when SC is in the US...

[Deleted]

Jan 14, 2013 10:04:53 GMT -5 Oweena said:

Oh, and not to ignore the obvious, if Rez is there it would be an extra bonus.

NOW I feel loved and hono(u)red!

[Oweena]

I don't need that superfluous "u" Rez. Us 'merkins go for simplicity.

But you get yourself to the east coast and I'll make my way from the west coast.

[MsBelleRae]

Jan 14, 2013 13:48:08 GMT -5 bundes said:

Jan 13, 2013 21:48:24 GMT -5 MsBelleRae said:

My only complaint is that she's coming during the semester when I'll have a new baby. Dammit. For some reason I imagined it this spring sometime.. pre-baby. Who knows, though.. maybe we'll have the world's easiest baby.

Jeeze, Soul, couldn't you have scheduled this trip around me and my schedule?? ;]

WAIT, WHAT, you are pregnant? Congratulations!!! I had no idea.

Thank you!!

We loooove Boston. I could totally talk Flash into a long weekend. We'll bring the little guy!

[snkysally]

Yay Belle! Can't wait to maybe finally meet you!

[Liiisa]

Jan 14, 2013 18:58:52 GMT -5 vinnyd said:

There are very cheap buses from Boston to NYC, and from NYC to DC, but it would be very tiring to try to do Boston-DC by bus in one go. The train is much more expensive, but much more comfortable, if for some reason you're not willing spend a few days in NYC. Planes might not be much more expensive than the train.

Vinny speaks the truth, except that I personally wouldn't bother with a plane because with the folderol at the airport and getting in and out of the city, it takes almost as long as the train.

[psw]

The Boston airport is actually close to the city. Boston to NYC you're better off with surface transportation, train or bus, but DC is twice as far. If you're booking a plane ticket, home>>>Boston>>>DC>>>>home might be the cheapest option. If you want to go to through NYC, then open-jaw, in by Boston and back by DC or reverse, your choice.

[Queen]

So Boston and Vienna this year?

[Webs]

If you all are coming to Boston, I'm not going to Vienna.

[Liiisa]

Jan 17, 2013 9:16:03 GMT -5 psw said:

The Boston airport is actually close to the city. Boston to NYC you're better off with surface transportation, train or bus, but DC is twice as far. If you're booking a plane ticket, home>>>Boston>>>DC>>>>home might be the cheapest option. If you want to go to through NYC, then open-jaw, in by Boston and back by DC or reverse, your choice.

I never fly to New England, even from down here in DC - seriously, if you count all the security theatre I swear you only save a couple hours taking a plane, and it's so much nicer just to ride on the train, especially if you get the quiet car. Plus there's a kaiten sushi bar now in Union Station. And a Neuhaus chocolates.

[psw]

Liiisa, from DC I wouldn't fly either for the reasons you state.

However if someone is coming from the west coast or from across the pond, it's a different story.

[SoulCurry]

I want to do one nice train journey in the US. Y'all have to suggest a route.

Oweena, could you pleeeease bring the Mister along?

[tzarine]

you could do nyc - new orleans.

or washington - boston

[canayangel]

you could see a lot if you took a train trip all the way to Seattle!

[tigress]

I've taken the train between NYC and Montréal in the fall, and it was bee-yootifull.

[Liiisa]

The train trip I've enjoyed most in the US is the one going from NY Grand Central north into the Hudson Valley. It goes along the Hudson River, which is purty, and you can go to these cute towns with GREAT food. Wonderful food. And Grand Central is a gorgeous station with good coffee, whereas Penn Station is a hellhole.

[SoulCurry]

How long is this journey, Liiisa? Is it very costly?

[Liiisa]

Well, to go to Hudson, which is usually where I stop since my aunt and uncle live there, is 2 hours from NYC, but you can go farther - a couple trains go through there, with one ending in Vermont and another veering off to Toronto and a third to Montreal, I think. Amtrak has nice timetables here: www.amtrak.com/train-schedules-timetables

Unfortunately the train can add some cost - I think depending on the time and how early you purchase the tickets, round trip could be as cheap as $70 but that might be at inconvenient times... so it could end up being more like $150.

But there are some wonderful things up there - Hudson is cute; you can take a boat tour to look at the gorgeous mansions that line that part of the Hudson; the DIA Center's up there in Beacon and is an AMAZING museum if you like minimalism; Blue Hill at Stone Barns, near Tarrytown, a wonderful but admittedly really pricey seasonal restaurant... oooh you could spend a week there and spend all your money up there and get really fat.

[moxxxie]

Is Soul here yet??

[psw]

Soul plans to arrive in the US in August.

[poppy]

Jan 17, 2013 9:39:58 GMT -5 Webs said:

If you all are coming to Boston, I'm not going to Vienna.

Which I am guessing there won't be a European piss up this year.
October is too early for me to go anywhere this year.
Then again as daughter is talking seriously of heading to the UK for 12 months or so, might have to wait till then before I head over that way again.

[vinnyd]

It would be hard to do the Hudson Valley tour that liiisa is talking about without a car. A daytrip from Grand Central to Beacon 9the best-sitated train station in the US, as far as I know) or Cold Spring might make sense.

[Liiisa]

You can walk into town from the Hudson station (can't you?), and you get a cab at Tarrytown to take you to Blue Hill/Stone Barns. And I think you can walk to the boat landing from Kingston. Sure you can't do everything, but you can do a lot if you use cabs and plan ahead.

[Queen]

Jan 18, 2013 8:53:06 GMT -5 SoulCurry said:

I want to do one nice train journey in the US. Y'all have to suggest a route.

Denver to LA should satisfy your mountain fetish!

[Ozluv]

I just hope I'm still in the USA by that time - and not back in Oz!

[psw]

hey, ozluv, lookin' good!