Originally Posted by galenas
Thanks all for the advice. I am thinking the train is a no-go, instead now my decision is tryting to figure out if we should rent a car, say something less cramped in order to make the drive a little easier. Overall he is pretty good, but for stretches. He really needs a break every now and then to get out of the seat. While he seems interested in tv at home, I'm not sure if it would help him on the road. My wife is willing (actually she always does) to sit in the back with him during the trip, so she can keep him entertained when he is awake. I would much rather get there quicker, say by air, but we have someone who is way too worried about him having a "moment" while in close quarters-much like the train would be as well. No convincing is getting her to change her mind on that! Anyway thanks all for the info, he is just starting the rice cereal stuff now, so who knows what he'll be eating in 2 months come trip time, those rice cakes may come in handy!
If she's that worried about the child having a "moment" (not sure what you mean by that), just stay home.
One note on the train -- the coach seats on Amtrak's long distance trains aren't that bad. You actually can sleep in the seats unless you require a bed in order to sleep. The legroom is far greater than on a plane or bus, and usually there are enough seats that you can spread out a bit.
Like Analise said, the trains are often delayed due to freight trains, but on an 1800 mile journey, what's another six hours? It would be like a 10 minute delay on a plane.
So, my recommendations are in this order, from best to worst:
1) fly (quit worrying!)
2) Amtrak
3) rent a minivan
4) drive your own car