Going to Boulder CO by either SWC or CZ

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buck1108

Train Attendant
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Mar 18, 2009
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Hi,

I will be going to Boulder, CO, from Okla, and I may take the SW Chief from Newton, KS, to Trinidad and get a car rental from there to Boulder.

My first question is.. what would be the best part of Boulder to stay (at a hotel)?

Would the Zephyr have an advantage over the SW Chief in this situation?

Thanks
 
buck1108 said:
Hi,

I will be going to Boulder, CO, from Okla, and I may take the SW Chief from Newton, KS, to Trinidad and get a car rental from there to Boulder.

Would the Zephyr have an advantage over the SW Chief in this situation?

Thanks
Click to expand...
The Zephyr does stop in Denver and it's a lot closer to Boulder than Trinidad. Or go one more stop west on the Chief to Raton, NM and catch a Thruway Bus to Denver.
 
Is it easier for you to get transportation north from Oklahoma to Newton KS or farther north to somewhere in Nebraska?

Secondly, have you checked to see whether renting a car will be feasible in Trinidad CO (or another Southwest Chief stop, such as La Junta CO)?
 
Denver-Boulder has quite a lot of commuter bus service out of the Denver train station, operated by Denver RTD.

There are also lots of rental car places within walking distance of Denver Union Station. I believe there are also car rentals fairly close to the Boulder bus station.

I guess there is a car rental place in Trinidad.

How are you planning to get *to* the train from Oklahoma? Are you renting a car so that you can stop off at other places between Trinidad and Boulder? What are you trying to do?

I don't really know hotels in Boulder, sorry. Are you heading to something specific, like the university?
 
Thanks - it's probably 6 of one versus half a dozen of another. :)

I had rented a car in Trinidad before (the Ford dealership there had a wonderful guest service that picked me up at the Trinidad 'station').

Regarding the Zephyr... I understand that *one* way to catch it would be to take the eastbound SW Chief and then switch trains at Galesburg. Are there ever concerns about missing a connection in that way?

I will be attending a concert at the Boulder Theater (the old downtown section of Boulder). Looks like the Holiday Inn Express on the north side isn't too far.
 
Driving from Oklahoma to Newton, and then from Trinidad to Boulder? Seems to me like you would be driving about as far as you would be riding the train... If it was me, I would just fly, or drive all the way, and not have to bother with car rentals. Or.... if you are really into riding trains, take the train from Oklahoma to Denver the long way....either via Chicago or California..... :D
 
I agree that it would be better to fly to Denver and take the RTD Skyride bus AB direct from the airport to downtown Boulder. Several nice hotels in that area.
 
What part of Oklahoma do you live in? I have made the trip to Newton from Oklahoma many times and have gone both west and east on the Chief.
 
Why not make it a great circle.. take the chief to LA,, the CS to Emeryville,,, then on the Zeph to Denver ,,,, then come back to Denver take the Zeph to GBB,,,,,, and catch the chief there back ? You would probably have a six hour layover in GBB, but there is a marvelous Packing House restaurant 100 yards from the Galesburg Station - and you could always pay homage to Carl Sandburg?

And for those who haven't read Appetite for America - Fred Harvey and the business of civilizing the Wild West One Meal at a Time - it is a very good read.
 
andersone said:
Why not make it a great circle.. take the chief to LA,, the CS to Emeryville,,, then on the Zeph to Denver ,,,, then come back to Denver take the Zeph to GBB,,,,,, and catch the chief there back ? You would probably have a six hour layover in GBB, but there is a marvelous Packing House restaurant 100 yards from the Galesburg Station - and you could always pay homage to Carl Sandburg?

And for those who haven't read Appetite for America - Fred Harvey and the business of civilizing the Wild West One Meal at a Time - it is a very good read.
Click to expand...
A great read...witness El Tovar on the South Rim of the Canyon and La Posada in Winslow, AZ. Both real treats.
 
A quick check of the CZ and SWC schedules shows the SWC is scheduled to arrive at GBB (Galesburg, IL) at 12:08 PM and the CZ departs GBB at 4:38 PM.

That allows 4.5 hours to make a SWC to CZ connection.

Plus, if booked properly it would be a guaranteed connection.

So If the SWC was so late the connection could not be made Amtrak would then exercise their various options of busing you to catch up to the CZ or to pay for a hotel room in GBB so you could catch the next day's CZ.

Since the CZ originates in Chicago it's not likely to be very late, if at all, arriving at GBB.

However, occasionally the CZ departs Chicago late which would add even more time for making a SWC to CZ connection.
 
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I can't offer you much help with the Eastern part of your decisions, but can provide input on the Denver/Boulder portion.

If flying, by all means take the RTD SkyRide AB (Airport to Boulder) bus from DIA (Airport) directly to downtown Boulder. This will cost you either $9.00 or $4.50 depending upon whether you are over 65 or not. Runs about once an hour and is very pleasant, comfortable and dependable service. Easy loading of your luggage under the bus. Details at www.RTD-Denver.com. The downtown Boulder terminal is about 3 blocks from the Boulder Theater.

If taking the train, the CZ is definitely more convenient on the Colorado end. You will arrive at Union Station in downtown Denver around breakfast time if on schedule. The RTD busses to Boulder run directly from here: once every few minutes during rush hours and a couple times per hour at other times. Easy transfer from train to bus. You will be looking for the "Flatiron Flyer" bus. Again, details at www.RTD-Denver.com. I believe the fare is now about $4.00/$2.00 each way. This will also take you to the main downtown Boulder terminal.

You didn't mention how long you will be in Colorado and what else you plan to see here. If you are just coming 1 day for the concert, you could easily get by without a car. There are lots of local busses in Boulder, including one that goes up on North Broadway to the Holiday Inn you mentioned. That is 2 or 3 miles from the center of downtown. Uber is also available here and could be another option for you.

The number one tourist area in the city is the Pearl St. Mall. The Boulder Theater is toward the East end of the mall. This is a several block long pedestrian-only mall with tons of excellent restaurants, shops, bars and entertainment options. If interested in more detailed recommendations on dining, etc., let me know. Many of the local hiking trails can be accessed from the mall area by foot. Again, ask for more detail if interested.

If you want a more up-scale hotel, the two best ones are within a block or two from the mall. Hotel St. Julian and the Boulderado Hotel. Both quite nice with excellent service. Haven't checked rates in awhile, but probably in the vicinity of $200 per night and up.

Have an excellent trip!
 
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