On 2008-03-19, Jerry Foster wrote:

"Ignoramus30927" wrote in message
...
Amtrak is made from metal. So there is some relevance. Anyway. My 6
year old wants to ride Amtrak from IL to CA (Chicago to Emeryville
CA) in summer.

I first dismissed the idea, but now I like it. I doubt that Amtrak
will be around for much longer, and 7 (he will be 7 by summer) is old
enough to remember, so perhaps this ride would be a memorable
experience. he may not have a chance to do it when he grows up.

My question is, has anyone tried something like this, is there enough
we can do on the train to keep this 54 hour ride interesting?

i

I haven't ridden it, but several friends have taken at least part of that
route.
54 hours on a train seems like a long time for a seven year old, especially
since it is fairly common for the train to stop and sit for sometimes two or
three hours at a time... Because Amtrak owns the train but uses other
railroads' tracks, the other railroads give priority to their freight trains
and
Amtrak moves on a "time available" basis. The result is that the schedules
are approximations only. One friend of mine had the unique experience of
having to sit for several hours somewhere in Nevada because they'd caught
up with the previous day's train...

Don't misunderstand. I think taking the kid on a train ride is a great
idea,
but you might opt for a (much) shorter one.

Or have you considered flying part of the way and taking the train the rest?
The segment, say, from Reno to Emeryville is rather spectacular.



Yes. I am concerned with this 54 hours number. We may fly to Denver,
hang out in the mountains for 2 nights, and take Amtrak from
there. Colorado has some very nice mountain places near Denver.

Chicago to Denver, is not a very spectacular ride anyway.

i