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Trip Reports by our Clients:
5600 Miles on Amtrak
by AJF
Got home Wednesday after making the Amtrak loop up to Seattle on the Starlight, across the top via the Empire Builder and back across the mid west via the Zephyr. Layovers and tours in Seattle, Essex Montana, Chicago, Reno and Emeryville made it a delightful trip of over 5600 rail miles all arranged by Ted and Sylvia Blishak at Accent on Travel in Klamath Falls, OR.
I picked the routing from Jim Loomis' 1995 book All Aboard! (ISBN 0-7615-0000-6 (pbk)). He suggested the itinerary and called it "Glaciers to Glitz." Ted and Sylvia are listed in his book as experts in the field. They specialize in Amtrak travel and have made many of the trips themselves so they know the ins and outs of each route. They were an excellent choice for rail travel consultants.
Ted was able to refine Jim Loomis' itinerary and update the hotels, etc., for us. He was right on. We will definitely plan a return trip to Seattle and include Vancouver the next time. Loomis has several more ideas in his book which I hope to duplicate in the future.
Several car attendants deserve special recognition for their job performance during this trip. I only have their first names unfortunately. Can you relay commendations to their supervisors for us? On the Starlight, Hermonillo (sp?), 1/2-3/04 Car 1430, Room 8; on the Empire Builder, Sam, 1/7-8-04, Car 0830, Room 5; and on the Zephyr, Glenda, 1/10-12/04, Car 0531, Room 3.
All three performed above and beyond the call of duty and should be commended for their customer service skills, patience and knowledge. If they are not already "trainers" they should be recognized as such and rewarded for their superior job performance. They could be used to audit the performance of other employees and improve overall system satisfaction. On long trips, car attendants are the key to a successful trip.
Also, the Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago and the station itself was great! Appreciate the service and considerations for first class passengers there.
The remodeled Emeryville station was a delightful surprise on our return leg. Great service and amenities there also.
Signed,
Ajf
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