FRF 2008 Homepage and Itinerary Options

[KevinKorell]

OTOL Florida RailFest 2008 homepage is located here. There, you will find links to most of the information you need to know about this trip.

In a nutshell, our itinerary is as follows:

Saturday, July 19

Our journey will start with a trip between the Northeast and Tampa, FL on the SILVER STAR. Overnight on the train.

Sunday, July 20

Midday arrival in Tampa. Ride TECO Line Streetcar. Dinner at Spaghetti Warehouse. Overnight in Tampa.

Monday, July 21

Afternoon trip on southbound SILVER STAR from Tampa to Miami area. Participants can overnight anywhere in Gold Coast region, and can use TriRail between Amtrak stations and those points.

Tuesday, July 22

Ride entire TriRail, MetroRail, and MetroMover systems. Lunch in Cypress Creek, Dinner at Dadeland Mall. Overnight same place as Monday night.

Wednesday, July 23

Board northbound SILVER METEOR, from Miami or station of your choice. Overnight on train.

Thursday, July 24

Arrive back in Northeastern origin cities in mid-morning.

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The full itinerary, with all expected calling times, is here.

We originally were going to stop in Jacksonville on the way north, however the majority of our expected participants favor skipping Jacksonville over fighting for expensive or nonexistent hotel rooms.

Our Fest (including Silver Service trips to/from the Northeast) will therefore be six days, only half the time last year's event took. Anyone joining us from the West or Midwest, your time involved with the Fest if you travel by rail will obviously be longer.

This post has been edited by KevinKorell: Jan 30 2008, 05:44 PM

[KevinKorell]

I have made a few minor itinerary changes. These are the result of Amtrak timetable changes that took place in the winter or will take place in the spring:

• Earlier departure times for Silver Star from New York & Philadelphia
• Later arrival time for Regional #174 in Boston

I have also added station times in Hollywood, FL since Piotr will be using that station in order to avoid the 1/2-mile walk in Hialeah to and from the "Miami" Amtrak station.

I may delete the Regionals to/from Boston entirely from the itinerary, especially if we don't get any New England participants. I may do it anyway, just making "official" the trip from New York City south. It is up to those who might be coming from points north of New York City which train they take to connect with Silver Service, and whether they use Regional or Acela.

I am also going to work on possible meal locations in the Miami area. On our only full day (Tuesday), we are scheduled for a 2-hour lunch break at Cypress Creek (which has many different types of restaurants in strip centers near the station), and dinner at a mall food court (Dadeland). That still leaves dinner Monday, but my thinking now is that since we're arriving in town with luggage, we just go to our respective hotels and eat in or near them. I know that adjacent to the Hampton Inn Coconut Grove where some are staying, there is a Burger King and a Subway restaurant, among a few others. If folks would rather dine together before dispersing to hotels, we can try to work something out.

[Jack615]

Keep boston times in the itinerary with me probably going, so its just me from New England.

[steve4031]

Kevin,

I have a hotel change courtesy of Mike and will be now staying at the JW Marriott in downtown Miami. How does one get from the Amtrak station to the Metrorail in Miami?

[KevinKorell]

Kevin,

How does one get from the Amtrak station to the Metrorail in Miami?

There are two ways to do this, and we have participants doing both ways.

As you probably know, the "Miami" Amtrak station is not in Miami; it's really in Hialeah. It is also the only Amtrak station in TriRail territory that is not directly shared with TriRail trains.

Method 1: If you wish to get as much Amtrak mileage as you can and see things through to the end, then remain on board to the last Amtrak stop, "Miami". From there, one would walk roughly 8 blocks to the TriRail/MetroRail transfer station, and then board Metrorail there. Michael and I will be among this group.

Method 2: A few people who may not appreciate the above walk will instead detrain in Hollywood (the last shared Amtrak & TriRail station), and then take TriRail from Hollywood to the TriRail/MetroRail transfer. While it elminates the long walk, the downside is being subject to TriRail's timetable. The worst case scenario is that Amtrak arrives in HOL just after a TriRail train has departed, and you might have to wait almost an hour for the next one (unless it's close to the evening rush when they run more frequently).

Although this doesn't apply to you, Steve since you're flying out of Miami, the same will work in reverse the morning we head north. One can take a morning TriRail train up to Hollywood from the Transfer station and board Amtrak #98 there if they don't want to take that walk.

[steve4031]

Kevin,

How does one get from the Amtrak station to the Metrorail in Miami?

There are two ways to do this, and we have participants doing both ways.

As you probably know, the "Miami" Amtrak station is not in Miami; it's really in Hialeah. It is also the only Amtrak station in TriRail territory that is not directly shared with TriRail trains.

Method 1: If you wish to get as much Amtrak mileage as you can and see things through to the end, then remain on board to the last Amtrak stop, "Miami". From there, one would walk roughly 8 blocks to the TriRail/MetroRail transfer station, and then board Metrorail there. Michael and I will be among this group.

Method 2: A few people who may not appreciate the above walk will instead detrain in Hollywood (the last shared Amtrak & TriRail station), and then take TriRail from Hollywood to the TriRail/MetroRail transfer. While it elminates the long walk, the downside is being subject to TriRail's timetable. The worst case scenario is that Amtrak arrives in HOL just after a TriRail train has departed, and you might have to wait almost an hour for the next one (unless it's close to the evening rush when they run more frequently).

Although this doesn't apply to you, Steve since you're flying out of Miami, the same will work in reverse the morning we head north. One can take a morning TriRail train up to Hollywood from the Transfer station and board Amtrak #98 there if they don't want to take that walk.

Kevin,

Thaks for the info. I am not giving up on that ride back on Amtrak yet. I found out that I might get my extra money earlier this year since I submitted the paperwork earlier. If that money comes in a timely manner, I should be able to snag a sleeper. Even if they are sold out, I can call each morning and try to snag one. I think things will work out.

[KevinKorell]

Kevin,

Thaks for the info. I am not giving up on that ride back on Amtrak yet. I found out that I might get my extra money earlier this year since I submitted the paperwork earlier. If that money comes in a timely manner, I should be able to snag a sleeper. Even if they are sold out, I can call each morning and try to snag one. I think things will work out.

OK Steve, we hope you can join us for the trip on the Silver Meteor. Good luck in snagging tickets!!