Best North Eastern Routes

[Mr.Technician]

I've been doing a lot of hypothetical trip planning lately and was thinking about taking a trip to New England out of Chicago. What are the best routes in the NE? and best destinations too! It would be fun to hit several of the short distance routes + a couple of long distance routes in one go and see the nearby sights.

 

[MARC Rider]

Here's a report of a trip I made last June:

(3) The "lollipop loop" Baltimore to Boston and return via Albany | Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum (amtraktrains.com)

In addition to the Hudson valley between New York and Albany, the NEC between New York and Boston, and the Lakeshore Limited Boston section across Massachusetts, there's some really nice scenery on the Vermonter. No special scenery on the Downeaster, but it does get you to Maine. (You'll need to rent a car if you want to do more than hang out in downtown Portland. Downtown Portland is pretty nice, though.)

If you head south, there's more -- down the NEC to Philly, Baltimore, and Washington (where you can get on the Capitol Limited to go back to Chicago.) The Keystone and Pennsylvanian will take you across Pennsylvania. (You can connect to the Capitol Limited in Pittsburgh.)

In Boston, you can ride the Red Line out to Ashmont, and then take the Mattapan "High Sped" line, one of the few places around with operating PCC streetcars. There's all the other usual tourist sites, including Italian dining on Hanover St. in the North End, the Old North Church of Paul Revere fame, the USS Constitution, the old State House, where they had the Boston Massacre, etc. Also lots of commuter trains and commuter ferries for the hardcore railfan.

Of course, you can see more of New England if you rent a car. Rent a car in Vermont and drive over to the White Mountains and ride the Mt. Washington Cog Railway. Or just drive across the Kancamungus Highway and enjoy the scenery. Drive along the coast in Maine (but not in the summer, unless you like traffic jams!)

Then, of course, there's New York, but that's a whole other world.

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(3) New York day trip | Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum (amtraktrains.com)
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[amtrakpass]

I would recommend the Vermonter to Essex Jct and taxi to Burlington to check out Lake Champlain and surroundings. Unfortunately I think the Adirondack has still not resumed running but a few years ago I took that train to Port Kent NY and the ferry across to Burlington then the Vermonter down to New York which was fun. If you do take the Downeaster up to Maine I would suggest going to Bar Harbor/Acadia National Park if you can.
I do also like visiting the Hudson River Valley towns in New York in between Albany and NYC on occasion but that is not really New England.
As far as the Amtrak Northeast Corridor the part between New Haven CT and Providence Rhode Island if you are travelling towards Boston is about the only section that has nice ocean views along that line. Mystic CT has an Amtrak station and the Mystic Seaport Museum. Plimoth Plantation in Massachusetts does a great job if you are interested in early American History of Pilgrims and also Native Americans

 

[20th Century Rider]

Although the Pennsylvanian doesn't run through New England... you may want to consider a RT out of Philly after enjoying a Philly cheesesteak sandwich... the Pennsylvania Dutch scenery is outstanding any time of year... and you can experience the scenic Horseshoe Curve. When you get to Pittsburg you experience an amazing metro area that is working hard to maintain it's historic iconic significance while modernizing. BTW I understand there's some competition between Pittsburgh and Philly going on there with cheesesteak competition!

 

[Deni]

Although the Pennsylvanian doesn't run through New England... you may want to consider a RT out of Philly after enjoying a Philly cheesesteak sandwich... the Pennsylvania Dutch scenery is outstanding any time of year... and you can experience the scenic Horseshoe Curve. When you get to Pittsburg you experience an amazing metro area that is working hard to maintain it's historic iconic significance while modernizing. BTW I understand there's some competition between Pittsburgh and Philly going on there with cheesesteak competition!




View attachment 24684

What Amtrak used to run through the Horseshoe Curve with that many cars? Broadway Limited? I've only been around it on the Pennsylvanian and there are, what, six cars on that usually? Never get to have that experience of sitting on the last car and getting a great view of the front on a long train.

 

[20th Century Rider]

What Amtrak used to run through the Horseshoe Curve with that many cars? Broadway Limited? I've only been around it on the Pennsylvanian and there are, what, six cars on that usually? Never get to have that experience of sitting on the last car and getting a great view of the front on a long train.

Actually the picture shown above is from 80's when I believe the train went through to CHI as Amtrak's then Broadway Limited ... one can tell by the slumbercoach towards the rear of the train. [See below.] Today's Pennsylvanian is no doubt much shorter but still should afford a good view at the curve if you can sit at the end.

https://history.amtrak.com/archives/the-broadway-limited-on-the-horseshoe-curve

 

[BlackDiamond]

Concerning Maine - Bar Harbor is nice but would be a fairly long car trip out of Portland as there is no other way to get there, except to fly Cape Air out of Boston. Portland ME has a lot to offer but be aware that the station is far from the interesting parts of downtown i.e. the Old Port but there is bus service from the station to downtown. Another possibility is to ride to the end of the line in Brunswick which is a nice little college town with a number of good restaurants along Maine St. The college (Bowdoin) has a little art museum and is about a 5 minute walk from the station.

 

[MARC Rider]

Concerning Maine - Bar Harbor is nice but would be a fairly long car trip out of Portland as there is no other way to get there, except to fly Cape Air out of Boston. Portland ME has a lot to offer but be aware that the station is far from the interesting parts of downtown i.e. the Old Port but there is bus service from the station to downtown. Another possibility is to ride to the end of the line in Brunswick which is a nice little college town with a number of good restaurants along Maine St. The college (Bowdoin) has a little art museum and is about a 5 minute walk from the station.

Don't forget Freeport. It's an outlet mall disguised as a typical New England small town. Plus it has the L.L. Bean Flagship Store where they have fly fishing demonstrations with live fish in the fountain. The stuffed moise in the window is also pretty cool. Unfortunately you have to drove or take an Uber to the lobster shack by the docks.

 

[Rambling Robert]

I hope last year’s fare of $17 (senior) Boston to Brunswick hasn’t changed much. The DownEaster Cafe offers beer and wine and good food including killer whoopie pies. Based on how busy you might be offered to get food served at your seat.

I think the Perry - McMillan Artic Exploration Museum and Library has re-opened... was closed due to Covid19 as was most of Bowdoin College. Best to call. McMilkan’s boat was Sch. Bowdoin (his alma mater.

A bus goes Portland to Bar Harbor via Bangor. About $50 and takes 5h. Martha Stewart has a BH home and drives a pink Edsel station wagon (the car came with the house - Edsel Ford’s summer home) haha. I’ve taken thee old ferry to Yarmouth NS but now there’s a fast CAT boat. [edit: due to Covid19 the BH/NS ferry service has been canceled and due to resume in about six months] There’s a local bus from Yarmouth to Digby and a ferry from Digby to Saint John NB. The ferry is a short ride to Saint John Union Station (ViaRail)

 

[BlackDiamond]

The CAT from Portland to Yarmouth NS is currently suspended and is supposed to resume in Spring 2022. I suspect that depends on the situation with traveling between the US and Canada. Currently Canadians are banned from non essential travel to the US, and US citizens can enter Canada but there are several hoops to jump through (proof of VAX, negative COVID test, registration with an online tool for both entry and return). So I suspect we won't see the CAT returning until border crossings return to something more normal.

 

[BlackDiamond]

I could not find a direct bus Portland to Bar Harbor. However Concord Coach runs Boston - Portland - Bangor a couple of times a day, plus a trip Portland - Bangor via the longer coastal route (US route 1). From Bangor to BH there is service via Downeast Transportation

 

[Mr.Technician]

Thanks for the ideas ya'll!

 

[John from RI]

I went to school in Providence and regularly visit my brothers there. It you want to see New England you may be interested in what it offers. Providence itself it a very walkable city from College Hill to Federal Hill. Amtrak Station is on Gaspee Street across from the State House. Providence Place is a shopping center one block away with any kind of store you need and a food court.
The Providence Arcade, the nation's first shopping center, is a pleasant place to stop for lunch and has may small shops. The Providence Library on Empire Street offers Rhode Island history and just a place to sit down and rest a while. In the other direction on College Hill are a lot of restored colonial homes as well as the First Baptist Church founded by Roger Williams. Up the hill you will find the John Brown House. Brown was a slave trader and the wealthiest man in the state at the time of the Revolution. He endowed Brown University.
Rhode Island has an extensive bus system, RIPTA, located on Kennedy Plaza, a 10 minute walk out the back of the Station or you can catch a bus on Gaspee Street. There is regular bus service to Newport, the most famous place to visit with tours of mansions from the Gilded Age. The Breakers and the Marble House, both owned by different members of the Vanderbilt Family are there along with a number of others. In Pawtucket, also easy to get to is the original spinning mill Moses Brown (John's Brother) built for Samuel Slater. This was the start of the industrial revolution in America. One of Slater's mills was located in Woonsocket, RI. The workers were mostly Canadian French people from Quebec. Today the Museum of Work and Culture describes their history. And there are other institutions with information about French Canadians in the state. There are buses to Woonsocket but they are infrequent; you may prefer to rent a car. If you can get to Quonset Point below East Greenwich you will find a Seabee Museum which includes displays of Quonset Huts. If if were summer I would talk about Rhode Island beaches but it is a little cold for them right now.
This is a run down off of the top of my head. If you have time Rhode Island published an excellent and free state map. You can order one on the state website. Have a good trip wherever you go.

 

[BalmyZephyr]

Although the Pennsylvanian doesn't run through New England... you may want to consider a RT out of Philly after enjoying a Philly cheesesteak sandwich... the Pennsylvania Dutch scenery is outstanding any time of year... and you can experience the scenic Horseshoe Curve. When you get to Pittsburg you experience an amazing metro area that is working hard to maintain it's historic iconic significance while modernizing. BTW I understand there's some competition between Pittsburgh and Philly going on there with cheesesteak competition!

View attachment 24685

As a Philadelphia native, I just wanna say, either there's a yellow filter on your photo or those are Pittsburgh "cheesesteaks" and they are wrong.