First Amtrak Ride Tomorrow

[BCL]

I take it the purpose of the trip is Cedar Point?

 

[PaulM]

We are being dropped off at the front door. Husband can't handle amusement park rides so he is staying home.

I'm also thinking Cedar Point. Too bad about your husband. Many years ago my employer in Cleveland organized a day at Cedar Point. It was very hot; and I had no interest in standing in lines, rides or no, and was beginning to wonder why i had come. But then I discovered the complex included a Lake Erie beach. By the time I had cooled off, it was time for a beer and then evening entertainment. Turned out to be a great day

 

[BCL]

We are being dropped off at the front door. Husband can't handle amusement park rides so he is staying home.

I'm also thinking Cedar Point. Too bad about your husband. Many years ago my employer in Cleveland organized a day at Cedar Point. It was very hot; and I had no interest in standing in lines, rides or no, and was beginning to wonder why i had come. But then I discovered the complex included a Lake Erie beach. By the time I had cooled off, it was time for a beer and then evening entertainment. Turned out to be a great day

I'd worked years at employers within five miles of an amusement park, and strangely enough had never been there for any kind of off-site activity or company picnic. Strangely enough, there's a train station named after the park.

 

[SarahZ]

We went to Cedar Point every summer when I was growing up. Then, when I moved to Ann Arbor, I bought a season pass.

We would ride coasters until it got hot and then go to one of the indoor shows to cool off. Then we'd ride again and intersperse some water rides to cool down. (When you're soaking wet, riding a coaster is like air conditioning.) We also ate our weight in frozen bananas. ^_^

 

[MichelleB]

Yes we are heading to Cedar Point. We have a car lined up to pick us up from the station. Sitting in the observation carvnow and we are about an hour to Chicago. Have really enjoyed this first leg of the trip and there will be more train trips in our future.

 

[MichelleB]

Have one more question. We will be on the Capital train #30 from Chicago to Sandusky. The Amtrak app shows an on time departure from Chicago, but it shows it is arriving late by 45 minutes into Sandusky? Is this normal?

 

[amtrakpass]

Hi MichelleB. I think you may be checking yesterday's train into Sandusky. Check Sunday's train. You will be leaving Chicago tonight but not arriving until Sunday. Also the central- eastern time zone change is around the first stop in south bend indiana.

 

[MichelleB]

You were right. We are on time. Changing time zones and days have me all confused

 

[me_little_me]

You were right. We are on time. Changing time zones and days have me all confused

All trains show on time for all stations before the train leaves. It's only when suddenly the board shows your train is late and you can't board on time that the destination MIGHT show it will be late. Amtrak tries to fantasize so if your train is running later and later, they always seem to assume lots of time will be made up at any stop more then 3 stops from where you are now. Unless there is built-in cushion, it is more likely to lose more time than it is to gain it back.

But it isn't always late and once in a while your train even arrives early at your destination and you gt off with a smile on your face. Sometimes you get off with a bigger smile when it's late because your station arrival should have been early morning and now it is at a more reasonable hour allowing you to sleep in and you can even catch an early breakfast!

 

[neroden]

Nice pics Jeb, and this gem of a Station seems vastly under used!It reminds me of Union Station in KCY and Union Terminal in Cincinnati!

Are there plans to fill that wasted space?

They use the main waiting room at St. Paul Union Depot for events (it's big enough there's still room for the Amtrak passengers). In the long run there are plans to run some commuter rail lines into the station, which would add some more business, but none of them have gotten funding yet.