Hi there,
I’m planning on an extensive trip at the end of April next year(2013) around the US and as I don’t drive, I’ll be relying on Amtrak for travelling between cities and states. I’ve not been to the US before, but have wanted to visit for ages and while I’m there I’d like to see as much as humanly possible in a relatively short time! So it will be more like a whistle-stop tour. I know there’ve been a lot of other posts covering the same sort of issue, but I’ve not come across one (that I could find online at least) which is quite as epic as the trip I’ve got in mind. Having done some research it all seems doable on paper in terms of logistics, but I’m aware I may be aiming for a little too much so was wondering if there is anyone who has done something similar could shine a light on if it’s actually possible to do it in reality in terms of time scale. Just a little info about me - I’m 25 and am going to be travelling alone, but I’ve travelled across Eastern Europe on trains twice in the past, and travel all the time on trains here in the UK so I’m really not daunted at all by the prospect of long journeys on Amtrak. Some of the posts I’ve read before have had complaints that the suggested itinerary wasn’t detailed enough so I’ll try to be thorough without boring you to death too much! I’ve included the names of the train so you can get more of an idea of the direction and to show I’ve done a bit of research at least! Here goes..
I love the sound of your plans .. I am planning on an epic trip to the states too, but not until 2016 when i will be able to afford it!
Good luck with it all and keep us up to date on how things go!
Sounds like good planning on your part, and your itinerary is definitely doable in the timeframe you mentioned. There are certain spots (Ashland, for example, where I believe the train doesn't run through the town, so you might need a rental car or to hitch a ride in these areas. Same with Yosemite--there are buses from the railroad terminals in this case, as long as you go during "high" season.
P.S. My son went to college at the University of Virginia (at Charlottesville) one summer--taking two classes that he transferred back to his main school (Indiana University at Bloomington). The Univ of VA is well-known for being founded by Thomas Jefferson, and has one of the top business schools in the country. Jefferson's former home (the Monticello) is also located in Charlottesville, about 2 miles away from the university.
Back when he was President, Bill Clinton held a formal dinner at the White House for an extremely illustrious group of visitors. He commented that "I believe we have the most intelligence in the White House tonight since the evenings when Thomas Jefferson dined here alone." (High praise for Jefferson, obviously.) I should also point out that Bill Clinton's full name is William Jefferson Clinton.
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