Pontiac IL to Fort Worth TX round trip on the Texas Eagle

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Just left Fort Worth TX, and we have SCA Andre again! Our bedroom this time has a wiggly jump seat. Waiting to make our dinner reservation. Debating whether or not to walk to the dining car. The hubby would like to have it delivered to the room. We compromised: if we have supper delivered tonight, we will walk to the dining car for breakfast tomorrow.
 
Supper was delivered at about 6PM. The hubby ordered the butter chicken, which was the only dinner option we hadn't yet tried. The sauce was both sweet and spicy, and the rice tasted better than the cilantro rice which came with my salmon. I saw the coffee urn was still going when I threw out our supper trash; however, I found out the hard way that only the dregs were left. :(. A fresh pot was made soon afterwards, though, and it tasted much better.
Waiting for the beds to be made up now. Will ask for blankets, as we don't plan to use the top bunk.
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Supper was delivered at about 6PM. The hubby ordered the butter chicken, which was the only dinner option we hadn't yet tried. The sauce was both sweet and spicy, and the rice tasted better than the cilantro rice which came with my salmon. I saw the coffee urn was still going when I threw out our supper trash; however, I found out the hard way that only the dregs were left. :(. A fresh pot was made soon afterwards, though, and it tasted much better.
Waiting for the beds to be made up now. Will ask for blankets, as we don't plan to use the top bunk.
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Too bad you aren't able to utilize the upper bunk.
 
An excellent, filling hotel breakfast this morning. Killing time in the room until checkout. Subway at the station doesn't seem too bad now - anything to minimize walking in Illinois August heat in October! Definitely will inquire about the mini trolley to the platform for disabled and elderly passengers.
I'm curious as to which hotel you stayed in. I've stayed at the Embassy Suites and at the Sheraton, both at least 10 years ago so I don't know that what I have to say about them is accurate anymore. There is a Hilton about two blocks Northwest I've never tried; those two blocks are uphill and as I was on my own with luggage, didn't want to walk it.

OTOH, the Embassy Suites was something like 6 blocks away and I was ready to collapse when I got there. I chose it because I love the amenities Embassy Suites offers. If I ever try it again, I will bribe a taxi to take me. There were half a dozen taxis at the station then, all willing to give me directions, none willing to take me.

The Sheraton at the time didn't have the amenities ES has - BUT it did have a free shuttle to pick me up at the station and bring me back. There was a Country Inn & Suites farther away that would do that as well.

The closest, the Hilton 2 blocks away - if no taxi would take me to ES, they certainly wouldn't have taken me two blocks. I like Hiltons, but I am elderly and a bit disabled. I water walk at the gym, I indoor walk too, I use barbells, but I cannot walk two blocks uphill with luggage. When I travel Amtrak I get downstairs roomettes months in advance because it's difficult to negotiate the stairs, even without a backpack and/or a carryon.

Even though I'm a military brat, I detest flying. My mother took me on several Amtrak trips and I have been hooked since the first. I always look for a way to go Amtrak. Someday I will fulfill the trips she was never able to take, whatever the obstacles. Lol, she rode the Heartland Flyer once from Gainesville to OKC and back. I was mad at her for not even telling me at the time, much less not including me! She went there just to go.

I'm very grateful to read your experience and your reactions. I know the impulse to take a trip just to take a trip. You're retired and I love when people like us do things just for fun. I wish you more of this, and often! Thank you for sharing with us.
 
I'm curious as to which hotel you stayed in. I've stayed at the Embassy Suites and at the Sheraton, both at least 10 years ago so I don't know that what I have to say about them is accurate anymore. There is a Hilton about two blocks Northwest I've never tried; those two blocks are uphill and as I was on my own with luggage, didn't want to walk it.

OTOH, the Embassy Suites was something like 6 blocks away and I was ready to collapse when I got there. I chose it because I love the amenities Embassy Suites offers. If I ever try it again, I will bribe a taxi to take me. There were half a dozen taxis at the station then, all willing to give me directions, none willing to take me.

The Sheraton at the time didn't have the amenities ES has - BUT it did have a free shuttle to pick me up at the station and bring me back. There was a Country Inn & Suites farther away that would do that as well.

The closest, the Hilton 2 blocks away - if no taxi would take me to ES, they certainly wouldn't have taken me two blocks. I like Hiltons, but I am elderly and a bit disabled. I water walk at the gym, I indoor walk too, I use barbells, but I cannot walk two blocks uphill with luggage. When I travel Amtrak I get downstairs roomettes months in advance because it's difficult to negotiate the stairs, even without a backpack and/or a carryon.

Even though I'm a military brat, I detest flying. My mother took me on several Amtrak trips and I have been hooked since the first. I always look for a way to go Amtrak. Someday I will fulfill the trips she was never able to take, whatever the obstacles. Lol, she rode the Heartland Flyer once from Gainesville to OKC and back. I was mad at her for not even telling me at the time, much less not including me! She went there just to go.

I'm very grateful to read your experience and your reactions. I know the impulse to take a trip just to take a trip. You're retired and I love when people like us do things just for fun. I wish you more of this, and often! Thank you for sharing with us.
We stayed at the Hampton Inn -- that may be the "Hilton" you were thinking of, as it's part of the Hilton family of hotel chains and participates in the Hilton Honors program. We walked the 2 blocks there and back from the station -- but it was a much easier walk at 10:30AM Tuesday than it had been mid-afternoon Monday. If a 2-block walk is out of the question, one of the hotels further away BUT directly adjacent to one of the "Molly the Trolley" stops would probably be a better option. And definitely let the SCA know that you would like a ride on the "shuttle" from the platform to the station -- that alone is a 1/4 mile / 400m hike! (And nothing but "lean against" high benches to rest at along the way.)
 
Ran out of cellular data this morning, and couldn't connect to St Louis station Wi-Fi, so had to wait until I got home to post about today's journey. Tempted by the omelet and sausages the hubby had for breakfast on the southbound TE, but went with the blander Continental breakfast instead. The muffin was excellent, with a cinnamon streusel topping, and the instant oatmeal at least already had about the right amount of hot water pre-added by the dining car attendant. The yogurt serving was small but adequate, with the fruit already mixed in.
SCA Andre had already raised the top bunk (where we had put the used bedding) and emptied our trash by the time we returned to our room, during the LONG stop at St Louis. We could have drunk coffee in the room, or even have eaten lunch during the early shift (10:15AM), but just opted for more bottled water instead, as we were eager to get home. Arrived at Pontiac at about 11:40AM, pretty much on time. Concluding thoughts on the trip to follow.


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Well, I finally had some Mexican food for a meal this week -- but it wasn't until after we got home, via an El Monterrey microwave entree! ;)
Some final thoughts on this week's Texas Eagle trip:
-- There is a LOT one can do in Fort Worth, even just within the downtown area, and I would have loved for us to have had a couple more days to explore that city. Since the hubby and I are half the staff of our small law firm, however, it's very difficult to arrange that much time away from the office. For others who do have the time for a longer vacation, though, Fort Worth makes an excellent place to end a journey on the southbound Texas Eagle, if one doesn't wish to continue all the way to LA.
-- Our hotel (the Hampton Inn, just 2 blocks away from Fort Worth Central Station) was very comfortable, with thoughtful staff, an ideal room location near the elevator, and the best hotel breakfast we've ever had. However, if you aren't physically up to the walk from the station (especially if you weren't aware of the shuttle service for disabled & elderly passengers, to spare you that 1/4 mile walk from platform to station), a hotel immediately adjacent to one of "Molly the Trolley's" stops might be a better choice.
-- Consider carefully whether or not members of your party can manage a climb into the upper berth of a roomette or bedroom. The steps in a roomette may provide a more stable climb than the ladder in a bedroom, but eliminates the possibility of squeezing 2 people into the lower berth + jump seat, as we ended up doing. Having learned from this experience, the hubby and I will in future follow the advice of one of the Grounded Life Travel videos on YouTube, and book a pair of roomettes across from each other instead. (Also because we just didn't have enough room in the ensuite shower/toilet to do anything other than #1.)
--We quite enjoyed the Flexible Dining meals, whose menu had been recently changed (the old menu was still up on the Amtrak website this week). They were quite filling, and allowed us to sample some cuisine types we hadn't previously tried. Bear in mind, however, that neither of us had been in an Amtrak dining car (last year's Cafe Car on the regional trains doesn't count) in over 40 years, so we don't yet have a Traditional Dining experience to compare the Flex meals against. On the other hand, the big problem with Flexible Dining is that, with fewer choices, and the same choices to pick from for both lunch and supper, repeat meals can quickly become an issue, especially on round trips on the same route or trips on multiple routes with Flexible Dining. I have read elsewhere in these forums that on the CONO, the "flex meals" consist of "free" Cafe Car chow for sleeping car passengers. Adding "free" (with sleeper ticket purchase) Cafe Car chow to the regular Flexible Dining options would increase the available choices, especially for those on special diets or with food allergies. Traditional Dining, however (as we saw from a Sunset Limited menu left in a lower-level roomette) will doubtless be superior, at least because more options = fewer repeats.
--Getting a little exercise during one's trip can help stave off the boredom drowsies and sore, creaky joints from sitting in one spot too long. BUT the two main options are either climbing downstairs to the platform during a fresh air break, or walking the length of the train to & from meals. Either one must negotiate those incredibly skinny stairs multiple times, and quickly reboard so one doesn't get left behind, or one must stagger from seat back headrest to seat back headrest through the coach cars if heading to a meal on a moving train. There are risks attached to either option!
An overnight on the Eaglette each way to/from Fort Worth was a good "learning experience" for the hubby and me, and we will bear the lessons learned in mind when planning our next Amtrak vacation.
 
Thank you so much for your Texas Eagle trip report. (It appears that you made this trip for the experience of the train ride itself and not specifically to visit Fort Worth.) We particularly liked the fact that you posted updates at regular intervals. (We looked forward to each new post to learn how the trip was progressing.) We also appreciated your insightful comments on the flex meals you ordered. All in all, the information you provided in your report will be very useful to someone thinking about making this same trip.

Eric & Pat
 
Well, I finally had some Mexican food for a meal this week -- but it wasn't until after we got home, via an El Monterrey microwave entree! ;)
Some final thoughts on this week's Texas Eagle trip:
-- There is a LOT one can do in Fort Worth, even just within the downtown area, and I would have loved for us to have had a couple more days to explore that city. Since the hubby and I are half the staff of our small law firm, however, it's very difficult to arrange that much time away from the office. For others who do have the time for a longer vacation, though, Fort Worth makes an excellent place to end a journey on the southbound Texas Eagle, if one doesn't wish to continue all the way to LA.
-- Our hotel (the Hampton Inn, just 2 blocks away from Fort Worth Central Station) was very comfortable, with thoughtful staff, an ideal room location near the elevator, and the best hotel breakfast we've ever had. However, if you aren't physically up to the walk from the station (especially if you weren't aware of the shuttle service for disabled & elderly passengers, to spare you that 1/4 mile walk from platform to station), a hotel immediately adjacent to one of "Molly the Trolley's" stops might be a better choice.
-- Consider carefully whether or not members of your party can manage a climb into the upper berth of a roomette or bedroom. The steps in a roomette may provide a more stable climb than the ladder in a bedroom, but eliminates the possibility of squeezing 2 people into the lower berth + jump seat, as we ended up doing. Having learned from this experience, the hubby and I will in future follow the advice of one of the Grounded Life Travel videos on YouTube, and book a pair of roomettes across from each other instead. (Also because we just didn't have enough room in the ensuite shower/toilet to do anything other than #1.)
--We quite enjoyed the Flexible Dining meals, whose menu had been recently changed (the old menu was still up on the Amtrak website this week). They were quite filling, and allowed us to sample some cuisine types we hadn't previously tried. Bear in mind, however, that neither of us had been in an Amtrak dining car (last year's Cafe Car on the regional trains doesn't count) in over 40 years, so we don't yet have a Traditional Dining experience to compare the Flex meals against. On the other hand, the big problem with Flexible Dining is that, with fewer choices, and the same choices to pick from for both lunch and supper, repeat meals can quickly become an issue, especially on round trips on the same route or trips on multiple routes with Flexible Dining. I have read elsewhere in these forums that on the CONO, the "flex meals" consist of "free" Cafe Car chow for sleeping car passengers. Adding "free" (with sleeper ticket purchase) Cafe Car chow to the regular Flexible Dining options would increase the available choices, especially for those on special diets or with food allergies. Traditional Dining, however (as we saw from a Sunset Limited menu left in a lower-level roomette) will doubtless be superior, at least because more options = fewer repeats.
--Getting a little exercise during one's trip can help stave off the boredom drowsies and sore, creaky joints from sitting in one spot too long. BUT the two main options are either climbing downstairs to the platform during a fresh air break, or walking the length of the train to & from meals. Either one must negotiate those incredibly skinny stairs multiple times, and quickly reboard so one doesn't get left behind, or one must stagger from seat back headrest to seat back headrest through the coach cars if heading to a meal on a moving train. There are risks attached to either option!
An overnight on the Eaglette each way to/from Fort Worth was a good "learning experience" for the hubby and me, and we will bear the lessons learned in mind when planning our next Amtrak vacation.
Glad you enjoyed your brief stay in Ft Worth and had a nice trip on the Eaglete.( a Sightseer Lounge and Traditional Dinning would make it alot better).

The 2 Roomete idea is 1st Rate !

If you return, yall should visit the Stockyards, the Museums, the nice Water Gardens close to the Station, and try some good Tex Mex and Texas Bar B Q!

And if you have time, utilize Tex Rail to visit Grapevine and ride the Tourist Train that runs from there to the Stockyards!
 
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Glad you enjoyed your brief stay in Ft Worth and had a nice trip on the Eaglete.( a Sightseer Lounge and Traditional Dinning would make it alot better).

The 2 Roomete idea is 1st Rate !

If you return, yall should visit the Stockyards, the Museums, the nice Water Gardens close to the Station, and try some good Tex Mex and Texas Bar B Q!

And if you have time, utilize Tex Rail to visit Grapevine and ride the Tourist Train that runs from there to the Stockyards!
How does one go about reserving two roomettes and make sure they are on opposing sides. Having them directly across from each other would be best but not entirely necessary for me.
 
How does one go about reserving two roomettes and make sure they are on opposing sides. Having them directly across from each other would be best but not entirely necessary for me.
I have never done this, but I have read enough out here to suggest calling in to book your tickets, the Amtrak Guest Rewards 800-307-5000 people may be the best place to call to try this, and have the floor plans handy to help request the room numbers you desire: https://www.craigmashburn.com/amtrakcardiagrams.html
 
I have never done this, but I have read enough out here to suggest calling in to book your tickets, the Amtrak Guest Rewards 800-307-5000 people may be the best place to call to try this, and have the floor plans handy to help request the room numbers you desire: https://www.craigmashburn.com/amtrakcardiagrams.html
Thanks for linking the floor plans! I had guessed that the AGR number would be the best place to call, but having the floor plans at hand as a visual aid when making the call hadn't occurred to me.
 
How does one go about reserving two roomettes and make sure they are on opposing sides. Having them directly across from each other would be best but not entirely necessary for me.
Call and speak with an agent. A skilled agent can switch roomettes from the initial computer assignment without affecting the price.

Since I am picky about roomette location I always call to reserve sleepers so I can get a roomette I prefer if one is available. I only use the website/app for coach and BC reservations.
 
After looking at the latest email from Amtrak Guest Rewards this morning, I read through the FAQ on the Points + Cash method of purchasing tickets, and apparently Points + Cash can not be used when ordering Amtrak tickets by phone (only via the website or app instead). That could be a problem when booking next year's trip with 2 adjacent roomettes, as even with the "2x points for fall travel" promotion we benefited from on this year's Texas trip, I currently have less than half the total AGR points which would be needed to book a California Zephyr roundtrip for 2. Even with the way we've been putting as much of each month's non-recurring credit card purchases as possible on the AGR credit card, I'll be lucky if we're up to half the AGR points required to book with points by the time we're ready to book the trip (probably placing the order sometime in January-March for a CZ trip in early October).
 
If you make your reservations early enough, it might be possible to book the two roomettes on-line and then call to speak to an agent and arrange to have the roomettes you were assigned on-line to be changed so that they are across from each other. The key will be making the reservations early enough while two roomettes across from each other are still available.
 
After looking at the latest email from Amtrak Guest Rewards this morning, I read through the FAQ on the Points + Cash method of purchasing tickets, and apparently Points + Cash can not be used when ordering Amtrak tickets by phone (only via the website or app instead). That could be a problem when booking next year's trip with 2 adjacent roomettes, as even with the "2x points for fall travel" promotion we benefited from on this year's Texas trip, I currently have less than half the total AGR points which would be needed to book a California Zephyr roundtrip for 2. Even with the way we've been putting as much of each month's non-recurring credit card purchases as possible on the AGR credit card, I'll be lucky if we're up to half the AGR points required to book with points by the time we're ready to book the trip (probably placing the order sometime in January-March for a CZ trip in early October).
If you make your reservations early enough, it might be possible to book the two roomettes on-line and then call to speak to an agent and arrange to have the roomettes you were assigned on-line to be changed so that they are across from each other. The key will be making the reservations early enough while two roomettes across from each other are still available.
As noted in over in the thread on the AGR board, it really looks like agents cannot touch points and cash reservations and may run serious risks to the integrity of the reservation if they try.

However, I see that you intend to make a round trip, which wasn't clear in the other thread. It would be better all the way around to break it into two one ways, one pure points, one pure cash. There is no price advantage to round trip over one ways and it also provides insulation if an issue comes up with one, like a missed ticket scan (though reports are Amtrak is no longer nuking the subsequent segments now when that happens).

If a bit short on points for a one way, a solution is to buy enough to top it off. I think AGR is currently running a promotion right now on points purchases, too. That seems a much safer option since the way points and cash was implemented seems to be so fraught. It might even be more cost effective given the points devaluation with points and cash. But even if buying top off points is more expensive, it still seems much safer than subjecting yourself to the Rube Goldberg contraption points and cash seems to be.
 
As noted in over in the thread on the AGR board, it really looks like agents cannot touch points and cash reservations and may run serious risks to the integrity of the reservation if they try.

However, I see that you intend to make a round trip, which wasn't clear in the other thread. It would be better all the way around to break it into two one ways, one pure points, one pure cash. There is no price advantage to round trip over one ways and it also provides insulation if an issue comes up with one, like a missed ticket scan (though reports are Amtrak is no longer nuking the subsequent segments now when that happens).

If a bit short on points for a one way, a solution is to buy enough to top it off. I think AGR is currently running a promotion right now on points purchases, too. That seems a much safer option since the way points and cash was implemented seems to be so fraught. It might even be more cost effective given the points devaluation with points and cash. But even if buying top off points is more expensive, it still seems much safer than subjecting yourself to the Rube Goldberg contraption points and cash seems to be.
We did this year's Texas Eagle trip as 2 one-ways. We booked the tickets before "points + cash" was an option, and had hoped to use points for at least 1 person's 1-way fare, but didn't have enough points at the time for even that, and ended up putting the entire fare on my AGR credit card. We've earned a lot more AGR points since then, so there might be enough for the one-way fare with points for at least one of us by January (which is probably the earliest that we'd want to book tickets for an October trip).
 
We have found that easily the best sleeping arrangement is to have two roomettes across from each other. For seniors, at least, when you can get them by ordering two at the same time they cost less than twice one roomette and less than a bedroom or family bedroom. We travel together but separate for the night. If the roomettes are on opposite sides we can move for the scenery during the day.

Our second choice when we cannot get two roomettes is the family bedroom, using the "ELL" to make one 9' long twin bed and sleeping with our heads at opposite ends. This involves stuffing pillows into the crack formed at the ELL to provide a level surface and takes some attention, then remaking the bed. I don't think that is what you did, is it?
 
We have found that easily the best sleeping arrangement is to have two roomettes across from each other. For seniors, at least, when you can get them by ordering two at the same time they cost less than twice one roomette and less than a bedroom or family bedroom. We travel together but separate for the night. If the roomettes are on opposite sides we can move for the scenery during the day.

Our second choice when we cannot get two roomettes is the family bedroom, using the "ELL" to make one 9' long twin bed and sleeping with our heads at opposite ends. This involves stuffing pillows into the crack formed at the ELL to provide a level surface and takes some attention, then remaking the bed. I don't think that is what you did, is it?
Heads-at-opposite-ends (like the "Pushmi-pullu" from Doctor Dolittle) wouldn't have worked well in a regular bedroom, as the lower berth is only 78"/2 meters long, I think. So we were in an L shape instead at night. Southbound, the hubby had his head on the backrest of the jumpseat and his feet at the foot of the lower berth. Northbound, he decided that he'd sleep a little better lying flat, so he had his head at the foot of the lower berth and his feet on the jump seat. (Both directions, I slept scrunched up as much as I could, to give him a bit more room.)
Back when we were in our 20s and a bit thinner, we could occasionally fit both of us into a twin bed (roughly same size as the lower berth in a bedroom), but we couldn't manage it now.
 
Heads-at-opposite-ends (like the "Pushmi-pullu" from Doctor Dolittle) wouldn't have worked well in a regular bedroom, as the lower berth is only 78"/2 meters long, I think. So we were in an L shape instead at night. Southbound, the hubby had his head on the backrest of the jumpseat and his feet at the foot of the lower berth. Northbound, he decided that he'd sleep a little better lying flat, so he had his head at the foot of the lower berth and his feet on the jump seat. (Both directions, I slept scrunched up as much as I could, to give him a bit more room.)
Back when we were in our 20s and a bit thinner, we could occasionally fit both of us into a twin bed (roughly same size as the lower berth in a bedroom), but we couldn't manage it now.
What was the issue getting into the upper bed. Where is the ladder/stairs. The stairs in the scenic cruiser roomettes are on the end, not too bad getting in, a bit more planning getting out.
 
What was the issue getting into the upper bed. Where is the ladder/stairs. The stairs in the scenic cruiser roomettes are on the end, not too bad getting in, a bit more planning getting out.
We had the ladder, but the hubby found it to be a bit unstable when the train was moving, and he didn't trust his ability to climb into the top bunk safely. (And he didn't want to risk my safety by having me attempt to climb into the top bunk.)
 
Boarded pretty much on time. Going upstairs to the bedrooms was tricky with luggage in hand and on the back. Our SCA is Andre, and is very polite. Some new choices on the Flex Dining menu; I'm trying the Beef Paprikash tonight.
Just left Bloomington a few minutes ago; there was a brief fresh air break there (only 5 minutes, so we ordered supper instead of getting off the train).
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I had the Beef Paprikash on the Cardinal several weeks ago. Not too bad.
 
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