I just want to remind everyone again of the challenges in each city with regard to where we are, where we have to go, where the stations are, and how far we might need to walk, as for some it could be a challenge.
In New Orleans, Union Passenger Terminal is on the edge of the city's Central Business District (CBD). Some hotels might be walkable, but others may require transporation. The Rampart-St. Claude Streetcar, which runs along Loyola in the CBD, directly serves the station and will take you much closer to the hotels in the CBD and French Quarter. Taxi or app based ride service available too.
Houston's Amtrak station is off the beaten path. It is not close to any light rail line, nor would it be a comfortable walk to or from hotels, including the downtown Doubletree where most appear to be staying. More than likely everyone will need some type of ride from the station on Saturday evening and to the station on Monday. Once downtown, from the Doubletree it is 4 blocks north to the Theater District station on the Purple/Green Lines, and 4 blocks east to the Main Street Square station on the Red Line.
Also for Houston, the itinerary has full coverage of the Purple/Green Lines, which includes riding one stop west from Main Street before heading east on the Green Line. Downtown, the Purple/Green Lines, which are interlined, run one block apart on a pair of streets: Capitol Street inbound (westbound), and Rusk Street outbound (eastbound). So we're going to go west first by boarding on Capitol, go to the Theater District station on Capitol, and then have to walk one block south to Rusk to get the outbound Green Line. The light rail trains do their change of direction beyond Theater District beyond revenue service when the two parallel streets come together underneath I-45. So if you are not up for the one block walk from Theater District on Capitol to Theater District on Rusk, you might opt to join us a little later by simply boarding the outbound Green Line at Main Street.
I also noticed that some stations along Houston's Red Line downtown are staggered; in other words the southbound and northbound platforms for some downtown stations may be 1 or 2 blocks apart.
In San Antonio, the Amtrak station is located just east of the US 281 freeway. Only a small handful of chain hotels are located within an easy walk of the station. The hotels that have been chosen thus far, with minor exceptions, are not safe or comfortable walking distance. Plus, consideration too must be given to the approximately midnight arrival. No doubt we will require taxi and/or ride service to access chosen hotels. The same goes for the early morning departure from San Antonio on Wednesday morning.
For Austin, I think some have confused the two train stations in town. Amtrak stops at a station along the Colorado River, near where it crosses said river on a bridge. It is not immediately close to the downtown hotels, so rides will be necessary there too. I would estimate a minimum of one mile to the hotels so far chosen by the group. Bottom line, especially with luggage and potential hot weather, rides will be needed. The other station is Downtown Station, which serves as the origin/terminus for MetroRail's Red Line. The Hilton is immediately adjacent to that station, and the HGI appears to be about 3 to 4 blocks walk to or from it.
But.... rides will be needed to where?? I also want to point out with Austin that we are scheduled to arrive 9:23 AM, and our first and only rail activity is a little more than 6 hours later. This can be personal and sightseeing time, along with lunch. How we handle the luggage we've arrived with vs check-in times at hotels remains a mystery and worth some discussion. If the hotels don't allow early check-in (preferably without a charge), they should be able to hold luggage for us until we can. Given that we start travel on MetroRail at 3:32 PM, if a 3 PM check-in is enforced that leaves very little time to dump luggage in the room and head out again to make that train. Those at the HGI have the several blocks to walk too.
I sent out today via e-mail to participants staying overnight, the confidential contact list that shows the phone numbers and hotel choices.
