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FRF 2008: 10-day notice


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#1 KevinKorell

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Posted 10 July 2008 - 12:23 AM

Folks,

It's been a very busy summer thus far with car purchase and repairs, home improvements, and other things going wrong at the same time. I received a gentle, but welcome reminder that I didn't provide a 2-week update before the Florida RailFest.

Now I realize that for a few of you, you're travelling to meet the group in Washington, DC or Florida either before or after the 19th. However, for most of us going on that day's Silver Star, we have just ten days before we board our first train.

There is not much new to report. Jason is taking a pre-Fest dry run on TriRail and then a little of MetroRail to downtown Miami.

With regard to the TECO Line Streetcar, it may be too late to arrange but now that we have what appears to be definite numbers I am going to inquire about getting a guided tour of the route on Sunday afternoon. If that is not possible, we will look at Monday morning as we have plenty of time before the 12:45 PM Silver Star departure. The tours cost nothing more than the cost of an all-day unlimited transit pass, which is $4 per day. A tour lasts just 25 minutes in one direction, and they may provide a dedicated car for the group. As an alternative to them providing a guide, there may also be tours available of the maintenance facility.

We still have 14 people on the list of participants. Of the 14, we should have a maximum of 13 in Tampa, and 12 in Miami.

Since I haven't heard any "feedback" (pardon the pun) on the dining plans, those are the numbers we will provide to the aforementioned restaurants (other than the mall food court) so that they can accommodate us. I assume everyone is OK with Spaghetti Warehouse in Tampa for Sunday's dinner, and Steak & Ale in Cypress Creek for Tuesday's lunch. Perhaps we'll let Steve handle the reservations, as he has so wonderfully handled on our past trips.

Steak & Ale's lunch menu: http://www.steakanda...enus_lunch.html
Here is the map of how far we have to walk between the Cypress Creek station and the restaurant: http://maps.google.c...0...2C FL&hl=en . The station is just south of the Cypress Creek Road grade crossing. So it would be best on the trip departing south from Mangonia Park to sit near the rear of the train to minimize the walk back to the crossing.

Spaghetti Warehouse's dinner menu: http://www.meatballs...sp?s=Tampa&mt=B I have already chosen the Spaghetti Feast with an appetizer of Wedding Soup. I just hope there is a Divorce Soup to negate it when I overstuff myself, but then that may cost me a small fortune. And here is the location map of the Spaghetti Warehouse: http://maps.google.c...&...=17&iwloc=A . The Cadrecha Plaza TECO station is about one block south of the restaurant.

I will try to update you more often as the Fest approaches.


Kevin Korell


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Lakewood, NJ


#2 KevinKorell

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Posted 10 July 2008 - 12:34 AM

Just a few more tidbits: I've "Tampa'ed" with the itinerary again. (Sorry, been waiting a long time to say that!) I realized that I had us starting our TECO round trip from Ybor City, down past Channelside to Downtown, and then back to Ybor for dinner. Since it's turned out that everyone is staying in Downtown hotels, I reversed it so that we begin there, go to Ybor City, have dinner, and then return approximately 2 hours later towards Downtown. Expect at least 4 boardings of the TECO streetcar that Sunday if you're part of the group arriving from the North on Amtrak. We will walk 3 blocks from Tampa Union Station to the Port Authority station to ride towards our Downtown hotels, hopefully to either check in early or store our luggage with them. Also, the Downtown station that had been known as the Southern Transportation Station has been renamed Dick Greco Plaza. That change is also now reflected on the itinerary.


Kevin Korell


OTOL Board Leader


Lakewood, NJ





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