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So excited for our train trip!

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  • So excited for our train trip!

    I know it's not camping, but we are headed for our first overnight Amtrak trip next week to visit family and can't wait! From NY to FL, a 23 hour train ride. Part of me is a little wound up about having to change trains at NYC Penn Station, I'm petrified of getting lost or missing our train or something. LOL! Penn Station is a little intimidating to this "country girl". Heck, all of NYC is a little scary to me, but been there enough now to feel ok about getting around the city, but Penn Station is a different animal altogether!

    We splurged and got the sleeper car bedroom for the four of us on the NYC to FL leg of the journey, so hopefully the kiddos will be more comfortable and we can get some sleep before we get there. All meals are included in the sleeper fare too, so it will be interesting to eat meals in a dining car.

    Here's hoping all the trains are on time and we don't get lost in Penn! Haha!
    Married to Longpants, Mom to Littlepants (9) and Tinypants (5). Love Camping in New England!

  • #2
    Re: So excited for our train trip!

    I'm sure you will enjoy the trip. It's warmish down her in Florida this time of year though, so drink plenty of fluids and don't exert too much.
    Your worries about Penn Station echo my own the couple times I have flown, as far as having to deal with Atlanta's huge airport. I had to change planes, and of course the second plane was on the other side of the terminal and I had only minutes to get there! Sheesh..... Even back then I was no runner, and carrying a dufflebag made it quite an ordeal!
    Longtime Motorcycle Camper. Getting away from it all on two wheels! :cool:

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    • #3
      Re: So excited for our train trip!

      Thanks BD! Yeah, I'm a VT redhead with fair skin... sun and heat are NOT my friends. HAHA! Our oldest DD takes after Dad, dark hair, dark eyes, dark skin. Our youngest DD is lighter like me, and this is her first trip to FL, so gonna keep her as covered as possible and slathered in sunscreen. The family we are visiting are already talking about bringing the kids to Disney and all that, is it horrible the first thought into my head was "Oh Dear God No!"? LOL!

      Hopefully Penn won't be as bad as I envision. At least Amtrak does have the Red Cap service, and they will deliver you right to the correct spot for a tip. Plus since we are in a sleeper, we can wait in the first class lounge at Penn. I think we'll be asking for a Red Cap! Fuddling our way through one of the busiest places in the world with luggage and two small children doesn't sound like a really fun time.
      Married to Longpants, Mom to Littlepants (9) and Tinypants (5). Love Camping in New England!

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      • #4
        Re: So excited for our train trip!

        I am a lifelong resident of Florida and have never been into Disney. I am single with no kids. Even when younger, I just never had a desire to go there - I do not like crowds and waiting in lines. June/July is about the worst possible time to go there, for those reasons. But I am sure the kiddies will have a blast. :-)
        If you rent a car, be advised "Da Mouse" charges Highway Robbery fees for gas. Up northward is North Orlando, and gas prices are normal for Florida. That is where the Disney employees live. They cannot afford the 'tourist' prices. There is a KOA campground close to Disney, with the typical high prices. There is a cheaper campground in North Orlando.
        If you ever have time, two places I really enjoyed in that area was "Gatorland" in Kissimmee, south of Orlando. It is the largest reptile research place (and tourist trap) in the US. Fun for the kids and adults. Lots of gators, the "Gator Jumping Jamboree" where a brave guy hand feeds the leaping gators a whole chicken. Another wrestles a gator. The nature walk goes among the Egret nesting sites and the gators await below, for unlucky chicks that fall from the nest.
        Also I liked the "Warbird Rework" facility at the Kissimmee Airport, where they rebuild and repair old WWII and early jet planes, and have a lot of interesting display aircraft, including "Wrongway Corrigan's" old plane. It's more a 'guy thing'. ;-)
        They have airboat rides into the Everglades too. I enjoyed the whole Kissimmee area much better than the overpriced theme parks in Orlando. It's more like the roadside attractions of "Old Florida" before Da Mouse ran them out of business. I was lucky enough to see and remember those days.
        Longtime Motorcycle Camper. Getting away from it all on two wheels! :cool:

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        • #5
          Re: So excited for our train trip!

          The kids will love the train. I hope you don't get any delays on the track. That's the most iffy thing with Amtrak - they share the same tracks as the shipping companies and the shipping trains get priority. I had a friend who took Amtrak cross country and was delayed for 5 days. :(

          I agree about Disney. I remember my sister suggesting the entire family spend Christmas at Disneyland - the only family members who said yes were the kids...
          “One could not be a successful scientist without realizing that, in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of scientists, a goodly number of scientists are not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.” - James D. Watson

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          • #6
            Re: So excited for our train trip!

            If AmTrak is up to par with their Left Coast standards, you have little to worry about - especially since (opinion here, from a native Mid Atlantic guy) folks are somewhat more friendly, so service should follow suit. We visit Florida every other year, and while I haven't been a resident there for decades, we do keep going back to visit family. MouseTown and Universal CityWalk deliver every time, and the KOA in Kissemmee is famous for their hospitality and ability to handle hoards of RVers...maybe you pay a bit more, but check Woodalls ratings reviews and see if you don't agree.

            http://www.woodalls.com/
            “People have such a love for the truth that when they happen to love something else, they want it to be the truth; and because they do not wish to be proven wrong, they refuse to be shown their mistake. And so, they end up hating the truth for the sake of the object which they have come to love instead of the truth.”
            ―Augustine of Hippo, Fifth Century A.D.

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            • #7
              Re: So excited for our train trip!

              I'm sure the kiddos will enjoy Disney! Penn Station is so not my fav transport hub ( gimme Grand Central) and I can't recommend any quick local food stops there but depending on how long it takes to switch trains you'll find some familiar national food franchises. I generally wander into Bon Pain or Tim Horton's. Have fun and enjoy the ride!
              2017:

              July 3 to July 16- annual kiddo trip
              Aug 2 to Aug 14- adult trip to recover from kiddos' outing. Bring on the Campari!



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