Recent content by MARC Rider

On some travel videos I saw, it looked like the Stevens Pass route had some nice snow-covered craggy mountain type scenery, but given that 8 leaves Seattle at 4:55 PM, you're only going to see it in the high summer, otherwise it will be dark. On my trip last November, we left Seattle 3-4 hours...

I once experienced an Amtrak meltdown, and I wrote a snail-mail letter (on paper! with my signature handwritten in ink!) to Joseph Boardman (the Amtrak CEO at the time) with copies of my ticket stubs and asked for some restitution. I also included copies of a large number of ticket stubs for...

I'm not so sure about that. My last cafe car sandwich (on the Northeast Regional) had too much bread and not enough filling, and the bread was on the verge of being stale. The hot sandwiches might be good, except that too many times they are microwaved right in the wrapper, which makes a mess...

Seems like Senator Schumer and Rep. Stefanik are both taking credit for this. Did they actually do anything? Perhaps they (or their staff) privately leaned on Amtrak to fork over the $$$ to CN for the repairs. Well at least CN is willing to take money to make the repairs and let the Amtrak...

One thing worth looking at is whether one can get some more day trains along the A Line in the Carolinas. I've driven I-95 through there and despite the fact that the cities aren't large, the traffic is horrendous. Also, when I ride the Palmetto from Savannah, there's a lot people getting on...

Boston doesn't have a bag storage area either, but you can leave your bags with the redcap who is stationed at the door to the lounge. He'll either put it on a baggage cart or store it at the foot of the stairs behind the locked door to the lounge. The service is free, but it's customary to...

When you say "ship meals," do you distinguish between meals served on cruise ship and meals served on ships that are providing basic transportation (i.e., ferries.)? Elaborate dining on cruise ships is well known, but some of the travel videos I've seen of the Alaska State ferry seem to show a...

Drink service in coach is not guaranteed -- the flight might be too short or there might be turbulence the whole way. I wouldn't call a small bag of pretzels, which is what I seem to usually get, a "snack." I think the airlines have discovered that they can run profitably with essentially...

I think it was designed to break up into pieces large enough for the cranes to pick them up, and they're going to clear the debris as soon as they get the ship out of the way and back to the dock.

They have "hot summer months" in San Diego? On my last trip there, in the middle of June, I neglected to bring a fleece jacket with me. I will never make that mistake again. Had the same thing happen to me on a June trip to LA.

Most coach passengers on US domestic flights don't get meals included in the fare, and there are limited options for sale. But they still serve food on intercontinental flights. Here's an example from my 2017 trip to China on United Airlines: This was lunch/dinner out of Dulles. I think...

While I get what you're trying to say, from the accounts I've read of the Santa Fe Super Chief and my experience riding Amtrak's Southwest Chief, Empire Builder, and California Zephyr (equivalent to the Sunset Limited), I gather that even the best of Amtrak's offerings does not compare with the...

As someone who was a semi-regular airline passenger between 1971 and 1978 (before airline deregulation), I can assure you that the food served to coach passengers, though much better than what is (or is not) served now, was not "the kind of luxury usually afforded cruise passengers -- or a Bond...

Not only is it 16-20 hours over flat terrain, but there's a market of people who are staying over long enough to make it worth their while to bring their car along rather than rent one. Maybe Chicago - New Oerleans might work, though I don't think there are as many snowbirds going to that part...

I've never seen OBS in the upstairs part of the Sightseer Lounge, so I've never seen anyone getting dinged for eating their personal food there.