I'm not the biggest fan of airplanes as I view them as a low percentage form of russian roulette, but anyways on my last trip to Miami I went via Amtrak train from Penn Station in NYC down to Miami. It does cost a few hundred dollars each way, and even more if you get a sleeping car, but overall its an experience well worth the cash.
First of all, there's no pesky processes or security screenings to worry about. You can print out your ticket on the kiskos and 'boom' you're on the train. I had a standard seat which was comfortable enough, it reclines and has foot rests in front of the passenger. There is another seat next to you, and you do have to cross your fingers a little its not a whack job, but that's the same for any mode of travel besides exclusive limos. I had a chubby woman on the way down and an older gentleman on the return trip. The only complaint there was during the sleeping hours her arm kept bumping into my side, but that had nothing to do with her weight issue, even skinny people get flappy arms while asleep. As for food, there's both a dining car and a snack car you can hang out in. There's electrical outlets next to each seat to plug a laptop into, and table tray to lean it on. I was able to watch some DVDs when I wasn't reading my book or looking out the window...which of course is the star of the show.
The ride includes an exit out of Manhattan, down Jersey, past Delaware, through Philadelphia, through Baltimore, through Virginia, both Carolinas, through Virginia, north Florida, and then finally to the destination of Miami(I know mixed boroughs, cities and states). All through this ride there's an amazing assortment of city life, country life, trailor parks, junk yards, orange trees, farms, rivers, swamps, and a military base. There's even some parts where the train literally goes through people's backyards and their siting on their lawn chairs waiving at you(must not have much going on in those towns). A train ride itself has a nostalgic feeling which you can't achieve anywhere else, and this ride was no different. Sure, there was little-to-no internet connection and poor cell phone receiption at times, but it was fun to be back in the old world for a day(ride actually 29 hours).
When you finally get to the Miami station, its a 25 minute/$40 cab ride to South Beach, which would be about the same if you arrived from Miami International Airport. It is a 29 hour haul, the bathroom gets grimy, the food is terrible, its difficult to sleep long with all the train-related noise, but I got to meet a nice old couple on my way back up to NY. In the dinning car we had to share a table, so eventually a conversation rose. Their name escapes me, but they were well into their late 70's, maybe even mid 80's. They literally traveled all over the world, you name it, they been there. Also, they were former Amtrak employees, so basically they rode the rails all across American multiple times. In fact, the husband drove those big steam engines back in the day. He was also in the army, plus(unless it was the ramblings of a senile person which it did not appear to be) he was in a secret unit that ran covert operations in the Asian part of the world. All I can remember about the wife was she told me the biggest and the best tomatoes are grown in the midwest and complained she couldn't get a decent one when living in California...now I know that.
First of all, there's no pesky processes or security screenings to worry about. You can print out your ticket on the kiskos and 'boom' you're on the train. I had a standard seat which was comfortable enough, it reclines and has foot rests in front of the passenger. There is another seat next to you, and you do have to cross your fingers a little its not a whack job, but that's the same for any mode of travel besides exclusive limos. I had a chubby woman on the way down and an older gentleman on the return trip. The only complaint there was during the sleeping hours her arm kept bumping into my side, but that had nothing to do with her weight issue, even skinny people get flappy arms while asleep. As for food, there's both a dining car and a snack car you can hang out in. There's electrical outlets next to each seat to plug a laptop into, and table tray to lean it on. I was able to watch some DVDs when I wasn't reading my book or looking out the window...which of course is the star of the show.
The ride includes an exit out of Manhattan, down Jersey, past Delaware, through Philadelphia, through Baltimore, through Virginia, both Carolinas, through Virginia, north Florida, and then finally to the destination of Miami(I know mixed boroughs, cities and states). All through this ride there's an amazing assortment of city life, country life, trailor parks, junk yards, orange trees, farms, rivers, swamps, and a military base. There's even some parts where the train literally goes through people's backyards and their siting on their lawn chairs waiving at you(must not have much going on in those towns). A train ride itself has a nostalgic feeling which you can't achieve anywhere else, and this ride was no different. Sure, there was little-to-no internet connection and poor cell phone receiption at times, but it was fun to be back in the old world for a day(ride actually 29 hours).
When you finally get to the Miami station, its a 25 minute/$40 cab ride to South Beach, which would be about the same if you arrived from Miami International Airport. It is a 29 hour haul, the bathroom gets grimy, the food is terrible, its difficult to sleep long with all the train-related noise, but I got to meet a nice old couple on my way back up to NY. In the dinning car we had to share a table, so eventually a conversation rose. Their name escapes me, but they were well into their late 70's, maybe even mid 80's. They literally traveled all over the world, you name it, they been there. Also, they were former Amtrak employees, so basically they rode the rails all across American multiple times. In fact, the husband drove those big steam engines back in the day. He was also in the army, plus(unless it was the ramblings of a senile person which it did not appear to be) he was in a secret unit that ran covert operations in the Asian part of the world. All I can remember about the wife was she told me the biggest and the best tomatoes are grown in the midwest and complained she couldn't get a decent one when living in California...now I know that.
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