Amtrak Saluki One Day Rail Trip Carbondale, Illinois, to Mattoon, IL, and Return

Amtrak's Saluki Train - Ready to Board in Carbondale

Amtrak Saluki One Day Rail Trip in Illinois

Wednesday, August 17, I drove to Carbondale, IL, and did a short 2 hour train ride on Amtrak's Saluki train to Mattoon, IL. Ate breakfast at the Downtown Diner and returned to the Amtrak station to wait for the southbound Saluki back to Carbondale. It simply was a good quick inexpensive Amtrak ride in between my June Amtrak and Via Rail trip to Canada and New York State and my upcoming Amtrak California Zephyr adventure October 3. Yes, I like my Amtrak train rides. In fact, as you may know I already have Amtrak trips planned for October 2016 and January and April in 2017. Hopefully, there will be more Amtrak trips in 2017.

The photo above is the train I rode from Carbondale. It is backing up from the center track where it parked overnight and will pull forward on the boarding track next to the boarding ramp. I took about 80 photos and you can check them out in this gallery:   

Amtrak Saluki One Day Trip August 2016

Here are seven other selected photos from this day trip:

Passengers boarding in Mattoon

Building Mural of Illinois Scenes

Tracks at Mattoon Station 

A little too close for comfort as I waited for my train back to Carbondale

Waiting for the Southbound Saluki in Mattoon

Southbound Saluki arriving in Mattoon

Unloading in Carbondale

Friends, I won't be just traveling on Amtrak.  Beginning Labor Day weekend I already have two weddings and one college graduation trips to plan.  A close church family friend's granddaughter Annie will be getting married in Seveirville, TN, September 4 and I will be there for the wedding.  In early May 2017 I have been requested to attend my great niece Kellie's graduation from Mississippi State University in Starkville, MS.  And my great niece Cheri will be getting married July 15, 2017, in Benton(Shreveport/Bossier City), Louisiana.  Since I am wanted, I definitely want to and will be at all three of these special times for close friend and great nieces.

Here are my next four trips planned and three are Amtrak Adventures:

October 22 - November 5 Sister Pat Visit and Trip to Louisiana Home -- 
I will be hosting my sister Pat in Nashville for a couple October Tennessee Titans NFL football games and then driving with her to Shreveport/Bossier City/Benton, Louisiana October 28.  I will return home November 5 and be home through November and December for the holidays.

October 3-12 Amtrak California Zephyr Trip -- Flying Monday to Chicago to stay two nights at The Wit Hotel(a Doubletree Hotel). Boarding Amtrak's California Zephyr Wednesday afternoon for two night trip to Emeryville, CA, arriving late Friday afternoon. Staying at the Hyatt House in Emeryville three nights departing Monday morning on Amtrak's Coast Starlight for all day trip to Los Angeles Union Station. From Union Station I take the Fly Away Bus to LAX Airport and on to the Hilton LAX Hotel for two nights before flying home to Nashville on American's non stop flight.

January 23-31 Amtrak 2017 Winter California Zephyr Trip -- This is what is becoming my annual "see snow away from home" Amtrak Winter trip on the Zephyr. Itinerary is almost exactly as the October trip except I will fly Southwest Airlines to Chicago and I will only stay two nights instead of three at the Hyatt House in Emeryville.

April 8-22 Amtrak April 2017 Rail Adventure -- On this trip I will be riding on two Amtrak trains for the first time and actually traveling coast to coast and return.  I will begin the trip by flying Southwest Airlines to New Orleans April 8 for two nights at the Hyatt House Hotel on Poydras Street near New Orleans Union Station. Early Monday morning (7 AM) I will depart on Amtrak's Crescent train from New Orleans through Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia(Atlanta), South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia arriving Tuesday morning at Washington, DC, Union Station. That same Tuesday afternoon (4 PM), I will depart on Amtrak's Capitol Limited through Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania(Pittsburgh), Ohio, and Indiana arriving early Wednesday (9 AM) in Chicago's Union Station. At 2 PM Wednesday, I'll board Amtrak's California Zephyr for the two night trip to Emeryville arriving Friday late afternoon April 14 for two nights at the Hyatt House Emeryville.  Sunday morning (9 AM) I will board the east bound California Zephyr bound to Chicago arriving Tuesday afternoon and staying one night at the new Hampton Inn Chicago West Loop. Wednesday evening, April 19, I will return to Chicago Union Station to board the Capitol Limited(6:30 PM) for overnight trip back to Washington, DC, arriving early afternoon (1 PM) for a two night stay at the Hilton Garden Inn/DC US Capitol.  Saturday, April 22, I'll fly Southwest Airlines home to Nashville from Washington, DC, Reagan National Airport.

You can see all my previous Rail Trip photos on my photo galleries in the Rail Trips Folder.  

You can click on any of the small photos in this blog to open a full size photo. 

All my photos are available to view on Reagan's Photo Galleries website.

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My Future Travel Plans - Three Amtrak Adventures Planned

Amtrak's East Bound and West Bound California Zephyr's Meet In Colorado

My Future Travel Plans - October 2016 to April 2017

Sometimes, it is just good to be home for a while. That is where I have been since returning from my Canada trip to Halifax, NS, on June 17. And I don't have any travel plans until October 3 except for a short Labor Day weekend Saturday to Monday trip to Sevierville, TN, for a wedding of a close extended family friend.  

Most of you know I have almost a fanatical love for Amtrak sleeper car rail trips particularly Amtrak's California Zephyr that travels from Chicago through Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado(Denver and Glenwood Springs), Utah(Salt Lake City), Nevada(Reno), and California(Truckee, Sacramento) to Emeryville(San Francisco), California.  That's the east bound train meeting my west bound Zephyr near Glenwood Springs in the photo above.  It should be no surprise that my next three major travel adventures will be on Amtrak trains and each one will feature travel on Amtrak's California Zephyr.  Incidentally, I've traveled enough as a Amtrak Guest Rewards(AGR) member that several of these future trips are paid for with AGR points.

In addition to these Amtrak trips, I will be hosting my sister Pat in Nashville for a couple October Tennessee Titans NFL football games and then driving with her to Shreveport/Bossier City/Benton, Louisiana October 28.  I will return home November 5 and be home through November and December for the holidays.

Here are the three Amtrak trips I have planned:

October 3-12 Amtrak California Zephyr Trip -- Flying Monday to Chicago to stay two nights at The Wit Hotel(a Doubletree Hotel). Boarding Amtrak's California Zephyr Wednesday afternoon for two night trip to Emeryville, CA, arriving late Friday afternoon. Staying at the Hyatt House in Emeryville three nights departing Monday morning on Amtrak's Coast Starlight for all day trip to Los Angeles Union Station. From Union Station I take the Fly Away Bus to LAX Airport and on to the Hilton LAX Hotel for two nights before flying home to Nashville on American's non stop flight.

January 23-31 Amtrak 2017 Winter California Zephyr Trip -- This is what is becoming my annual "see snow away from home" Amtrak Winter trip on the Zephyr. Itinerary is almost exactly as the October trip except I will fly Southwest Airlines to Chicago and I will only stay two nights instead of three at the Hyatt House in Emeryville.

April 8-22 Amtrak April 2017 Rail Adventure -- On this trip I will be riding on two Amtrak trains for the first time and actually traveling coast to coast and return.  I will begin the trip by flying Southwest Airlines to New Orleans April 8 for two nights at the Hyatt House Hotel on Poydras Street near New Orleans Union Station. Early Monday morning (7 AM) I will depart on Amtrak's Crescent train from New Orleans through Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia(Atlanta), South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia arriving Tuesday morning at Washington, DC, Union Station. That same Tuesday afternoon (4 PM), I will depart on Amtrak's Capitol Limited through Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania(Pittsburgh), Ohio, and Indiana arriving early Wednesday (9 AM) in Chicago's Union Station. At 2 PM Wednesday, I'll board Amtrak's California Zephyr for the two night trip to Emeryville arriving Friday late afternoon April 14 for two nights at the Hyatt House Emeryville.  Sunday morning (9 AM) I will board the east bound California Zephyr bound to Chicago arriving Tuesday afternoon and staying one night at the new Hampton Inn Chicago West Loop. Wednesday evening, April 19, I will return to Chicago Union Station to board the Capitol Limited(6:30 PM) for overnight trip back to Washington, DC, arriving early afternoon (1 PM) for a two night stay at the Hilton Garden Inn/DC US Capitol.  Saturday, April 22, I'll fly Southwest Airlines home to Nashville from Washington, DC, Reagan National Airport.

You can see all my previous Rail Trip photos on my photo galleries in the Rail Trips Folder.  

You can click on any of the small photos in this blog to open a full size photo. 

All my photos are available to view on Reagan's Photo Galleries website.

************************************

EMAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS --  CLICK HERE to sign up your email

to receive each new blog post to in your email inbox.