Christmas Vacation

[Diane]

We are riding the Coast Starlight from Seattle to Oxnard, our trip starts the 19th. My husband works for a major cellular telephone company and we will be informally checking out some internet hardware. Specifically we will be taking a lap top and we will be using an aircard to provide interent connectivity over cellular networks. Provided we have adequate coverage we will be able to provide updates from the rails.

This will be husbands first train trip and he is pretty excited about it. It's going to be interesting... We have a family sleeper but my husband is 6'6". I guess he only has 4 inches of foot hang over, no big deal. :lol:

So, who else is taking to the rails for Christmas?

Diane

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Hope you have a good trip, and that your husband enjoys it. So far as taking the rails this Christmas, I, unfortunately, will not be doing so.

 

[EmpireBuilderFan]

I'm going to be heading back to my parents' house in ND for Christmas, so I'm taking the train there. I have to bring a car back to Oregon, so I won't be making the return trip via train.

 

[PennsyFan]

I'm going to be going to the Greenbriar between Christmas and New Year's with my parents (recently retired, and unable to understand how hard you have to work to get started as a lawyer in NYC nowadays). We're taking the Cardinal out, and getting a deluxe bedroom as a day room (they're paying). However, we have to be back home for the big family New Year's party, and thanks to the Cardinal's 3 day a week schedule we have to fly back on the 30th. (11 PM on the 31st cuts it way too fine).

Why doesn't Amtrak run the Cardinal 4 days a week? They have to have 3 trainsets assigned to it, and you can certainly run a trip of that length four days a week with that equipment.

 

[Amtrak Railfan]

Have a fun time on the Train.

.

 

[jccollins]

Yes, Enjoy your trip! It sounds like fun. Be sure to carefully plan where you try to connect online, though. Quite a bit of the Starlight route doesn't receive any cell phone reception (depending on what kind of cell phone it is, at least with Nextel the service was awful... but then what isn't with Nextel. I'm glad I got rid of them). Your best luck once you enter California should be right around the Redding Station, from Sacramento to just to the south of San Jose, right around San Luis Obispo, and then south of Santa Barbara.

 

[WICT106]

I regardss to mobile phone service on the train, I've been tempted to tell people to get a sat-phone. That way, even though it is expensive, you'll be certain to have service as long as you have line-of-sight with the satellite.

 

[Diane]

Over the summer I did the same train and took my cell phone. I have service through US Cellular (not the co. my husband works for) and I actually had great service nearly the whole trip. There were a few parts of OR that I had no, or spotty, coverage and obviously tunnels don't help but I was pretty impressed.

We are taking a GPS with us so we will be able to mark the Long and Lat of the areas that there isn't any coverage.

It should be pretty interesting.

On another note... Has anyone taken this route during the winter? I imagine it's going to be beautiful.

Over the summer my daughter became friends with a lady and her husband. The women happens to be an artist and childrens book author. My daughter has been corresponding with her and we are going to meet with her along one of stops.

This is one of the reasons I love train travel. You have the chance to get to know people you may not have had the chance to otherwise. It's possible to make lifelong friends. Just wanted to add that.

Diane

 

[K Train]

Hi - I am taking the train from Grand Rapids to Chicago to San Bernardino, California with my three children on December 20th. We didn't get a sleeper so we will be enjoying the coach seats for 48 hours -- not too bad. I am even thinking about taking the Metrolink from LAX Union Station out to Camarillo to visit a friend. We are coming back on the first. I can't wait to board the train, so I can get some rest and relaxation and read a couple of books. I am shipping all my presents ahead of time so I won't have to worry about hauling all that excess baggage. I will have my laptop too but probably won't use it to connect to internet -- just to watch a couple of DVD's. We will have two laptops between us. I understand that Radio Shack has a adapter where I can plug two headphones into one jack so we don't disturb the others while watching movies.

 

[Diane]

I understand that Radio Shack has a adapter where I can plug two headphones into one jack so we don't disturb the others while watching movies.

Yes, Radio Shack does have this adapter. I was going to get one for over the summer for our portable dvd player but decided not to since we had a sleeper.

I hope everyone who is traveling over Christmas has a safe and fun holiday.

Diane

 

[battalion51]

Well you guys know me, I'll probably get in at least four trips, if not more. :lol: