Our second train brought us to Connecticut, New Haven to be exact. We are actually visiting a friend closer to Hartford, but there were more connection times available in New Haven. We did rent a car since the part of Connecticut we are visiting is more a collection of villages than a city. The train ride had no surprises other than we had to search a bit for seats. We found two fairly quickly and got to watch the mass exodus in New York City.
I love the style of the New Haven station. It is the smallest for us this trip, but has a ton of character! I have also decided that all sizable U.S. train stations have only four options for a name or can combine those names: Union, Penn/Pennsylvania, Grand, or Central. Smaller towns along the way just use their name. No major travel excitement other than getting two power sources in our aisle!
As for Connecticut, it's awesome and beautiful! The area we were in and drove through was so lush and so full of history. The town we stayed in was established in 1702! We went blueberry picking with a friend of our friend and were able to eat them right from the bush. No spray, yay!
Final stop, D.C. for the 4th!
Monday, July 7, 2008
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Trip Part 2.5: Philly's Spoke Problem
We were only in Philadelphia for a full day and some change by the time our late train (three hours late) got in and we had to catch our next one to Connecticut. We had a pleasant trip visiting Keith's cousins and staying with his aunt and uncle.
While in The City of Brotherly Love, we used the local rail system to get to and from the Amtrak station and downtown. It was pretty much like any other public rail system, but we found out from the cousins that they have a similar "wheel spokes" problem as the Cedar Rapids bus routes. They do have buses that help offset the problem and they allow full size bikes on the trains during off-peak hours. Folding bikes are always allowed!
The big negative was the cost. Off-peak, one-way rides from our "hotel" to the center of the city were $4.25 per person and peak, one-way rides were $5. Obviously people making this commute frequently would buy a month pass, but as a tourist it was more expensive than I had anticipated.
One of the great "green" things about our Philly trip was wandering around the downtown area and finding a great local ice cream shop, called Franklin Ice Cream or Franklin Fountain, that used bio-compostable spoons and garbage bags. They had really good ice cream and an untouristy, but historic appeal. I believe it is located on Market St. near the river. As we walked back from the river on Market St., we found The Big Green Earth Store and stopped in. They seemed relatively new and their website isn't quite up yet, but it would be great to see them grow and expand. The guy behind the counter was very friendly and informative. I loved that he wasn't overbearing with other customers that had stopped in to check out being green. The store had decorative and functional items including recycled glass bowls, recycled cardboard wall designs, bicycle chain frames and bowls, recycled dinnerware, cleaning supplies, home fragrances, solar backpacks, reusable bags, I could go on. They even had a laundry detergent refilling station which Keith dubbed The Vat. The idea is that you can bring in any container and fill it up with detergent, then pay for how much you take. You reuse containers and prevent more containers from entering the landfills.
Our Pennsylvania portion of the trip was short, but extremely fun and well worth the stop. Good luck to The Big Green Earth Store, and cheers for public transit that runs on time!
While in The City of Brotherly Love, we used the local rail system to get to and from the Amtrak station and downtown. It was pretty much like any other public rail system, but we found out from the cousins that they have a similar "wheel spokes" problem as the Cedar Rapids bus routes. They do have buses that help offset the problem and they allow full size bikes on the trains during off-peak hours. Folding bikes are always allowed!
The big negative was the cost. Off-peak, one-way rides from our "hotel" to the center of the city were $4.25 per person and peak, one-way rides were $5. Obviously people making this commute frequently would buy a month pass, but as a tourist it was more expensive than I had anticipated.
One of the great "green" things about our Philly trip was wandering around the downtown area and finding a great local ice cream shop, called Franklin Ice Cream or Franklin Fountain, that used bio-compostable spoons and garbage bags. They had really good ice cream and an untouristy, but historic appeal. I believe it is located on Market St. near the river. As we walked back from the river on Market St., we found The Big Green Earth Store and stopped in. They seemed relatively new and their website isn't quite up yet, but it would be great to see them grow and expand. The guy behind the counter was very friendly and informative. I loved that he wasn't overbearing with other customers that had stopped in to check out being green. The store had decorative and functional items including recycled glass bowls, recycled cardboard wall designs, bicycle chain frames and bowls, recycled dinnerware, cleaning supplies, home fragrances, solar backpacks, reusable bags, I could go on. They even had a laundry detergent refilling station which Keith dubbed The Vat. The idea is that you can bring in any container and fill it up with detergent, then pay for how much you take. You reuse containers and prevent more containers from entering the landfills.
Our Pennsylvania portion of the trip was short, but extremely fun and well worth the stop. Good luck to The Big Green Earth Store, and cheers for public transit that runs on time!
Trip Part 2: The Whistle Goes Woo
We finally made it on the train! After waiting for almost five hours in the Indianapolis train station, we were finally able to climb aboard and crash in our spacious seats. The train was two hours late getting into Indianapolis, so the dark, quiet train car was a welcome change from the harsh buzzing lights of the station.
Boarding the train was different than I expected. All passengers getting on were lined up and we were allowed to board by size of group (large parties first) and then by the order that we were standing in line. They assigned us seats on the fly. Keith and I were the first couple in line so we were given seats at the front of the first train car. We have a large set of windows, seats that recline and have leg rests and foot rests. We were given the seat numbers to sit in when we boarded, but several people have switched seats as people have gotten off. The only complaint about our seats so far is that there is an Amish family sitting behind us and they woke up way earlier than my 3am bedtime would have preferred. Not only did they wake up early, but they were talking in normal voices across the aisle, not helping us get a full morning's rest. This could happen in any travel situation, so no marks against Amtrak for this. I do think it would be worthwhile to try traveling in a private room during a long distance trek. I haven't tried exploring beyond the dining car to see if this train has any.
We have a single power socket on our section of the wall, which we have used to recharge our laptops from their use in the train station (picture also posted later). So far access to gadget food has been a pleasant surprise. The people food, however, met my expectations exactly. Expensive, mediocre, and runs out fast. With the train being near full capacity the whole trip, several of the food choices have diminished before we ventured back to eat. Both hot and cold options were listed including pizza, hot wings, hot dogs, sub sandwiches, chips, candy, and a variety of drinks. I bet we will stock up on food supplies for the trip back.
The scenery as of late has been very pleasant. We are somewhere in West Virginia and there are creeks and rivers winding along our path, and we are surrounded by green foothills. At least I'm guessing they are foothills.
As the second section of our journey, things have gotten better. I would rate this long distance train better than the smaller, slow trains in Europe, but nowhere near the high speed, first class trains like the TGV, not surprising. Our first real stop will be Philadelphia where we will be attempting to use the public transit system to get around!
Update: Picture of power on the train
Boarding the train was different than I expected. All passengers getting on were lined up and we were allowed to board by size of group (large parties first) and then by the order that we were standing in line. They assigned us seats on the fly. Keith and I were the first couple in line so we were given seats at the front of the first train car. We have a large set of windows, seats that recline and have leg rests and foot rests. We were given the seat numbers to sit in when we boarded, but several people have switched seats as people have gotten off. The only complaint about our seats so far is that there is an Amish family sitting behind us and they woke up way earlier than my 3am bedtime would have preferred. Not only did they wake up early, but they were talking in normal voices across the aisle, not helping us get a full morning's rest. This could happen in any travel situation, so no marks against Amtrak for this. I do think it would be worthwhile to try traveling in a private room during a long distance trek. I haven't tried exploring beyond the dining car to see if this train has any.
We have a single power socket on our section of the wall, which we have used to recharge our laptops from their use in the train station (picture also posted later). So far access to gadget food has been a pleasant surprise. The people food, however, met my expectations exactly. Expensive, mediocre, and runs out fast. With the train being near full capacity the whole trip, several of the food choices have diminished before we ventured back to eat. Both hot and cold options were listed including pizza, hot wings, hot dogs, sub sandwiches, chips, candy, and a variety of drinks. I bet we will stock up on food supplies for the trip back.
The scenery as of late has been very pleasant. We are somewhere in West Virginia and there are creeks and rivers winding along our path, and we are surrounded by green foothills. At least I'm guessing they are foothills.
As the second section of our journey, things have gotten better. I would rate this long distance train better than the smaller, slow trains in Europe, but nowhere near the high speed, first class trains like the TGV, not surprising. Our first real stop will be Philadelphia where we will be attempting to use the public transit system to get around!
Update: Picture of power on the train
Trip Part 1: No Trains in Peoria!
My husband and I have finished the first section of our East Coast vacation and the adventures have already begun.
We have been planning on going east to visit friends and relatives for a couple of years and this one was set to be that year. I convinced my husband that we should take Amtrak out since we could travel between our three destinations via rail and I would love to see how good or bad US rail travel is. I had high hopes and was very excited.
The hardest part was planning our routes. I can't say that Amtrak's website is terrible, but it definitely leaves several things to be desired. I am only partially blaming this for our first "adventure" of the trip. Having never ridden Amtrak before, I probably should have called to get help in finding the best way from the midwest to the east. I saw that Peoria had an Amtrak station and we happen to have friends who live there. We decided this would make an easy starting point to our journey plus provide a place to stay overnight. Well surprise surprise when we find out that Amtrak doesn't actually have a station in Peoria. You get bussed to an Amtrak station. We found this out after our friends asked some co-workers and informed us when we arrived. They speculated that we would ride the bus about 30 minutes to the Bloomington-Normal station. Wrong! We got to ride the bus from Peoria to Indianapolis, about 5 hours including the various stops along the way. I felt my excitement hit the bottom of my stomach and I immediately felt terrible for pulling Keith into my crazy plans. So far he hasn't killed me or complained, but I'm still sorry!
Now why am I sorry? Nothing bad happened, we aren't later because of it, the other passengers were enlightening, but didn't interfere with anyone's trip. I think comes from two places: the fact that we didn't know ahead of time, and the fact that I realized my euphoria during our trip declined with this news. I believe I have just found a personal boarder between willing to do the "right thing" and finding little benefit while adding perceived unnecessary annoyance. Keith and I discussed the difference between driving a personal vehicle and riding a bus, and while I will proudly support people who always choose busing long distances, to me, this will always be the last option I look at and will most likely pass on. I imagine that I won't be on any more long distance buses unless it is involved in a group tour. Sorry, here is my limit.
I am currently writing this in the Indianapolis station so we still have quite a way to go on our journey. While sitting here I have been comparing my surroundings to my other travels. There are large wooden benches reminiscent of old train stations. Not the most comfortable if you have to sit for three hours, but they do add some charm if you pretend you're in an old movie. The lack of wireless is unfortunate considering our long "layover", but that isn't a given at all airports either. Maybe we will have better luck further along our trip. The buzzing lights also detract from an otherwise sparsely occupied, quiet environment. The object of awesomeness here is that there is a charging station available to charge electronics (I will post separately when i can pull the picture off our camera). Now why can't more airports have these? I am impressed.
This is just the first post for this trip, so check back for an update and my first impression of actually being on an Amtrak train (still hopeful).
Updated: Picture of the charging station
We have been planning on going east to visit friends and relatives for a couple of years and this one was set to be that year. I convinced my husband that we should take Amtrak out since we could travel between our three destinations via rail and I would love to see how good or bad US rail travel is. I had high hopes and was very excited.
The hardest part was planning our routes. I can't say that Amtrak's website is terrible, but it definitely leaves several things to be desired. I am only partially blaming this for our first "adventure" of the trip. Having never ridden Amtrak before, I probably should have called to get help in finding the best way from the midwest to the east. I saw that Peoria had an Amtrak station and we happen to have friends who live there. We decided this would make an easy starting point to our journey plus provide a place to stay overnight. Well surprise surprise when we find out that Amtrak doesn't actually have a station in Peoria. You get bussed to an Amtrak station. We found this out after our friends asked some co-workers and informed us when we arrived. They speculated that we would ride the bus about 30 minutes to the Bloomington-Normal station. Wrong! We got to ride the bus from Peoria to Indianapolis, about 5 hours including the various stops along the way. I felt my excitement hit the bottom of my stomach and I immediately felt terrible for pulling Keith into my crazy plans. So far he hasn't killed me or complained, but I'm still sorry!
Now why am I sorry? Nothing bad happened, we aren't later because of it, the other passengers were enlightening, but didn't interfere with anyone's trip. I think comes from two places: the fact that we didn't know ahead of time, and the fact that I realized my euphoria during our trip declined with this news. I believe I have just found a personal boarder between willing to do the "right thing" and finding little benefit while adding perceived unnecessary annoyance. Keith and I discussed the difference between driving a personal vehicle and riding a bus, and while I will proudly support people who always choose busing long distances, to me, this will always be the last option I look at and will most likely pass on. I imagine that I won't be on any more long distance buses unless it is involved in a group tour. Sorry, here is my limit.
I am currently writing this in the Indianapolis station so we still have quite a way to go on our journey. While sitting here I have been comparing my surroundings to my other travels. There are large wooden benches reminiscent of old train stations. Not the most comfortable if you have to sit for three hours, but they do add some charm if you pretend you're in an old movie. The lack of wireless is unfortunate considering our long "layover", but that isn't a given at all airports either. Maybe we will have better luck further along our trip. The buzzing lights also detract from an otherwise sparsely occupied, quiet environment. The object of awesomeness here is that there is a charging station available to charge electronics (I will post separately when i can pull the picture off our camera). Now why can't more airports have these? I am impressed.
This is just the first post for this trip, so check back for an update and my first impression of actually being on an Amtrak train (still hopeful).
Updated: Picture of the charging station
Thursday, June 19, 2008
No Bikes Allowed?
Brief bit of background... I have been pretty busy lately because my company's building was one of the many that were affected by the flooding in Iowa. We now have a temporary location which means that I needed to try out a somewhat new transportation route to get there.
The way our bus routes are set up means that any cross town destinations include a transfer at the central hub. I can still ride my normal route to the hub, but now I need to take an additional route to the new location. I decided to do a test run since I was on my way down to help clear out the building and I used my Strida to get to my first bus. Other than it taking almost twice as long to get to work, the trip down went smoothly. (Note: I was impressed especially since the normal bus hub was destroyed by the flood and they are using a new location with tents as a building right now.)
What prompted me to write this post happened on the way home. I rode the first route back to the transfer point and caught the second leg of my journey. There was one other guy already on the bus. I sat down and held the Strida right in front of me as usual and then the bus driver said something about it. I didn't quite hear him and figured it was a typical "what is that?" or "that's interesting/cool/weird." comment, but I asked him to repeat. He asked if it was something that I still didn't catch and I responded with "It's a folding bike." Then came the comment... "Well you can't have bikes on the bus." Ok, I understand that, but this is a folding bike, and I'm moving to the front of the bus because you just prompted an in depth discussion.
A polite verbal discussion ensued, and below I have a few of his points and my responses:
Other tidbits:
We talked about the buses getting bike racks and he shared that he has worked in large metropolitan transit organizations (no specifics) where people have taken another passenger's bike off the rack if it was nicer than theirs. I don't imagine this to be a huge problem in CR, but I could be surprised. He also said several times that he personally didn't care if I had the folding bike on the bus, but "the rules say...". Apparently he is a runner and bikes himself, so he is very excited that he can ride his bike to work, put it on the bus he's driving, and then take it off to go home. I don't agree with him taking up a space that actual transit riders would use, but I didn't mention it because we had reached my stop.
So for anyone who might read this, what do you think about folding bikes, or compact transportation in general, being allowed or not on public transit? I know large cities handle it, but I don't have personal experience there. Am I at fault because bicycles are not allowed, or should rules be bent or updated to handle alternative transportation that is reasonable?
The way our bus routes are set up means that any cross town destinations include a transfer at the central hub. I can still ride my normal route to the hub, but now I need to take an additional route to the new location. I decided to do a test run since I was on my way down to help clear out the building and I used my Strida to get to my first bus. Other than it taking almost twice as long to get to work, the trip down went smoothly. (Note: I was impressed especially since the normal bus hub was destroyed by the flood and they are using a new location with tents as a building right now.)
What prompted me to write this post happened on the way home. I rode the first route back to the transfer point and caught the second leg of my journey. There was one other guy already on the bus. I sat down and held the Strida right in front of me as usual and then the bus driver said something about it. I didn't quite hear him and figured it was a typical "what is that?" or "that's interesting/cool/weird." comment, but I asked him to repeat. He asked if it was something that I still didn't catch and I responded with "It's a folding bike." Then came the comment... "Well you can't have bikes on the bus." Ok, I understand that, but this is a folding bike, and I'm moving to the front of the bus because you just prompted an in depth discussion.
A polite verbal discussion ensued, and below I have a few of his points and my responses:
| Driver | Me |
| The rules say no bicycles on the bus. | Hmm, first driver to tell my I can't bring this on. I'm surprised it hasn't come up before. As I understand it, the rule is meant for full size bikes because they take up so much space. Mine is folded and compact, and in the same space as my feet. No one could be where it is unless they wanted to sit on my lap. |
| If everyone can't do it, no one can. If everyone brought their folding bike on the bus, there wouldn't be enough room and they would have to wait for the next bus. | If everyone one brought their child in a stroller, there wouldn't be enough room. Cedar Rapids would be so lucky to have that problem. If enough people have to wait for the next bus because they are full, maybe buses should run more frequently, again we would be so lucky... |
| If everyone brought their stroller, the transit directors would make a rule that strollers couldn't come on either. I have a unicycle, should I be able to bring that on the bus? | Yes you should be able to bring your unicycle on the bus as long as you can keep it out of the way. |
Other tidbits:
We talked about the buses getting bike racks and he shared that he has worked in large metropolitan transit organizations (no specifics) where people have taken another passenger's bike off the rack if it was nicer than theirs. I don't imagine this to be a huge problem in CR, but I could be surprised. He also said several times that he personally didn't care if I had the folding bike on the bus, but "the rules say...". Apparently he is a runner and bikes himself, so he is very excited that he can ride his bike to work, put it on the bus he's driving, and then take it off to go home. I don't agree with him taking up a space that actual transit riders would use, but I didn't mention it because we had reached my stop.
So for anyone who might read this, what do you think about folding bikes, or compact transportation in general, being allowed or not on public transit? I know large cities handle it, but I don't have personal experience there. Am I at fault because bicycles are not allowed, or should rules be bent or updated to handle alternative transportation that is reasonable?
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Fewer Cars Than People
How many families do you know that have a car for each family member? How many have more cars than people? Well my husband and I have been testing the one car per family lifestyle and after two successful months, have decided it works perfectly fine for us! We started by not driving my 1996 Honda Civic. It was there if we needed it, but during most of the two months it has been blocked by mulch and we have never had a reason to free it.
Our system relies most heavily on public transportation. My husband drops me off at the bus stop or I ride my Strida to the stop and take the bus from there. Now that the weather is nicer, I have the option of riding my full size bike all the way into work. The one time that I drove to work, my husband was working from home. When making this decision we thought of scenarios where we would both need a car. We decided that if we run into one of those situations, it is just as easy to rent a car the few times that we will need an extra. We also discussed when we would need to own two cars again. For us, this would be when we decide to have kids, but this would hinge on if we really needed another vehicle. I don't subscribe to the belief that having one child requires that you get another car. This includes adding cars and getting a bigger vehicle. I completely understand the reasons where it is required, but there is still the opportunity to maintain a one car household with one kid. This will be one of those play it as we go situations to ensure that we make the right choice.
As of right now, my Honda is getting tuned up to be passed along to my brother and replace his less efficient S10. Hopefully we will make the hand off this weekend and gain a large area in our garage! The other nicety is that our car insurance will go down a little bit. It won't be a life changing amount since my car is old and we don't have full coverage on it, but it will still be more money that we can put to other, more exciting things.
So try out a new transportation style. Not everyone can give up a vehicle, but driving one less day a week or one less week a month will not only save you gas money, but open your eyes to changes you can make, or changes in transportation that your community could make to help out its citizens.
Our system relies most heavily on public transportation. My husband drops me off at the bus stop or I ride my Strida to the stop and take the bus from there. Now that the weather is nicer, I have the option of riding my full size bike all the way into work. The one time that I drove to work, my husband was working from home. When making this decision we thought of scenarios where we would both need a car. We decided that if we run into one of those situations, it is just as easy to rent a car the few times that we will need an extra. We also discussed when we would need to own two cars again. For us, this would be when we decide to have kids, but this would hinge on if we really needed another vehicle. I don't subscribe to the belief that having one child requires that you get another car. This includes adding cars and getting a bigger vehicle. I completely understand the reasons where it is required, but there is still the opportunity to maintain a one car household with one kid. This will be one of those play it as we go situations to ensure that we make the right choice.
As of right now, my Honda is getting tuned up to be passed along to my brother and replace his less efficient S10. Hopefully we will make the hand off this weekend and gain a large area in our garage! The other nicety is that our car insurance will go down a little bit. It won't be a life changing amount since my car is old and we don't have full coverage on it, but it will still be more money that we can put to other, more exciting things.
So try out a new transportation style. Not everyone can give up a vehicle, but driving one less day a week or one less week a month will not only save you gas money, but open your eyes to changes you can make, or changes in transportation that your community could make to help out its citizens.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Couple of quick links
Green Construction Comes to Eastern Iowa:
KCRG.com Article
A link from my mom:
360 Electrical - These are neat outlets you can retrofit anywhere that can turn 360 degrees to allow you to plug in those awkward power blocks, though you should probably have them on a power strip so you can kill the vampire power suckers.
--JOsh
KCRG.com Article
A link from my mom:
360 Electrical - These are neat outlets you can retrofit anywhere that can turn 360 degrees to allow you to plug in those awkward power blocks, though you should probably have them on a power strip so you can kill the vampire power suckers.
--JOsh
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