7 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

As I am still not 100% sure this can be pulled off, I cannot say with certainty that we will be doing this Fest. I'd like to, but we have to see where finances and other responsibilities are closer to the time.

Still, I do realize that many of you want to make your travel plans, whether on Amtrak or flying, and of course places to stay in the host cities, so I've decided to create this forum and put the tentative plans out there. Please don't make any reservations that you cannot cancel with a full refund.

Our itinerary runs from Thursday, July 15th through Tuesday, July 27th, a 13-day period just as long as last year's SoCal Fest. This of course only applies to those starting and ending their trips on the East Coast, as others from the Midwest and other locations will join later and leave earlier. For those who live in the PNW or will be flying in at least one direction, we will be in the area from Sunday morning, July 18th (arrival in Portland) through Saturday afternoon, July 24th (depart from Seattle).

One of the stumbling blocks is the high Amtrak fares. The itinerary as it is now calls for the Lake Shore Limited and Empire Builder in both directions (only we would be on the Portland section westbound and the Seattle section eastbound). I did an cost analysis this week on different scenarios east of Chicago (but all involving the above Empire Builder trips). For me, taking a Northeast Regional (coach) and the Capitol Limited (first class) from Washington would be $180 cheaper than going via the LSL (first class). Taking the Pennsylvanian (coach) and the Capitol Limited (first class) from Pittsburgh would be $230 cheaper than going via the LSL (first class). And there are similar differences going eastbound. Those amounts are substantial.

The reason why we did the LSL eastbound last year was because of its later schedule and also due to the very close connection we ultimately made from the CZ to the Capitol Limited on our 2007 NoCal Fest. Westbound isn't as much of an issue as eastbound, since both trains usually get to Chicago with plenty of time to make connections to western trains.

So I am toying with just starting and ending the Fest in Chicago (meeting there and diverging afterwards via different routes), or having 2 or 3 simultaneous itineraries being followed east of Chicago.

The other thing that would save some money is to eliminate Vancouver. Doing so would save 2 nights in hotels (1 in Vancouver and 1 in Seattle), the transit fares in Vancouver, and the Amtrak fares between Seattle and Vancouver (plus those who don't have passports still would not need to purchase them). However I really want to visit Vancouver, as we won't have the opportunity to get there anytime in the near future. So for now it's still part of our plans.

Tentatively, here are the long distance Amtrak trips you would need to be concerned with, assuming you're on the East Coast:

Train #49 (Thursday, July 15), NYP-CHI (or travel via 125/29 thru WAS or 43/29 thru PGH)
Train #27 (Friday, July 16), CHI-PDX
Train #8 (Saturday, July 24), SEA-CHI
Train #48 (Monday, July 26), CHI-NYP (or travel via 30/148 thru WAS or 30/42 thru PGH)

Here are the corridor trains on the West Coast:

Train #506 (Tuesday, July 20), PDX-SEA
Train #510 (Thursday, July 22), SEA-VAC
Train #517 (Friday, July 23), VAC-SEA

Hotels would be needed as follows:

Sunday, 7/18 through Tuesday, 7/20 (2 nights) in Portland, OR
Tuesday, 7/20 through Thursday, 7/22 (2 nights) in Seattle, WA
Thursday, 7/22 through Friday, 7/23 (1 night) in Vancouver, BC
Friday, 7/23 through Saturday, 7/24 (1 night) in Seattle, WA

One thing to keep in mind about the Friday night in Seattle, is that we would be arriving back into Seattle at 10:05 PM. So you may not wish to go too far from downtown given the late arrival.

So there you have an outline of the planned trains and hotel nights, at least for now. Hopefully we don't have to cut this down to fewer or zero days... but be able to make changes if they become necessary.

[jis]

Realistically for me, I would join the group in Seattle on Tuesday evening and then stay with it all the way back to New York. Given my vacation availability situation this year that is all that will work for me. Since I go to Portland at least once each year in connection with work and have pretty much ridden everything that is there to ride several times over, and will do so again in March, as well as the Eugene - PDX - SEA part of the the Cascade Corridor, it is not a huge loss for me to miss PDX. The only regrettable miss is the SP&S through Columbia Gorge, but I have been on it several times in the past too. Oh well.... Ps. Actually I have ridden both banks of the Columbia Gorge. The North bank by the Empire Builder and the South bank by the Pioneer before it was discontinued, and I did manage to do so several times, paid for out of my research fellowship, since my Ph. D. adviser happened to move to Beaverton OR before I finished my Ph. D. in Stony Brook NY. You can guess how I traveled to spend a week or two working with him

[jis]

Now I am seriously considering doing SEA - PDX - CHI - NYP on the trip back. I think Columbia Gorge is by far way more scenic than the Wenatchee/Stevens Pass route, having traveled both (and incidentally also the currently unused Stampede Pass route) in the past. I guess I will just miss riding Seattle trolley etc. that morning of Saturday.

[GG-1]

Aloha I just got 3 "yea's" a bunch of "cool's" from Even. So looks like the 2 of us will meet the Fest group in Seattle via the Coast Starlight. Till July Eric

[KevinKorell]

So looks like the 2 of us will meet the Fest group in Seattle via the Coast Starlight.

The Coast Starlight stops in Portland too, you know......

[GG-1]

So looks like the 2 of us will meet the Fest group in Seattle via the Coast Starlight.

The Coast Starlight stops in Portland too, you know......

Oops, Its Portland Northbound and Seattle Southbound, I guess My enjoyment of her excitement interfered with my fingers
Mahalo
Eric

Edited by GG-1, 06 March 2010 - 11:46 PM.

[steve4031]

I have room 4 in 2730 from Chicago. Working on getting money for the return.

[jis]

As usual I got a confused AGR agent first who said that she could not allow me to travel SEA (11) PDX (28) CHI (48) NYP on a single 3 zone award. She wanted to charge me additional points for the SEA - PDX leg, and said something about the routing that I requested was not an allowable one!! I said 3 zones is 3 zones and there is no question of allowable or not. I said that under those circumstances I could not allow her to book my travel. She warned me that even if I called another agent I'd get the same answer. I said I will take my chances and politely bid her farewell and hung up. I called back immediately and got a much better informed agent, who proceeded very cheerfully to give me the reservations exactly as I wanted. So I am now all set for PNW Fest! Moral of the story, be very well informed about the rules and what you want and do not take an answer from an AGR agent that is at variance with that without checking in this group first. Well the good thing is this time they did not try to book me on the Cardinal on a day that it does not run , like they tried last year.