“Enjoy the Journey?” My Experience with the USA Rail Pass
For almost five years, I avoided using Amtrak except for two free trips available to me through their Guest Rewards program. Too many delayed rides had become a nuisance. Then in January of this year, Amtrak had a sale on their USA Rail Pass. For $299, customers could ride the train ten times (called “segments”) over 30 days. At less than $30 per ride, it was an opportunity to do extensive traveling at a much-reduced price. On March 13th, I took a train from Washington, DC, to Buffalo, New York but bought a separate ticket. I planned on being in Buffalo for two weeks but ended up staying two more. One reason was the Amtrak website didn’t allow me to use my rail pass to book a ride on April 3rd to Emeryville, California. The pastor I stayed with in Buffalo encouraged me to stick around for Good Friday and Easter. Finally, I activated my pass on April 10th. Instead of first going to California, I went to Topeka, Kansas (a Facebook friend there extended hospitality ). I had to change ...