# Thoughts on my plan?? Help needed



## musikdude (May 30, 2012)

Here is the plan for my trip with my best friend (a huge train buff):

Day one: Travel from LAX to ABQ (about $250 for 2 people in roomette)

Day two: Overnight in ABQ (less than $100)

Day three: Spend 15k points for one zone roomette - go from ABQ to LAX

Day four: Continue from LAX to PDX

Day five: Continue from PDX to WPT (end of 15k AGR ticket)-

Spend 20k points for two zone roomette - go from WPT to CHI

Day six: Continue from CHI to WAS

Day seven: Continue from WAS to MIA

Day eight: Arrive MIA (end of 20k ticket AGR ticket)

Total of about $350 and 35k AGR points for 6 nights and 8 days on the train in a roomette (plus one hotel night)!!

My friend is paying for the tickets to ABQ and the one night hotel, about $350 total. I am providing the 35k AGR points!!

After we arrive in MIA, we go separate ways...

My main question is "Any reason to spend the night in Wolf Point???" since that is the zone city and is possible.

My second question is "Is spending the $350 to go to ABQ a good value to get 2 more nights on the train? Or just overkill??"

My third question is "Any other suggested way to route this (using the 35k points I have)??"

Any other advice/tips encouraged!!!

THANKS!!!


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## the_traveler (May 30, 2012)

Although WPT is a zone boundary, and I admit that I've only been thru on the EB, from what I've seen - it is nothing! If you blink, you'll miss the "station"! There must be a town somewhere, but i do not know how big it is.

The only reason that WPT is a zone boundary is that it is (relatively) in a straight line with the other boundary cities. (ELP, ABQ and DEN)

I think your routing is good. The only other suggestion I can think of is first going LA to El Paso, then go ELP-LAX-PDX-WPT for 1 zone! But I don't know 1) if you want to, 2) if that would be more and 3) if that can be done easily. (Remember that the SL only operates 3 days a week.)


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## Swadian Hardcore (May 30, 2012)

How about LAX-PDX-CHI-WAS-NOL-LAX? Possibly stop at WPT or ELP to take advantage of your AGR points.


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## JayPea (May 30, 2012)

the_traveler said:


> Although WPT is a zone boundary, and I admit that I've only been thru on the EB, from what I've seen - it is nothing! If you blink, you'll miss the "station"! There must be a town somewhere, but i do not know how big it is.



Hey, now! Don't be dissin' Wolf Point!!!! :angry:    Wolf Point is the birthplace/hometown of two major league baseball players, an NFL football player, and TWO members of the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame!!!!! Can Kingston say that??? I didn't think so!!!!   

Just messin' with ya, Traveler. The population of Wolf Point as of the 2010 census was 2,621. I don't know what they have in the way of accomodations, but there must be a few motels to choose from, as Wolf Point is located along US Highway 2. I think your routing looks good. Looks like a good trip for me to take some day!


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## Bob Dylan (May 30, 2012)

:hi: Great idea and Trip! I'm envious and Ive done this a couple of times!  Think I'd skip the LAX-ABQ trip on the SWC and do LAX-PDX-WPT on the Starlight/Empire Builder (1 Zone Award)/then WPT-CHI-WAS-MIA on the Builder/CL/Meteor (or Cardinal which only runs three days a week and youd have to do a Thruway bus from Charlottsville to Richmond to catch the Meteor to MIA)for a 2 Zone Award! Ya'll could save the Money youd spend on the ABQ Trip for MIA and Florida which can be Pricey but fun!!!


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## the_traveler (May 30, 2012)

JayPea said:


> 1338417687[/url]' post='370557']
> 
> 
> the_traveler said:
> ...


Why do you think that they moved away?


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## Devil's Advocate (May 30, 2012)

It's unfortunate that Wolf Point is considered an active boundary in the same vein of Denver or El Paso.


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## Trainut (May 31, 2012)

You might try www.wolfpoint.com It looks as if it has 3 motels.


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## the_traveler (May 31, 2012)

Trainut said:


> 1338439454[/url]' post='370639']You might try www.wolfpoint.com It looks as if it has 3 motels.


3 motels? WOW! They don't even call them hotels! Some cities have 3 hotels on 1 corner!





I don't know if it's still true, but about 15 years ago in Las Vegas, NV - just on the corner of Tropicana and the Strip, there were more hotel rooms on that one corner than in ALL of Boston combined


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## gatelouse (May 31, 2012)

I counted 7 nights, not 6. Did I err?

I have no doubt that you'd each individually love an 8-day train trip. But consider that an extended journey in the close quarters of a roomette, lounge notwithstanding, might be challenging even for the best of friends.


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## musikdude (Jun 1, 2012)

gatelouse said:


> I counted 7 nights, not 6. Did I err?
> 
> I have no doubt that you'd each individually love an 8-day train trip. But consider that an extended journey in the close quarters of a roomette, lounge notwithstanding, might be challenging even for the best of friends.


I'm lucky b/c my friend spends almost the whole day in the observation car! I get the room to myself most of the time! 

The biggest battle is deciding who is stuck with the top bunk!

And yes it is actually a 7 night trip (6 nights on train/8 days on train) b/c one night is in a hotel.


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## gatelouse (Jun 1, 2012)

I'm still counting 7 nights on train even with the night in the hotel. Check the Empire Builder leg in your itinerary--I think you dropped a night.


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## Ispolkom (Jun 5, 2012)

musikdude said:


> My main question is "Any reason to spend the night in Wolf Point???" since that is the zone city and is possible.


I'd wonder if you could get a motel room in Wolf Point. It's less than a hundred miles west of Williston, the center of North Dakota's oil boom. I know that 125 miles east of Williston in Minot housing is so tight that people are living in campers in store parking lots. In the winter. In North Dakota. (Though of course last year's flood didn't help the housing shortage.)

Even if you can find a place to stay in Wolf Point, it's far from my favorite place on the Hi Line. I'd prefer Shelby, Havre, or even Malta. Glasgow, not so much.


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## m (Jun 21, 2012)

Ispolkom said:


> musikdude said:
> 
> 
> > My main question is "Any reason to spend the night in Wolf Point???" since that is the zone city and is possible.
> ...


I decided just to do LAX to WolfPoint for 15k then WolfPoint to Miami for 20k- don't even have to switch cars!! 5 nights/6 days!! alot of free food!! 

Plus I save about $350 not going to ABQ and back...


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## PJnVA (Jul 7, 2012)

Looks like you and your friend will have an awesome trip. I did round trip 8 train night (1 hotel night in PDX) 10 day WAS-CHI-EMY-PDX-CHI-WAS with my adult son in March. With only the PDX to CHI segment being in a bedroom.  It was one of the best vacations I ever had. Met up with my sister in Whitefish and she got off in MKE. Don't worry about the roomette being tight you really only use it to sleep. Have a grand time


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