July 5, 2007

Dear Sylvia,

We really appreciate your quick response and professional customer service. The documents are in hand! As I look over the trip package I am impressed by the neat and organized note book, the helpful hints about dinner reservations, and general information.  We will send you a post card.

Thank you for all you have done.

Best Regards,

Stephen St. Denis and James Izatt

June 3, 2007

I returned the 26th from my Brewster tour on the Skeena and Canadian with three days in Jasper. Everything arranged by Brewster went like clockwork. All their people were professional and personable. I was impressed. The Fairmont hotels were, of course, top notch – above my class – but enjoyable. The Canadian Rockies, which I have seen many times in pictures, were everything I had anticipated.

Thank you for introducing me to this tour and for making the arrangements.

I have always experienced that Canadians know how to give excellent service that is professionally delivered and makes one feel that they are pleased to have one as their guest. This trip demonstrated those traits again.

Dick Smith

May 17, 2007

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Blishak,

Thank you for planning a wonderful Canadian vacation for us! Your recommendations, from hotels to the type of train accommodations were excellent. We were also amazed at the value of the trip. We would easily have paid twice as much ourselves as you were able to book this for on our behalf. My husband found you through positive reports from the "train community" and your reputation is well deserved.

Thank you so much,

Becky and Jack

I have returned from my two week trip on Amtrak and Via. The Roosevelt and Fairmont accommodations were excellent. Both Via and Amtrak got me to my destination in good order. Thanks for your assistance and your useful recommendations.

David Jenks
Winchester, Ky.

Excerpted from Mike Martin's Trip Report in the September 2004 issue of The Timetable, The Official Newspaper of the Washington, D.C. Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society:

A Northwest Passage... The Amtrak Way!

Minot, North Dakota, Thursday, December 4, 2003

     "It's 24 degrees in Minot and the ground is covered by about two inches of snow which is still falling lightly.  While strolling the platform, I bump into noted travel experts Ted & Silvia Blishak ("You've seen our ads for years - have you called us yet?").

     "Ted & Sylvia own and operate ACCENT ON TRAVEL USA (1-800-347-0645), a rail-oriented travel agency in Klamath Falls, OR.  They are headed home after a Thanksgiving visit with relatives in Pennsylvania.

    "We have a nice chat about rail travel in general and some of the trips they have booked for me in particular.  I fess up to booking this trip on the web, but promise Ted I will call him in the future.

    "We are all in the same sleeper and Ted pulls my leg about booking the Family Bedroom before he could.  They like that room because they can set up a traveling office on one side and leave it set up for the whole trip.  Nice people who can help you with any aspect of travel by train in the US, Canada or anywhere in the world (Sylvia booked a railfan trip to England for me a few years back).  Give them a call.  You won't be disappointed."

...

08/12/04

Thanks, Ted. I'm really looking forward to this trip. The Drawing Room in the Park Car across Canada is about as good as it gets, and I really appreciate your ability to get special, hard-to-get accommodations like this.

All the best.

John L. S., CPA
Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

Sylvia, Just a short "thank you" for the most wonderful trip of our lives. VIA Rail Canada really treated us like a king and queen. It was well worth taking the return trip as we got to see another aspect of the Rockies.The flowers arrived just as we were boarding and were in our suite in the Park Car when my wife entered. We felt like first class all the way, having been booked by a first class agency!!

Fred Newman

When working for the Pennsy at Harrisburg, PA., I often saw the Broadway Limited pass through with its observation coach on the rear. I often dreamed, but never thought it possible, of riding in an observation coach. A dream come true while riding VIA's "Canadian" with a dome no less!

Many thanks for your help in planning our trip. You can be assured that we will be in touch any time we travel by train.

George Fecker

Thank you again for your usual superlative service in organizing my trip to Ontario via Amtrak and return on Via.

There were (once again) no hang ups with ticketing or the carriers' service. Via Silver and Blue is especially excellent, and their traditional equipment is certainly a lot more rider-friendly than the rather spartan Superliner stuff that Amtrak sports. However, the Amtrak service (and especially the dining car staff and food) more than makes up for it.

The day is almost here, and I, as well as the four Harrisburg Chapter NRHS members are looking forward to the journey across Canada.Just a quick note to express my thanks for handling the reservations. I've pulled the dining car menus off the VIA website, and, even if they change, there's plenty there to whet anyone's appetite!

Many thanks,

R. L. Eastwood, Jr.

Thanks again for a great trip to Santa Barbara last week. The Amtrak trip from Jack London Square in Oakland down to SB and back couldn't have been more delightful.

We really appreciated your care in choosing the best sleeping room, and the 95 minutes of coastline just north of SB (which we viewed from the Observation Car) was truly spectacular and worth the price of the entire trip. But we really loved every minute-meeting great people, wonderful food, helpful staff. We just can't say enough about Amtrak! The train was a couple hours late going down, but right on time coming back.

All in all, a wonderful trip. It was all because of your help-you made all the difference. We've told everyone about your expertise and kindness, and will continue to recommend your services whenever we can. Thanks again!

Laura and Joe Daly

Rocky, Skeena, and Caribou very satisfactory. Thanks for all your very hard work on my train-riding behalf.

Jim Hejduk, Massachusetts

Having a perfect vacation. Smooth trip on Amtrak. Izaak Walton Inn is tops!

Thanks

Mike Martin, Pennsylvania

We are having an outstanding trip! Vancouver was beautiful and we really enjoyed the hotel. Excellent View. The Canadian was everything we expected it to be and more! Thanks for all your help.

Tom and Sherry Figura, Indiana

Dear Sylvia, Just a note to say we are back from the Canadian Rockies and all our reservations worked perfectly. We had great fun, and the train was wonderful.

Thank you for your help,

Bill

Just returned from my trip across Canada on the Canadian. Without a doubt it was the finest rail trip I have ever taken. Thanks!

Sincerely,

Mike Martin

To Accent on Travel:

Once again your knowledgeable service in working with Amtrak is most appreciated.

Sincerely

George A. Muench

Ted,

Thanks -- you and Sylvia never cease to amaze! The things that you do for your clients are unheard of with other agencies.

David Scheef