Trn Ft0509 Depot Inn
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FANTRIP >>La Quinta Inn; Irvine, Calif. Who says all chain hotels have to look alike? The La Quinta Irvine Spectrum occu- pies a converted bean and grain warehouse once served by the Santa Fe Railway, back when this part of Orange County was known for its agriculture rather than its McMansions. Request a trackside room in the concrete former lima bean silo and you can look out at Metrolink’s portion of the Los Angeles-San Diego Surf Line, used by Metrolink commuter trains to Oceanside, Amtrak Pacific Surfliners to San Diego, and BNSF Railway freights. You’ll need a taxi or automo- bile from the hotel to reach the Amtrak/Metrolink train station in Ir- vine. Details: 949-551-0909 or www.lq.com. — Matt Van Hattem Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner passes this former warehouse, now the La Quinta Irvine Spectrum, in May 2008. J. David Ingles >> Truckee Hotel; Truckee, Calif. The next time you’re tracing the footsteps of the Donner party in the Sierra Nevada moun- tains, save yourself a little hardship and spend the night at the Truckee Hotel, a bed and break- fast in the resort town of Truckee. The hotel is right across the street from Union Pacific’s main line over Donner Pass, part of the original transconti- nental railroad, and a short walk from the Amtrak sta- tion where the California Zephyr calls daily. An inn has occupied this site since stagecoach days, though the current building dates to the early 20 th century. Rooms on one side of the inn overlook UP’s main line and Manager Tim Tonachella is happy to accommodate train-watchers. The 37 guest rooms vary in size and price; eight have private baths. The building has been remodeled but retains its historic appearance, with plenty of wood finish (rumors claim the inn might be haunted). There’s even a restaurant on the ground floor, so you’ll have no need to recreate the Donner party’s most famous exploit. Details: 800-659-6921 or www.truckeehotel.com. — Matt Van Hattem The Truckee Hotel, seen in November 2008, lies just feet from Union Pacific’s main line over Donner Pass. TRAINS: Matt Van Hattem >> The Bridgeview; Marysville, Pa. The Bridgeview Bed and Breakfast deliv- ers on its name with an incredible view of the 1902-built Rockville Bridge. Once the world’s longest stone arch railroad bridge, the struc- ture spans 3,820 feet between the banks of the Susquehanna River and carries Norfolk Southern freights, as well as Amtrak’s Pennsylva- nian. Oversized picture windows in the sitting room guarantee a full, un- obstructed view of trains stretched out over the bridge’s length, framed by the picturesque valley and river, no matter what the weather. Outside, a deck wraps around three sides of the inn, providing yet an- other place to kick back and watch trains. Should you choose to ven- ture away, a variety of other interesting railroad sites, such as Enola Yard, the Strasburg Rail Road, Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, Steamtown, and Horseshoe Curve are nearby. Details: 717-957-2438 or www.bridgeviewbnb.com. — Lorie L. West A westbound Norfolk Southern freight crosses the Rockville Bridge in Marysville, Pa., in February 2009. Keith Latimer www.TrainsMag.com 71 The Depot Inn: a suite place to stay Created by railfans for railfans, this Missouri hotel is designed for full-time train-watching From the option of arriving via Amtrak to the choice of watching a live webcam feed of the nearby BNSF Railway main line while nestled in bed, the Depot Inn & Suites’ motto quickly becomes clear: We cater to railfans. If you’re looking for trains, then the De- pot Inn, just four blocks from BNSF’s Chi- cago-Los Angeles Transcon, offers more than 70 freight trains per day, plus Amtrak’s Southwest Chief . (La Plata’s Amtrak station is less than two miles from the inn.) If the steam locomotive on the sign doesn’t catch your eye, the large memora- bilia display below it will. Walk inside, step up to the counter (designed to look like an old-fashioned passenger train ticket win- dow), and immerse yourself in trains. Despite the inn’s obvious appeal to railfans, non-enthusiasts also can enjoy themed deluxe rooms including Victorian, Sportsman, and Western, as well as the Pullman Suite. All themed rooms, which go for $139 a night, include a fireplace and whirlpool tub to help you relax aſter a busy day watching trains. If your budget is tight, consider a standard room with either two queen- size beds or one king-size for $94, and enjoy the hotel’s rail-themed amenities, which include books, videos, and memo- rabilia ranging from conductors’ uni- forms to signal lanterns, timetables, model trains, and railroad china. e real adventure begins just two minutes from the inn’s front door at the Millionth Mile Lookout Point (named in commemoration of the place where rail- fan Chris Guenzler logged his millionth mile on Amtrak). Don’t worry if you don’t have a car; you can borrow bikes or golf carts from the inn during summer. e Lookout is enclosed and heated, and offers free WiFi, electrical outlets, ta- bles and chairs, restrooms, a patio and grill, and, yes, a great view of the Transcon. While you’re staying at the inn, also look into reserving the 40-person-capacity meeting room with kitchenette, and 10- foot projection screen that you can con- nect to your laptop computer. Can you say, “Slideshow, anyone?” Picture it: La Plata, 2009. You spend the day snapping the shutter from the Lookout cabin until your finger falls off, host a bar- becue on the large patio with grills for guests’ use at the inn, and retire to the meeting room with memory card in tow. Can the day get any better? It just might. You retire to your room, your belly aching from too many barbecued ribs and way too much ribbing from your friends, and turn on the tele- vision. You could watch American Idol or you could turn to Channel 43 and view a live webcam feed from the lookout cabin. Or, if you’d rather, flip to the Advanced Train Control System monitoring and see what the BNSF dispatcher’s screen looks like [see “Where Are ose Darn Trains?” June 2007 Trains]. e Depot Inn is part of a grand plan for the area, the Silver Rails Resort. An- other component, the Silver Rails Events Center, opened in February 2008. Plans also include an 80,000-square-foot Na- tional Passenger Rail Center (a museum devoted entirely to passenger rail travel), the 250-room Resort Hotel, the rail- themed Water/Air Park and Activities Center, and Pullman Court, a three-level, tiered site with track-mounted sleeping cars, each with unobstructed views of BNSF’s main line, divided into 48 suites to be sold or leased as condominiums. For more information on the inn and rail-related shopping and activities near- by, see www.depotinnandsuites.com. Watch trains on BNSF Railway’s busy Transcon from the Lookout cabin (above), then re- tire to a room at the Depot Inn & Suites in La Plata, Mo., (below). Two photos: Kelly Marshall BY SYLVIA BLISHAK The time has come again to begin sorting out the details of your annual vacation, and Trains is here to help, with another installment of trackside hotels loaded with railroad character. (Our picks from the May 2007 Fantrip column are summarized at the right.) While you may not be able to plan a railfan vacation, trackside hotels are one easy way to sneak a little train-watching in. Aſter all, driving into the wee hours isn’t safe, especially when a variety of hotspots lie waiting for you to stop, check in, and check out the action. MAY 2007 FANTRIP RECAP • Tunnel Inn; Gallitzin, Pa. • Izaak Walton Inn; Essex, Mont. • Station Inn; Cresson, Pa. • Hotel Roanoke; Roanoke, Va. Trackside hotels revisited 70 T rains MAY 2009 PENNSYLVANIA Harrisburg Marysville CALIFORNIA Sacramento Irvine CALIFORNIA Sacramento Truckee Jefferson City La Plata MISSOURI
Transcript of Trn Ft0509 Depot Inn
FANTRIP
>>La Quinta Inn; Irvine, Calif.Who says all chain hotels have to look alike? The La Quinta Irvine Spectrum occu-pies a converted bean and grain warehouse once served by the Santa Fe Railway, back when this part of Orange County was known for its agriculture rather than its McMansions. Request a trackside room in the concrete former lima bean silo and you can look out at Metrolink’s portion of the Los Angeles-San Diego Surf Line, used by Metrolink commuter trains to Oceanside, Amtrak Pacific Surfliners to San Diego, and BNSF Railway freights. You’ll need a taxi or automo-bile from the hotel to reach the Amtrak/Metrolink train station in Ir-vine. Details: 949-551-0909 or www.lq.com. — Matt Van Hattem
Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner passes this former warehouse, now the La Quinta Irvine Spectrum, in May 2008. J. David Ingles
>>Truckee Hotel; Truckee, Calif.The next time you’re tracing the footsteps of the Donner party in the Sierra Nevada moun-tains, save yourself a little hardship and spend the night at the Truckee Hotel, a bed and break-fast in the resort town of Truckee. The hotel is right across the street from Union Pacific’s main line over Donner Pass, part of the original transconti-nental railroad, and a short walk from the Amtrak sta-tion where the California Zephyr calls daily. An inn has occupied this site since stagecoach days, though the current building dates to the early 20th century. Rooms on one side of the inn overlook UP’s main line and Manager Tim Tonachella is happy to accommodate train-watchers. The 37 guest rooms vary in size and price; eight have private baths. The building has been remodeled but retains its historic appearance, with plenty of wood finish (rumors claim the inn might be haunted). There’s even a restaurant on the ground floor, so you’ll have no need to recreate the Donner party’s most famous exploit. Details: 800-659-6921 or www.truckeehotel.com. — Matt Van Hattem
The Truckee Hotel, seen in November 2008, lies just feet from Union Pacific’s main line over Donner Pass. Trains: Mat t Van Hat tem
>>The Bridgeview; Marysville, Pa.The Bridgeview Bed and Breakfast deliv-ers on its name with an incredible view of the 1902-built Rockville Bridge. Once the world’s longest stone arch railroad bridge, the struc-ture spans 3,820 feet between the banks of the Susquehanna River and carries Norfolk Southern freights, as well as Amtrak’s Pennsylva-nian. Oversized picture windows in the sitting room guarantee a full, un-obstructed view of trains stretched out over the bridge’s length, framed by the picturesque valley and river, no matter what the weather. Outside, a deck wraps around three sides of the inn, providing yet an-other place to kick back and watch trains. Should you choose to ven-ture away, a variety of other interesting railroad sites, such as Enola Yard, the Strasburg Rail Road, Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, Steamtown, and Horseshoe Curve are nearby. Details: 717-957-2438 or www.bridgeviewbnb.com. — Lorie L. West
A westbound Norfolk Southern freight crosses the Rockville Bridge in Marysville, Pa., in February 2009. Keith Latimer
www.TrainsMag.com 71
The Depot Inn: a suite place to stayCreated by railfans for railfans, this Missouri hotel is designed for full-time train-watching
From the option of arriving via Amtrak to the choice of watching a live webcam feed of the nearby BNSF Railway main line while nestled in bed, the Depot Inn & Suites’ motto quickly becomes clear: We cater to railfans.
If you’re looking for trains, then the De-pot Inn, just four blocks from BNSF’s Chi-cago-Los Angeles Transcon, offers more than 70 freight trains per day, plus Amtrak’s Southwest Chief. (La Plata’s Amtrak station is less than two miles from the inn.)
If the steam locomotive on the sign doesn’t catch your eye, the large memora-bilia display below it will. Walk inside, step up to the counter (designed to look like an old-fashioned passenger train ticket win-dow), and immerse yourself in trains.
Despite the inn’s obvious appeal to railfans, non-enthusiasts also can enjoy themed deluxe rooms including Victorian, Sportsman, and Western, as well as the Pullman Suite. All themed rooms, which go for $139 a night, include a fireplace and whirlpool tub to help you relax after a busy day watching trains.
If your budget is tight, consider a standard room with either two queen-size beds or one king-size for $94, and enjoy the hotel’s rail-themed amenities, which include books, videos, and memo-rabilia ranging from conductors’ uni-forms to signal lanterns, timetables, model trains, and railroad china.
The real adventure begins just two minutes from the inn’s front door at the Millionth Mile Lookout Point (named in commemoration of the place where rail-fan Chris Guenzler logged his millionth mile on Amtrak). Don’t worry if you don’t have a car; you can borrow bikes or golf carts from the inn during summer.
The Lookout is enclosed and heated, and offers free WiFi, electrical outlets, ta-bles and chairs, restrooms, a patio and grill, and, yes, a great view of the Transcon.
While you’re staying at the inn, also look into reserving the 40-person-capacity
meeting room with kitchenette, and 10-foot projection screen that you can con-nect to your laptop computer. Can you say, “Slideshow, anyone?”
Picture it: La Plata, 2009. You spend the day snapping the shutter from the Lookout cabin until your finger falls off, host a bar-becue on the large patio with grills for guests’ use at the inn, and retire to the meeting room with memory card in tow. Can the day get any better? It just might.
You retire to your room, your belly aching from too many barbecued ribs and way too much ribbing from your friends, and turn on the tele-vision. You could watch American Idol or you could turn to Channel 43 and view a live webcam feed from the lookout cabin. Or, if you’d rather, flip to the Advanced Train Control System monitoring and see what the BNSF dispatcher’s screen looks like [see “Where Are Those Darn Trains?” June 2007 Trains].
The Depot Inn is part of a grand plan for the area, the Silver Rails Resort. An-other component, the Silver Rails Events Center, opened in February 2008. Plans also include an 80,000-square-foot Na-tional Passenger Rail Center (a museum devoted entirely to passenger rail travel), the 250-room Resort Hotel, the rail-themed Water/Air Park and Activities Center, and Pullman Court, a three-level, tiered site with track-mounted sleeping cars, each with unobstructed views of BNSF’s main line, divided into 48 suites to be sold or leased as condominiums.
For more information on the inn and rail-related shopping and activities near-by, see www.depotinnandsuites.com.
Watch trains on BNSF Railway’s busy Transcon from the Lookout cabin (above), then re-tire to a room at the Depot Inn & Suites in La Plata, Mo., (below). Two photos: Kelly Marshall
BY SYLVIA BLISHAK
The time has come again to begin sorting out the details of your annual vacation, and Trains is here to help, with another installment of trackside hotels loaded with railroad character. (Our picks from the May 2007 Fantrip column are summarized at the right.) While you may not be able to plan a railfan vacation, trackside hotels are one easy way to sneak a little train-watching in. After all, driving into the wee hours isn’t safe, especially when a variety of hotspots lie waiting for you to stop, check in, and check out the action.
MAy 2007 FANTRIP ReCAP
• Tunnel Inn; Gallitzin, Pa. • Izaak Walton Inn; Essex, Mont. • Station Inn; Cresson, Pa.• Hotel Roanoke; Roanoke, Va.
Trackside hotels revisited
70 Trains MAY 2009
Jefferson City
La Plata
MISSOURI
PENNSYLVANIA
CALIFORNIA
CALIFORNIA
HarrisburgMarysville
SacramentoTruckee
Sacramento
Irvine
Jefferson City
La Plata
MISSOURI
PENNSYLVANIA
CALIFORNIA
CALIFORNIA
HarrisburgMarysville
SacramentoTruckee
Sacramento
Irvine
Jefferson City
La Plata
MISSOURI
PENNSYLVANIA
CALIFORNIA
CALIFORNIA
HarrisburgMarysville
SacramentoTruckee
Sacramento
Irvine
Jefferson City
La Plata
MISSOURI
PENNSYLVANIA
CALIFORNIA
CALIFORNIA
HarrisburgMarysville
SacramentoTruckee
Sacramento
Irvine
