Diner lore, points shenanigans, Acela roast, Chinese food, this adventure has something for everyone! The Rhode Island State House was designed by McKim, Mead & White (who also worked on the original NY Penn Station, James A. Farley Building, Garden City campus of Adelphi, and Columbia's main campus) and features the fourth largest structural-stone dome in the world. The dome is topped by a gold-covered bronze statue known as The Independent Man, designed by George Brewster and installed in 1899. George Brewster also designed the exterior of the St. Louis Art Museum and Indianapolis's Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument. The Independent Man weighs more than 500 pounds and represents freedom and independence and alludes to the independent spirit which led Roger Williams to settle and establish Providence Plantations and later the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Roger was also the first European to settle what is now Boston. His land is now Boston Common.
Miles doing an Acela rant and saying "It's not good design" right before the lights flickered was such perfect timing. You rest your case! And brownstones are called such because they're made of brown sandstone. So if a townhouse is made of brick, then it's not a brownstone. There are different types of brownstones. NYC's famous brownstones mostly used New Jersey brownstone, quarried from the Passaic Formation! Portland brownstone from the Connecticut River was used in Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, DC, Hartford, and New Haven! Claire's, Journeys, and Spencer's also aren't the same company, they are three different ones. Spencer Gifts actually owns Spirit Halloween, which they acquired in 1999! And yup, I love the vibe around Providence station. Not to mention the transit-accessible Cheesecake Factory that a CERTAIN urbanist UA-camr would love 😂. This Cheesecake Factory might be steps away from a Northeast Corridor station, but the one in Jersey City is right next to the Newport HBLR station, and a simple walk to the PATH via a passageway. Providence station was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill under the direction of Marilyn Jordan Taylor. Marilyn also worked on One Worldwide Plaza in Manhattan, Ben Gurion International, the Tribeca pedestrian bridge, JFK Terminal 4, and Singapore Changi Terminal 3.
Huh. And here I thought the one here in Arlington was the most transit accessible, being like 2 blocks from the Clarendon Metro. I guess it’s actually third behind those two!
@@michaelimbesi2314The downtown DC one and the Friendship Heights one are also very close to metro stops. The one at Tysons is further but still decently accessible. WMATA: the best way to get to Cheesecake Factory
Amtrak: To earn Select Status through 2024, all you have to do is take 3 roundtrips by Septem... Miles: That's easy to do in a day. Amtrak: No, you don't have to do it all in one day, that's silly. You have over a month to do... Miles: All in one day. Amtrak: Ok.
for those curious, the rows in an amfleet buisness class car with unobstructed full windows are rows 3 and 12. Rows 4 and 8 have each have half of a window, but are still good options if if 3 or 12 are unavailable,
@milesintransit fun fact : seat 11F on all united 737s is a wall not a window i found that out the hard way 3 years ago in a 5.5 hour flight from seattle to dc, ao i gues seat 11F just sucks anywhere and everywhere
Nice that you were able to get all of your rides at min or very close to min value to complete the challenge. It sucked that you couldn't get your free beverage in Business Class on those trips. Maybe next time you decide to use Business Class on another Amtrak trip you'll be able to get your free beverage. Good that you got to see downtown Providence during your trips. I agree with what other commenters said about seat 11F: F 11F and don't select that seat if you want a window view! You should do a cataloging of the various seats on Amtrak trains like Seat Guru does for planes. I got the same email from Amtrak about the Select Status Challenge. If I completed this challenge, I'd have it until Feb 28, 2025 according to the email. Your (2024) status should end then as well. I'm looking to complete this challenge as well before time runs out and I'll remember not to select seat 11F if I have to make a seat selection in my booking! Thanks for pointing out the bit about 11F.
Its not just bus operators that got a pay raise with their most recent set of contracts, most crafts got bumps to the point where folks are apparently quitting working for Amtrak and the commuter rail to work for the T doing the same work. Be nice if it gets Amtrak and co. to get going on their contracts...
1:37 When booking locate the table seats, the bar between the windows will always be directly behind a seat facing a table. Then every 2nd row beginning with the row directly behind the table will have an unobstructed view
I first watched your Duluth video because I grew up there and was feeling very homesick one night. Now, dang nabbit, I'm freakin' addicted to your videos. You ARE sometimes entertaining and then very informative. This is easily the most enjoyable offbeat channel I follow. Thanks for sharing!
So this channel made me aware of the existence of Auntie Annie's, and yesterday I noticed one in my local shopping mall, in Brighton UK. It's was even open! I have nothing more to add
You not being from Philadelphia would not know we do not really like Aunt Annie’s pretzels. They are way too light compared to a traditional Philadelphia soft pretzel. If you visit our city some time try and get one of our traditional soft pretzels from either a local small food store or other street vendor. They are easy to spot compared to the ones you usually get in the mall or larger stores. They are much longer and thicker which leads to their unique full taste, best when eaten with mustard on top, either traditional yellow or spicy brown. And if you are at the right place you can pair it with a nice Italian water ice. Which makes a nice fast lunch for many Philadelphians especially in the hot summer months. Thanks for the video on your trips, but as a long time Amtrak rider you should know not to expect any snack bar service either right out of your originating station or usually after the last big station before the train terminates. I just think it is one of Amtrak’s things that should be changed and the snack car should open upon departure and be available right up to terminal station. But I guess they just don’t want to pay to have someone board early to get things ready and also pay someone to close out the snack car after arrival.
@@johnchambers8528 Hey, I make sure to get Miller's every time I'm at Reading Terminal! But you can't expect Philly-quality pretzels everywhere you go, so Auntie Anne's is the next best thing.
@@MilesinTransit you make a good point. But I have on occasion found a good Philadelphia style soft pretzel in cities outside the Philadelphia area. Same thing goes for a good hoggie. One of my surprise findings was when I was visiting Minneapolis, Mn. and found a sandwich shop that featured hoggies as one of their selections. I ordered one and was surprised to find the owner of this shop really did his homework. It was on a great Italian style roll and had all the iconic meats and cheeses that you would find on a local hoggie in Philadelphia. They even offered a selection of peppers to chose from to add to your sandwich. It was so good I talked with the manager and told him he made a very good Philadelphia style Italian hoggie. So while I guess Aunt Annie’s is better than no soft pretzel product it would never satisfy my Philadelphia taste for one. I guess I will have to just satisfy my taste for pretzels by taking a bag of Pennsylvania made hard pretzels with me when I travel. By the way my favorite is UTZ pretzels especially their large sourer dough hard pretzels. Best wishes in your future travels and do continue to visit Philadelphia for our favorite local foods of pretzels,Italian water ice, hoggies and of course fresh made cheese steaks.
Hello from the future where I did my big points runs for that deal on July 29th From New Haven to Moynihan, then back and followed that up with New Haven to Boston and back. FYI that was the day it poured so hard in Boston that the manhole cover in front of the FED was jumping up and down. To Round it out I did a New Haven to Bridgeport round trip on August 1st but I actually went out of Wallingford for some CT Rail fun. Now that I am "Select" I am looking to do more points runs to try to abuse the bonus points even more. Looking at a Moynihan run soon so I can use the lounge pass.
@@MilesinTransit I have done the Metropolitan lounge in Moynihan and the Lounge in South Station. I like Tavern in the Square better than the Amtrak Lounge in South Station😂.
so glad you talked about how the acela cars suck!! it's not consistently faster from boston->nyc than the regional and it's so much less comfy than the amfleet 2
Thank you for the mention of the Epic Canton Viaduct. #foamer I was worried there would be 6 trips across it with nary a word. In continuous service for One. Hundred. Eighty. Eight. Years!
Funfact: that "exit to nowhere" at Rt 128 station actually leads to a long now-dead-end road in the town of Canton where there is street parking by permit sold by the town to residents so they don't have to go all the way around over the tracks/I-95 to get to the station for commuting.
@@MilesinTransit It's a good investment for the parking sticker if you work in Boston and commute most weekdays, but if you mainly only use RTE 2-3 times per year for interstate Amtrak travel, it is way cheaper to go around by car to the garage, especially on weekends.
In this Miles in transit's "is apparently a trip report" of the day is taking 6 Amtrak trains between Massachusetts to Rhode Island in just in One Day. He starts Talking Trash about the seating of the Acela, doing some Auntie Anne's shot, the next train arrives late, testing the USB ports, leg room shot, elevator shot at Route 128, starts to boarding the next NER Train to Washington, once again back at Providence to take a RIPTA bus around Providence, taking a another RIPTA bus Back to Providence Station, and taking ANOTHER NER Train to Boston, gets off on Back Bay, miss a MBTA bus, 2 hours later, he went to the Lake Shore Limited Line/MBTA Worcester track, Then he take ANOTHER NER TRAIN FOR THE 3RD TIME to Providence, He made it back to Providence Again, He went to Diner somewhere in Providence, then he took ANOTHER NER TRAIN TO Boston, and finally the video ends with credits about patrons. He had gradually got Select Status by Amtrak. I wonder what the other foamers, trip reporters, and Bostonians Railfaners like Boston By Rails, Aijale Dyob, Nick Dalton, the World of Transit, and others think about how much you can afford, this much money on 6 TRAINS between Boston to Providence.
It's easier to get Select status by getting the Amtrak credit card with the annual fee and putting $25k a year on it (it's a Mastercard, so you can put rent or mortgage on it, if you need to pad things out).
I have a challenge. From the Jersey Shore to Middletown NY (which covers 2 Middletowns) via Local buses. Catch: you MUST Uber/Lyft between Perth Amboy NJ and Staten Island via Outerbridge Crossing. You need to get to Bricktown Mall to catch bus service, and you'll need to take the S79 SBS into Brooklyn.
Most people think "Combo 1" is a traditional cantonese dish but it was actually invented by chinese immigrants in the 60s, the traditional "authentic" version is "Combo 4" ! #themoreyouknow
The unspoken benefit of Business Class is that almost no one will pop for business class tickets when they're traveling with children, especially multiple children. There are kids that are just fine and there are adults who are far worse than an unsupervised/undisciplined child or two, sure, but for the most part the Business Class car is a reliably peaceful experience. I'm tall and would do it for the legroom alone; the beverage is always welcome but gone are the days when it was (at least here in the Midwest) a $5 cafe car credit and an actual paper newspaper, in addition to the better seats.
The reason why it says boarding 5-10 minutes before it arrives and departs and around 2-5 minutes for last call is since they use that system at terminal stations and Amtrak was lazy to fix it.. I also agree with you about Route 128, it's a really good station, people say it would be removed or have limited service which reminds me when I was like 5 I would railfan there and look at the Boston skyline.. good times.
i take amtrak business class once every 2 months for a long trip and i purposefully will only get on the specific train numbers with business class having those giant brown seats. I absolutely refuse to ride business class on trains that don't have them.
@@MilesinTransit i thought i responded to this but my comment isn't here. Full list is on the amtrak website for NE regional business class reservations
Random comment but the brownstones you point out at 1:32 are actually Airbnbs. Had the misfortune of staying at that exact place… it got the slumlord treatment inside… real gross and the ceiling leaked in my room…. and it was pretty overpriced too lol. It is what it is…
Another challenge complete! (plus an added diner for good measure) Have you ever been to Vernon Diner in CT? My friends took me there the last time I was on the east coast and their bakery is gorgeous and the aesthetic cant be beat! Maybe something to add to the list someday!!
I grew up on the Boston Providence line and always took the train when I was going to either city so this video felt very familiar even on the first ride lol. But yah the canton viaduct is pretty cool but looks a lot better during the day
11F might not have been the best for views, but it was great for memes. Albany's building a downtown intermodal terminal which is also bus only, _unless_ you consider a massive parking garage intermodal.
Sadly RI does not do Patriots Day... when my gf (from RI) moved to MA, she was very confused that we did not have Victory Day off, but was later very excited to have the holiday in April for Patriots Day!
fun fact about the RTE 128 station: the elevators and escalators always have issues and amtrak doesn’t let the state inspect them (if they could the elevators would probably have to be replaced or repaired)
Providence is quite underated. I go to an Olympic lifting gym up there and I'm thinking about moving up there next year. (I'm in Newport now) I used to take the 60 to KP and I never actually ate at Haven Bros because the guy I was dating at the time said it was overrated. Will have to try it now. I actually tried to go to a diner closer to me in North Kingstown that was made by the Silk City Diner Company (which I learned from the diner series) called Snoopy's but it closed a few weeks ago. 😭 You should consider checking out Modern Diner in Pawtucket though since it's the first diner to be accepted into the National Register for Historic Places and is well known for its custard french toast.
The food at Haven Bros isn't anything special, I was mostly there for the diner history! That sucks that Snoopy's closed though - it looks like a beautiful diner, and hopefully someone can take it over. But another one close to North Kingstown that looks beautiful is Jigger's, which is a 1947 Worcester Lunch Car! I visited the Modern Diner in my Pawtucket Station review - it was INCREDIBLE. ua-cam.com/video/d6MN2eq_edU/v-deo.html
@@MilesinTransit Oh amazing! I actually went to Jigger's South over the weekend which is their other location not in a cool dining car but has a giant patio. The food is exceptional! I've walked by the original East Greenwich one many times but I'm always in the area too late to eat there so I go to Main Street cafe or Tio Mateo's for tacos. 😅 I'll have to go on my day off next week!
Personal opinion: Acela is the BEST train in the country aside from maybe brightline it is on par with European high speed trains and when I rode it yes you could recline it had armchairs and it was only 19 minutes between bwi airport and dc
The whole window and seat lining up thing is much easier here in Switzerland: all the seats are in groups of 4, perfectly centered on a window. And the future is nice!
@@MilesinTransit Eh you get used to it. I find it much more enjoyable to watch other people than to watch a much closer seatback. And besides, in Switzerland most of the time is spent looking out the windows! (and on the more boring parts or in tunnels everyone is looking at their phone).
I live in Atlanta and so I definitely can't imagine being so close to other big cities! Of course, we can't even get Amtrak north of the city, so there's that... Plus it was cool to see Providence! I'm going there in October for a friend's wedding and I've never been before.
NO Patriots Day in RI, but we do get a holiday every month from July through January (I guess technically February, but I don't get Presidents Day off so I don't care)
there appears to be a plan to run HSR along the median of the expressway linking LA & Vegas, but no mention of whether its curves be gentle enough for super duper trains... this BS intent is especially similar to that approach at dotting serfs' windows & port holes...
Two Single-Visit Passes to Amtrak lounges Two One-Class Upgrade Coupons Two coupons for 10% off Amtrak travel 25% Select point bonus on Amtrak travel Priority call handling Select-exclusive discounts and bonus offers from our program partners
uggg, lived in Austin, TX for 10 years. The had hourly mile long freight trains but as far as passenger trains there was one northbound and one southbound daily. And you had to be a big rail fan because the drive to Dallas was 3 hours, train ride was 5 hours. Sit back, let somebody else drive. I wish i lived in the 'Al Gore universe' where there was a high speed triangle between Dallas, Houston and Austin
Haven’t been to RI in years but I used to go to CTY (aka nerd camp) at Roger Williams University in Bristol and Rhode Island really has It’s charms (though getting into Bristol required going into Massachusetts). Also, I think they’re the only state that celebrates Victory Day. Kinda want a Del’s lemonade right now.
Cool video and entertaining. Well done. I was impressed with the 150 mph. Didn't know Acela went that fast How long did it hold that speed? BTW, what's select status?
It doesn't go that fast for too long, it's only a couple short stretches - but they're upgrading track in New Jersey to get it to go that fast there as well. Select Status gets you a few extra Amtrak perks that probably aren't worth what I spent for them!
I wish Amtrak would refurbish the Acela trains and make a low cost high speed alternative or sell them to a private company to do the same / at least compete with amtrak. If you think about how far the electrification actually runs there is a possibility of service beyond amtraks high speed network.
“How’s the future?” It’s alright, editing my first train travel vlog at the moment and figured I’d thank you for partially inspiring me for it! No diners are open near me rn though :( therefore, this future is 6/10, check back later for updates
Ooh, interesting! That's kinda what my lounge review video was, although I didn't market it as that: ua-cam.com/video/_-bdxsrzIjQ/v-deo.htmlsi=EHQQ3A8yaGR2YoFn
Diner lore, points shenanigans, Acela roast, Chinese food, this adventure has something for everyone! The Rhode Island State House was designed by McKim, Mead & White (who also worked on the original NY Penn Station, James A. Farley Building, Garden City campus of Adelphi, and Columbia's main campus) and features the fourth largest structural-stone dome in the world. The dome is topped by a gold-covered bronze statue known as The Independent Man, designed by George Brewster and installed in 1899. George Brewster also designed the exterior of the St. Louis Art Museum and Indianapolis's Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument.
The Independent Man weighs more than 500 pounds and represents freedom and independence and alludes to the independent spirit which led Roger Williams to settle and establish Providence Plantations and later the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Roger was also the first European to settle what is now Boston. His land is now Boston Common.
Supreme Leader?!
thank you comrade chairman
all hail our supreme leader
@@Canadian_Yoshi He was bored in Pyongyang.
Miles's not taking himself the least bit seriously is what's most refreshing 🍸
Congratulations on select status. Now you can annually upgrade to seat 11F for free
It's an amazing privilege
Now you need to join me on Amtrak select executive status
Miles doing an Acela rant and saying "It's not good design" right before the lights flickered was such perfect timing. You rest your case! And brownstones are called such because they're made of brown sandstone. So if a townhouse is made of brick, then it's not a brownstone. There are different types of brownstones. NYC's famous brownstones mostly used New Jersey brownstone, quarried from the Passaic Formation! Portland brownstone from the Connecticut River was used in Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, DC, Hartford, and New Haven! Claire's, Journeys, and Spencer's also aren't the same company, they are three different ones. Spencer Gifts actually owns Spirit Halloween, which they acquired in 1999!
And yup, I love the vibe around Providence station. Not to mention the transit-accessible Cheesecake Factory that a CERTAIN urbanist UA-camr would love 😂. This Cheesecake Factory might be steps away from a Northeast Corridor station, but the one in Jersey City is right next to the Newport HBLR station, and a simple walk to the PATH via a passageway. Providence station was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill under the direction of Marilyn Jordan Taylor. Marilyn also worked on One Worldwide Plaza in Manhattan, Ben Gurion International, the Tribeca pedestrian bridge, JFK Terminal 4, and Singapore Changi Terminal 3.
Should've mentioned the Cheesecake Factory!
Huh. And here I thought the one here in Arlington was the most transit accessible, being like 2 blocks from the Clarendon Metro. I guess it’s actually third behind those two!
I see you in so many comments sections perpetually spitting the coolest random fun facts, I love it
@@MilesinTransitif you had waited a bit, Fogo de Chao opens next week
@@michaelimbesi2314The downtown DC one and the Friendship Heights one are also very close to metro stops. The one at Tysons is further but still decently accessible. WMATA: the best way to get to Cheesecake Factory
13:23 Sounds like you need a “closed café car” counter or a “cost of free drinks missed” counter.
Amtrak: To earn Select Status through 2024, all you have to do is take 3 roundtrips by Septem...
Miles: That's easy to do in a day.
Amtrak: No, you don't have to do it all in one day, that's silly. You have over a month to do...
Miles: All in one day.
Amtrak: Ok.
I'm imagining ProZD narrating this comment and now I want it.
I'm just waiting for the credits to be Comic Sans one day
Someday...
Miles: “Absolutely worth a trip if you find yourself in downtown Providence…”
Random New England Trash in the distance: “I DON’T GIVE A FUUUCK!!!”
for those curious, the rows in an amfleet buisness class car with unobstructed full windows are rows 3 and 12. Rows 4 and 8 have each have half of a window, but are still good options if if 3 or 12 are unavailable,
Someone like Seatguru or better yet aeroLOPA should add Amtrak cars to their charts.
14:39- the best diner sandwich is one that is so packed that it collapses under the pressure of being eaten.
I appreciate Miles’s quirky sense of humour.. I smile when I watch these vids
Aww, thank you!
@milesintransit fun fact : seat 11F on all united 737s is a wall not a window i found that out the hard way 3 years ago in a 5.5 hour flight from seattle to dc, ao i gues seat 11F just sucks anywhere and everywhere
We need to compile these
Nice that you were able to get all of your rides at min or very close to min value to complete the challenge. It sucked that you couldn't get your free beverage in Business Class on those trips. Maybe next time you decide to use Business Class on another Amtrak trip you'll be able to get your free beverage. Good that you got to see downtown Providence during your trips.
I agree with what other commenters said about seat 11F: F 11F and don't select that seat if you want a window view! You should do a cataloging of the various seats on Amtrak trains like Seat Guru does for planes.
I got the same email from Amtrak about the Select Status Challenge. If I completed this challenge, I'd have it until Feb 28, 2025 according to the email. Your (2024) status should end then as well. I'm looking to complete this challenge as well before time runs out and I'll remember not to select seat 11F if I have to make a seat selection in my booking! Thanks for pointing out the bit about 11F.
Its not just bus operators that got a pay raise with their most recent set of contracts, most crafts got bumps to the point where folks are apparently quitting working for Amtrak and the commuter rail to work for the T doing the same work. Be nice if it gets Amtrak and co. to get going on their contracts...
1:37 When booking locate the table seats, the bar between the windows will always be directly behind a seat facing a table. Then every 2nd row beginning with the row directly behind the table will have an unobstructed view
I first watched your Duluth video because I grew up there and was feeling very homesick one night. Now, dang nabbit, I'm freakin' addicted to your videos. You ARE sometimes entertaining and then very informative. This is easily the most enjoyable offbeat channel I follow. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much!!
I saw that citynerd advertised your channel on his video about Montreal. Congratulations!
Thank you, it was awesome to see that!
So this channel made me aware of the existence of Auntie Annie's, and yesterday I noticed one in my local shopping mall, in Brighton UK. It's was even open! I have nothing more to add
I did not know there were Auntie Anne's in the UK!
You not being from Philadelphia would not know we do not really like Aunt Annie’s pretzels. They are way too light compared to a traditional Philadelphia soft pretzel. If you visit our city some time try and get one of our traditional soft pretzels from either a local small food store or other street vendor. They are easy to spot compared to the ones you usually get in the mall or larger stores. They are much longer and thicker which leads to their unique full taste, best when eaten with mustard on top, either traditional yellow or spicy brown. And if you are at the right place you can pair it with a nice Italian water ice. Which makes a nice fast lunch for many Philadelphians especially in the hot summer months. Thanks for the video on your trips, but as a long time Amtrak rider you should know not to expect any snack bar service either right out of your originating station or usually after the last big station before the train terminates. I just think it is one of Amtrak’s things that should be changed and the snack car should open upon departure and be available right up to terminal station. But I guess they just don’t want to pay to have someone board early to get things ready and also pay someone to close out the snack car after arrival.
@@johnchambers8528 Hey, I make sure to get Miller's every time I'm at Reading Terminal! But you can't expect Philly-quality pretzels everywhere you go, so Auntie Anne's is the next best thing.
@@MilesinTransit you make a good point. But I have on occasion found a good Philadelphia style soft pretzel in cities outside the Philadelphia area. Same thing goes for a good hoggie. One of my surprise findings was when I was visiting Minneapolis, Mn. and found a sandwich shop that featured hoggies as one of their selections. I ordered one and was surprised to find the owner of this shop really did his homework. It was on a great Italian style roll and had all the iconic meats and cheeses that you would find on a local hoggie in Philadelphia. They even offered a selection of peppers to chose from to add to your sandwich. It was so good I talked with the manager and told him he made a very good Philadelphia style Italian hoggie. So while I guess Aunt Annie’s is better than no soft pretzel product it would never satisfy my Philadelphia taste for one. I guess I will have to just satisfy my taste for pretzels by taking a bag of Pennsylvania made hard pretzels with me when I travel. By the way my favorite is UTZ pretzels especially their large sourer dough hard pretzels. Best wishes in your future travels and do continue to visit Philadelphia for our favorite local foods of pretzels,Italian water ice, hoggies and of course fresh made cheese steaks.
@@johnchambers8528bro did 2 essays on Philly food & didn’t even mention Philly Pretzel Factory just saying
Happy Birthday to Aleena! And Happy Birthday to your mom!
aw hell yeah, there's always time for more miles
well said
Back Bay also allows a single-seat transfer to North Station on the orange line.
yeah but as someone who gets into boston via commuter rail to north station i always go to south anyway because south is far better
W Miles riding some Amtrak.
Hello from the future where I did my big points runs for that deal on July 29th From New Haven to Moynihan, then back and followed that up with New Haven to Boston and back. FYI that was the day it poured so hard in Boston that the manhole cover in front of the FED was jumping up and down. To Round it out I did a New Haven to Bridgeport round trip on August 1st but I actually went out of Wallingford for some CT Rail fun.
Now that I am "Select" I am looking to do more points runs to try to abuse the bonus points even more. Looking at a Moynihan run soon so I can use the lounge pass.
Sounds great! Moynihan is the place to use it.
@@MilesinTransit I have done the Metropolitan lounge in Moynihan and the Lounge in South Station. I like Tavern in the Square better than the Amtrak Lounge in South Station😂.
so glad you talked about how the acela cars suck!! it's not consistently faster from boston->nyc than the regional and it's so much less comfy than the amfleet 2
Thank you for the mention of the Epic Canton Viaduct. #foamer I was worried there would be 6 trips across it with nary a word. In continuous service for One. Hundred. Eighty. Eight. Years!
The GOAT!
Every time you say, “Hi Pawtucket” you can’t hear me yell, “Hi Miles” back at you.
I’m actually closer to the “Modern Diner”.
I loved Providence Place and Newbury Comics is a good store as I’ve brought a funko Piplup and magnets of the Boston T signs.
Good to know that it's not just Northern Rail (UK) that does the stupid outlet placement thing.
I agree with you Miles ... I also have a weakness for Combo #1 at mall Chinese food court places. It's always the best!
Kennedy Plaza has bus and "trolley" :D
Come down for Waterfire!
Bless Buddy Cianci and his memory.
Kennedy Plaza was more “intermodal” before they moved the NEC to the newer Providence train station.
I used to work around the corner from route 128 and I used to take it to new york all the time. It was pretty excellent.
Funfact: that "exit to nowhere" at Rt 128 station actually leads to a long now-dead-end road in the town of Canton where there is street parking by permit sold by the town to residents so they don't have to go all the way around over the tracks/I-95 to get to the station for commuting.
Oh wow, that's fascinating!
@@MilesinTransit It's a good investment for the parking sticker if you work in Boston and commute most weekdays, but if you mainly only use RTE 2-3 times per year for interstate Amtrak travel, it is way cheaper to go around by car to the garage, especially on weekends.
Amtrak really should get window maps on their website. Also a warning about 11F.
Also, the future is nice!
A quick thanks for this. I had to two trips in the window and thought I'd miss. Booked a quick trip from DC to Baltimore and back.
Oh nice, glad you could make it work!
The future's pretty cool, thanks for asking
Good to know!
In this Miles in transit's "is apparently a trip report" of the day is taking 6 Amtrak trains between Massachusetts to Rhode Island in just in One Day. He starts Talking Trash about the seating of the Acela, doing some Auntie Anne's shot, the next train arrives late, testing the USB ports, leg room shot, elevator shot at Route 128, starts to boarding the next NER Train to Washington, once again back at Providence to take a RIPTA bus around Providence, taking a another RIPTA bus Back to Providence Station, and taking ANOTHER NER Train to Boston, gets off on Back Bay, miss a MBTA bus, 2 hours later, he went to the Lake Shore Limited Line/MBTA Worcester track, Then he take ANOTHER NER TRAIN FOR THE 3RD TIME to Providence, He made it back to Providence Again, He went to Diner somewhere in Providence, then he took ANOTHER NER TRAIN TO Boston, and finally the video ends with credits about patrons. He had gradually got Select Status by Amtrak. I wonder what the other foamers, trip reporters, and Bostonians Railfaners like Boston By Rails, Aijale Dyob, Nick Dalton, the World of Transit, and others think about how much you can afford, this much money on 6 TRAINS between Boston to Providence.
Easy he made more on views from this video then all the trians cost plus he can write them off as a business expense.
Larry gets it!
It's easier to get Select status by getting the Amtrak credit card with the annual fee and putting $25k a year on it (it's a Mastercard, so you can put rent or mortgage on it, if you need to pad things out).
That's a good point!
I don't normally notice any Boston accent in Miles's voice, but every time he said "Park-and-ride" it was so strong lol
Same here lol, it’s specific words that are instant “oh yeah miles is from Boston”
Also when he says “departure”
Boarding, Boarding, Last Call, Last Call!!🎉
I have a challenge. From the Jersey Shore to Middletown NY (which covers 2 Middletowns) via Local buses.
Catch: you MUST Uber/Lyft between Perth Amboy NJ and Staten Island via Outerbridge Crossing. You need to get to Bricktown Mall to catch bus service, and you'll need to take the S79 SBS into Brooklyn.
Most people think "Combo 1" is a traditional cantonese dish but it was actually invented by chinese immigrants in the 60s, the traditional "authentic" version is "Combo 4" ! #themoreyouknow
one day Miles is gonna go to Japan and have an absolute train blast
He should go to Germany too. And the Czech Republic.
@@ninyaninjabrifsanovichthes45 the Netherlands domestic trains are amazing. I miss them everyday
Agree completely about the Acela design.
The unspoken benefit of Business Class is that almost no one will pop for business class tickets when they're traveling with children, especially multiple children. There are kids that are just fine and there are adults who are far worse than an unsupervised/undisciplined child or two, sure, but for the most part the Business Class car is a reliably peaceful experience. I'm tall and would do it for the legroom alone; the beverage is always welcome but gone are the days when it was (at least here in the Midwest) a $5 cafe car credit and an actual paper newspaper, in addition to the better seats.
That's a very good point!
Metropark: my go-to station. Quick access to GS Parkway.
Points and Status for a train service. Thats something not found in Australia. Its normally only the full service airlines that do it in Australia
11:15 That’s Bavarian Kream powder from Dunkies
The reason why it says boarding 5-10 minutes before it arrives and departs and around 2-5 minutes for last call is since they use that system at terminal stations and Amtrak was lazy to fix it..
I also agree with you about Route 128, it's a really good station, people say it would be removed or have limited service which reminds me when I was like 5 I would railfan there and look at the Boston skyline.. good times.
I remember our time in Rhode Island very clear-*STAND BACK DOOR CLOSING*
YES!!
Incidentally, the Amtrak Cascades usually do tell the current speed---even though it is usually around 55 mph or so.
Interesting!
If you are on a Talgo trainsets.
Loving your content. Keep them coming.
Thank you!
i take amtrak business class once every 2 months for a long trip and i purposefully will only get on the specific train numbers with business class having those giant brown seats. I absolutely refuse to ride business class on trains that don't have them.
Is there a way to tell? I know the overnight trains and the Vermonter have them, but I don't know which others!
@@MilesinTransit i thought i responded to this but my comment isn't here. Full list is on the amtrak website for NE regional business class reservations
That was a blast! Have to try that diner now in Providence. Nice job on the credits with fun music, too!
Thank you!
The free refreshment discussion dehydrates me
Thank you for visiting my city. 3 times in a day
Random comment but the brownstones you point out at 1:32 are actually Airbnbs. Had the misfortune of staying at that exact place… it got the slumlord treatment inside… real gross and the ceiling leaked in my room…. and it was pretty overpriced too lol. It is what it is…
Oof, sounds awful!
Another challenge complete! (plus an added diner for good measure) Have you ever been to Vernon Diner in CT? My friends took me there the last time I was on the east coast and their bakery is gorgeous and the aesthetic cant be beat! Maybe something to add to the list someday!!
It looks great, but here's the problem: as much as I love diners, I will always prioritize Rein's Deli if I find myself in that shopping plaza!
@@MilesinTransit I've never heard, I'll have to check it out next time im in the area, thank you!!
@@Ianman258 It's a fantastic Jewish deli!
@@MilesinTransit Rein's is a classic, every time we'd go there on the drive up to Boston we'd have to stop there and get stuff for the whole family
Hello, Miles, from Pawtucket.
Looks like Gravella to me! ;)
@@MilesinTransit It’s an enclave. A very small, small enclave.
Ah, got it!
I grew up on the Boston Providence line and always took the train when I was going to either city so this video felt very familiar even on the first ride lol. But yah the canton viaduct is pretty cool but looks a lot better during the day
That’s actually very odd about the cafe car, when I’ve ridden Amtrak out of Boston I remember it opening right after Back Bay
It's always seemed vibes-based to me, but not a single one of these trains had an open cafe car between Boston and Providence!
@@MilesinTransit huh, just a weird coincidence I guess
11F might not have been the best for views, but it was great for memes.
Albany's building a downtown intermodal terminal which is also bus only, _unless_ you consider a massive parking garage intermodal.
Sadly RI does not do Patriots Day... when my gf (from RI) moved to MA, she was very confused that we did not have Victory Day off, but was later very excited to have the holiday in April for Patriots Day!
Dang, I thought they got both!
I have eaten at the Providence Place China Wok multiple times. It is exactly as good as you think it is - which is to say, like, fine.
fun fact about the RTE 128 station: the elevators and escalators always have issues and amtrak doesn’t let the state inspect them (if they could the elevators would probably have to be replaced or repaired)
Providence is quite underated. I go to an Olympic lifting gym up there and I'm thinking about moving up there next year. (I'm in Newport now) I used to take the 60 to KP and I never actually ate at Haven Bros because the guy I was dating at the time said it was overrated. Will have to try it now.
I actually tried to go to a diner closer to me in North Kingstown that was made by the Silk City Diner Company (which I learned from the diner series) called Snoopy's but it closed a few weeks ago. 😭 You should consider checking out Modern Diner in Pawtucket though since it's the first diner to be accepted into the National Register for Historic Places and is well known for its custard french toast.
The food at Haven Bros isn't anything special, I was mostly there for the diner history! That sucks that Snoopy's closed though - it looks like a beautiful diner, and hopefully someone can take it over. But another one close to North Kingstown that looks beautiful is Jigger's, which is a 1947 Worcester Lunch Car!
I visited the Modern Diner in my Pawtucket Station review - it was INCREDIBLE. ua-cam.com/video/d6MN2eq_edU/v-deo.html
@@MilesinTransit Oh amazing! I actually went to Jigger's South over the weekend which is their other location not in a cool dining car but has a giant patio. The food is exceptional! I've walked by the original East Greenwich one many times but I'm always in the area too late to eat there so I go to Main Street cafe or Tio Mateo's for tacos. 😅 I'll have to go on my day off next week!
Haven Brothers at this point only exists because of the history and the drunk people downcity on late weekend nights
Yes, thank you, I totally preferred the regional over the Acela! Too bright, and a weird vibration.
Personal opinion: Acela is the BEST train in the country aside from maybe brightline it is on par with European high speed trains and when I rode it yes you could recline it had armchairs and it was only 19 minutes between bwi airport and dc
Hopefully the brightline LA to LV is a direct high speed line
@@BenTheDuckIt will go to Rancho Cucamonga not Los Angeles
@@BenTheDuckBLW will average 109 mph. Top speeds 140-180 mph.
The whole window and seat lining up thing is much easier here in Switzerland: all the seats are in groups of 4, perfectly centered on a window. And the future is nice!
Only thing about the seats of four is that I wince at the idea of being sat next to three strangers and having to directly face two of them!
@@MilesinTransit Eh you get used to it. I find it much more enjoyable to watch other people than to watch a much closer seatback. And besides, in Switzerland most of the time is spent looking out the windows! (and on the more boring parts or in tunnels everyone is looking at their phone).
The future is great, thanks for asking
Love your videos and fun quarky adventures!
Thank you!
The Auntie Annie's probably costed more than the ticket itself
Okay, it's not THAAAAAT expensive!
you also have to consider how much of a w it is to consume Auntie Anne’s when calculating the prices
I live in Atlanta and so I definitely can't imagine being so close to other big cities! Of course, we can't even get Amtrak north of the city, so there's that...
Plus it was cool to see Providence! I'm going there in October for a friend's wedding and I've never been before.
Sweet deal. I spent 4 months commuting between Baltimore and NYC and came up one 10 ride pass short of select status.
thank you for saying nothing bad about providence because there is nothing bad to say about providence 🥰
SO TRUE
NO Patriots Day in RI, but we do get a holiday every month from July through January (I guess technically February, but I don't get Presidents Day off so I don't care)
Miles in Boston is always a W
oh my god miles has posted. Thank you king
14:28 I thought you were seated at the table with someone else lol
I love the idea of having a window map.
there appears to be a plan to run HSR along the median of the expressway linking LA & Vegas, but no mention of whether its curves be gentle enough for super duper trains... this BS intent is especially similar to that approach at dotting serfs' windows & port holes...
Today I noticed 2 small company coaches running routes for one bigger company. I'm sure I would not have noticed this had I never watched your videos
Ooh, that sounds neat!
14:50 "I don't give a fuck" lol
Classic KP
always a good day when we get a new Miles in Transit video, and it was a banger as usual
Thanks so much!
What Perks does the select Status have?
It’s Selective
Two Single-Visit Passes to Amtrak lounges
Two One-Class Upgrade Coupons
Two coupons for 10% off Amtrak travel
25% Select point bonus on Amtrak travel
Priority call handling
Select-exclusive discounts and bonus offers from our program partners
2 lounge passes, 2 10% off coupons, 2 upgrade coupons (not valid for sleeper though), and 25% bonus points
Don’t know if that’s worth it tho
@@MCBjoernar Probably not
uggg, lived in Austin, TX for 10 years. The had hourly mile long freight trains but as far as passenger trains there was one northbound and one southbound daily. And you had to be a big rail fan because the drive to Dallas was 3 hours, train ride was 5 hours. Sit back, let somebody else drive. I wish i lived in the 'Al Gore universe' where there was a high speed triangle between Dallas, Houston and Austin
The other mode is pedestrian at the intermodal facility
That makes a lot of places intermodal facilities!
@@MilesinTransit okay well you didn’t have to go and put it like that. Don’t bully their facility!
Always love Boston content :)
Random guy at 14:48 IDGAF 🤣Classic City background noise.
Haven’t been to RI in years but I used to go to CTY (aka nerd camp) at Roger Williams University in Bristol and Rhode Island really has It’s charms (though getting into Bristol required going into Massachusetts). Also, I think they’re the only state that celebrates Victory Day.
Kinda want a Del’s lemonade right now.
If you take 114 off of 195, you can stay entirely in RI between Providence and Bristol. 136 is just faster, though
I guess this explains why my favorite Amfleet 2-2 Business Class row is 12!
Re high-speed trains telling you the speed: inexplicably, the Amtrak Cascades Talgo 8s do this, despite not going over 79!
Cool video and entertaining. Well done. I was impressed with the 150 mph. Didn't know Acela went that fast How long did it hold that speed? BTW, what's select status?
It doesn't go that fast for too long, it's only a couple short stretches - but they're upgrading track in New Jersey to get it to go that fast there as well. Select Status gets you a few extra Amtrak perks that probably aren't worth what I spent for them!
I just love when you do these kinds of trips. I just absolutely love it!!!
Thank you!
I wish Amtrak would refurbish the Acela trains and make a low cost high speed alternative or sell them to a private company to do the same / at least compete with amtrak. If you think about how far the electrification actually runs there is a possibility of service beyond amtraks high speed network.
Intermodal....
Buses AND pedestrians!
Thanks for the Providence highlights! Now that you have accomplished your points goal, which two Amtrak lounges are you going to visit?
Probably Moynihan and Moynihan...
@@MilesinTransit Good Choices! Particularly since you have already completely explored and spent time in Rugby Amtrak Station North Dakota!
“How’s the future?”
It’s alright, editing my first train travel vlog at the moment and figured I’d thank you for partially inspiring me for it!
No diners are open near me rn though :(
therefore, this future is 6/10, check back later for updates
Oh cool!! I'm excited to see it when it's done!
we need a SELECT status vlog, where you show, what you can all do with select status in a day, haha!
Ooh, interesting! That's kinda what my lounge review video was, although I didn't market it as that: ua-cam.com/video/_-bdxsrzIjQ/v-deo.htmlsi=EHQQ3A8yaGR2YoFn
2263 was my first NEC train (only Empire Service and LSL beforehand). It amazed me and I'm convinced all lines must be electrified
Agreed!
Nice to see miles in BOS! But still wondering what the secret project is Waiting for it!
I have periods where I make a ton of progress on it and others where it languishes...too many big projects, too little time!