Trip across Canada and to Florida

[pennyk]

I am on the Silver Meteor, still sitting in WAS. There was a bad axle in the 9710 car and the pax and car had to be removed. I am in 9711, which has 1 room available. Some pax went to 9712, others to coach.

 

[manchacrr]

On 12/2, very early in the morning, I made my way to NYP, by cab, to catch the Maple Leaf for Toronto. I was in BC and used a red cap so I could board early and get my choice of seats. I was on the left side in a single seat - and had a full window.

How early were you able to board with the red caps?

 

[pennyk]

On 12/2, very early in the morning, I made my way to NYP, by cab, to catch the Maple Leaf for Toronto. I was in BC and used a red cap so I could board early and get my choice of seats. I was on the left side in a single seat - and had a full window.

How early were you able to board with the red caps?

I was in the Acela Lounge (I am Select Plus) and i believe I boarded about 20 minutes early, I cannot remember - that was about 7 trains ago. I was the first to board and i think I got the best seat - which someone else took after customs in Niagara Falls.

 

[jis]

On 12/2, very early in the morning, I made my way to NYP, by cab, to catch the Maple Leaf for Toronto. I was in BC and used a red cap so I could board early and get my choice of seats. I was on the left side in a single seat - and had a full window.

How early were you able to board with the red caps?

I was in the Acela Lounge (I am Select Plus) and i believe I boarded about 20 minutes early, I cannot remember - that was about 7 trains ago. I was the first to board and i think I got the best seat - which someone else took after customs in Niagara Falls.

So is it fair to surmise that you are not still sitting in WAS and in fact are getting close to home by now?

 

[pennyk]

On 12/2, very early in the morning, I made my way to NYP, by cab, to catch the Maple Leaf for Toronto. I was in BC and used a red cap so I could board early and get my choice of seats. I was on the left side in a single seat - and had a full window.

How early were you able to board with the red caps?

I was in the Acela Lounge (I am Select Plus) and i believe I boarded about 20 minutes early, I cannot remember - that was about 7 trains ago. I was the first to board and i think I got the best seat - which someone else took after customs in Niagara Falls.

So is it fair to surmise that you are not still sitting in WAS and in fact are getting close to home by now?

I am in the Silver Meteor and we are moving at a rapid pace somewhere near the Georgia/Florida boarder. We made up a lot of time and we are down less than a half hour.

There were some unhappy pax who got on after WAS that were informed they had to travel in coach. One pax opted not to get on the train. The crew members had to give up their roomettes - I do not know where the slept. A feisty older woman, with whom I ate dinner last night, mentioned jokingly that she would not mind if one of the SCA's shared her room. Her sister, and roommate, did not like that idea. :lol:

 

[JoanieBlon]

Hi Penny ~ WOW! That was some ambitious trip! How many total miles were you on the train? I know that you were able to get bedroom F on the VIA train. Hope you liked the location by the shower and the fact that it's about 2 feet larger than other bedrooms. Thanks for the trip report. Are you still planning a get together in Orlando in January 2012? My husband and I live in Tampa, so I'm sure will head over for the event....

 

[pennyk]

Hi Penny ~ WOW! That was some ambitious trip! How many total miles were you on the train? I know that you were able to get bedroom F on the VIA train. Hope you liked the location by the shower and the fact that it's about 2 feet larger than other bedrooms. Thanks for the trip report. Are you still planning a get together in Orlando in January 2012? My husband and I live in Tampa, so I'm sure will head over for the event....

I loved bedroom F. There were 3 of us on the train that had F - the other 2 couples were seasoned VIA travelers and then there was me - an AU member with intelligence at my fingertips. Thanks again for the heads up. I look forward to meeting you and your husband next month. The mini gathering is Jan 14 (I think). I am still on the train with no calendar.

I have not added up the miles and kilometers yet - but will after I get home, unpack, do laundry and lose 5 pounds of desserts. :lol:

 

[the_traveler]

I have not added up the miles and kilometers yet

Admit it! You're just trying to beat some of my epic mile trips!

 

[pennyk]

I have not added up the miles and kilometers yet

Admit it! You're just trying to beat some of my epic mile trips!

Dave - that sounded like a challenge, so I just took some time out from opening my mail and added up the mileage:

6905 Amtrak miles and 4466 VIA kilometers (2775 miles) for a total of 9,680 miles. How does that compare with your epic mile trips? My guess is that you have me beat since I pretty much took direct routes, where you take the longest distance between 2 points. :lol:

 

[the_traveler]

Close, but no cigar!

I usually try for at least 10K!

I've even have gone CHI-CHI on a return trip - via CVS, NOL and SAS! (I didn't have time to go to LAX on that RT!

)

 

[JoanieBlon]

I look forward to meeting you and your husband next month. The mini gathering is Jan 14 (I think). I am still on the train with no calendar.

I have not added up the miles and kilometers yet - but will after I get home, unpack, do laundry and lose 5 pounds of desserts. :lol:

I'm pretty certain that we'll make it to the gathering. Even though my avatar shows me as a blonde, I'm now a redhead.... :lol: So ~ keep your eyes open for a smallish redhead with glasses with my TALL husband. I only come up to his shoulder ~ even when wearing my 3" platform flipflops!

I hear you about desserts! Normally, I don't indulge in desserts at all, but I just can't seem to resist them when on the train! :blush:

BTW ~ that was a LOT of miles you traveled! Roughly the distance of a RT Tampa-Honolulu flight! :blink:

 

[NS VIA Fan]

6905 Amtrak miles and 4466 VIA kilometers (2775 miles) for a total of 9,680 miles..............................................

Quite all right to just show miles for the VIA portion of your trip……..Canada’s railways still operate in miles. Outside your train window those are Milepost you see……not kilometer-posts!

 

[pennyk]

I have returned home to Orlando after a wonderful trip. Although I was a little hesitant about traveling across Canada this time of year, I am very happy that I was convinced by several AU members that winter in Canada is wonderful.

Whoever mentioned that Winnipeg is called Winterpeg is absolutely correct. Everyone on the train referred to Winnipeg as such. I also learned that there is an intersection in downtown Winnipeg (Portage and Main – I think) that is considered the coldest/windiest place in Canada. I started walking toward that intersection, but did not get that far in -6F temperatures. However, going outside in that temperature, even for 5 minutes, was one of the highlights of my trip. Having lived in Florida all my life, below zero temperatures was something that I had never experienced. I enjoyed seeing lots and lots of snow, even though when I first saw snow out the window of the Maple Leaf in upstate New York, I thought it was sand! (as with making wrong turns, I do not think Dave will let me live that one down)

I want to thank all of you that helped me make the decision to take this trip and helped me plan this trip. Rail Freak did a similar trip in November (from Florida also) and I was the beneficiary of his experiences. I think I read every trip report about Canada and every thread in the VIA forum, plus I PM’d a few people with additional questions. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

An extra bonus was meeting up with AlanB, Shanghai and Jis in New York and almost literally running into Anthony in Washington Union Station.

I took 8 different trains on this trip, and a lot could have gone wrong. There was a freight train derailment in Canada, there were coal trains in Iowa, there were bad signals in Pennsylvania, there was a broken axle on a sleeper car on the Silver Meteor, which was discovered in WAS – but I did not miss any connections (or any meals). I know that several AU members have had “trips from hell.” I would characterize my trip as a “trip from heaven.”

:wub:

Here are a few comments about some of the trains:

The Canadian was fabulous – the food was great, the Park car was wonderful, the attendants were all professional and it was obvious that they enjoyed their jobs and were good at their jobs, the rooms were very clean, hearing the announcements in French (in addition to English) made the experience a bit more exotic, the passengers were friendly, etc. Because I traveled in the “winter,” the passenger load was less, there was more room in the Park Car, shorter walking distances from the dining car to the Park Car, passengers received more attention from the crew, and last but certainly not least, the fare was discounted to a point where I would call it inexpensive. It was strange walking between cars and seeing snow on the floor of the vestibules. Although, the temperature on the train was very comfortable, it was quite chilly in the vestibules.

The Amtrak trains were also comfortable temperature wise, except the last day in the lounge on the CZ, it was so cold that I wore three layers, a hat and gloves. Speaking of the CZ, my sleeping car attendant, Pete was the best I have had on any train.

Another positive – I thought I would gain 5 pounds on this trip (many desserts, not much exercise :giggle: ) – I only gained 4 pounds, which I hope to take off in a month.

Thanks again.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Nice report Penny! Glad it was a trip from heaven and not hell! And you didnt get lost once! :lol: :lol: :lol: You sure are correct about Winnipeg , Coldest Place Ive ever been!!! :help: Guess youre busy planning the next trip, dont forget the lowly Texas Eagle/Sunset Ltd. when you plan your next Trip of a Lifetime! (I still have to ride the Silver Trains to complete my LD Log!)Bet youll be soaking up the sun and wondering why your bed isnt moving! ^_^

 

[Everydaymatters]

I'm happy for you that your trip was such a nice one. There are those of us on this forum who have followed all of your posts along the way. After a few days of being reacquainted with your condo, you'll probably start planning your next train trip. However, I don't think you'll be able to top this one

 

[pennyk]

I'm happy for you that your trip was such a nice one. There are those of us on this forum who have followed all of your posts along the way. After a few days of being reacquainted with your condo, you'll probably start planning your next train trip. However, I don't think you'll be able to top this one

Thanks, Betty. I agree that I will not be able to top this past trip. I am slowly getting my land legs back, but they are not quite there yet, which was evidenced my by shaky balance during my power yoga class this morning.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to travel for several months (due to work), but I already have my reservations for National Train Day in May.

 

[jayt]

As I rarely make comments here, but still reading everyday, I just wanted to tell you Penny how much I thoroughly enjoyed reading your cross countries travelogue. It was very interesting, detailed just enough (not long-winded like mine), and I anxiously looked forward to your next post.

Thank you so much for remembering all of us and for taking the time to post regularly - making us all a tad jealous. I am very happy you had an outstanding, memory making, and very safe trip back home.

 

[Blackwolf]

You bet Winnipeg is COLD!! When I was traveling The Canadian in February 2008, the train never left Toronto Union Station due to a freight derailment at Sioux Lookout in Ontario. The news came down just an hour before the scheduled departure time and VIA suddenly had nearly 240 people to deal with. I fear Amtrak would have outright canceled the train and left everyone stranded, but VIA did the impossible. It took all day, but despite having a massive snowstorm that had closed all but one regional airport outside the suburbs of Toronto, the train company made arrangements to bus all the passengers to said airport and sent us by plane to Winnipeg! The last-minuted air ticket (paid by VIA) had a price nearly double what I paid for my sleeper berth on the train! Once in Winnipeg, we were bussed again to the Raddison Hotel where the whole train-load of passengers were given accommodations and meal vouchers for the hotel restaurant. The next day, even though the station is only two blocks from the hotel, we were given a bus option to move between the two because... Are you ready for this? The outside temperature was negative 53C degrees!!!!!! :blink:

Once in the station, they had turned around the eastbound consist (and similarly flew that load of passengers to Toronto) to make it now westbound. It stood in the station all day long, where we were allowed to board and detrain to our hearts desire while enjoying meals in the diner as well as live music brought in to perform down on the station concourse. Being a crazy dude from California, I HAD to go outside in the insane cold (yup, still -53 Celsius before windchill) and take pictures/wander Winnipeg. It was SO cold, you could not even feel it. All the VIA people warned us about frostbite, and how at those temps it could occur on exposed flesh in a matter of seconds. Likewise, I was very bundled up!

The Canadian left on-time (per the schedule of when we should have departed if the train had originated in Toronto) at 5:30 PM and we arrived three days later a hair under schedule into Vancouver.

And then, once back across the US border, I was stranded by Amtrak in Seattle due to a cancelled Coast Starlight!

Glad to hear you had such a fantastic trip. Now comes the next question: When do you do it all again, in reverse?!

The Canadian standing at Jasper. Circa February 11, 2008

 

[pennyk]

Now comes the next question: When do you do it all again, in reverse?!

Thank you for your comments about VIA - I totally agree. I also agree that Winnipeg is COLD - but going outside in below zero temperatures was a new experience for me and I enjoyed it, albeit for a few minutes.

Well.... I am almost embarrassed to admit that I have already looked at my calendar for next October to see what days would work to do the trip in reverse - or even round trip (possibly after the 2012 Gathering) :blush: . I cannot afford to pay full price, so I will have to wait to see if express deals will be offered next year for dates that work for me. I enjoyed taking the trip in the off season, and want to do it again (and again and again), if possible.

 

[cee]

i was fortunate to also have pete as my attendant on the CZ in '08--i couldn't believe the efficiency! so glad someone else now knows. loved your whole post!

 

[Shanghai]

VIA miles don't count!!

I hope you mooned back the mooner's in Colorado!!

You didn't mention making any wrong turns.

It's difficult to believe that you could have traveled

for 14 days without any wrong turns!!

Welcome Home.

 

[pennyk]

VIA miles don't count!!

I hope you mooned back the mooner's in Colorado!!

You didn't mention making any wrong turns.

It's difficult to believe that you could have traveled

for 14 days without any wrong turns!!

Welcome Home.

Thanks. VIA miles count (in my mind :lol: ).

It is pretty amazing that I made no wrong turns, but I was on the train for most of the 14 days. I walked to my hotel in NY (but you were there to make sure I made no wrong turns)and the cabbed back to NYP the next morning. My Toronto Hotel was across the street from the train station (with signs to direct me) and I took a cab to and from my hotel in Seattle.

The mooning was a surprise, since it was so cold outdoors. The Colorado River was frozen so no one was mooning from the River. I was in the lounge at the time of the mooning - I would have had to move very quickly and in public to moon back - and that was not going to happen (on many levels).

 

[pennyk]

i was fortunate to also have pete as my attendant on the CZ in '08--i couldn't believe the efficiency! so glad someone else now knows. loved your whole post!

Thanks. I phoned customer relations to tell them about Pete. They took down my reservation number so they could make sure that Pete's supervisor was made aware of the commendation.

 

[pennyk]

Another comment about The Canadian: On the last day of the trip, I received a small certificate, suitable for framing, signed by the Service Manager, entitled "Canada's Classic Train Journey" to commemorate my journey aboard the Canadian. It is a very nice touch AND it is printed on recycled stock. The reverse side of the certificate is written in French.

 

[Cascadia]

Hey Penny, sorry I came across your trip report so late, it would have been fun to follow along. I enjoyed reading all of it and so glad you had a great trip and that everything went well. Thanks for writing about it!