Any idea how long I've been patiently waiting for you to post a vanity entitled "Howlin's Great Adventure"???
From Howlin | 08/29/2002 2:47 PM PDT replied
I have to tell you right off, I LOVED it; I really, really did. Even though the train was two hours late getting to Raleigh, it was a great time. Those of us waiting for the train in the depot in Raleigh, which was really neat and clean (I thought), "bonded" during the wait. Most of the people waiting with me ride the train a lot and told the most hilarious tales about different things that had happened and about dealing with the Reservations for Amtrak. (They said I was lucky, that is was FOUR hours late the day before that!)
Evidently there is a voicebot named Julie that answers the phone when you call up for reservations, and to a person, they SWORE that even she lies.........LOL.
I found the people who worked at the depot VERY unhelpful and sort of "take it or leave" with their help. They also never made an annoucement that the train was late -- and it spread by word of mouth when somebody would go up and ask pointblank about it!
But when it finally got there, it was a nice train -- clean, roomy, but entirely TOO COLD...I mean, I love AC and I was FREEZING!!!!
I road coach, but I think the next time I do it -- and I will do it -- I will ride business class! The porters were REALLY NICE....very friendly, anxious to help, and made sure you got off at the right stop!
The ride was very intersting, as I drive between Raleigh and Burlington all the time on Interstate 40/85, riding the train gave you a completely different aspect/view of the very same area! I thought the ride was relatively smooth...and I loved riding through the country and the 'forest," especially the Duke Forest; very pretty!
I was fascinated by WHO was on the train; completely different than I thought; I think I thought it would be more like the bus, but it wasn't: students, professionals; there was one blind guy and his dog; people coming back from NYC on some kind of trip; lots of kids....that really surprised me. It wasn't too crowded, I had a row to myself.
The "drink car" was a disappointment. I thought it would be more "North by Northwest" -ish, if you know what I mean!
My only complaint was the wait -- and if I had called before I went, I would have known it was running late. I was never scared (once I got in the depot!); getting my ticket was easy in that automated machine thingy.
You obviously have to have a LOT of time on your hands; it was so much fun, I kept thinking, why don't they make the trains run on time.....LOL. If they did, I believe more people would ride them, honestly! They had plenty of parking there where you could leave your car like for a day trip! The neighborhood wasn't the best, but the reason for that is that it's in downtown...as it was in most of the stops I saw!
One question you may be able to answer for me: why are the business class cars at the back of the train? Is there some reason for that, like a better ride of something? (My seat had a electrical plug, where I guess you could use a laptop!)
I would ride it again in a heartbeat! Like if Howard goes to D.C. to work for a week, I might take it up there to meet him for a few days. Or I might ride it to Burlington again! But I will try business class next time. I paid $11 to ride, and I would have spent that on gas to drive up there, for sure! Plus I didn't have to drive!
Any questions?? :-)