WAS or CVS?

[saxman]

I'm putting together a trip for sometime in the future, and trying to decide if I should layover in Washington, DC, by way of the Capitol Limited or Charlottesville, by way of the Cardinal.

Now keep in mind I've ridden both the Capitol Ltd and Cardinal both and like them both and enjoy the scenery of both. It's just that I've never had a layover in CVS and enjoy seeing new stations and exploring new cities. CVS looks like a decent city. Are there any good places to walk to from from the station? A coffee shop with wi-fi would be good. Any other good places to explore? The downside to CVS would I might miss dinner on the departing Crescent. Or would I, since it departs southbound at 8:52 PM? I would also miss getting to enjoy the ClubAcela in WAS.

WAS would be good just because of the ClubAcela. It's a comfortable place to wait, but then again, I've waited there plenty of times. I would also have a shorter layover and I'd be pretty sure to get dinner on the Crescent as it leaves WAS at 6:30 PM.

Also trying to decide if I'd rather have a Viewliner vs. a Superliner roomette. I don't get the chance to do a Viewliner, so I may prefer that too.

So what would you do? This will be a point run, so price won't matter.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I'm putting together a trip for sometime in the future, and trying to decide if I should layover in Washington, DC, by way of the Capitol Limited or Charlottesville, by way of the Cardinal.
Now keep in mind I've ridden both the Capitol Ltd and Cardinal both and like them both and enjoy the scenery of both. It's just that I've never had a layover in CVS and enjoy seeing new stations and exploring new cities. CVS looks like a decent city. Are there any good places to walk to from from the station? A coffee shop with wi-fi would be good. Any other good places to explore? The downside to CVS would I might miss dinner on the departing Crescent. Or would I, since it departs southbound at 8:52 PM? I would also miss getting to enjoy the ClubAcela in WAS.

WAS would be good just because of the ClubAcela. It's a comfortable place to wait, but then again, I've waited there plenty of times. I would also have a shorter layover and I'd be pretty sure to get dinner on the Crescent as it leaves WAS at 6:30 PM.

Also trying to decide if I'd rather have a Viewliner vs. a Superliner roomette. I don't get the chance to do a Viewliner, so I may prefer that too.

So what would you do? This will be a point run, so price won't matter.

I vote for the Card to CVS, taking the Crescent to NOL, you get two nights in a Viewliner this way Chris. You might not get dinner but last year several posters mentioned how nice CVS is with the University and plenty of places to eat,shop etc. The old station is a Wing Stop type resturant. I was going to do this route on my last AGR award but couldnt get a sleeper on the Cardinal so took the CL to WAS where I hung out in the CA till the Crescent left, and as you say had dinner in the diner!

 

[girly25]

you do get dinner out of cvs on 19.

 

[Guest]

I'm putting together a trip for sometime in the future, and trying to decide if I should layover in Washington, DC, by way of the Capitol Limited or Charlottesville, by way of the Cardinal.
Now keep in mind I've ridden both the Capitol Ltd and Cardinal both and like them both and enjoy the scenery of both. It's just that I've never had a layover in CVS and enjoy seeing new stations and exploring new cities. CVS looks like a decent city. Are there any good places to walk to from from the station? A coffee shop with wi-fi would be good. Any other good places to explore? The downside to CVS would I might miss dinner on the departing Crescent. Or would I, since it departs southbound at 8:52 PM? I would also miss getting to enjoy the ClubAcela in WAS.

WAS would be good just because of the ClubAcela. It's a comfortable place to wait, but then again, I've waited there plenty of times. I would also have a shorter layover and I'd be pretty sure to get dinner on the Crescent as it leaves WAS at 6:30 PM.

Also trying to decide if I'd rather have a Viewliner vs. a Superliner roomette. I don't get the chance to do a Viewliner, so I may prefer that too.

So what would you do? This will be a point run, so price won't matter.

If I were you, I'd overnight in Charlottesville. It's a beautiful small city. That would give you a chance to marvel at the University of Virginia, designed by Thomas Jefferson and one of the nation's most spectacular campuses. You shouldn't miss Monticello, Jefferson's home just outside of Charlottesville in the rolling hills. The tour gives you a chance to see how his inventive mind came up with all sorts of mechanical devices and tools that weren't fully realized until a century or more later. The physical location of the plantation is magnificent.

There is life beyond trains! Honest!

 

[the_traveler]

Assuming the Crescent is not too late, you will get dinner out of CVS. And if you get a room on the Crescent, it will be a Viewliner too.

I personally would vote for the CL via WAS. (One thing is more train time! :lol: And room may be less and/or easier to get - remember that the Cardinal has only 1 Viewliner - or 2 bedrooms and 12 roomettes - on the entire train.)

 

[Shanghai]

I'd do the Cardinal via CVS. If you have been to WAS several times, I think Charlottesville would be a nice experience.

I also prefer the Viewliner roomette to the Superliner roomette.

 

[Ispolkom]

I'd add my vote for Charlottesville. It's a beautiful town, and the original campus of the University of Virginia, designed by Jefferson, looks to be less than a mile from the train station. That alone is worth the layover, in my view.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Go for CVS since you are not particularly familiar wih it. New towns are a good thing, almost as good as new mileage.

 

[battalion51]

Operative word Bill, almost. Even if it's going through wye you've never been through each new tie you cross brings a different perspective.

 

[Ryan]

As a Hokie that dated a Cavalier for 3 years in college, go for the layover in CVS. It's a pretty cool town, and the train station is right in the middleish of things. The "downtown mall", just east of the station has a lot of interesting places to hang out.