RE: [Philmont]: AMTRAK

Robert:

Amtrak is a great way to go, and this is probably one of the only times
your guys will travel by train. Our guys considered it part of the
Philmont adventure, and when it came time to plan our Double H trip,
Amtrak won out over the airlines, even though a flight out would have
been (slightly) cheaper, more convenient, and faster.

Luggage seems to be handled in different ways, depending on where you
get on and off, the type of cars on any given train, the size of your
crew, and, possibly, the phases of the moon; in four runs (two out, two
back), our luggage was handled four different ways.

If you catch the train in St. Louis, you will have to make a connection
in Kansas City right around midnight; you might want to see if you can
track down crews from your area who have used Amtrak in the past, to get
some tips on how to make that transfer go smoothly. Last year, we rode
with a crew from your area that had made arrangements to hang out at a
museum near the KC station.

For our Philmont excursion, we got the OK at Philmont to arrive one day
early (at a nominal cost). Trains have a way of running late, and it is
much better to arrive a day early, and have time for a leisurely check
in, that to be pulling up to the Welcome Center after dark, about the
time you should be heading to the opening campfire. An early check in
will also give you more time to see the museums, go into Cimarron, and
scout out the trading post, and can get you out of HQ and on the trail
earlier.

The Amtrak staff on the Southwest Chief have a LOT of experience working
with Boy Scout crews, and for the most part go out of their way to make
the trip memorable. One car seems to be dedicated to Philmont crews,
usually at one end or the other of the train; as you can guess, this car
is usually louder, messier and more fun than any other car on the train.
Emphasizing a few points of the Scout Law -- like being Helpful,
Courteous and Clean -- scored us a lot of points with the staff (like
going out of their way to tell us where to hide the Krispy Kremes so
they wouldn't disappear overnight).

Dan Bestul
Troop 180
Monroe, WI
Philmont 2003
Double H 2004
 

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As you gather around this virtual campfire with fellow
Scouts and Scouters, do your best to be trustworthy,
loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient,
cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
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Received on Mon Dec 20 13:42:16 2004