OK, Montreal not actually included in US pass, so probably not. Perhaps Maine where I have also never been? Savannah? San Antonio? Somewhere where I actually know people?

If you are near a train station and would let me crash on a couch for a night we can probably make that happen

Chicago, you say? Exxxcellent.

Looking like a couple of times through Chicago! I’m thinking the first one may just be a layover, but I think it’s several hours so maybe time to get out of the station and meet people or see sights, and I have a lot more room to maneuver for the second one so maybe stay for a night or two…

I have requested the time off. I assume it will be approved, but not actually booking the first leg until it is

Tentative plans add up to 200 hours on trains, which is 28% of the 30 days the pass is good for. The four days of Jazzfest will eat up some of that off train time (17% if my notes are correct, leaving 55% unaccounted for! But some of that will be transfers and layovers regardless), hopefully I can scatter the rest effectively

But I have decided, I think, on what the first leg should be, which is Coast Starlight to PDX ETA 4/17 3:40 PM (Friday). I have family there who I would like to see, and also, I think, Buffistas? SA, erin_obscure? Who I would also like to see! Looks like I can be there for about 3 hours or overnight. If anyone has suggestions of where to go and what to do in that time I will take them happily!

And next stop Seattle, either getting in at 11 pm or 10 am on 4/18 (Saturday). The Empire Builder leaves at 5PM, so that's basically a day to hang out. I know I want to go here because I missed it at the F2F, but other than that just seeing as many of y'all as I can is the goal there, possibly being a tourist if that fits in

Which gets me into Chicago 4:45 pm Monday + whatever delays arise

And then I want to catch the City of New Orleans at 8:05pm on Tuesday to make it to said city on Wednesday. So already I might have a spare day to not be on a train somewhere along the line

I’d to see you and host you on any stop you make through NY/CT! I’m about 35 min from the Stamford Amtrak station. Have a guest room for you and a guest room for anyone who’d want to come see you while at my place.

Definitely let me know when and for how long you’ll be in NYC!

We should definitely do an NYC thing.

OK! I had halfway thought I might not get to NYC but I'll rethink. And javachik I will definitely take you up on that, thank you!

Vacation time approved ::does happy dance::

And apparently I have a "lounge pass" that expires 3/28. I have no idea where that came from, but I do feel like I should use it...which means getting to a station that has a lounge by the end of March and the closest ones are Portland and Los Angeles. Hm. Maybe I should go to Portland for a weekend in March and just go straight through to Seattle in April? A silly idea, but maybe secretly a good idea?

The DC/Balto. region is still on the tour, yes? I mean, if you're going from New Orleans to NYC, it kind of has to be, so... well, whenever it happens, I'm around and looking forward!