Coastal Route On East Coast

On the North / South routes on the east coast, does the route hug the coast at all like the CS? Looking at the map, the route for the Silver's seem pretty inland with few spots close to the ocean.

I haven't taken the full length of any East Coast route yet, but a gentleman of my acquaintance on another forum has described the scenery as, "If you've seen one pine tree...you've seen them all!"

Ther is some nice coastline in Connecticut and Rhode Island, so go north!

oregon pioneer said:

Ther is some nice coastline in Connecticut and Rhode Island, so go north!

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Agree!

While it isn't the ocean, The Adirondack hugs the coast of Lake Champlain for quite a distance, with some views that are spectacular.

An Adirondack to Vermonter loop makes for a very scenic trip (Northbound Adirondack to Port Kent, NY, seasonal ferry across Lake Champlain to Burlington, VT, and southbound Vermonter from Essex Jct, VT (a short city bus ride from Burlington).

Last May I rode the Silver Meteor between Miami and Washington. No sea views that I recall, but some nice views of the Potomac estuary as the sun rose. Very nice scenery, with a little mist on the water, the rising sun and various sorts of fishers out -- egrets, herons, people.

Silvers run well inland through Florida, no ocean view.

If you want to see coastline in Florida, rent a car in Jacksonville and then drive down 1 and A1A, all the way to Key West.

If and when Amtrak starts operating one of the Silver's or a section thereof on the FEC you will be able to see a lot of coastline from the train. Until then no go.

It's easy to go to the shore from numerous stops on several trains. You could take an Amtrak Virginia train to Newport News or Norfolk, then drive to Virginia Beach and down past Kitty Hawk and Cape Hatteras. Get to see these barrier islands before they are submerged.

Or take the Palmetto to Florence to drive to Myrtle Beach, the Redneck Riviera, though the shoreline gets classier heading toward Charleston, with a sculpture garden and restored plantation homes.

Charleston and Savannah are discussed in another current thread here. I'll repeat that I love the Marshes of Glynn, made famous by Sidney Lanier, near Brunswick, GA, or the Jessup stop on the Silvers.

At St Augustine, near the Jacksonville stop, you can see America's oldest city built at waters' edge on an arm of the ocean, reach the beachfront at numerous points, or turn inland for views of the swamps along the lagoons and the St John's River.

But for simply looking out the train window to view the sea, no, the Florida trains don't give you that.

Also consider the Cardinal between the NEC and Chicago, which passes thru the New River Gorge, a part of the National Park system, with spectacular views of whitewater. But it goes away from Florida, not toward it.

WoodyinNYC said:

It's easy to go to the shore from numerous stops on several trains. You could take an Amtrak Virginia train to Newport News or Norfolk, then drive to Virginia Beach and down past Kitty Hawk and Cape Hatteras. Get to see these barrier islands before they are submerged.

Or take the Palmetto to Florence to drive to Myrtle Beach, the Redneck Riviera, though the shoreline gets classier heading toward Charleston, with a sculpture garden and restored plantation homes.

Charleston and Savannah are discussed in another current thread here. I'll repeat that I love the Marshes of Glynn, made famous by Sidney Lanier, near Brunswick, GA, or the Jessup stop on the Silvers.

At St Augustine, near the Jacksonville stop, you can see America's oldest city built at waters' edge on an arm of the ocean, reach the beachfront at numerous points, or turn inland for views of the swamps along the lagoons and the St John's River.

But for simply looking out the train window to view the sea, no, the Florida trains don't give you that.

Also consider the Cardinal between the NEC and Chicago, which passes thru the New River Gorge, a part of the National Park system, with spectacular views of whitewater. But it goes away from Florida, not toward it.

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That's the "Northern Atlantic branch", LOL. Down in this neck of the woods, the Redneck Riviera means the soft, white sand beaches of the Florida panhandle and west to Gulf Shores, AL, which are all on the Gulf of Mexico. And nowhere near the Palmetto's route, unfortunately.

ehbowen said:

. . . the scenery [described] as, "If you've seen one pine tree...you've seen them all!"

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I​'ve thought that if we ever had a period with sustained high unemployment,

we could have a government works program to help people willing to anything

for a steady paycheck. We could put them to work, for example, along the

Amtrak routes, clearing back some trees and undergrowth where the rails

cross the numerous rivers and streams. A clearing of a city block or two on

either side of the river would allow passengers to catch an unobstructed

view of the waterways, which are always nice to see.

We'd need to be careful regarding the wildlife, but many plants, birds, and

animals prefer a mixed environment rather than monoculture like a pine

forest. And scenic breaks could double as fire breaks and even help to

protect that forests.

On the other hand, I'm not sure how such a program would help the super

rich of inherited wealth who now seem to control our politics. So just an idea

I'm tossing out.

And the entire unemployed force could be utilized in a "War on Kudzu".

Along the lines of your post, my friend commented on our trip this weekend that it would be helpful if some of the trees closest to the rail line were topped. (These happened to be hardwoods, though.) She said it wouldn't hurt them or be detrimental to wildlife, and would make it much easier to see the nice scenery just behind them. She knows trees, so you and she might have something there.

crescent2 said:

WoodyinNYC said:

It's easy to go to the shore from numerous stops on several trains. You could . . .

. . . take the Palmetto to Florence to drive to Myrtle Beach, the Redneck Riviera

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That's the "Northern Atlantic branch", LOL. Down in this neck of the woods,

the Redneck Riviera means the soft, white sand beaches of the Florida panhandle

and west to Gulf Shores, AL, which are all on the Gulf of Mexico. And nowhere

ear the Palmetto's route, unfortunately.

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I've visited both the Northern Atlantic branch and the Gulf Coast branch

and liked them both.

Highway 90 along the Mississippi Gulf shore is really extraordinary, with

the sandy beach and Gulf waters on one side and houses and businesses

on the inland side.

Touring the Jefferson Davis Home the guide told us that the beach had been

created when the Army Corps of Engineers pumped sand from offshore.

I probably didn't make friends when I piped up, federal spending on things

like that can make our lives better. No one disagreed, and no one agreed,

at least, not out loud. LOL.

crescent2 said:

And the entire unemployed force could be utilized in a "War on Kudzu".

Along the lines of your post, my friend commented on our trip this weekend that it would be helpful if some of the trees closest to the rail line were topped. (These happened to be hardwoods, though.) She said it wouldn't hurt them or be detrimental to wildlife, and would make it much easier to see the nice scenery just behind them. She knows trees, so you and she might have something there.

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crescent2 said:

And the entire unemployed force could be utilized in a "War on Kudzu".

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A "War on Kudzu"! Yes! Like the War on Drugs, it would never be won, so

it could provide employment for the unemployable (ex-cons, grouches like me,

and others) even in good times. Open a second front against water hyacinths

and take the unwinnable war beyond even the dreams of the unwinnable

War on Drugs.

Well, I'm sure kudzu and water hyacinths can be reached from every Amtrak

route south of Virginia. But to get to the federally-created Mississippi Gulf Coast,

and the Gulf Coast branch of the Redneck Riviera, we'd need to see service

restored New Orleans-Biloxi-Mobile, or beyond to Florida. This observation is not

meant to inflame the debate (previous points mebbe, mebbe not) but it gets us

back on an Amtrak topic.

No tracks along most of the Atlantic coast, the main road would be US 13 and US 17, both of which lack bus service other than small segments. So the only way is to stop off in Charleston (SC) or Savannah and spend some time before continuing.

There really isn't any Amtrak route in the East that can compare to the West Coast routes that hug the coast, but there are many routes that follow beautiful river scenery along the way....

Cardinal goes alongside the New River for miles and miles; Crescent crosses part of Lake Ponchartrain. Both cross many rivers and creeks, as do probably most of the trains. Interesting to learn that the Silvers don't have any ocean views.

Re the Redneck Rivieras, I believe US 98, or its Alt 98, follows the Florida panhandle coast for a long stretch. Alas, the Sunset Ltd has permanently set, or so it seems, for the East.

I find the Crescent is quite boring but the Cardinal is awesome, the CL and LSL are good too. The CZ in the West is really scenic but the disagreeable passengers do it in.

Not really coastal but the "Water Level Route" of the New York Central, nowdays the route of Amtraks Empire Service between NYP and Albany is hard to beat for the views. IMHO only Stevens Pass & Denver-Grand Junction beat it. (I have not done the CS south of EMY).

I think the Water Level is about the same as the Card overall, but the Pennsylvanian and CL are good too.

If you want Coastal, I guess the Downeaster might be good, or maybe the Cape Cod train? Anything farther south would be just the Miami-Key West bus.

On the Silver Service, you see the coastline of the tidal Potomac River, tidal Delaware River, etc. The coastal geography is rather different in the Northeast than the west; the trains run inland because of these giant bays, avoiding peninsulas like Delmarva. Even on the NE Regional between NYC and New London, you're looking at Long Island Sound, not the open ocean.

You would get good views of Lake Erie on the LSL, except that it's all after dark.

I don't see how the LSL's route actually goes along Lake Erie. VIA Rail's Chaleur would've given you great views of the Atlantic, but it's now cancelled and the bus via Perce is also in danger of being cancelled.

Swadian Hardcore said:

I don't see how the LSL's route actually goes along Lake Erie.

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Only in spots, but look out of the train west of Cleveland, west of Sandusky, or while passing through Silver Creek NY.

The Florida East Coast Railroad runs parallel to US 1 which is about 15 miles west of the ocean. Florida Highway A1A follows the ocean and has views of the ocean. Henry Flagler built the FEC west of the ocean because of the potential of hurricanes.

jphjaxfl said:

The Florida East Coast Railroad runs parallel to US 1 which is about 15 miles west of the ocean. Florida Highway A1A follows the ocean and has views of the ocean. Henry Flagler built the FEC west of the ocean because of the potential of hurricanes.

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Better than building it East of the ocean!

I'm rather disappointed that no one has mentioned the beautiful estuaries of Georgia as it crosses the Savannah and Ogeechee rivers. So I'll mention it. It's beautiful (but still no "ocean" view). Let's not forget Charleston, either.

Keep in mind that the closer you are to the ocean, the more estuaries, salt marshes, deltas, rivers, etc. This is all VERY expensive for the railroad companies to build on (and not much benefit outside of port towns). So, regrettably, the views are few and far between.