Hi to the forum from another newbie.
I am taking a vacation of about two weeks duration to visit family in the Berkeley, California area, and I've firmed up some other commitments, so my calendar is now free for scheduling between September 24 and the end of October.
My 82 year old mother had often talked about taking Amtrak with my dad (worked as a freight conductor between Waterloo, Iowa and Freeport, Illinois for most of his 41 years of employment with the Illinois Central railroad before his retirement in 1984) on one of their many trips to California, but they never got the trip in before my dad died in 2001.
I'm now looking to take that Amtrak trip with mom on our trip out to California, and after surfing around on the internet and browsing this forum, I thought for sure I could obtain some valuable insights and suggestions from the experienced members of this forum.
Before the trip I'll be studying up more around the forum for trip suggestions (like what to take (Duct Tape!), tipping, using cameras through the windows, expect some inconveniences, etc.), but for now I'm looking for any helpful suggestions before we book our trip.
I initially thought we would be taking the California Zephyr from Ottumwa, IA to Emeryville, CA, but my brother in Minneapolis has me thinking we should take the Empire Builder and Coast Starlight from St. Paul, MN to Portland, OR to Emeryville, CA. At the outset, I know without even asking that my mom's first instincts are to look for "a trip" that would save a few hundred dollars on expenses. I, on the other hand, think I would prefer the route from Minneapolis, as it would take me (briefly) to 5 states I've never been to, namely, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon (10% of the 50 states!). But then while reading a recent thread in the forum, I came across this representative comment from one of the posts: " . . .California Zephyr. I took this train between Denver and Salt Lake City earlier this summer, and--wow! Multiple memorable experiences! Every moment from the climb out of Denver into the forests and mountains to the historic Moffat Tunnel and then through the canyons up to Glenwood Springs is truly spectacular and is (as is widely said around here) the best scenery to be had on America's rail system."
My preliminary tinkering came up with the following itineraries for comparison, if booked yesterday (8.6.08) at the current "bucket price":
Option/Itinerary #1:
$1,114.20 total for 2 people (1 senior) with 1 Roomette from Minneapolis to Portland to Emeryville for (36 hr 55m) + (4h 10m layover) + (17h 45m) = 58h 50m, departing Minneapolis at 11:15 p.m. on October 14, 2008.
Option/Itinerary #2:
Same as Option #1, except depart on September 28, but it's already full/booked for available Roomettes.
Option/Itinerary #3:
$867.10 total for 2 people (1 senior) with 1 Roomette from Ottumwa to Emeryville for 48h 47m, departing from Ottumwa on October 12, 2008, at 5:40 p.m.
Option/Itinerary #4
Same as Option #3, except depart on September 28, still available upon same terms as Option/Itinerary #3.
Obviously, we need to hurry up and decide, as tickets for the various options/itineraries are in danger of selling out soon, and the cost of airline tickets for the return trip are climbing weekly.
So . . .
1. In your opinion, is a trip from Minneapolis, worth the extra money and/or offer any better experiences over a trip from Ottumwa?
2. A. Is there a preferred departure time that will take us through the most scenic or noteworthy points at the best time of day?
2. B. Mom is a big fan of seeing the change of colors in the fall. Any suggestions on what should/could be the best range of dates in September or October for catching any stretches of fall foilage when we are below the higher elevations?
2. C. I read on the forum that booking around the full moon can be worth the effort if you catch a break from any cloudy weather. There's a full moon on October 14, is that maybe worth pursuing?
2. D. FWIW, I won't be at all disappointed with a 4 hour layover in making a connection in Portland, assuming our luggage can be checked through early. Any suggestions for spending a few hours in the Portland area under those circumstances?
3. Are there any special discounts for mom through AARP, AAA, etc. that I should go about claiming?
4. Mom is still sharp, drives to church and grocery shopping, etc., and still plays 9 holes of golf (with a cart and a son/daughter as her caddy) a few times a year, but has a severe hearing loss and a bad knee that slows her down a fair amount. In other words, she will get around just fine with me looking after her. So, are the sleeping accomodationss on two levels, and are the views from any higher Roomettes generally any better? And does the ride seem to have a lot more motion on a higher level?
5. Any other suggestions, especially before booking a trip? It might seem like I already have a good deal of the trip figured out, but believe me, I'm not an experienced traveler, and I don't feel that way at all. So any input will be appreciated.
Much, much thanks. I'll check back before I'm tied up with some afternoon appointments and early evening engagements, and then again late tonight, and see if there are any initial responses. I'll also bookmark this thread for my mom, so she can check out any discussion.
Russ
I am taking a vacation of about two weeks duration to visit family in the Berkeley, California area, and I've firmed up some other commitments, so my calendar is now free for scheduling between September 24 and the end of October.
My 82 year old mother had often talked about taking Amtrak with my dad (worked as a freight conductor between Waterloo, Iowa and Freeport, Illinois for most of his 41 years of employment with the Illinois Central railroad before his retirement in 1984) on one of their many trips to California, but they never got the trip in before my dad died in 2001.
I'm now looking to take that Amtrak trip with mom on our trip out to California, and after surfing around on the internet and browsing this forum, I thought for sure I could obtain some valuable insights and suggestions from the experienced members of this forum.
Before the trip I'll be studying up more around the forum for trip suggestions (like what to take (Duct Tape!), tipping, using cameras through the windows, expect some inconveniences, etc.), but for now I'm looking for any helpful suggestions before we book our trip.
I initially thought we would be taking the California Zephyr from Ottumwa, IA to Emeryville, CA, but my brother in Minneapolis has me thinking we should take the Empire Builder and Coast Starlight from St. Paul, MN to Portland, OR to Emeryville, CA. At the outset, I know without even asking that my mom's first instincts are to look for "a trip" that would save a few hundred dollars on expenses. I, on the other hand, think I would prefer the route from Minneapolis, as it would take me (briefly) to 5 states I've never been to, namely, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon (10% of the 50 states!). But then while reading a recent thread in the forum, I came across this representative comment from one of the posts: " . . .California Zephyr. I took this train between Denver and Salt Lake City earlier this summer, and--wow! Multiple memorable experiences! Every moment from the climb out of Denver into the forests and mountains to the historic Moffat Tunnel and then through the canyons up to Glenwood Springs is truly spectacular and is (as is widely said around here) the best scenery to be had on America's rail system."
My preliminary tinkering came up with the following itineraries for comparison, if booked yesterday (8.6.08) at the current "bucket price":
Option/Itinerary #1:
$1,114.20 total for 2 people (1 senior) with 1 Roomette from Minneapolis to Portland to Emeryville for (36 hr 55m) + (4h 10m layover) + (17h 45m) = 58h 50m, departing Minneapolis at 11:15 p.m. on October 14, 2008.
Option/Itinerary #2:
Same as Option #1, except depart on September 28, but it's already full/booked for available Roomettes.
Option/Itinerary #3:
$867.10 total for 2 people (1 senior) with 1 Roomette from Ottumwa to Emeryville for 48h 47m, departing from Ottumwa on October 12, 2008, at 5:40 p.m.
Option/Itinerary #4
Same as Option #3, except depart on September 28, still available upon same terms as Option/Itinerary #3.
Obviously, we need to hurry up and decide, as tickets for the various options/itineraries are in danger of selling out soon, and the cost of airline tickets for the return trip are climbing weekly.
So . . .
1. In your opinion, is a trip from Minneapolis, worth the extra money and/or offer any better experiences over a trip from Ottumwa?
2. A. Is there a preferred departure time that will take us through the most scenic or noteworthy points at the best time of day?
2. B. Mom is a big fan of seeing the change of colors in the fall. Any suggestions on what should/could be the best range of dates in September or October for catching any stretches of fall foilage when we are below the higher elevations?
2. C. I read on the forum that booking around the full moon can be worth the effort if you catch a break from any cloudy weather. There's a full moon on October 14, is that maybe worth pursuing?
2. D. FWIW, I won't be at all disappointed with a 4 hour layover in making a connection in Portland, assuming our luggage can be checked through early. Any suggestions for spending a few hours in the Portland area under those circumstances?
3. Are there any special discounts for mom through AARP, AAA, etc. that I should go about claiming?
4. Mom is still sharp, drives to church and grocery shopping, etc., and still plays 9 holes of golf (with a cart and a son/daughter as her caddy) a few times a year, but has a severe hearing loss and a bad knee that slows her down a fair amount. In other words, she will get around just fine with me looking after her. So, are the sleeping accomodationss on two levels, and are the views from any higher Roomettes generally any better? And does the ride seem to have a lot more motion on a higher level?
5. Any other suggestions, especially before booking a trip? It might seem like I already have a good deal of the trip figured out, but believe me, I'm not an experienced traveler, and I don't feel that way at all. So any input will be appreciated.
Much, much thanks. I'll check back before I'm tied up with some afternoon appointments and early evening engagements, and then again late tonight, and see if there are any initial responses. I'll also bookmark this thread for my mom, so she can check out any discussion.
Russ