# Advice needed: What are the best small town stops on the Amtrak System



## Blackshirt Husker (Jun 25, 2011)

Hello all- I have AGR points to burn, and I'd like to get your recommendations about small town stops on Amtrak long distance routes that would be quiet and fun for 1 or 2 days. Distance is not important, but for this trip I'd like to visit towns with access to basic shopping, fast food, a tourist attraction or two--in other words, nothing TOO rustic, but definitely not along the lines of a big city like LA or Minneapolis. I'm most interested in stops along LD routes that originate in Chicago. Thanks in advance!


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## Dovecote (Jun 26, 2011)

Dwight K. Schrute said:


> Hello all- I have AGR points to burn, and I'd like to get your recommendations about small town stops on Amtrak long distance routes that would be quiet and fun for 1 or 2 days. Distance is not important, but for this trip I'd like to visit towns with access to basic shopping, fast food, a tourist attraction or two--in other words, nothing TOO rustic, but definitely not along the lines of a big city like LA or Minneapolis. I'm most interested in stops along LD routes that originate in Chicago. Thanks in advance!


Let me suggest my old stomping grounds of Harpers Ferry, WV (HFY). HFY is served by the Capitol Limited. The small town has a lot to offer. Check this site for pertinent information you requested. Some of the b&b's, like Laurel Lodge, provide transportation to and from the train station. You can also rent a car from Enterprise at nearby Charles Town. They will pick you up at the station. Just make arrangements in advance for this pickup. Charles Town also has several more lodging options and Hollywood Casino if you care to try your luck at the tables or slots.


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## TN Tin Man (Jun 26, 2011)

Glenwood Springs Colorado.

It's about 22 hours out of Chicago on the California Zephyr. On the west end of the Rockies.

The Colorado River runs through town, Hot Springs, a nice (walk around) downtown right at the station, and plenty of hotels and places to eat (even fast food). It is a tourist town but I think well worth a day of two.


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## HotlantaAl (Jun 26, 2011)

Savannah Georgia would be my recommendation.

Historic river walk section with lots of restaurants and shops. Riverboat tours, somewhat close to the beach and you have six daily Amtrak trains for that station.

Only downside is there is no direct train from Chicago.


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## Shanghai (Jun 26, 2011)

What about Galesburg, IL? I have heard several AU'ers say they like to

transfer trains there and enjoy the sites and restaurants.


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## The Davy Crockett (Jun 26, 2011)

You could take The Cardiinal to Alexandria, VA. While a part of the Greater Washington Region, Alexandria has its own identity. It is an historic seaport town that has lots of charm and history. Our Amtrak station is conveniently located at the western end of Old Town and is a really nice station. If you wanted to do a circuit you could either take Metro to WAS and catch the Capitol Ltd., or catch a NER from ALX to NYP and take The LSL to CHI.


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## Cascadia (Jun 26, 2011)

Which small towns do you guys like on the Empire Builder route? Where the train stops right in town and you can just walk to where you are staying and walk everywhere.

For a long time I was fascinated with the idea of Sandpoint, Idaho and toyed with the idea of moving there. If I ever moved to a place that small I would have to be self employed already though.

My main consideration for a place to stop over would be that there is no need for a car.

Oh - more so than the Empire Builder line, what about the Coast Starlight? Suggestions for the best overnight in the southern end of the route for the safest place to walk around, easiest station access on foot, low crime?

Hope my questions are okay on your thread Dwight! Thanks for starting it!


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## MikefromCrete (Jun 26, 2011)

Red Wing, Minn., on the EB route is a nice little town with a restored hotel within walking distance of the station, an attractive downtown, the Red Wing shoe factory, and even a casino. A nice ride from Chicago. The 20th Century Railroad Club of Chicago runs a yearly excursion to the town.


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## Railroad Bill (Jun 26, 2011)

On the Coast Starlight we like Santa Barbara. The train station is downtown and right along the beach-pier. Lots of places to visit that you can walk to. Museums, art shops, restaurants and nice atmosphere for walking or biking on the boardwalk trails. Plenty of Amtrak trains to meet your scheduling needs--Surfliners and CS trains abound.


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## alang (Jun 26, 2011)

Let me also recommend Glenwood Springs, CO (but Fraser-Winter Park is not bad either.) Hotels, Restaurants, shopping, etc. all within walking distance from the Amtrak Station. Scenery is not bad either. Enjoy!


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## HeadingNorth (Jun 26, 2011)

Granted, it's not a one-seat ride on the Lake Shore anymore, but I'd recommend Hudson, NY (south of Albany)--a small town on the river, nestled between two mountain ranges. The whole town extends maybe a mile uphill, and there are a bunch of antique shops and restaurants. There's a small hotel in town though I forget the name, and the main street and diner have been in several movies. As a side note, it's the oldest active train station in New York State.


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## City of Miami (Jun 26, 2011)

Cascadia - San Luis Obispo is a sweet little town - AAMOF I'm thinking of moving there! The Amtrak station is very central to downtown which is easy to walk and interesting. There is a super famers' market every Thursday night with vendors and entertainment and lots of folk parading around. Most of the hotels tend to be clustered around the exits from highway 101. Local transit is pretty good and you can get to Los Osos and Pismo Beach on it. And of course, all important, there are 2 Surfliners plus the Coast Starlight everyday!


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## Bob Dylan (Jun 26, 2011)

Charlotsville, Va. is Highly Recommended as is Harpers Ferry!! If You want to be in the Midwest Glennwood Springs is Outstanding, I liked Galesburg Also! Any of the West Coast Stops in Oregon/California NOT in Major Cities are Pretty Nice, and I suggest Santa Barbara even IF it is Large, it's a Great Place! Flagstaff,AZ/GrandCanyon is Another, Just Dont Go in the Summer! :lol: Special Consideration to Alpine,Texas, my Birthplace and a nice Little Mountain Town on the Sunset Ltd. Route! :wub:

Taking the Downeaster to Portland ,Maine wouldnt be too Shabby Either as well as the Small Cities on the Adirondack Route North of Albany around the Beauitful Lake! There's a Million of 'em!!!


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## Grandpa D (Jun 26, 2011)

Wisconsin Dells, WI (WDL), assuming the EB stub is still running. Very touristy and lots to do there. Although much is spread out, most attractions have shuttles from the downtown. I'm not sure of hotels/motels near Amtrak. Hotels.com doesn't show anything closer than 10 blocks.


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## saxman (Jun 26, 2011)

Along the Empire Builder, I'd say Whitefish, MT. For a short trip from Chicago, Wisconsin Dells is a great stop with many attractions right in walking distance from the station. Some of the resort hotels will also pick you up at the station.

Grand Junction is also a pretty nice town along the CZ.


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## Montanan (Jun 26, 2011)

Of course, it largely depends on how far you're going, but there are lots of good choices out there. On the Empire Builder, Whitefish is a great small town ... and Leavenworth, Washington would be lots of fun. Spokane is a very pleasant, somewhat larger city. If you're going in the summer, East Glacier would be pretty cool, too.

For the California Zephyr, I definitely concur with the Glenwood Springs suggestion. Going farther west, I really like Truckee, California ... and if you want someplace a little bigger there's always Reno.

Or you could head for New Mexico on the Southwest Chief. I personally like Las Vegas, New Mexico a lot. Gallup is a little gritty, but full of Route 66-style atmosphere. Flagstaff, Arizona is a pleasant and somewhat hip college town. And I quite like Albuquerque -- if that's too big for you, though, you could take the train there and then connect to one of the New Mexico Rail Runner trains up to Santa Fe.


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## coachseats (Jun 26, 2011)

+1 on Las Vegas, NM. I really enjoyed my visit a few years ago, a very walkable town with two nice "downtown" areas w/shopping and eats, historic hotels, museum, college, historic homes, etc. Right on the edge of the NM mountains. Also the site of filiming for a number of movies over the years. It is kind of a combination of old west, Mexico, mountains, and victorian elegance all in one spot.


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## Anderson (Jun 27, 2011)

Where are you going from? Out west, I like Flagstaff; in the east, Charlottesville is very nice; Savannah is fine as well; Alexandria can be nice as well, but it _is_ by DC. You might also consider Portland, ME if you can get there (I hear it is nice).


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## pebbleworm (Jun 27, 2011)

For a small town. I'll put in a plug for Fort Madison, Iowa. Not a lot there, but it's a very pretty town with decent food by Iowa standards and right on the river. Most of it is walkable, and there are astonishingly cheap local cabs. Looking out the train window I've been intrigued by Las Vegas, NM.


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## GPSTraveler (Jun 27, 2011)

I can't beleive nobody has mentioned Dodge City, KS on the Southwest Chief route, well because its the REAL Dodge City! And yes, of course it is very touristy but all the remaining wild west towns are.

And don't forget about Williams Junction, AZ also on the Southwest Chief. The Grand Canyon can be found there!


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## Rail Freak (Jun 27, 2011)

Saratoga Springs, NY. I havent been there by train yet but worked there in the summer in my younger days. Very historical & has the oldest horse track in the country, Saratoga Downs ( opens 6 weeks in the summer) I'll be there by Amtrak soon!!!


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## TraneMan (Jun 27, 2011)

On the Empire Builder is Red Wing (RDW). The station is right downtown, and a walk up the hill, and you have the historic St James Hotel, and many historic store fronts. Red Wing kept the small town look and shop, and keep the big box outside of town on the north end.


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## FunNut (Jun 27, 2011)

On the Southwest Chief route: Flagstaff AZ and Lamy NM. Lamy is the gateway to Santa Fe. Both these stations are very old and a wonderful experience for just walking around. There's a shuttle bus that meets the Chiefs at Lamy and goes to/from Santa Fe. An alternative would be taking the Rail Runner commuter train out of Albuquerque to/from Santa Fe .


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## JoanieBlon (Jun 27, 2011)

Although I've never stopped off there on a train trip, I was VERY impressed with Spokane Washington when I visited there a number of years ago for a convention. I thought the city was really lovely, with its Riverfront Park and the Spokane Falls right downtown. It's a very cosmopolitan city, with museums, art galleries, and loads of interesting restaurants downtown. I've always thought I'd like to go back there for a visit. 

Spokane was the site of the 1974 World's Fair ~ the smallest city ever to host one at that time.


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## City of Miami (Jun 27, 2011)

I spent 2 weeks in Charlottesville VA 3 yrs ago and enjoyed it very much - also considering moving there  .

Plus I took a 3 day side trip to Charleston WV which I enjoyed. The station in both towns is central to lots of other things. The Kanawha River and state capital are beautiful and, in Charlottesville, the U of Va is very picturesque and Romantic. Charleston is a little bit remote for me with only 3X/week service.


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## Train2104 (Jun 27, 2011)

Don't forget if you choose Harper's Ferry (or Martinsburg) there's rush hour peak direction commuter rail service into DC and its suburbs.


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## Blackshirt Husker (Jun 28, 2011)

This thread is an example of why this site is the best: MANY great ideas, and I'm researching all of them. Thanks everyone--now the only challenge will be deciding which town to choose, and that's a very good problem to have.


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## Cascadia (Jun 28, 2011)

So many great replies to this question, like Dwight said! I came back and here was two pages of great suggestions. Was glad to hear Santa Barbara mentioned as an idea for a stop on the Coast Starlight. I have definitely thought of using points to go there for a night or two.

Nice to hear people saying good things about Spokane too. I was at the Worlds Fair in the early seventies when I was a kid, other than that changed trains there once, haven't spent any time there. I keep meeting nice people who are from there though. Might be fun to take a look around . .

THANKS you guys for all your great ideas!


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## Philzy (Jun 28, 2011)

I'll have to vote for Charlottesville, VA as well. I grew up there. If you have time to spare this is one of those cities you can just walk around and get lost in the history. It's big enough that you won't run out of stuff to do but small enough you won't feel like you're a grain of sand at the beach.

The original Main Street has been bricked over and turned into a pedestrian mall, known as the Downtown Mall- they've since planted trees in the middle and it's just well, quaint. All the old buildings along main street from the early 1900s still line the street yet new businesses and restaurants occupy them. At the West end their is a concert pavilion and every Friday they have "Friday's After Five" where after 5pm a huge turn out of the population comes out for a free concert. Usually they have a beer truck or two also 

Charlottesville is unique in the fact that probably more than 75% of the businesses there are "mom and pop" shops, not chains, and if they are a chain it's locally owned, not by a mega corporation. You'll still find chipotle and mcdonalds but the majority of places are individually owned and operated and everyone who lives there understands that you need to support local business in order to keep the local economy flowing. It's been rated as one of the best places to start your own business and succeed.

At the East end of the Downtown Mall is my favorite restaurant "Es Cafe" serving awesome original dishes and a full bar. You can stay at the Omni hotel which is adjacent to the Downtown Mall which is pretty neat, across from this is a indoor ice skating rink too.

The Boars Head Inn is also a nice place to stay and they used to do a lot of Hot Air Balloon launching from there as well... Def something worth doing so you can take in the scenery and see how Charlottesville is nestled in between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Appalachians.

You'll of course want to do some history sight seeing as well, you're in the prime spot if you're there - Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home (back of every Nickle) is down the street as is Ash Lawn, home of James Monroe. And, of course you can't go up there without stopping in for a bite n drink at Michie's Tavern; an 18th Century Inn.

If you're a wine person you can of course check out the abundance of vineyards in the area as well, Virginia actually boasts a large number of well know vineyards.

Charlottesville even has it's own Observatory! McCormick Observatory.

If you're an art person you may want to check out the McGuffy Art Gallery as well. If you like races, you might want to conincide your trip with the Fox Field Races, its a spectacle in itself.

As for resturants and bars there's so many, but I think my top favorite ones would be

Es Cafe

La Cocina del Sol

C & O Restaurant (upscale)They make the Best Greyhound Drink, fresh squeezed juice for a mixer!

The White Spot (Good greasy Cheese Burger sometimes cooked by Elvis, the one that didn't leave the building)

Tokyo Rose if you like Sushi

Revolutionary Soup for the best of fresh made soup daily n more.

If you're feeling mexican check out Guadalajara.

and what Charlottesville adventure is complete without a trip to the FAMOUS Bodo's where the bagels are always warm and fresh when you order.

You'll also want to check out St Maarten, ZoCaLo, Star Hill, Orbit Billyards and South Street Brewery as some of the great watering holes.

Omni Hotel

Boars Head Inn

Monticello

Ash Lawn

Michie Tavern

McCormick Observatory

Fox Field Races

Virginia Wine

The orginal C & O Station still stands but has been turned into a business center still kind of neat to see, and it's at the end of the Downtown Mall.

That should keep ya busy for a bit, hope this helps!


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## jb64 (Jul 2, 2011)

Would also recommend Charlottesville, VA for all the reason already listed, and it is the home of The University of Virginia (my alma mater). If you are interested in even smaller, I would recommend Staunton, VA which is one stop before Charlottesville on the Cardinal. Staunton is a great Victorian town with several B & B's and a restored roaring 20's hotel all within walking distance of the station. It also boasts a world-class Shakespeare theatre as well as many other great attractions. If you rent a car, nearby is the Shenandoah National Park for beautiful mountain vistas as well as many historic sites. You can google it for more info.


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## chandj (Jul 2, 2011)

Greensburg, PA is a nice little place with a cute downtown, a mall if you need one, (and a liquor store within walking distance of the station). There is also a very nice restaurant that shares the station.


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## D T Nelson (Jul 2, 2011)

It's not exactly a small town stop, but one could easily spend a couple of days at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. The Amtrak station is about two miles east of the museum (although I've never walked it and it doesn't look too pedestrian-friendly from the map). There appear to be several reasonable hotels near the museum, although only a couple look walkable from the museum.

(On second thought, it IS a small town stop -- part of the Henry Ford Museum is Greenfield Village, a small town of historic buildings moved from their original sites to Dearborn. These historic buildings include Edison's laboratory and the Wright Cycle Company.)

I'm not sure what else there is to do in Dearborn, as all I've ever done in that town is go to the Henry Ford Museum (three times, so far).


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## JayPea (Jul 2, 2011)

JoanieBlon said:


> Although I've never stopped off there on a train trip, I was VERY impressed with Spokane Washington when I visited there a number of years ago for a convention. I thought the city was really lovely, with its Riverfront Park and the Spokane Falls right downtown. It's a very cosmopolitan city, with museums, art galleries, and loads of interesting restaurants downtown. I've always thought I'd like to go back there for a visit.
> 
> Spokane was the site of the 1974 World's Fair ~ the smallest city ever to host one at that time.



I have to give Spokane a plug as well. Of course, I'm biased.......I've lived within an hour or so of Spokane all my life. <_< For railroad buffs, the Clock Tower in Riverfront Park was once part of the Great Northern Railway depot, which was torn down to make way for Expo '74. Thank goodness a large group of conservation advocates fought to save the Clock Tower. To see a representative sampling of the sights around Spokane, rent a car and take the City Drive, a 32 mile driving tour of the area.


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## Everydaymatters (Jul 3, 2011)

This thread has given me a lot of information and I hate to see it fade into oblivion. I'd like to be able to find what all of you have said about the Best Small Towns any time I get the urge to take a trip.

I feel there are probably plenty others who feel as I do.

This forum has a spot that I'd enourage all of the above folks to post on to tell about their favorite places. It's called "What to See and Where" and is divided into sections of the country.

That way all of this valuable information you've all given us won't end up on page 1000.

Thanks,

Betty


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## RailFanLNK (Jul 3, 2011)

Glenwood Springs CO hands down! Their city bus service is free, the town is only around 6000 people, beautiful train trip going to and from GSC, little to no crime, no pollution and lots of small stores to shop/browse at. Really cool Hot Springs Pool too! Railfan? Hotel Denver! Budget traveller? Glenwood Motor Lodge! Barebones traveller? Glenwood Springs Hostel!

www.glenwoodchamber.com has lots of info!


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