We had a great time in Glenwood Springs.
From taking a Segway tour of the area and a day at the world's largest hot springs pool to downtime for rest & relaxation and a trip to a rain-covered Snowmass, my family and I enjoyed our brief vacation.
I may put up some video once I get the chance.
But I've had a lot of people curious about how the return train ride went on Amtrak.
Sit right back and I'll share a tale...
I was very surprised to find out that the California Zephyr (coast-to-coast train) was only 15 minutes late pulling into Glenwood Springs.
We boarded the train around 1:15 pm and were to arrive in Denver around 7 pm.
We managed to snag a table in the lounge car so we could play some games and pass the time. That part went quite well.
However, due to sharing the track with freight trains, we had to stop several times on the return trip to wait for a train to pass. Fortunately, the scenery was beautiful.
The train didn't pull in to Denver until around 8:30 pm.
The last 30 minutes of the ride was punctuated by several little children running up and down the corridor making loud noises.
I asked Mary if we ever would have let our kids behave so unrestrained in a public place and she shook her head at me.
Every time the kids would let loose with a screech or yelp, you could hear someone on the train "shhhh-ing" them. Yet the responsible adults with them did nothing.
When I saw the father walk down the aisle appearing to not care that his uncontrolled children were disturbing the entire cabin, I said, "Would you mind too much controlling your children please?"
He responded, "They're excited because they know we're almost there. You can't control them."
I said, "You can if you are a parent", and he walked off. They were quieter the rest of the time.
I was amazed at his response. I'm thinking to myself, "If you can't control them now, just wait five years... you are in for a treat, buddy."
We finally pulled in to the station and went to baggage claim to get our luggage.
There were no more than fifty bags that needed to be unloaded, and my assumption would be that those bags would be placed in the same compartment.
It took them forty-five minutes to transport our bags one hundred yards to the claim area.
Every person standing there was amazed at the inefficiency of Amtrak's system.
There was a woman at baggage claim whose job it was to check bag tags and make sure we had the right luggage.
And here was the great irony...
We just spent eight hours on a train where everyone leaves their seats from time to time (bathroom break, dining car, lounge car) and they leave all the possessions (laptops, purses, etc) where anyone could swipe them.
Now they are concerned that we're going to walk off with the wrong luggage?
Honestly, even the airports don't make you check to see if you have the right bags. It's a minor thing, but by that time I just wanted to grab my bags and go.
It was 11 pm before we made it to our home in Loveland.
If we had left town at 1 pm in our car, we would have been home by 5 pm (with bathroom stops).
I had hoped to give my family a new experience. We all agreed that it was an experience that we will not seek out again.
Next time, we fly or drive.
Goodbye Amtrak. Thanks for the memories.
Oh, one more thing.
I will NOT be looking at Greyhound for a new travel experience!
It's Del.icio.us!
Furl It!
August 11, 2008 11:58 AM
Its situations like this that make me think twice before having kids. Even though in my mind, I know that it's the parents that don't control their kids .... especially when they give some lame excuse.
I don't get annoyed at all with parents that actually make an attempt to control their kids, but the last flight I took consisted of an hour long screaming match between two brothers. Their mother could have cared less even when they started kicking my seats... I digress
Good for you for saying something to the parents!
August 11, 2008 12:16 PM
Given the horrors of modern travel, the idea that some delays that are not the fault of Amtrak, some loud kids, and some slow baggage service would make you write off the whole mode of transportation makes me think that you, sir, are a giant wuss.
August 11, 2008 12:25 PM
On the plus side, Joel -
You had all of that beautiful scenery to take in rather than having to focus on the road to keep your family safe from the crazy drivers out there. :o)
Thank You for taking a stand and commenting to the idiot father of the unruly kids - seems everyone is afraid to 'step-up' these days. Just maybe that will start them on the path of respecting others.
If you've never done the Greyhound 'thang' it's a real 'H00t' - you get to tour the nation's Ghettos and That could be an education for your kids that would leave a lasting impression and I doubt it would 'scar' them.
Glad you had a good time and made it home safe!
Warmest Regards
Jim Z in AZ
August 11, 2008 12:27 PM
Hi Joel,
I had a similar chaotic experience when I took my two, very well behaved, respectful kiddos on a trip to the Pacific Northwest. Now we drove the 1200+ miles and that was actually a great experience. Then towards the end of the trip came the "whale watching cruise" with what seemed like about a thousand other folks -- and it wasn't the kids who were ill behaved. I watched adults push children out of the way to grab their seats, the ones at the window. Then all the interior seats went. Which left me standing for three hours with a 16 year old, and a 6 year old. And the most frustrating part? These people would actually put their belongings on the seats and then disappear. They weren't using the seats, but they sure as hell didn't want anyone else to either. The only time my little one could sit was when we went to the very top of the boat, huddled inside my jacket, because the temperatures outside were bone chilling. It was by far the longest, most gruesome day of the vacation. Experiences with folks like that made me long for the comfort of my home, my town, and my family. Happily, we did see some whales, and kids...well they bounce back. My little one still recalls the whale watching trip as her favorite part of a 7 day vacation!
August 11, 2008 12:39 PM
Glad you made it back, Joel.
In visits to the US over the past thirty years I've tried both Amtrak and Greyhound. They can both be good, and both be bad. The great thing about the train, though, is the scenery ... anywhere on the world. In that respect it beats flying every time - except possibly flying over the Himalayas! The coastal rail journey from NY to Boston is great. I also enjoyed Chicago to Philadelphia. However, the thing I've never liked about US trains is that they're so _S_L_O_W_. I'm told it's something to do with the track being rather old, and the capital cost of replacing it.
Thanks for the latest "Top 1%" DVD. I'm just about to watch it.
- David -
August 11, 2008 12:42 PM
"If you can't control them now, just wait five years... you are in for a treat, buddy."
No doubt on this one, bro. I have some little cousins (ages 10 and 12) who are very unruly... and seemingly never listen to a word out of their parents' mouths.
I keep thinking to myself, "My uncle and aunt are about to have the worst eight years of their lives!"
Actually, they are so unruly that I even asked my pastor if he knows of any good books on disciplining children.
He told me that James Dobson's books on discipline are probably the best.
Anyway, hopefully this comment will enable you to recommend a little reading material when you come across the parents of unruly children in the future. :p
By the way, I keep looking at maps of Colorado because I'm thinking about moving to Fort Collins. Eight hours from Grand Junction to Loveland just doesn't seem right!
August 11, 2008 01:47 PM
Greyhound is a great way to travel ,just don't try to bring a beer on the bus.I saw someone do it and they were put off the bus. The bus from Atlanta airport was an hour late,so i got to ride the MARTA to the Atlanta bus station. Then stayed on the bus all the way to Nashville.
August 11, 2008 02:01 PM
Joel,
I understand all the reasons you did not enjoy traveling by train.
However, with some due diligence in researching Amtrak travel, you could have easily discovered what all the pros and cons were about traveling on Amtrak.
I occasionally ride Amtrak between Kansas City and St. Louis and experience the same as you. However, I already knew what to expect when choosing the mode of travel, so my expectations were not let down. I still prefer to pay the $50 round-trip/person as opposed to spending $100 for fuel and having to navigate the freeway with sometimes irrational drivers.
Your response about the non-parenting parents is spot on though. Kudos to you for holding the father responsible.
August 11, 2008 02:48 PM
It amazes me that people train their dogs, but not their children. Aren't children much smarter than dogs? I know from experience that children can be trained to mind and behave. (I have five children.)
If you want some help on how to do it, check out No Greater Joy ministries and their book, To Train Up a Child.
You can read a sample from the book here: http://shop.nogreaterjoy.org/product_info.php/cPath/1_14/products_id/69
Sadly, it seems that proper child training was lost with the generation who followed Dr. Spock.
August 12, 2008 04:01 AM
Hi Joel
Good to hear you're back, and thanks for the article. I really do enjoy your blog. Always thought-provoking and always well-written. A lot of other marketers could learn much from you. It feels personal to be in your company. Again, thanks. :-)
PS: If you ever want another type of vacation, why not consider France? I blog about it here: www.blunck.dk/france
August 23, 2008 09:42 PM
I made a vow t myself that when I make my millions from affiliate marketing, I am going to head down to the CSX and or Amtrak scrapyard and buy a used locomotive engine and fix it up real nice just for myself to drive. I've always been into trains since I was a kid...:-)
http://www.ShawnDrewry.com