Monorail for city centers?

[Mayonnaise]

Albany International is a joke. Plenty of traffic of course but... international? There's a couple flights direct to Canada. That's it. Going anyplace besides a few very specific places? You'll be transferring at JFK, if you're lucky. Atlanta if you're not. Not that JFK is better than Atlanta, inherently, just that you spend a lot less time on a Bombardiar. I hate those things. Not as much as I used to hate the Albany-JFK Turbo-Props of Doom, but they stopped using those years ago.

8^/

[felinefan]

Considering how flying is an extreme hassle these days, Amtrak only requires you to have valid ID to ride. And their site says in certain cities, there is a random selection of passengers for a quick check for security purposes. I'd rather go by train, even if it is slower. You get to see more of the country--can't do that on a plane--and you're more relaxed. If people would get over the need for speed, and learn to relax, Amtrak might start making real money. Metrolink is adding trains for games at Angel Stadium, horse racing at Del Mar, etc.. They even have new kinds of passes for weekends and all day travel. I believe Amtrak has excursion for seeing autumn foliage, as well as others--wine country tours, etc.. People really should take advantage of train travel.

When I'm sitting at the Orange station in the morning, waiting for the time to head over to the library, from time to time people will come up to me and ask how to ride the train, and so on. Biggest learning curve? Finding out they have to use the ticket machine to buy their tickets--not sold on the train, and you don't deal with an agent. Nope, sorry, the only way you can deal with a person is at the Santa Ana Depot, and then only at the Amtrak desk. Yes, a couple of people have asked if they can go into the Ruby's Diner at the Orange Depot and buy tickets--they were even asking that between the time the restaurant was in between being a steak house and a Ruby's, when it was empty. Nope, sorry, no can do.

[Big Wallaby]

I have always wanted to take the Air Canada Jazz service from Vancouver, BC to Victoria on a clear day with the right pilots. I knew one crew that liked to fly their Dash 8 (one of my favorite commercial planes in the world, second to the MD-11) at 500 MSL during their time over the water. That has to be a beautiful flight. For some, that's close enough to read the tail number from the ground. I can't imagine what it must look like from the cockpit.

[hobie16]

You'll love Island Air.

[shilohmm]

Considering how flying is an extreme hassle these days, Amtrak only requires you to have valid ID to ride. And their site says in certain cities, there is a random selection of passengers for a quick check for security purposes. I'd rather go by train, even if it is slower. You get to see more of the country--can't do that on a plane--and you're more relaxed.

We usually drive everywhere -- I like flying alright, but hate the hassle of airports, and I prefer seeing the country as I go -- however I have no desire to drive in the US west. I like it better where I'm at, and don't enjoy driving like I did (I stiffen up something fierce after a few hours). Promised youngest daughter a few years back a trip to Yellowstone or Yosemite once we've foisted some of her siblings off on the world, and I recently started considering taking a train. Haven't taken a train trip since I was six or seven and we took one from Minnesota to Michigan, a trip I do not remember at all (I remember hearing my first fog horn on that trip, but not the train).

That's "recently," as of yesterday, as I was hearing the history of the railroads and the national parks for about the six millionth time and it dawned on me this was still an option. As you say, it'll be a major learning curve. :p:

[ktulu]

I'd take the train if 1) it wasn't so expensive to get a room for the family and 2) I didn't have to go to Chicago to get to places like Orlando. I was playing around with the Amtrak route planner. I do think it would be fun to do a trip from Miami to Seattle!

Oh, if you think you can avoid the TSA, those jerks have been showing up at some Amtrak stations, but the Chief of Amtrak police said that the TSA will not be the ones to handle any sort of security for them :D:

[Big Wallaby]

Yup. That is a beautiful plane. I can't imagine how long the flight over from the mainland must be in when ferrying those. But that is a beautiful plane.

As far as the train, that is the nicest way to go in my mind, as long as you don't mind being a little behind schedule on the Coast Starlate... err, Starlight. The latest I've been aboard that train was seven hours. But what a beautiful journey.

Of course, if you are traveling between Eugene, OR and Seattle, you can take the Cascades, where the only difference between that train and the Eurostar is the engine(s).

Funny thing in Washington state, at least the last time I was there... the tracks are rated for something like 160 mph, but the crossing gates are rated for trains traveling by at 110.

[hobie16]

A friend who owns a landscaping business just bought a Cirrus SR20X. Who knew cutting grass could be so lucrative? Anyway, he flew it from the factory to the west coast. He hired a ferry pilot to get it to Maui. Took fourteen hours.

[Big Wallaby]

Fourteen hours ain't all that bad. I love their new plane, the Vision SF50. A single engine, personal jet that comes in at a great value: $1.5 million for your own brand new jet.

As my company takes off, I am going to need one of these for sure. Since I will be operating out of Central Florida, it is important to note that the flying distance between the Magic Kingdom and the Magic Kingdom is 2,189 miles. That's two tanks of Jet A and 8.5 to 10 hours. With that, I will be able to show up on the Original Main Street, U.S.A. without warning :D:

Oh, and here is Little Wallaby's and my baby:


Only V-Tail craft I would ever be willing to fly. I still won't touch a T-Tail unless it's a 727 with some good pilots.

[delsdad]

Of course, if you are traveling between Eugene, OR and Seattle, you can take the Cascades, where the only difference between that train and the Eurostar is the engine(s).

Funny thing in Washington state, at least the last time I was there... the tracks are rated for something like 160 mph, but the crossing gates are rated for trains traveling by at 110.

I took the Cascades from portland to Seattle in 2000. Was it high speed back then ? It didn't seem unusually fast at the time, It was just nice to not have to travel on a bus with our cast!