Travel Goals?(not just rail)_

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Bill Haithcoat

Engineer
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Aug 23, 2002
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Daydreaming time....what are some of the things you would like to do?

Here are some of my travel goals:

1.Take a second cruise

2 Take a second trip to Euorpe

3. Not necessarily connected with above but fly the concorde to Europe and return on the QE2. If guess in addition to the above.

4.Top off my Amtrak mileage. I have done most of it except for patches here and there...my biggest stretch not covered would be the Heartland Flyer route.

5.Ride on all Amtrak equipment---I come up short with some of the newer shorter haul services like the Pacifidc Surfliners. Last time I was on that route it was the San Diegans.

6.Ride across Canada again(I may do that in 2004)

7.Go to the Holy Land(I have gotten over that--that is a former goal- now cancelled)

8.Ride Acela---will probably do that later this year.

9.Stay in touch with Amtrak--hope it is around ofr years to come.

10.There are three states I have not visited. I would like to visit them. They are 1. Alaska(rail/ship cruise), 2. Hawaii and 3. South Dakota(Mt. Rushmore).

SO.....what are YOUR goals??
 
Goal: Take an Asian trip on an sea-going frieghter. I took such a trip from Europe to the U.S. in the mid-1990s. It was great. No cruise ship stuff to bother you, big rooms with multiple windows, and great food. You have to be able to amuse yourself and enjoy the view afforded by containers.

You may want to delete the Concorde from your goals. I've been on the Concorde twice. The whole cabin is first class, and the tickets are very expensive. The flights are always crowded, and filled with stuck-up millionairs who have nothing to say. The equipment is old. It has tiny seats, and the food is nothing but fish eyes and other strange stuff; nothing normal. It does, however, get you to your destination very quickly. Save your money.
 
Thanks for the tip, Amtrak Watcher. I had kind of heard some of the same things....the tiny seats would be a problem for me....I have also heard that it is very expensive.....if I did it at all it would just be to say that I had done it....but I will keep your warning in mind. Maybe a more normal flight over and the QE2 in return would work better for me.
 
There are no discounts or specials on the Concorde; you pay about twice the normal first class rate for a seat on the Concorde. Everybody pays it. I recall paying about $11,000 for a roundtrip ticket just before they were grounded. The seats are about the same size as a coach class seat on a domestic 737, but with lots more leg room. I suppose it doesn't matter much, because you are not in the seat very long. Indeed, you immediately notice how small the cabin of the Concorde is when you first enter the contraption. The food was my biggest compliant. I prefer simple things like on Amtrak. As soon as you sit down on the Concorde, they start stuffing food into you, and continue to do so until landing. It's all strange stuff (guts of small animals and leaves of exotic plants). But, the alcohol flows so freely, I guess most folks don't care after about an hour in flight.
 
Goals in any order:

1. Travel every mile of rail Amtrak's trains run on and ride on every peice of equiment.

2. Same as #1 but on VIA.

2. Work for Amtrak as an engineer or conductor on the NEC.

3. Travel though France, Germany, Greece, and Italy by train partly on the ICE, Eurostar, and TGV.

4. Take an Alaskan cruise.

5. Own a small boat and obtain a boating licsence.

6. Learn to fly a small plane.

7. If money allows take a one-way ride on the Concorde or take the longest non-stop flight in the world.

8. May sound odd now, but hopefully if peace is made in the middle-east I would like to visit there, especially Isreal.

9. See America for east to west, north to south, ocean to ocean, border to border.
 
You may want to delete the Concorde from your goals. I've been on the Concorde twice. The whole cabin is first class, and the tickets are very expensive. The flights are always crowded, and filled with stuck-up millionairs who have nothing to say. The equipment is old. It has tiny seats, and the food is nothing but fish eyes and other strange stuff; nothing normal. It does, however, get you to your destination very quickly. Save your money.
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Actually, I believe after the Concorde accident in the Summer 2000, the whole fleet has been rebuilt and refurbished. As for the flights being crowded, aren't they all? Also just get me into a window seat I won't talk to anyone the whole 3 hours. No stuck-anyone will bother me.
On a side note I can actually hear and feel the Concorde break the sound sound barrier which depending on conditions can give a good rumble.
 
Amfleet, maye I am selling a trip to the Holy Land too short.....maybe it will become more peaceful some day. I would still LIKE to go.

The raw bone practicality of the thing is, one could have plans all made, it could be peaceful WHEN the plans are made. and all fury break loose the day you arrive! That is what scares me...Of course peace may come, but it is a lot more likely in your lifetime than mine...but, yeah, I will keep the option open.

Thanks for your making the point.
 
I wanna ride in one of these!!!

double2lg.jpg


covermed.jpg
 
I like some of Amfleet's goals. Mine are:

-Ride every mile of Amtrak and Each Type of Equipment (As Well, with Stopovers at many end points)

-Get off of the East Coast for a Vacation!!! (Tied in with The Above)

-Travel overseas to England or France (Ride the TGV)

-Ride the Acela (Priority, hopefully First Class)

-Ride several Commuter Lines around the Country.

-Take VIA (Like Amfleet)

-Stop Taking Planes (When Amtrak Available)

-Like, Amfleet I'd like an Amtrak Job, but maybe more business oriented.
 
Amfleet:

Go to Isreal any time you want. Don't wait. Even with all the trouble, I feel safer there than I do in L.A. or most big U.S. cities. The weather is great all the time, and the people are wonderful.

Except for the Mach display in the front of the cabin, there is no indication showing the Concorde's exceeding the speed of sound, nothing at all.

I don't know what it is, but I've added WoodenMike's contraption pictured in this forum to my to-do list!
 
Amtrak Watcher said:
Amfleet:
Go to Isreal any time you want. Don't wait. Even with all the trouble, I feel safer there than I do in L.A. or most big U.S. cities. The weather is great all the time, and the people are wonderful.

Except for the Mach display in the front of the cabin, there is no indication showing the Concorde's exceeding the speed of sound, nothing at all.

I don't know what it is, but I've added WoodenMike's contraption pictured in this forum to my to-do list!
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That's what I've heard. Mainly the violence is on the border of Isreal and Palestine. Otherwise the country supposed to be beautiful.

Regarding the Concorde, not only do I want to take it for the speed, but also the service and the hight in travels at. Now is that doesn't go through I still want to take a trip in First Class (or what ever the highest class is) onboard a plane hopefully over the artic circle to Japan or something. B)
 
Don't by Colorado Railcar equipment. According to Miami Joe who worked the Florida Fun Train that used that equipment it's total crap. It had numerous electrical problems and the couplers where not standard hight and had to be reworked. I also believe there was some under carriage problems. If you buy a private rail car I would go with a reufrbished streamliner/heritage. B)
 
Amfleet said:
Don't by Colorado Railcar equipment. According to Miami Joe who worked the Florida Fun Train that used that equipment it's total crap. It had numerous electrical problems and the couplers where not standard hight and had to be reworked. I also believe there was some under carriage problems. If you buy a private rail car I would go with a reufrbished streamliner/heritage. B)
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Right, go for something more along the line of what Ozark Mountain Rail Car, or Iltransit where you can buy ex-Amtrak (and ex-Via) Heritage Equipment, which is going to last longer than that garbage you showed.
 
Go to the Concorde Web Site to see pictures, movies, and goodies. Click on the gallery section to view pictures, and select the "interior" views. Note the shockingly tiny seats and the MACH display at Mach 2.00 and altitude at 57,500 feet. Yes, the sky is dark blue (almost black) at that altitude.

Amfleet:

When flying first class, international first class service is much fancier than domestic, especially among the non-U.S. carriers. I've had my best first class experiences on Singapore and Lufthansa. I suggest the first class Lufthansa service to Frankfurt with a direct first class connection on the German high speed train (ICE) to Munich.
 
I brought my GPS in the plane. On 737, it was 550 mph at 20,000 (I forget what it was) feet high. You might want to try it in Concorde and let us know how fast is it (in mph, not kph!) :D

My plans:

- eastern US on plane/train (Acela, too)

- all over Europe on trains

- obtain glider's license

- get Cochlear Implant (this year!) (almost like a trip)

- more scuba diving oversea

- Holy Land (Israel)

- Concorde (wave the simple food like McDonald's at the millionaries)

- space
 
Hi All,

Just saw this posting now. Wish I'd seen it before. Hey Bill, I've been living in the Gulf for six years. Don't forget that the Holy Land extends beyond Israel, which I would go to even now (been there). Don't forget Syria or Jordan, both wonderful places with friendly people. Especially Syria, which gets a VERY unfair rap in the States. :(

I've taken tons of trains in Europe and recommend it. I noted that a couple of you have taken the Canadian, which I am thinking of doing in the summer. Did you guys really like it a lot? Worth the money to get a berth? I know that then you get free meals and access to the Park Car.

I'd love to (and will do at some point):

1. Trans-siberian to Beijing

2. backpack through Asia, including Tibet and Mongolia (did Nepal last year)

3. do the northamerican pass off season. God, I hope Amtrak survives!

Oh well, that's my two cents worth. Happy travels!

Scott
 
Scott,I rode the CPRR's Canadian(eastbound) and the former CNRR'sSuper Continental(westbound across Canada) but that was about 30 years ago. I did enjoy them.

Today I would enjoy them again.....the scenery is good but not really any better(in my opinon)than what you see on the CZ.

My main objective in riding it is to sample the type of equipment I grew up with(I was born 1944,the Canadian was "born" in 1955), while it still lasts. They can only refurbish it so much more.
 
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