been for years. Memphis greyhound is as 203 Union, which is just east of Third St. It is about 1 to 1.5 miles from Central Station. Knoxville greyhound is at 100 E. Magnolia.
notelvis Member # 3071
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Glad to hear that something worked out for you and the idea of going into Huntington is a good one. Huntington is a staffed station and there will be Amtrak employees there when you arrive if you need them.
I'm curious what route Mapquest gave you Huntington to Morristown. Was it I-64 east to I-77 south to I-81 south at Wytheville OR was it possibly that other highway (US 119 maybe) down to Pikeville, KY and thence down US 23 to I-81 just below Kingsport? Either way, you'll find the roads in that part of the country MUCH better than they were just 10-15 years ago.
George Harris Member # 2077
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OK, Seattle Shue, ignore my last post. Sounds like you have a better plan. If as David says, the roads from WV to Morristown are better than they were years ago, I know you have a better plan. Probably a lot less trucks than you would be playing bumper tag with across I-40, which was one reason I suggested bus.
I would also mention that unless I-75 is a lot better than I-71 / I-65, avoiding driving across Kentucky is a very good idea. My trip on 71/65 a few year ago was one of the worst for simply rough pavement on major highways I have ever experienced.
If possible, let us hear back from you after the trip about how things turned out, bot the trip and with your father.
TwinStarRocket Member # 2142
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Things are looking good for Sue's connection in CHI. Today's #8 is estimated on time into Whitefish. Yesterday it was 3 hours late at WFH, but made up half of that by MSP this morning. Gotta love BNSF.
notelvis Member # 3071
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If on-time matters when planning a trip on one of the western transcons, you gotta go with the Empie Builder or Southwest Chief.
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