ON THE ROAD AGAIN: From Connecticut to Alaska by Road, Rail, Air & Sea (and SE Asia)
Oct 9, 2018, 4:35 am
#31
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: YYJ
Posts: 4,137
I should have known better than to start reading a Seat 2A trip report just before bedtime. It's now pushing 3:30am and this morning's alarm will be most unpleasant.
Thanks for taking the time - hopefully you have a few more in you - and appreciate your advice earlier this year when I took my own trip to your neck of the woods.
The chicken dish you experienced on the Alaska Marine Highway seemed to be a poor representation of what was available on the Columbia's sister ship the Malaspina this spring. Certainly enjoyed the home-style dinners on board which were more comparable in quality to your omelet. No liquor service available on board the Malaspina, though.
Thanks for taking the time - hopefully you have a few more in you - and appreciate your advice earlier this year when I took my own trip to your neck of the woods.
The chicken dish you experienced on the Alaska Marine Highway seemed to be a poor representation of what was available on the Columbia's sister ship the Malaspina this spring. Certainly enjoyed the home-style dinners on board which were more comparable in quality to your omelet. No liquor service available on board the Malaspina, though.
Oct 9, 2018, 12:56 pm
#34
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Vantaa, Finland
Programs: AY Lumo, FB Gold
Posts: 1,667
Ahhh, another long awaited piece of art from the internet's favourite trip reporter! This report totally destroyed my productivity for a couple of days, but obviously it was absolutely worth it! Great stuff as always.
Having read every single Seat2A report over here (and the copies that were once posted on a.net too) multiple times over I can certainly recognize a lot of the recycled pictures and paragraphs - but at this scale that's easy to forgive. Over the years these reports have inspired me to do many things, including lots of roadtrips through the American West and a couple of Amtrak long distance trains (in sleepers of course!).
Interestingly I was trying to catch the Chiang Mai - Bangkok sleeper service this summer too, but booking tickets via the very same agency as you used seemed too much of a hassle to me so I gave up and flew TG instead on a dirt cheap fare (and on an A330!). Oh and I did fly PG up to Chiang Mai as well!
Keep up the good work, Elton! There sure is an appreciative readership around here.
Having read every single Seat2A report over here (and the copies that were once posted on a.net too) multiple times over I can certainly recognize a lot of the recycled pictures and paragraphs - but at this scale that's easy to forgive. Over the years these reports have inspired me to do many things, including lots of roadtrips through the American West and a couple of Amtrak long distance trains (in sleepers of course!).
Interestingly I was trying to catch the Chiang Mai - Bangkok sleeper service this summer too, but booking tickets via the very same agency as you used seemed too much of a hassle to me so I gave up and flew TG instead on a dirt cheap fare (and on an A330!). Oh and I did fly PG up to Chiang Mai as well!
Keep up the good work, Elton! There sure is an appreciative readership around here.
Oct 9, 2018, 6:10 pm
#35
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,203
After having submitted more than seventy of these reports over the past seventeen years, I must admit that they’re becoming a bit more difficult to write in a timely fashion being as I’ve done it all so many times before. I don’t know how many more trip reports of this breadth and scope I have left in me but I do know that were it not for your continuing readership and enthusiastic endorsement of my past reports I probably wouldn’t have written more than a handful of them in the first place.
You need to at least reach 200 airlines before you stop writing these reports! I have used your reports as references several times. And this now encourages me to attempt additional train travel in SE Asia (I already did KUL to Penang about 4 years ago and I understand that service improved tremendously in 2015.
Oct 9, 2018, 10:01 pm
#37
Join Date: Mar 2012
Programs: Mileage Plus 1K; Marriott Platinum; Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,355
Kudos on another engaging chronicle of a memorable journey. As somebody who enjoys both flying and train travel almost as much as you obviously do, I found myself transported to some intriguing places over the (Canadian) Thanksgiving weekend. Please do keep them coming.
Even though Aussie trip reports are quite plentiful on FT, I know that you would bring an entirely fresh and delightful perspective to chronicling a journey down under. I've spent a lot more time in Australia than Alaska, but I see plenty of similarities between the two cultures, and I would love to read your insights into such a comparison.
Even though Aussie trip reports are quite plentiful on FT, I know that you would bring an entirely fresh and delightful perspective to chronicling a journey down under. I've spent a lot more time in Australia than Alaska, but I see plenty of similarities between the two cultures, and I would love to read your insights into such a comparison.
Oct 10, 2018, 3:41 am
#40
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Honors Diamond, Mucci de buveur de gin
Posts: 3,060
Another excellent report from you Seat 2A. Coming to the end of it, I felt like you did on that long haul flight - I wasn't quite sure where the couple of hours I spent reading it went! Most enjoyable. The scenery you took in on the train looks spectacular. Thanks for the time it must have taken you to put this together.
Oct 10, 2018, 6:05 am
#41
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: USA
Programs: AA-CK, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,449
Ok, just finished reading this excellent trip report. I have been to many of the same places, but now see them in a different light based on your words. Thank you!
No to find out if I still have a job after reading this in one go
No to find out if I still have a job after reading this in one go
Oct 10, 2018, 10:40 am
#42
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: EWR, SLC, SGN
Posts: 1,113
Great report, thanks for sharing. Read a lot of your reports, but don't often comment. But I also took the train from Bangkok to Nong Khai about 15 years ago, then proceeded up to Vientiane on what might have been that same old clunky train. The pic sure looks the same as I remember. Good memories. Thanks for that, and for all the details.
Oct 10, 2018, 3:30 pm
#44
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: SEA
Programs: Skymiles Plat/1MM, United Prem, Marriott Silver, HH Gold
Posts: 326
I think you’ve outdone yourself, Seat2A - and you’re a tough guy to outdo! Thanks as always for taking the time to write these very fun reports. They never disappoint.
Oct 10, 2018, 8:36 pm
#45
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East Ester, Alaska
Programs: Alaska Million Miler, United Million Miler, Wyndham Rewards Diamond, Choice Hotels Diamond
Posts: 12,148
Originally Posted by krazykanuck
A great read as always, thanks! Also it was nice to meet you briefly over lunch a couple weeks ago in FAI!
Originally Posted by cedric
I should have known better than to start reading a Seat 2A trip report just before bedtime. It's now pushing 3:30am and this morning's alarm will be most unpleasant. Thanks for taking the time - hopefully you have a few more in you - and appreciate your advice earlier this year when I took my own trip to your neck of the woods.
Originally Posted by yhm71 & useless
Excellent report and a great trip, thanks very much.
Very enjoyable report, thanks.
Very enjoyable report, thanks.