Than, Again.....

Another look, or rather, another perspective on the New England trip, has caught my attention! I subtract a few things from the original plan to see where that leads me. I will remove that which I can reach by train and save it for another trip.

This means omitting the Metro North RR watching. Also, subtract the Shore Line East. Those destinations that I am not sure about, such as certain new railroad attractions. Although, I would include the Cape Cod railroad and Essex Steam Train.  This itinerary would be the clockwise pattern, returning along the coast line. I would be a day and half less across Massachusetts and and a day less across Connecticut, keeping the vacation to 8 days, as opposed to 10.

I did keep the Staten Island excursion. I seem to place the Staten Island as a return home excursion. I would come to the end of the Staten Island RR, and take the RR to the Ferry. I included a trip across on the ferry to take pics and see lower Manhattan. That would be a way to see more on my way home.

A new trip is planned, starting the trip in Richmond, VA, rather than Southern Pines, NC, what I had omitted from the original plan. I created a two day excursion. The plan is to go directly to Old Saybrook, CT. This is  an Amtrak stop plus a good location to watch the Shore Line East. From my research, there is a motel near the station that seems reasonable in cost. It might be a No tell Motel but for a short night, I could handle it. I would arrive in enough time to watch for a couple of hours.

Early in the morning, I would take the SLE to New Haven, where I would transfer to the Metro North into Stratford, CT. Stratford is not an Amtrak stop but has a good watching platform, as opposed others. New Haven has a good number of trains but not a good location for watching, except in passing through.

Taking Metro North into Grand Central, NY, and there take the Hudson Line Metro North to Yonkers. The first plan had Tarrytown as my watch stop but Yonkers is a Amtrak storp and Tarrytown is not. I could go to Tarrytown and come back to Yonkers for Amtrak.I would need Amtrak to connect that Penn Station for the final leg home.