7 replies to this topic

[BillMagee]

Given my limited participation at the Fest, I hesitate to make a suggestion – but I will anyway.  Here are my thoughts.

Instead of trying to force a Canada trip for July – now just a few weeks off, maybe it would be better to postpone the Canada plans to a future year and do something simpler this fall that has a greater emphasis on Amtrak long distance with less reliance on local hotels. My suggestion would be to do a round trip to Denver in September.

 

The trip could start on a Saturday or Sunday from the NEC and arrive Denver on Monday or Tuesday. The westbound Zephyr’s morning arrival and eastbound evening departure times in Denver allow the better part of two days for local activities requiring only one hotel night. Denver has several new lines that have opened since the last Fest there in 2014. Included among them are the new commuter rail lines which the Fest group has not experienced. Denver weather in September is usually great. With only one hotel night, hotel costs are not an issue.  After Monday or Tuesday night in Denver, it would be back east arriving NEC destinations Thursday or Friday. There would be one extra day each way for the Florida people.  An extra night in Chicago could be worked in if desired (late Zephyr insurance or just some R&R time). 

 

One of the attractions of the annual longer Fest is gathering together on an Amtrak long distance train – visiting each other in rooms, sharing meals, and sitting in the Sightseer.  Doing a quick Denver out-and-back would provide a nice Amtrak ride to and from, plus two days in Denver with lots to do. Moving it to September would allow time for more relaxed planning.

 

I would likely participate with the Zephyr ride one way and the Denver stay.

Just a thought.

Example:

• Sunday – Leave east coast on #49 or #29 for Chicago
• Monday – arrive Chicago, connect to #5 for Denver
• Tuesday – arrive Denver, check into hotels (or drop luggage). Ride RTD in the afternoon. Group dinner Tuesday night. One hotel night in Denver
• Wednesday – Check out of hotels, store bags, ride RTD. Board #6 to Chicago in the evening (dinner on board if on time)
• Thursday – arrive Chicago, connect to #48 or #30 for the east coast (or stay the night in Chicago).
• Friday (or Saturday) – arrive east coast.

[KevinKorell]

To be clear, I am not trying to "force" anything.   While in Rochester for the last (delayed) Fest in March, the subject for the summer was brought up and we voted between a longer Texas trip in May (would probably be on it now) or a shorter Canada trip at the traditional time in July.  The latter was chosen.

 

That Fest weekend in March happened during what was for me one of the busiest weeks of my life.  I had literally taken delivery of a newer car that Friday and was in the midst of selling and purchasing a house, something that did not officially happen until the end of April.  We also had 2 proxy votes for Canada from 2 regular participants who had been unable to attend the March event. So the decisions we came to could not be vetted (i.e. checking hotel rates and rail fares) because I simply did not have the leisure time I am used to having for many weeks including that time of my life.

 

Canada was a sensible choice for me because the passport that I went and got in 2010 in advance of the PNW Fest when we visited Vancouver is set to expire in 2020 next year. I was aware all along that such a trip did not afford us the fun we have come to expect from trips on overnight trains, but my thought was that we did get a bonus trip in on the Lake Shore Limited in March albeit not overnight.  In short, I strove for something simple.

 

That all said, I am certainly game for a trip to Denver, and September would work (avoiding Labor Day weekend).  Having just gone through huge financial events in my life it would mean a little more "saving up" to afford a longer trip, but I have some points to use on Amtrak and hotels as well... and the extra couple months would give time to do that.   

 

The issue we have, and I've said it many times, is that we play to multiple audiences or the lack of audiences thereof.   This is the discussion I enjoy having, but with our dwindling group participation and the fact that not everyone in our circles visits this board every day nor attends the weekly Sunday chat sessions, there is more work for me to get to these people via other means.   That, plus our regular participants coming from various walks of life, including retired vs working, means some times of the year are not satisfactory thus we won't please everyone.

 

So let's see how a September Denver suggestion plays out, if anyone is even reading this.   Should that be our decision, it does not mean I won't still travel on my own in July, with anyone who wishes to join for all or part of the trip more than welcome.

[steve4031]

Im not excited about September because Ill be in school. I enjoy the longer summer time fest and diner meals too. But my first fest was the firstToronto fest and it remains one of my favorite ones. We can have a good time regardless.

[pennyk]

I had planned to attend a meeting in September, but the meeting was canceled.  I have been working on a September trip possibly to Michigan.  I enjoy traveling on long distance trains with the OTOL group and would be interested in Denver in September (with possible side trip to Detroit).

 

I am one of the March fest attendees who voted in favor of Canada in July over Texas in May, even though I was pretty sure I was not planning to go to Canada in July.  Of the 2 options, Canada in July was a better choice for the group as a whole, in my opinion.  It does not appear that there is a lot of interest in Canada in July at this time.

[pennyk]

Is the plan to have a fest in July in Toronto and another fest in September in Denver?

[KevinKorell]

Is the plan to have a fest in July in Toronto and another fest in September in Denver?

Well as I said earlier, we apparently have interest in both, and while we might have more in September in Denver, we still have an emerging trip to Toronto for July.  So call it what we want, but with the advance work necessary and at least 3 attendees involved, it meets quorum for a Fest and I'll treat it that way in our history.  It's up to everyone whether they wish to attend one, neither, or both.  Looks like I'm headed to both.

[KevinKorell]

I am still working on both trips and hope to launch them soon.   Like the Toronto Fest being oriented to the airport area because the hotels are more competitive there, such may happen with Denver too.  Not necessarily the current Denver airport but it could be areas outside of the immediate downtown area, such as near Central Park station on the A Airport Line (on land where former Stapleton Airport was), or in Arvada along the new G Line. If that's the case, the itinerary will be rewritten to make the "official" trips the ones we take to & from hotel areas.

 

On the recent Sunday Chat we also discussed sporting events that might conflict with us.  As long as we stay away from 2 Sundays, 9/15 and 9/29, we will not have a Broncos home game taking place.  The baseball Rockies, however, are home on the intended week, but it's the New York Mets they're playing so not a huge exciting draw.   For our dinner together we might search for places outside of downtown, perhaps staying closer to the hotels we end up in. For example, the Hilton Garden Inn in Old Town Arvada has a Texas Roadhouse across the street from the hotel. Downtown hotels appear to be pricey, but not too bad, and if using redemption points the rates are much more down to earth and affordable. Some of the hotels that go for around $200 per night could go for as little as 30,000 points which is not too shabby.

[KevinKorell]

As things have developed, we now have a Toronto Railfest 2019 (no other Candian cities) in July, and a Denver RailFest 2019 taking place in September.  See those subforums for more details.

 

Now that plans are solidifying, I have broken up this thread and placed Toronto-specific discussion in the Toronto subforum, and Denver-specific discussion in the Denver subforum.   Things that apply to general plans or both were left here.