Cardinal to Empire Builder Westbound

[reefgeek]

I am planning to take the Cardinal to The Empire Builder Westbound, but I always read people saying to take the Cardinal Eastbound. Is it that much better scenery-wise? I just prefer taking the train west and flying back. Also: Is there a better time of year to ride the EB?

 

[Bierboy]

Yes, the eastbound Cardinal runs along the river as you wake up and there's gorgeous scenery all that day. Westbound you miss a lot due to darkness, but it depends on the time of the year. Check out the timetable available on Amtak's Web site...also check out the route guide they have there. It describes the scenery.

 

[abcnews]

I would vote Westbound for many reasons...

First - You cannot really count on an Empire Builder to Cardinal connection. I have tried that before and failed. We arrived 8 hours late on the Eastbound Empire Builder. Got moved to the Capital Limited, on the next day with a family Bedroom. Missed the Cardinal by 2 hours. They did provide us with a hotel room. But the poor coach passengers, they were only given cash to purchase bus tickets from Greyhound (Ouch). No hotels for them...

Second... Like you say, going westbound on the train is just more fun. Once you fly out west, - at that point, you really are just coming back home, which to me does not feel the same - as it does when you depart your home area on a grand train journey.... And on the Cardinal, if going eastbound, you actually hit the very best scenery in Virginia, and it's often, just before I exit the train in Culpepper, VA, so like you said - go westbound, and you start will then with a bang in VA and then follow that with "Wild and Wonderful West Virginia" - it makes for a good "one-two punch".

Third - The Cardinal has the best westbound schedule of any east coast train - not even close... You depart Alexandria VA at like 11:30 AM. The Capital Limited does not leave until 4:05 PM. That is like 4 1/2 more hours of daylight on the train. And the best part for me is from Culpepper to White Sulfur Springs, WV (about 12:30 PM to about 5:15 PM). The New River gorge is great but very much the same old thing - you follow the New River through the gorge (nice), it is great, but I prefer the open plains of VA, the rugged crossing of the Allegheny Mountains at both Allegheny VA and Afton, VA (just before Blue Ridge Tunnel), and the horse country of Culpepper and Charlottesville, VA, with distant Blue Ridge Mountains looming in the background. The very range you will later cross - after Charlottesville (westbound).

Fourth - Westbound on the Cardinal you get to enjoy the first day on the train while you are fresh - not at the end of a trip.

 

[reefgeek]

I would vote Westbound for many reasons...

First - You cannot really count on an Empire Builder to Cardinal connection. I have tried that before and failed. We arrived 8 hours late on the Eastbound Empire Builder. Got moved to the Capital Limited, on the next day with a family Bedroom. Missed the Cardinal by 2 hours. They did provide us with a hotel room. But the poor coach passengers, they were only given cash to purchase bus tickets from Greyhound (Ouch). No hotels for them...

Second... Like you say, going westbound on the train is just more fun. Once you fly out west, - at that point, you really are just coming back home, which to me does not feel the same - as it does when you depart your home area on a grand train journey.... And on the Cardinal, if going eastbound, you actually hit the very best scenery in Virginia, and it's often, just before I exit the train in Culpepper, VA, so like you said - go westbound, and you start will then with a bang in VA and then follow that with "Wild and Wonderful West Virginia" - it makes for a good "one-two punch".

Third - The Cardinal has the best westbound schedule of any east coast train - not even close... You depart Alexandria VA at like 11:30 AM. The Capital Limited does not leave until 4:05 PM. That is like 4 1/2 more hours of daylight on the train. And the best part for me is from Culpepper to White Sulfur Springs, WV (about 12:30 PM to about 5:15 PM). The New River gorge is great but very much the same old thing - you follow the New River through the gorge (nice), it is great, but I prefer the open plains of VA, the rugged crossing of the Allegheny Mountains at both Allegheny VA and Afton, VA (just before Blue Ridge Tunnel), and the horse country of Culpepper and Charlottesville, VA, with distant Blue Ridge Mountains looming in the background. The very range you will later cross - after Charlottesville (westbound).

Fourth - Westbound on the Cardinal you get to enjoy the first day on the train while you are fresh - not at the end of a trip.

You pretty much summed up my feelings about heading east versus west! Spot on.

And I didn't think about the connection issues (although I myself missed SWC-->CL last year...)

I'm going to book this trip Westbound without regrets.

 

[abcnews]

Great minds think alike...

But really, I think it is more of an east coast thing. If you lived out on the west coast - then maybe, you take the train east, and just fly back home. But for me - as a lifelong east coast person, I am always fascinated at traveling west - I guess its a bit reminiscent of the early explorers and the pioneers, and seeing the story of America unfold in the proper order. To go west to east - well, for me it's like watching a movie backwards...

 

[reefgeek]

1328651502[/url]' post='345544']Great minds think alike...

But really, I think it is more of an east coast thing. If you lived out on the west coast - then maybe, you take the train east, and just fly back home. But for me - as a lifelong east coast person, I am always fascinated at traveling west - I guess its a bit reminiscent of the early explorers and the pioneers, and seeing the story of America unfold in the proper order. To go west to east - well, for me it's like watching a movie backwards...

It's true. I'll never forget the day in July of '76 I walked to the on-ramp of interstate 80 and stuck out my thumb. The adventure begins!