Amtrak’s Best-Kept Secret: The Cardinal – Part One
(The following is an account of one of my several trips on the Cardinal. It was originally published in the Columbus Dispatch. Part 2 on Monday.) The Cardinal isn’t a big train – a locomotive, a...
View ArticleAmtrak’s Best-Kept Secret: The Cardinal – Part 2
(The following is Part 2 of an account of one of my several trips on the Cardinal. It was originally published in the Columbus Dispatch.) At dinner, I’m seated with a husband and wife from Philadelphia...
View ArticleMy Top Three Reasons for Preferring Long-Distance Amtrak Travel.
Most Americans focus on time when they travel … how long it takes to reach their destination. Here’s a conversation I’ve probably had a hundred times over the years when someone learns that I’ve just...
View ArticleIs the Congressman Misinformed or Misguided? Or Both?
Aw, gee … now there’s another one. Congressman Phil Gingrey, a Republican from Georgia, has introduced a bill that would prohibit any federal dollars from being used to subsidize Amtrak’s food and...
View ArticleDoes Travel Really Have To Be This Complicated?
I suppose so. The airlines and Amtrak and the hotels are all doing their best to squeeze every last dollar of revenue out of us, albeit for different reasons. As a result, it’s very time consuming at...
View ArticleA Sleeper is Worth the Extra Cost.
Traveling in coach is fine for a daytime trip. But just imagine spending the night trying to sleep sitting up, and the person assigned to the seat next to you is a 300 pound biker who hasn’t had a...
View ArticleCar Attendant Check List.
I’m often asked what makes a really good sleeping car attendant on one of Amtrak’s long-distance trains. I really don’t know what Amtrak’s employee manual says, but here’s what I want and almost always...
View ArticleWhat a Difference a Day Makes!
Q: In two months, I will be taking the Zephyr from Omaha to San Francisco. I’m afraid the roomette will be uncomfortably small. Should I upgrade to a bedroom? A. I had some fun with this one . . ....
View ArticleIn Praise of Roomettes.
People planning their first long-distance train journey often ask me if an Amtrak sleeping car is worth the extra cost. My response is always the same: Absolutely! A real bed and privacy beats trying...
View ArticleDoes Travel Really Have To Be This Complicated?
I suppose so. The airlines and Amtrak and the hotels are all doing their best to squeeze every last dollar of revenue out of us, albeit for different reasons. As a result, it’s very time consuming at...
View ArticleA Sleeper is Worth the Extra Cost.
Traveling in coach is fine for a daytime trip. But just imagine spending the night trying to sleep sitting up, and the person assigned to the seat next to you is a 300 pound biker who hasn’t had a...
View ArticleCar Attendant Check List.
I’m often asked what makes a really good sleeping car attendant on one of Amtrak’s long-distance trains. I really don’t know what Amtrak’s employee manual says, but here’s what I want and almost always...
View ArticleWhat a Difference a Day Makes!
Q: In two months, I will be taking the Zephyr from Omaha to San Francisco. I’m afraid the roomette will be uncomfortably small. Should I upgrade to a bedroom? A. I had some fun with this one . . ....
View ArticleIn Praise of Roomettes.
People planning their first long-distance train journey often ask me if an Amtrak sleeping car is worth the extra cost. My response is always the same: Absolutely! A real bed and privacy beats trying...
View Article