Just ride for the fun of it?

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beezys

beezys

Joined
Feb 18, 2009
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Does anybody here ride on Amtrak just for the fun of it? I'll be taking the EB shortly not because I have business at my destination or to see someone, but because I work for an airline every year I get a pair of confirmed round trip tickets that expire after a year. Normally my travel benefits are on a standby basis only, so I'm at a 'use it or lose it' for these confirmed tickets.

Also, is there any benefit in which direction of travel I should take? I live in SEA and could either start my journey here in SEA or fly out to CHI and start my journey there. I don't want to miss any particularly beautiful scenery while the train travels at night. So I'm hoping the good people of this board will help me in my decision.

Thank you all
 
You came to the right place-- I think a healthy portion of trips taken by some of us folk is just for the hell of it--
 
beezys said:
Does anybody here ride on Amtrak just for the fun of it? I'll be taking the EB shortly not because I have business at my destination or to see someone, but because I work for an airline every year I get a pair of confirmed round trip tickets that expire after a year. Normally my travel benefits are on a standby basis only, so I'm at a 'use it or lose it' for these confirmed tickets.
Also, is there any benefit in which direction of travel I should take? I live in SEA and could either start my journey here in SEA or fly out to CHI and start my journey there. I don't want to miss any particularly beautiful scenery while the train travels at night. So I'm hoping the good people of this board will help me in my decision.

Thank you all
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The definition of the fun of it is in the eye of the behholder. This beholder looks to train travel as a fun and relaxing alternative to airline travel. Between business and personal travel I used to fly 50k+ miles per year; enough to get free upgrades most of the time. Several things changed my mind. One was the been there-done that thing. The second was the new departure constraints on baggage, what you packed, and how long it took to get on board a plane. The third was what you encountered on board a plane; full baggage bins, full flights, etc. I loved flying.

Traveling on trains started out as the lesser of the evils but has transitioned to an avid hobby and committment. I plan around the extra day or two long distance trips sometimes take and enjoy it. When you work 50-80 hours per week in your business, a long train trip, even with a Blackberry at bay, is a healthy break and opportunity to decompress.

I love both the EB and CS.
 
Welcome to the board!

It sounds like you want to go to Chicago.

Since you live in Seattle, you could take the Empire Builder, or if you have the time, you could take the Coast Starlight to Sacramento, then the California Zephyr to Chicago.

Our first train trip was to visit relatives.

We just took a round trip from Salt Lake City, Utah to Glenwood Springs, Colorado, just for fun.

You will find many of the people on this board ride the trains just for fun!
 
I take trips for fun pretty regularly. I just took a 24 hour trip from Temple, Texas to Little Rock just for the fun of it. My co-workers think it's a strange thing to do but for me it's worth it.
 
yes i've rode for fun. I've gone to chicago and back the same day. I've also gone to L.A and back departing the same day i arrived.
 
beezys said:
Does anybody here ride on Amtrak just for the fun of it?
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I do. I've ridden New York to Chicago, heading back the next day, and just to eat Giordano's in Chicago- really, though, just to ride the train.

In January, I am dragging my girlfriend through Chicago twice. We're gonna ride on an AGR subsidized trip NYP-WAS-CHI-LNK-SAC-PDX-CBS-CHI-NYP. A week, in sleeper 6 of the 7 nights, and almost all meals covered. Just to ride the train and see the country. My girlfriend is upset about the total of $725 we are laying out for this, but she isn't that upset about the prospect of a weeks funded vacation for that little money- for two people!

If I have it my way, this won't be the last trip of its kind. And yeah, we do ride the train everywhere else too. Not just Amtrak. We rode to Port Jervis a few weeks ago just to see the beauty of fall foliage.
 
I would also ride the train anywhere just for the enjoyment of it. To paraphrase from an old Cunard (steamship) Line advertisement......."Getting there is half the fun". To which I would add......Coming back is the other half! :)
 
I don't drive & wanted to see the country SOOOO!!! I did a round trip from my home area, Tampa Bay to Your home town, Seattle. Go for it & Enjoy!!!

RF
 
beezys said:
Does anybody here ride on Amtrak just for the fun of it? I'll be taking the EB shortly not because I have business at my destination or to see someone, but because I work for an airline every year I get a pair of confirmed round trip tickets that expire after a year. Normally my travel benefits are on a standby basis only, so I'm at a 'use it or lose it' for these confirmed tickets.
Also, is there any benefit in which direction of travel I should take? I live in SEA and could either start my journey here in SEA or fly out to CHI and start my journey there. I don't want to miss any particularly beautiful scenery while the train travels at night. So I'm hoping the good people of this board will help me in my decision.

Thank you all
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Absolutely...wish I could do it more! I've ridden Washington-Boston and back in one day and I've also done some short trips in south Florida. Nothing through the central or western US (yet).

Riding just for fun is the best way - you aren't worried if the train falls a little off schedule and you make your own itinerary. I think you will really enjoy it.
 
You have come to the right place so far as people riding trains just for the fun of it.

Aside from riding trains to college and to visit my sister, almost all of mine has been for the fun of it. I have been hooked since my frist trip age three.

And I am sure that if my sister had never moved out of town I would have made up some kind of destination plan.
 
The schedule of the Heartland Flyer allows me to ride down to FTW or even Dallas for lunch and come back all in about 12 hours. Though to avoid hassles with claiming AGR points from on board ticketing, I have to give about a week's lead time so Amtrak can get tickets mailed to me. The only station on that route that is manned is FTW.
 
When possible, I try to work train travel into my personal and work trips. Unfortunately, its not always easy to do and depends upon how flexible my schedule is. Occasionally, I plan "fun trips' where my activities and schedule evolve around train travel. Like GML, and probably others, I have planned long weekend trips to Chicago to check out sites, museums, auto show, etc. Of course, most of the time is spent in transit. I haven't made it to any of the AU forums as yet...perhaps next year.

Deimos
 
I've done it several times and wish I could do it more often. I live near Spokane and have, on separate occasions, gone from Spokane to Seattle and back in one day, Spokane-Portland-Spokane in one day, and Spokane-East Glacier-Spokane in one day. And I've taken a Spokane-Seattle-Eugene-Portland-Spokane trip over two days. I've taken several longer trips with my uncle, who lives near Champaign, IL and is also a big Amtrak fan. Last August we took the granddaddy of them all, from Champaign-New Orleans-Washington DC-Chicago-Portland-Los Angeles. Most of that was free thanks to AGR.

Whatever you decide to do, enjoy! :)
 
OlympianHiawatha said:
The schedule of the Heartland Flyer allows me to ride down to FTW or even Dallas for lunch and come back all in about 12 hours. Though to avoid hassles with claiming AGR points from on board ticketing, I have to give about a week's lead time so Amtrak can get tickets mailed to me. The only station on that route that is manned is FTW.
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You do know that the conductor will have printed tickets for all those getting on in OKC. Therefore you can have you AGR number printed on it already. You just have to make your reservation the day prior in order to get your ticket. They print the tickets the day prior and hand them to the conductor before they leave FTW that evening.

Not to get off topic, but I think just about everyone on this board takes the train for fun. I'm a fellow airline employee and I often use the fly one-way, train the other. If you want to take the Empire Builder, take it east to Chicago. This allows you daylight when going through Glacier National Park. It also allows daylight when traveling along the Mississippi River in Minnesota. The only part you would miss is the Cascades just after you leave Seattle. It'll be dark by then. Only way to see that is go westbound in the winter. So you might want to take a another circle trip to see that. Ride to Portland, then Spokane, then back to Seattle. Or just fly to Spokane and ride back.
 
saxman said:
OlympianHiawatha said:
The schedule of the Heartland Flyer allows me to ride down to FTW or even Dallas for lunch and come back all in about 12 hours. Though to avoid hassles with claiming AGR points from on board ticketing, I have to give about a week's lead time so Amtrak can get tickets mailed to me. The only station on that route that is manned is FTW.
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You do know that the conductor will have printed tickets for all those getting on in OKC. Therefore you can have you AGR number printed on it already. You just have to make your reservation the day prior in order to get your ticket. They print the tickets the day prior and hand them to the conductor before they leave FTW that evening.
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That must be a new change in the past few weeks and I hope it is indeed so. Normally, if you make a phone res, the Conductor has only your res number on his list and then asks how much you paid for the trip to FTW and charges you that amount. You then take that receipt into the FTW station and pay the balance for the rest of the ticket(s). And I have always found the paid on board segment never makes it to AGR.

But you know you're "too regular" a rider when you know all the Conductors and LSAs by name and they ask how non-train life for me has been :)

While the Flyer usually has good ridership, it doesn't warrant staffing any of the stations along the way, including OKC :(
 
rrdude said:
amtrakwolverine said:
yes i've rode for fun. I've gone to chicago and back the same day. I've also gone to L.A and back departing the same day i arrived.
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That's just plain wrong................
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you ride how you want i will ride how i want. the texas eagle trip was done when i was still working there for only allowed 1 week off a month but not more then 2 a year.
 
to answer your original question, if you chose the Empire Builder, on the western part (in WA, ID and MT), it's 6 of one or 1/2 a dozen of the other. West to east, most of the scenery in WA may be in darkness, but around Glacier NP will in daylight. East to west, near Glacier NP may be in darkness but WA will be daylight.

As mentioned, you may consider taking the California Zephyr FROM CHICAGO (for the best daylight scenery) (thru the Rockies and Donner Pass) to Sacramento. (You could connect to the Coast Starlight up to Seattle.)

MrFSS said:
About 40 or so of us just went to Boston for a long weekend of riding for the fun ot it!
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And all of those 40 want more! :lol: I myself always want more! :p

I am known for going out of my way on trips :D , and also going to Birmingham, AL for a 3 hour turn around between the southbound and northbound Crescent - while on cross country trips! :p
 
Since I would never dream of riding trains just for fun (my 10 trips on the Eagle this year were for medicial purposes only! ), I cant really understand these foamers that ride around on trains just for the hell of it! Dont they have a life? :eek:

Dont they knoiw that life is a serious business, that youre not supposed to have fun, nose to the grindstone etc etc.?

:(

In my three trips to AUS-TAY-AUS this summer (total train time 90 minutes) I didnt have any fun and was forced to eat Bar-B-Q in a joint that was so old an d funky that Davey Crockett ate there! Same for the 3 turnarounds to TPL, the 2 to

DAL-FTW and the 1 to SAS!! :lol:

Even though Ive had a few segments of the trip from hell like all travelers I wouldnt change a minute of these for all the flights and driving and bus trips in the world! My definition of fun: ".. the thrill one experiences while riding anywhere on a train.." :lol:
 
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I've made one trip and will make another this year "just for the fun of it!"

I recently flew to Ft Lauderdale for a cruise. What a hassle to get on the flight. I just kept

thinking how much better it would have been to walk on the Silver Star at NYP and ride to FTL!!

I didn't have the time for the train - and I missed the Boston Gathering too!!
 
I take the Crescent from TCL to ATN every two weeks, work schedule permitting, to visit my parents and family. I could drive it in 2hrs or take the train in a little over 3, I take the train to save myself from driving through Birmingham on I-20. Its so much better to relax on the train than to fight the traffic, not to mention TCL-ATN is one of the most scenic sections of the route, especially between Leeds and Pell City over Chula Vista Mountain.
 
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