Suggestion for Amtrak winter vacation spot?

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The St. James Hotel in Red Wing, MN would be a good spot if you're wanting a pretty robust downtown area but still want small town feel and a lot of nature nearby. I've never stayed there myself, but I've heard a lot of good things, and the downtown area has a decent selection of restaurants and shops to choose from. The location is also extremely convenient if you're taking Amtrak - only one block from the station (though it is uphill from the Amtrak station.)
 
Palmland said:
Don‘t think you can bear the historic Bright Angel Lodge in the Grand Canyon. Some of the more expensive rooms have a fireplace. And, as a bonus, you can take the Grand Canyon RR there.
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We stayed at the Bright Angel Lodge last March, early in the month, and were super impressed with how clean and luxurious it was for the price, under $80 (no fireplace in other room). And right at the rim.
 
oregon pioneer said:
I take the EB nearly every other winter, and have never had a safety concern. The worst I heard about was the train that had to back down to Wenatchee from Stevens Pass last winter, and then never made it through because all the passes were closed at once. There are threads about this., it was in early January. I believe all the passengers ended up getting bused or flown from Spokane to their destinations. Some were stuck on trains for a long time but there were no injuries.

That said, I would not do the EB in winter if you have health concerns where you could need rapid access to medical care, or if you aren't able to adjust your plans for weather delays. I believe the CZ is much more reliable in winter. And I just love Bob Dylan's suggestions for West Texas! There's also the Hotel Congress in Tucson. Hubby and I stayed there once, and loved the atmosphere. and the local food scene! Drawbacks were: the noise from the music downstairs and the street (somewhat - the noise died down completely from midnight to 6am), and the double bed (it was comfy, but we need a queen).
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Any thoughts about WB midwinter?
 
jis said:
I think by EB the poster meant the Empire Builder, not East Bound.
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I did mean Empire Builder, but I assume she can guess I must have been BOTH directions. And I do have some thoughts about westbound:

The main drawback to westbound in winter is that you get to the good scenery in the Rockies after dark. To see what time it gets dark any given month, go to USA Sunrise Sunset Calendars, select "Browning", your proposed month of travel, and the check box for "civil twilight". You can also select moon phases and moonrise/moonset if you are into moonlight landscape viewing. The moon can be beautiful on a clear snowy landscape - just travel between 1st quarter and full moon for best timing and quality of moonlight.

If I had flexibility in my dates, I would be planning my westbound trip for optimum moonlight. But I generally prefer the daytime scenery on the eastbound trip in winter.
 
Lonnie said:
We stayed at the Bright Angel Lodge last March, early in the month, and were super impressed with how clean and luxurious it was for the price, under $80 (no fireplace in other room). And right at the rim.
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We spent our honeymoon there right on the rim 40 years ago almost to the day (it was Nov 1-7). Had a great time walking, eating, hiking etc. It snowed the day we left. Been back to the Grand Canyon many times but only as a camper and frequently the better rim.
 

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