# AutoTrain R.T. w/ Family in tow....



## rrdude (Apr 24, 2011)

The scariest part about traveling on AutoTrain (AT) is the thought of getting to your terminal late, and missing the train. They take the last car check-in at 3:00pm, and want the last SUV checked no later than 2:00pm. It's not like you can just "hang out" in Lorton, VA or Sanford, FL and "catch" the AT the next day. At least not during their busy season you can't. You miss it? Enjoy the drive.

Two Sets of Pix of Sanford, FL AutoTrain Station

That is just a little more stress than I'm used to traveling Amtrak, as I am usually arriving at the station less than ten minutes before my train is scheduled to depart. Smart? No way. But that's me.

As it was, DC traffic last Friday wasn't too hateful, and we arrived with our Honda Pilot, and rear-mounted-bike-rack at 2:15pm. In time for the train, but too late to get a good dinner seating. After turning over our Pilot to the Amtrak car jockeys, we waited with the rest of the Mouse-Bound hordes until about 2:45pm. Boarding with AT is always smooth, as everyone seems to know exactly where to go, and the signage on the platforms in both Lorton and Sanford are pretty accurate.

With our un-welcomed 9:00pm dinner reservations in hand, we boarded our Deluxe Sleeper, the Graham Claytor Jr., and soon found our double bedroom was ready, with the partition between the rooms hidden away.

I quickly popped my trusty power strip into the wall, and soon all of the kids iPod's were charging up. The Lorton station's wireless worked well, until we departed, about a half an hour early.

Our SCA came by, asked if we'd traveled on the AT before, and after informing him that we did, he excused himself and left to attend other passengers. What I forget was that the AT's lounge was now open, and serving wine and light snacks. We finally traipsed down there, and were lucky enough to find a booth for the five of us. After several glasses of the complimentary wine, we retired back to our bedroom(s), to await the call for 9:00pm dinner.

I had to wake up everyone in my family for dinner. The twins, eleven, were just plain tired, the wine had taken it's toll on my wife, and my teenage son never misses an opportunity to "nap".

My wife ordered the fish "Turbo" for dinner, took one bite, and asked for something different. I ordered the Beef Tournados, medium rare, and they came VERY well done. As is par for most of Amtrak's diners, the veggies were so overcooked neither my wife or I touched them. When my wife's replacement Beef Tournados came, hers was done medium rare, just as she asked, the veggies were, well, what's the point.

Kids enjoyed their meals, especially desserts, Jello, cheesecake, hard to go wrong with those choices. It was a short dinner, and after tipping twenty bucks for the five of us, we returned to our bedrooms, which had been made up in our absence.

Track seemed smoother to me than in the past, maybe it was the wine......

Breakfast was uneventful, bananas, dry cereal, muffins-rolls, OJ, and coffee. Again, we were early arriving into Sanford. The new station is beautiful, and WHAT AN IMPROVEMENT.

While we've always been lucky with our Honda Pilot or Van being unloaded rather early, this time lady luck was not on our side. We were the fourth from last car unloaded. Since we were early it didn't matter that much, as we still had 3+ hours to go to Ft. Myers Beach, FL.


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## pennyk (Apr 24, 2011)

I hope you had a nice vacation in Ft. Myers Beach. As you probably realize, the traffic on I-4 between Tampa and Orlando is awful.

Was the auto train full of families going to Florida for spring break and snow birds returning home (northbound)?


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## rrdude (Apr 24, 2011)

pennyk said:


> I hope you had a nice vacation in Ft. Myers Beach. As you probably realize, the traffic on I-4 between Tampa and Orlando is awful.
> 
> Was the auto train full of families going to Florida for spring break and snow birds returning home (northbound)?


DEF full of families headed for Mickey-Land, and a mix of returning Sno-Birds and Easter Break vacationers.
Our GPS _correctly_ routed us _around_ I-4 on the outbound trip, but I "didn't trust the GPS" on the way back, and got caught up in the I-4 mess. I bailed for Sand Lake Rd, and got to Lorton with Plenty of Time to spare.....

We were only on I-4 for a short 20-40 miles of so, headed south on a two lane highway just west of Orlando.......


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## pennyk (Apr 24, 2011)

rrdude said:


> pennyk said:
> 
> 
> > I hope you had a nice vacation in Ft. Myers Beach. As you probably realize, the traffic on I-4 between Tampa and Orlando is awful.
> ...


sounds like you might have been on US 27, which is how the route I took last time I went to the Ft. Myers area. I try to avoid I-4 whenever I can.


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