Songs About Trains

[plumtreeblossom]

So, it turns out I've won a pair of round-trip tickets on Amtrak to anywhere in the continental US, usable anytime between now and December 16, 2007. I was entered automatically in the sweepstakes when I bought an Amtrak ticket to Rochester in December, and I didn't even know it. When the first notification came I assumed it wasn't legit, but upon calling Amtrak, it's a genuine win. I've never been the type to win sweepstakes or drawings, so this is a lovely surprise. I've discovered over these past few Christmases how much I enjoy train travel.

beowabbit naturally has dibs on the companion ticket. But where to go? Wabbit pointed out that it would be a waste to use it for New York, when for almost nothing you can get there on Fung Wah (with a nice crackling fire in the back for keeping warm). A co-worker said "Take it as far as you can go! Go to Seattle or California!" Well, sure I like train travel, but I wouldn't want to be on one for four days each way. I'd probably put the one-way travel lid at 12 hours or so.

But within that range, I wonder where might be fun to go? DC might make a nice Autumn trip, and we could go nuts in The Smithsonian. Or Niagara Falls, NY (we could cross over to the Canadian side on our own).

Some not-too-far places that I've yet to visit as an adult:

Baltimore
Philadelphia (was there at age 3, which doesn't count)
Atlantic City, NJ (Boardwalk! Frozen Custard!)
Long Island
Saratoga Springs, NY (heard it's gorgeous, good hiking)
Williamsburg, VA (was there at age 8 but remember little)

Wabbit is having a crummy day due to phone-gone-missing, so I'm sure he's in no mood to think about travel today. But no decision needs to be made any time soon anyway. Just fun to start thinking about.

Here's where Amtrak goes in the general Northeast area. Any suggestions or inspired ideas?

Comments

[noire.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on winning those! Awesome!

I lived in DC for years, and if you choose to go there I'll give you all the restaurant/museum info (because there's way more than Smithsonian.) It is a great tourist destination, but having lived there for years I see the downsides as well. Baltimore really isn't worth a weekend get away IMO--it does have a few charming neighborhoods, but they're good for an hour or so.

Williamsburg is Really Fun. If it weren't for my suggestion below, I would say Williamburg for sure. It's got the cool living history and the buildings are fascinating, and you can see people actually doing the work/crafts of the era. In the evening there are candle light tours of the State House and the Governor's Mansion. Eat under the grape arbor at Chownings Tavern and then go inside for the "gambols" in the evening, where people sing and there are period games to play. Had a delightful evening there! And for white table cloth dining there is Sally Lun's and the Kings Arms tavern. (All the food is excellent and delicious, but Colonial American. Chownings is where I first discovered apple pie with cheddar cheese.) And if that's not enough (and really, there is plenty to do and see and eat) there is a huge outlet place very nearby and also Roanoke (I believe there are buses/groups to both of those that you could pick up from your hotel.)

But I would say Philadelphia! Yeah, strange call I know. I never even thought about Philly except as a stop on Amtrak between Boston and DC (I've done the ride many times) and a few years ago I was hosted by the Philadelphia Science Fiction Association for a weekend program. And it was GRAND. The restaurants are MAGNIFICENT. I was totally blown away by the food (and I will happily give you a list of recommendations there.) The Art Institute has one of the best collections of Impressionists in the US along with a really stunning modern collection.

And there's a pretty, quaint colonial section of the city, very different from Boston of the same era.

I'm actually hoping to get back there one of these days soonish.

Anyway, there couldn't have been any one better to win that prize! Have a great time.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Oh my, you make all of them sound so tempting! Surprised about Philly. I just never think about it much, but it sounds from the above like it has a lot to offer. Williamsburg, too! I'm a sucker for that living history stuff. :-)

[ayelle.livejournal.com]

I grew up in Philly, and I will say it's a wonderful place to visit. (Much better to visit than to live there!) But the tourist stuff is awesome. I absolutely adore walking around Old Town, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art is better than the MFA (IMHO). I sort of burned out on all that Founding Fathers tourist stuff when I was in elementary school going on field trips every year -- but then when I came back to it as an adult not too long ago, I realized how cool it all actually is.

[ayelle.livejournal.com]

And the food is much better than it was when I was a kid. I went to some fancy restaurants downtown a couple years ago, just before my parents moved to Austin, and indeed, there were some amazing places to eat.