tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165597840720544114.comments2022-03-04T05:30:21.095-08:00Planes, Trains, and RunningGreg Fischerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09635024512207188320noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165597840720544114.post-65658797858532404682013-11-21T10:02:24.358-08:002013-11-21T10:02:24.358-08:00Thanks for highlighting our TrustScore. If you wou...Thanks for highlighting our TrustScore. If you would like any other info on the data we provide to our partners like kayak and trivago, please let me know.<br /><br />Cheers,<br /><br />Ellis, VP @ TrustYouEllis Connollyhttp://www.trustyou.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165597840720544114.post-49043859071055275382013-03-06T11:58:28.011-08:002013-03-06T11:58:28.011-08:00Hi, David. How nice - a real comment. All I seem...Hi, David. How nice - a real comment. All I seem to ever get now are spam comments.<br /><br />Your point about using Amtrak/BART via Richmond to get to San Francisco (like I did on the return portion of my trip) is dead on, but the point of this trip was to try Megabus. San Francisco is seldom a destination for me - usually it's the East Bay - and I often switch to BART in Richmond even if I'm heading to Oakland. (They also have a great deal on BART tickets in the Capitol lounge cars: $10 ticket for $8.)<br /><br />I wonder, too, about the sustainability of Megabus pricing, but in what is for them a mature market - New York-Washington DC - the prices remain low.<br /><br />Looking now at schedules/pricing from New York to DC for a week from today (13 March 2013), prices range from as low as $9 to as high as $21. Most are in the $11-15 range, which is a bargain. The lowest Amtrak fare for the non-high speed Acela service is $82 and for Acela it's $149.<br /><br />In the NYC-DC market Megabus is one of a number of bus carriers that operate so there is a lot of competition. From what I've read, in general the bus operators compete less with Amtrak (or airlines) and more with other bus operators and simply driving.<br /><br />Randomly picking another market where I wouldn't expect there to be a lot of competition, New York-Burlington, VT, the two departures on 13 March are $24 and $22 respectively. Higher priced than DC, but a longer distance, too.<br /><br />Lastly, I'm looking now at SF-LAX (7 departures) and prices for 13 March range from $16 to $24 - quite a deal.<br /><br />My guess is that if Megabus is successful in California and Nevada the prices will go up a little, but not enough to lose their attractiveness.Greg Fischerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09635024512207188320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165597840720544114.post-10475944281961098142013-03-06T11:14:24.244-08:002013-03-06T11:14:24.244-08:00Hi Greg: This is interesting piece. I'm a re...Hi Greg: This is interesting piece. I'm a regular user of this route - a monthly meeting in Oakland that I usually use Amtrak for. Just a thought or two to throw in: My memory is that on your sample itinerary, using the same Amtrack/BART combo you used on the way back to go down would have gotten you there a bit faster and straight into downtown - No? And I really have to wonder if that price Megabus is offering is sustainable - or is it just a loss leader to build business and then we'll see a substantial increase later on? Of course, I never take this trip without comparing it to my experiences in France, where I'd be taking the TGV and doing the whole thing in about 90 minutes. David Welchnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165597840720544114.post-71364429597753228602012-08-09T09:57:18.332-07:002012-08-09T09:57:18.332-07:00Thanks, Alice! Permission granted. Of course, I ...Thanks, Alice! Permission granted. Of course, I never asked Leslie Gore if I could adapt her line. A friend of mine correctly noted that in fact I didn't paraphrase Leslie but adapted it. She was right - sigh...Greg Fischerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09635024512207188320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165597840720544114.post-68052042558113361352012-08-08T14:48:47.505-07:002012-08-08T14:48:47.505-07:00Great post, Greg! Incredible mileage. ...and permi...Great post, Greg! Incredible mileage. ...and permission to steal your "It's my blog, and I'll write what I want to" line - brilliant! - Alice L.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165597840720544114.post-65968452256585045692012-07-23T17:56:29.855-07:002012-07-23T17:56:29.855-07:00Greg, you take fantastic pictures - the High Line ...Greg, you take fantastic pictures - the High Line looks gorgeous! Plus, your comments enhance the viewing experience, putting your reader right there! You caught the spirit of why the H/L works for visitors & locals alike. Generous neighbors Diane van Furstenburg & hubby Barry Diller have tossed in $20M for the 3rd section to be built by 2014. And an inspiration for other cities (New Orleans next) to recoup their river harbors: a talk on the H/L tonight showed Detroit's success in creating their RiverWalk @a cost of $130M, only a third of the funding so far, which started in 2003. See link below. Economically depressed Detroit - woo hoo!<br /><br />www.detroitriverfront.org/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165597840720544114.post-3404190306410843972012-07-23T12:28:04.747-07:002012-07-23T12:28:04.747-07:00Hi, Greg --
I enjoyed perusing both of your NYC p...Hi, Greg --<br /><br />I enjoyed perusing both of your NYC posts, although I was expecting them to be about Klamath Falls. What you wrote was so interesting I got over my disappointment quickly, tough. For Keith's birthday next year, I suggest telling him you're taking him to New York and then surprise him with Klamath instead.<br /><br />It was intriguing to read about the High Line so soon after Jack and I had strolled along it. This is very convenient: could you please continue to post blogs on our travels? I learned more about the High Line than I had in reading guidebooks!<br /><br />Thanks for always conveying a real sense of appreciation and zest for travel in all of your blogs.<br /><br />All my best,<br />DavidAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165597840720544114.post-87803534637939989092012-07-22T13:03:44.872-07:002012-07-22T13:03:44.872-07:00Thanks, PBeck! Sounds like you ought to head to N...Thanks, PBeck! Sounds like you ought to head to New York soon.Greg Fischerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09635024512207188320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165597840720544114.post-66434966449680492432012-07-21T19:19:11.056-07:002012-07-21T19:19:11.056-07:00This is compact, well-illustrated and a great teas...This is compact, well-illustrated and a great teaser for a beautiful and new NYC attraction!PBeckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15281394890471531466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165597840720544114.post-44934276606917670552012-07-14T13:04:37.472-07:002012-07-14T13:04:37.472-07:00Thanks, NY Pal! Well, I'm sure that Mr. Brant...Thanks, NY Pal! Well, I'm sure that Mr. Brantley will want to meet us on our next visit to New York (and bestow free theater tickets on us, too) so I just corrected his name to Ben. (Where I got "Peter" from is anyone's guess - thanks for bringing it to my attention.)Greg Fischerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09635024512207188320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165597840720544114.post-7850669477082711762012-07-13T21:10:57.877-07:002012-07-13T21:10:57.877-07:00Hi Greg & Keith, sounds like you both had an e...Hi Greg & Keith, sounds like you both had an excellent time during your visit to NYC. The heat in June was an aberration (like Paris, avoid NY in August) but you guys certainly accomplished a lot - including the WTC memorial (which New Yorker me hasn't yet seen). Glad you enjoyed your BD gift to Keith, especially Tracie Bennett as Judy (btw, NYT critic's first name is Ben, not Peter, just in case you meet him next trip in). So start training for the November NYC Marathon ending in Central Park, you bunnies!! <br />xo -Your NY PalAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165597840720544114.post-81870208716736312312012-06-26T12:11:51.815-07:002012-06-26T12:11:51.815-07:00Thanks for the true weather experience of a local!...Thanks for the true weather experience of a local!<br /><br />Here in Chico we've had a remarkably mild summer so far, with the temps today around 80 (no humidity) with lows in the 50s.<br /><br />Though snow falls in the mountains that start at the eastern edge of Chico, it is virtually nonexistent here.<br /><br />I read Thomas Wolfe's "Look Homeward Angel" with its fictionalized Asheville ("Altamont") and it's clear that it was a favorite destination for southerners fleeing the heat and humidity of the lower elevations.Greg Fischerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09635024512207188320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165597840720544114.post-73316777856906639482012-06-26T06:39:52.551-07:002012-06-26T06:39:52.551-07:00Enjoyed your article...I live near asheville and l...Enjoyed your article...I live near asheville and love it. The only correction I could make is concerning the weather. Up higher (4000 ft) the summer temps rarely get above 80, but down in the valley it averages in mid 80s in summer. But it cools off nicely at night...in fact tonight we may be flirting with the upper 40's. Usually one could expect upper 50's to lower 60's at night. Winter averages 45 during the day and 25 at night....but again is highly variable. Ive seen it as cold as 20 below with horrendous wind, to temps in the 70's in January. Snow is the same...ive seen 3 ft in one day to barely receiving any measurable snowfall last year.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165597840720544114.post-73594186384540256312012-05-04T19:06:49.780-07:002012-05-04T19:06:49.780-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Theodore Oneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00469075409263513800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165597840720544114.post-80825751335240236612012-03-09T09:48:18.262-08:002012-03-09T09:48:18.262-08:00Looks lovely! When are we going, with Becky as our...Looks lovely! When are we going, with Becky as our guide?PBeckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15281394890471531466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165597840720544114.post-9028374436291098102012-02-09T04:26:35.752-08:002012-02-09T04:26:35.752-08:00Montclair is a beautiful, very affluent, and somew...Montclair is a beautiful, very affluent, and somewhat diverse neighborhood (at least in contrast to its peer neighborhoods in San Francisco, Tiburon, Berkeley, and the town of Piedmont). The homes range from cozy (but pricey) cottages in bosky settings to large mid-century moderns of Redwood and glass, with a fair number of distinctive mansions and estates dating from the 1930s to the present ensconced in wooded settings. This is a lovely neighborhood for those who can afford it, and a nice place to walk and drive through for those who aspire, or at least admire, the bosky settings, ethnically diverse (if not class diverse) community, and the interesting architecture.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165597840720544114.post-54484932335270657462012-02-07T20:42:18.385-08:002012-02-07T20:42:18.385-08:00I love traveling by train! As they say, its the jo...I love traveling by train! As they say, its the journey not the destination that counts.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.cooktravel.net/corporate_travel.htm" rel="nofollow">corporate travel services</a>Grace McSmithnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165597840720544114.post-68518437096357588982012-01-07T18:01:03.097-08:002012-01-07T18:01:03.097-08:00I work @ the front desk of the Padre Hotel and rea...I work @ the front desk of the Padre Hotel and really enjoyed this post. Thanks for visiting!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165597840720544114.post-21461485429060280982011-12-05T10:22:00.308-08:002011-12-05T10:22:00.308-08:00Greg,
I remember all of these races. Myself as w...Greg,<br /><br />I remember all of these races. Myself as well as Meredith, Caroline, Dan, and many of your other friends attended these races to root you on. I must say that these were some of the best times of my life. I particularly loved the Half Marathon in Yakima with the great white behemoth. It was truly a great weekend.<br /><br />Thanks for the memories.<br /><br />AlAl Sipplenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165597840720544114.post-79644799392179108092011-07-18T18:21:04.788-07:002011-07-18T18:21:04.788-07:00Very insightful stuff Greg. It's nice to read ...Very insightful stuff Greg. It's nice to read such a detailed post about the train system in California! Not sure if everyone knows this, but the Capitol Corridor is operated by a different state agency than the San Joaquin/Pacific Surfliner. These past couple of years have seen remarkable increases in ridership. It's a good sign for rail travel in California. Keep up the great writing too! We're on Facebook too if you ever want to come by and share: www.facebook.com/AmtrakCaliforniaScotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12573663638391382162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165597840720544114.post-49855111726052746602011-07-18T14:46:42.079-07:002011-07-18T14:46:42.079-07:00Ryan, you had it right
Thanks for bringing this m...Ryan, you had it right<br /><br />Thanks for bringing this my attention. I changed the text about the Capitol Corridor's Transit Transfer program.Greg Fischerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09635024512207188320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165597840720544114.post-68008482689211145282011-07-17T17:16:22.459-07:002011-07-17T17:16:22.459-07:00Hi, Ryan.
Thanks for the comment. I'm going ...Hi, Ryan.<br /><br />Thanks for the comment. I'm going to research this this coming week, since there is clearly a discrepancy between the Caltrans Division of Rail website and the Capitol Corridor website.<br /><br />My fear is that the Capitol Corridor's is old info. I know from personal experience that they used to give A C Transit transfers, but I wonder with all of the hurt at transit agencies and Caltrans now that these agreements were terminated.<br /><br />Stay tuned!Greg Fischerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09635024512207188320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165597840720544114.post-75411046487586586012011-07-16T14:09:25.182-07:002011-07-16T14:09:25.182-07:00As always I enjoy the write ups, but I believe the...As always I enjoy the write ups, but I believe the Ticket Transfer information for Capitol Corridor is incomplete.<br /><br />According to the link from the Capitol Corridor website, most of the local agencies along the route participate — from Sac RT, to AC Transit in Oakland to VTA in San Jose. Here's the full list:<br />http://www.capitolcorridor.org/home/connections.php?subnav=transit_transfersRyan Olsonhttp://www.norcalblogs.com/buzzblognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165597840720544114.post-74849679742794994162011-06-26T20:31:44.422-07:002011-06-26T20:31:44.422-07:00I'm so sorry to hear about Catdog. I hope the ...I'm so sorry to hear about Catdog. I hope the awful dogs are caught. One of my favorite Christmas cards ever was the infamous one with Catdog. I'm sure you will miss him. RIP Catdog! Love, JenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165597840720544114.post-52283018909827309362011-06-25T09:55:33.797-07:002011-06-25T09:55:33.797-07:00Brian, thanks very much for posting the Flickr lin...Brian, thanks very much for posting the Flickr link to your photos. Very nice! The Tehachapi pass was very green thanks to all of the late spring rain. I wonder when the next detour will take place.Greg Fischerhttp://www.planestrainsandrunning.comnoreply@blogger.com