![\"\"](\"http:\/\/rudolphparty.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/05\/mummer-rhyme-225x300.jpg\" "\\"mummer")
<\/a>Mummers Museum, Philadelphia PA<\/p><\/div>\n
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DOS AND DONTS FOR TRAIN TREKKING ACROSS THE USA<\/strong><\/p>\n I’ve made a list of things to keep in mind should you want to take a train trip of your own.\u00a0 Feel free to drop a line if you have questions….<\/p>\n DO <\/strong>assess what kind of weather, events, and level of population density you like before you block out time and make your plans.\u00a0 We thoroughly enjoyed empty towns in the cold weather of April, even if we missed a few cool attractions that weren’t open for high season yet.\u00a0 We dug the rough weather and came prepared for it, but if you’re a “Spring Break in Fort Lauderdale” type, the cold, rain, and snow we deliberately encountered might be your nightmare.<\/p>\n If you’re going to want to be in the heat and the thick of offerings like Mardi Gras, Riverwalk, and The Dells, find out when big events are happening and plan around them.\u00a0 Bear in mind that the North stays cold longer than the South, so their events and attractions don’t get rolling until June.\u00a0 Obviously you won’t be the only one who enjoys summer fun, so book well in advance (and take sunscreen.)<\/p>\n DON’T<\/strong> try to book your Amtrak schedule online!!! \u00a0 The interface is a malinformative, frustrating mess.\u00a0 Call the Amtrak phone reps<\/a> (and call back, if you get someone inexperienced) to make your reservations and purchases by phone.\u00a0 It’s the least agonizing way but still won’t be easy.\u00a0 You have to book EACH PERSON’S TRAVEL SEPARATELY! even if it’s the same itinerary.\u00a0 Moronic, yes, but what it is.\u00a0 Be patient and eventually you’ll get ‘er done.<\/p>\n DO <\/strong>stay at inns, B&Bs, and mom ‘n’ pop joints instead of big hotels if you want the full-on American immersion experience.\u00a0 TripAdvisor.com<\/a> is useful in figuring out the locations and amenities, though be prepared to spend substantial time researching and emailing.<\/p>\n If you prefer to be far from the madding crowd rather than part of it, you might want to make reservations at the larger, more impersonal hotels (or just have your travel agent do it for you if you don’t have time to investigate other options.)<\/p>\n DON’T<\/strong> expect a luxury experience with Amtrak.\u00a0 It’s not an elegant way to travel–in fact, in some ways the opposite, kinda downmarket, and the bathrooms get kind of gross on the second day of a segment.\u00a0 Trains aren’t a good choice if you’re a germphobe.<\/p>\n However, if immersion is what you’re looking for, you’ll get it–both in the landscape of our country and the people that live there.\u00a0 You’ll see the poor side of town from your train window, and you will have to socialize with other train passengers during meals unless you invest in a roomette and order your meals “to go” from the dining car (which you can do, and your attendant can even deliver them on request.)<\/p>\n If you dream of the luxurious days of wood-paneled railroad cars with buckets of champagne and caviar inside, skip Amtrak entirely and contact one of the private railcar associations: http:\/\/www.aaprco.com\/ or http:\/\/www.rpca.com\/, or search for one of the many historical train enthusiast societies.\u00a0 You may be able to hitch a ride on an antique traincar or even charter one for yourself; otherwise, you’ll have to content yourself with a copy of your favorite train porn, be it “Murder on the Orient Express” or “On The Twentieth Century,” while squirreled away in a corner on the Amtrak train.<\/p>\n DO<\/strong> bring “train shoes,” i.e. slip-ons with rubber soles.\u00a0 Amtrak requires that you wear rubber-bottomed shoes while walking around the train, but it’s likely during a long segment you’ll want to get out of your street shoes into something more comfortable.\u00a0 Train shoes let you walk to the restroom or cafe car without having to lace up the boots again; I bought some slippers at a CVS in New Orleans that worked just fine as an alternative to my high-tops.<\/p>\n DO<\/strong> bring healthy snacks and think about alternate meals if you’re not into eating the way America eats: that is, high-fat, high-salt, high-sugar cafeteria-style food.\u00a0 That’s what Amtrak will give you three times a day–it’s included in your fare if have a roomette or suite–and on long segments it’s hard not to eat the stuff just out of boredom.\u00a0 Plan ahead if you have special dietary needs, because Amtrak can’t accommodate much deviation from the pre-processed microwaved meals it serves.<\/p>\n DON’T<\/strong> pack your schedule.\u00a0 Give yourself ample time to arrive and settle in at each destination, and take a few hours to wander around in your surroundings.\u00a0 Some of the best stuff we saw was off the beaten path and FREE (like the Forevertron<\/a>.)\u00a0 In most towns we enjoyed hanging out just having coffee and people-watching–well, if it was good<\/em> coffee, like in New Orleans or Portland–much more than we enjoyed some of the much-vaunted “must-see” tourist rip-off sites.<\/p>\n DO <\/strong>invest in good wireless technology if you need bandwidth, or leave the gadgets at home if you can get by with intermittent stops at internet cafes at your destination.\u00a0\u00a0 Our cellular USB modem thingy by BroadbandToGo worked great on the train when there was cell network available outside, but there was NO connection in most of Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, North Dakota, Montana, or while traversing mountain ranges or expansive nature preserves.\u00a0 Amtrak doesn’t offer wireless, sorry–and the way their budget is, they won’t be anytime soon.\u00a0 Amtrak roomettes do have an AC plug though, so at least you can charge your phone or laptop while you’re traveling.<\/p>\n BTW, general travel note: we found out a lot of the smaller hotels\/inns that offer free wireless as part of their amenities also block Port 25 so you can’t retrieve email (and they often will have no clue what you’re talking about if you mention it.)\u00a0 Fortunately I brought my tech support with me and he was able to tunnel into my email account when the need got urgent, but don’t expect to be so lucky if you need email access while you’re out of town.<\/p>\n DO <\/strong>bring all necessary drugs, even over-the-counter ones, since you may not be able to go purchase them when you need them (Amtrak’s cafe car has aspirin and Pepto Bismol for sale, but that’s about it.)\u00a0 Be sure to stock up on girl-meds and allergy reducers, and also your chosen caffeine.\u00a0 You get spoiled here in L.A. when it comes to joe (and super-spoiled in New Orleans and Portland if you like wicked dark and gritty high-octane coffee like I do.)\u00a0 Be forewarned you’ll get paltry, headache-inducing coffee on the train as well as most train stations, small towns, and all of Texas.\u00a0 Pack your own brewsticks if good java is important to your well-being; sleeper cars have hot water available (though don’t expect ceramic cups anywhere onboard except the Coast Starlight line.)<\/p>\n And smokers beware: Amtrak trains are smokefree, and you can only smoke on SOME station stops, normally only once or twice a day.\u00a0 Nonsmokers beware too: if you step off the train to get a breath of fresh air during a stop, you’ll get a dose of second-hand smoke instead.\u00a0 You’ll have to breathe when you get to your destination, so be sure you plan accordingly if you like clean, pure O2.<\/p>\n DO <\/strong>tip your porter–excuse me, railcar attendant–and dining car servers. Though don’t ask us how much….this came to us as a bit of a surprise and we probably way overtipped because that’s how we roll.\u00a0 At least I hope we did.\u00a0 We didn’t get negative feedback about it, anyway.<\/p>\n The attendants vary in how attentive they are; they will help you stow your luggage when you get onboard and normally convert your roomette into nighttime bunks, and will get you meals or water if you ask.\u00a0 Some travelers tip when they first meet the attendant (I guess to assure prompt service) and some when they deboard.\u00a0 Your call.<\/p>\n So enjoy your journey along with your vacation, and here’s the entire “Motto”<\/a> by Langston Hughes, thanks again to the artists at McMenamin’s<\/a>:<\/p>\n “I play it cool My motto, Great advice for living both on and off the rails, don’t you think?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \n
\nAnd dig all jive
\nThat’s the reason
\nI stay alive.<\/em><\/p>\n\n
\nAs I live and learn,
\nis:
\nDig And Be Dug <\/em> In Return.”<\/em><\/p>\n
\n<\/em><\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/rudolphparty.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/05\/mcmenamins-crop-dig-and-be-dug-hughes-300x161.jpg\" "\\"mcmenamins")
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