bmjhagen9426
OBS Chief
I currently live in Sacramento CA area and I am thinking about visiting my relatives in Florida in the near future (exact timing TBD). They live in Tampa/St. Pete area and I have researched some flight options to get there, but apart from a SFO to MCO on select days in August, there are no good options, and even if I were to fly that, I would need to ride the Capitols from SAC to EMY (then BART to SFO, similar to what I did in January), then ride the Silver Star from ORL to TPA (and finding my way from MCO to ORL Amtrak Station-which in itself is a challenge as I have never been to Florida). I thought that if that's the case, I might as well use Amtrak to get there all way (even despite the time and expenses, as well as the mask mandate, and of course, I will need to save up for it). What would be a great way to make the trip, and if I do decide to take an aerophobic trip (no flights) option, what would be the best routes to take, given my origin and destination? Also, should I consider spending a night between trains (at CHI and NEC-in NEC, where as well, given the tendencies of LD trains getting delays), which class should I travel in for the best experience given the distance that I will need to cover (I traveled CHI to SAC in 2019 in coachclass, pre-COVID without masks; as for this trip I will likely travel alone, or, more unlikely, with a partner), and when could be the best time of the year to take it (minimally disruptive from storms, fires, and hurricanes)? I would like to make the trip memorable, not just my time down there, but also the journey to and from.