Amtrak gets another chance, OKC here we come!

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DryCreek

Lead Service Attendant
Joined
Feb 15, 2015
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298
Location
Central Texas
OK, I have convinced the wife to try a quick getaway and to take the train. We still had the $500 credit kindly issued from Amtrak after our rather disappointing LD vacation earlier this year (CBR-TUS-CBR)

So, we are taking a quick little jaunt form CBR to OKC and back. I didn't want to have to deal with crowd on the Labor Day weekend, so I opted to go from the day after (Tuesday the 8th) and a return that Thursday. The schedule seems to work better for the OKC folks, but I guess that maybe they kick in more for the operation of the Heartland Flyer.

Booking was very easy, and getting the credit applied took only one phone call. Overall, I am very impressed with Amtrak's customer service.

Sooooooo, all of you folks that call OKC your home base, what do you recommend for us to do in Bricktown? I have booked us into the Holiday Inn Express (crazy high rates though!) and figure that we will be on foot for our entire adventure. I may even take in the Banjo Museum this time. I am a huge Bluegrass music fan. I also plan to hop on the water taxi- river cruise thingy and see what that has to offer.

Also, since I booked this last Thursday, I am sure that I got the highest bucket possible. I really need to get more proactive at planning our "surprise getaways".
 
Walking around "Bricktown", the Tourist area,( clubs, Cafes etc) is a nice way to pass some time.(Baseball will be over by then, but the Bricktown Field is a nice PCL Minor League Park!)

Of course the Memorial to the horror @ the Federal Building caused by Timothy McVey and his Lunatic " Patriots" is a must see!

Not sure if the Thunder ( NBA ) will be in Summer Camp by then or not, its probably too early?

The Flyer stops in Norman, just before OKC, site of th OU, but you'd need a car! Boomer Sooner!

The State Capitol with its Oil Well is worth a look too, if you're in that area.

The Cowboy Hall of Fame is also sort of neat, think you'd enjoy it! ( Will Rogers was from Oaklahoma)
 
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As for the Heartland Flyer itself, it is a very enjoyable generally dependable little train, usually just 3 Superliner Coaches, one with a Lower Level Cafe. A P42 heads up one end and a F40 NPCU brings up the other. The Conductors are all friendly and efficient as are the Cafe Attendants; Carol is always on top of things when she is behind the Counter and comically reminds folks with smalls not to let the smalls chew on her condiment packages :)

You will notice a wider variety of offerings in the Cafe all priced MUCH lower than the National Cafe Menu.
 
Ooops! I don't know how I ended up posting this in the Rail Advocacy Forum, but it sorta applies I guess. Unless stomped silly by a moderator, I intend to repost this in the main section. I wanted more people to be able to see that I am willing to give Amtrak at least one more chance to convince me that (schedule inconvenience aside) rail travel should be on my list of regularly scheduled vacation planning.

Thanks for the input guys! I am looking forward to getting away for a couple of days.

We are not really fans of professional sporting events, but the Cowboy Museum does sound interesting. My wife really likes Remington's art. Isn't he the one that did that really tired, droopy (sleepy?) Indian on horseback sculpture* they show in their advertisements?

*Never mind - it was James Earl Fraser.
 
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