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Trip Reports by our Clients:
NEW ENGLAND TRIP
by
Jack Race
Hi Ted:
Just a few lines and some feedback, to let you know about the great New England trip that you set up for us and how it all went very well. I apologize for not sending a postcard or getting back to you sooner, however a few comments and a couple points about our experience were important enough to pass along, just in case another customer wishes to do a similar trip.
Amtrak: The Lakeshore accommodations worked out very well for us, especially the deluxe bedroom; the upgrade was really worth it. There was an equipment problem with our sleeper the day before we boarded to come home. All of our car patrons had to be temporarily placed in coach from Boston to Albany. The replacement sleeper was added at Albany for the balance of the return trip & Amtrak did compensate us with a partial refund.
The Downeaster is a very nice train, especially Business class and car hosts are provided during the tourist season as well at the Dover Station. Upon returning to Boston on our last day, the train was delayed due to signal problems. This resulted in a tight (1 hour) connection to the Lake Shore train, but the conductor made the necessary notifications and the car host graciously helped get us to a taxi for the final connection. Even though we were ticketed to board at Back Bay, we were encouraged by the crew to board the Lakeshore at South Station, to take advantage of checked baggage and would not be any issue with the ticket situation.
Car Rental: Apparently this is more of a challenge outside of larger towns. Hertz in Dover, NH was a satellite operation, manned by one captive person, in a car dealership two miles out of town mainly for service-related rentals, and local taxi availability was questionable.
Upon arriving in Dover, the Amtrak Station Host called us a cab. Our cab driver was unfamiliar with the dealer‘s location due to a change of street names on the outskirts of town, got lost and had to call his dispatcher for directions . Hertz did refund my cab fare, but charged me extra for a 2nd driver which our agency back home does not.
The 2 hour window for our car return could have been more critical. The agency opened at 7 am and train time was 8:58 am. After returning the rental car, the Hertz agent did offer to call us a taxi, but the dealership’s service manager offered us a lift back to town and we made the train with time to spare.
Even with these situations, the car worked out very well for our needs and the pricing was reasonable.
Lodging: All the accommodations could not have been better. Carlson’s Lodge near Mt. Washington is a great family place in a beautiful location and has the homiest atmosphere of any place we have ever stayed at.
The Marston House Bed & Breakfast was a different experience without TV or radio, but turned out to be a very quaint & most remembered. Our hosts were very good and accommodating.
The Hilton in Portland was in a very good downtown location on the waterfront and a couple blocks from the museum. It was a bit too upscale price-wise, but our car was valet protected and the location to everything could not have been better.
The Days Inn in Dover was a nice kitchenette apartment and a good downtown location. Its closeness to the Amtrak station would have been a greater asset if the rental return had been easier.
One thing I neglected to mention with setting up lodging was specifying either ground floor or elevator access. The Marston House and the Days Inn had many stairs and we could not handle our main bags to our rooms, requiring frequent repacking at the car.
Incidentally, if you ever send anyone to the Wiscasset, Maine area; be sure to warn them about the heavy traffic delays into town. This town is a very well known Antique Capitol of Maine (35 shops) and amongst it’s many fine eating places has a seafood stand which was rated as one of the ten best in the area and always has long lines from opening to closing. These factors always caused two mile backups into the business district from either direction.
Museums: I have wanted to visit the Mt. Washington Cog for the last 17 years and am very grateful to you for making it possible. This is a very popular and well attended operation, a thrilling and breath-taking ride, a very nice indoor museum and restaurant and a must for anyone visiting the White Mountain area. We are also grateful to you for getting us space on the first trip behind steam. A crew member told me that due to the high costs of state boiler inspections, this would be the last year for regular steam use, except for maybe special occasions.
The WW&F near Wiscasset is a real jewel but only operates on the weekends. This museum is a 1st class authentic operation. The 2 ½ mile ride into the woods is rebuilt on the original right-of-way, with original & authentic equipment from Maine and a real early century experience. Our scheduled Thursday visit had no operation but 2 working members were present and took time out to give us a grand tour of the shop & yard facilities. This gave me a chances for many photographs and a member even opened up the gift shop for us. We were also informed that the upcoming Saturday was the annual member’s picnic. Fortunately we were still located close enough to return for rides before moving on to Portland.
Boothbay Railway Village is on the other side of Wiscasset and a nice place to take a family. It is like a miniature version of Greenfield Village in Detroit. It has a put-in circle of track and among other things, incorporates a fabulous auto museum and a model railroad club. A Henschel steam locomotive is run frequently & everyday. It was lucky we were close enough to alter our schedule and visit on Thursday after leaving the WW&F. Friday through Sunday was scheduled to host Thomas the Tank Engine Days and we were informed that admission to the museum would have been impossible without reservations.
We had been to the Narrow Gauge Museum in Portland two years ago while on a tour and rode behind diesel power. Their roster includes a lot of equipment from the Edaville operation in Carver, Mass. There are several authentic steam engines from the area in the collection, but shut off from the public in another building away from the main museum, and not running or available to photograph. Apparently due to costs, steam is only run once a month during the summer. This was a major disappointment and my only reason to visit the facility. The ride is about 1 mile along the waterfront, replacing an abandoned wide gauge operation. If one is able to obtain a steam schedule ahead of time, the visit would be well worth it.
That pretty much sums up our trip. If this letter has turned into more of a journal than a post card, my apologies, but it was my only way of expressing how much we enjoyed a very great and memorable trip of a lifetime and how you made it possible for us.
Thank you again.
Sincerely,
Jack Race
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