I'm not sure how long the term "Staycation" has been around, but I only heard it first about a week ago. As the contraction suggests, it simply refers to a vacation at which the time is one of 'stay at home".
Simply go to any news source, and there will be an array of articles establishing that high gasoline prices are impacting the volume of auto travel over this holiday weekend. Urban mass transit is clearly showing ridership increases as are Amtrak corridors. I can't help but note even on my suburban street, at least two upper income families that "always go somewhere' (by air, of course) whenever there is a holiday weekend, seem to be hanging out in the McMansion. But then I'm not about to walk up to a 12 year old kid and say 'aren't you guys going somewhere this weekend?'.
In short, "high gas" and air fares are hitting home - even in my swath of affluent Chicago suburbia.
Since passenger rail travel has hardly been impacted by rising fuel costs to the extent as has other private or commercial passenger transport, should Amtrak be "Carpe Diem", or "seizing the moment'? Could a family for which vacation has meant 'fly and rent' be enticed to sit overnight in an Amtrak coach seat (in view of that Sleepers are essentially filled anyway be times good or bad) and take that trip, or will the 'staycation' trend proliferate.
My thought is the staycation will win out, but then we have a forum at which contrary thoughts will be heard.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
With stagflation come staycations . . .
In my opinion, not until gas hits $5 a gallon will the poor mopes who bought Escalades and Expeditions really start looking around for alternatives. Plenty of clueless idiots are bombing down the interstates at 75 and 80 mph in their SUVs as we speak.
I don't think this is an either-or proposition, "stay home or take the train," but that individual families will make compromises. Perhaps some of them will investigate day trips on the train.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Point noted, Mr. Kisor: but $5/ga will be here by Labor Day.
True, I will be off on an auto journey come this Friday to Wash DC and vicinity (which is scheduled to include "hook ups' with two of our members here), but there are some families residing in McMansions that must watch the pennies closer than do I.
Oh FWIW, I only operate +2 over the posted limit - honest!
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
Or maybe by July 4 the pain will reach $5.
By the way, you can go 5 mph above the posted limit and the smokeys won't nail you, at least in my experience.
My wife and I have a Civic and an Odyssey. Guess which is sitting unused in the garage? We do have to take the latter when we go up to our cabin in Upper Michigan later this summer -- all that gear plus the dog -- but already I think I'll stick to 60 mph on the freeways and 55 on the two-lanes in order to stretch every gallon as far as it'll go.
The North Western used to have a passenger train that went all the way up there, but I think it was killed about 1955.
Posted by train lady (Member # 3920) on :
Henry I do hope you are going to write another mystery while up in Michigan
Posted by PullmanCo (Member # 1138) on :
Of course, it doesn't help that Amtrak does not have the equipment to respond to a major uptick in traffic. Further, having talked with at least one PV owner, the private fleets won't be willing to help stretch the Amtrak fleet either... not unless there are some major guarantees on both revenue and maintenance (interior as well as exterior) of the equipment.
Posted by AHALL (Member # 3515) on :
Interesting observations for travel on Memorial Day weekend! TV news was reporting that the number of people traveling someplace over this weekend is estimated to be the lowest in 6 years, now that has changed to the lowest in 10 years, another source said lowest in 20 years. A nearby lodge resort reported that they had vacant rooms on a Memorial Day weekend for the first time, well, since anyone could remember.
My own observations includes the fact that church attendance this morning was the highest for the month of May, and usually it is less for a holiday weekend. My family enjoyed an afternoon on our patio, and noticed the unusual sound of children playing and the odor of charcoal. Usually, our suburban neighborhood of ranch homes is silent on holiday weekends as everyone is packed into SUVs for a trip to some exciting place. Not scientific, but...
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
quote:Originally posted by Henry Kisor: My wife and I have a Civic and an Odyssey. Guess which is sitting unused in the garage? We do have to take the latter when we go up to our cabin in Upper Michigan later this summer -- all that gear plus the dog -- but already I think I'll stick to 60 mph on the freeways and 55 on the two-lanes in order to stretch every gallon as far as it'll go. .
I'll accept whatever risk there is associated with going +2. Being retired for now five years, I have forgotten how to be in a rush to get anywhere. The '06 Lex GS 300 is really very economical; 30mpg highway (the way I drive much to the chagrin of the 18 wheelers) is not out of the question.
Oh and BTW Mr. Kisor; I have had two Acuras in this life - an '88 and '92; I commend your choice of autos.
Posted by sbalax (Member # 2801) on :
While coming home from a late breakfast in my '97 Civic EX (with only 41,000 miles on it!) I noticed, for the first time in my memory, "Vacancy" signs at several of the motels on State Street. That's unheard of this time of year, especially on a Holiday Weekend.
Frank in overcast and cool SBA.
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
Well, we have another western jaunt planned for September. With all the stops at relatives in NE, KS, CO, and AZ it is not possible to connect the dots by train and too expensive by plane.
So our Honda Pilot will be stuffed with our hound and camping gear and luggage and we'll be off again. I suspect other families will have the same problem and so the family truckster will continue to whiz down the interstate unimpeded by $4 or $5 gas.
Where I think there will be a big difference is those that have to drive everyday to get to work. I suspect mass transit and Amtrak corridor trains will be the main beneficiary from the current crises rather than LD train.
Posted by irish1 (Member # 222) on :
henry where in upper michigan did you use to go to? i live right on the border by iron mtn.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
We summer in a little old log cabin halfway between Ontonagon and Silver City.
Posted by HillsideStation (Member # 6386) on :
Being retired, "holidays" are an every day event. With that in mind, on Friday I ventured over/up to Seabrook, NH to pick up my new prescription glasses along around two in the afternoon. I immediately relized it was the beginning of the Memorial Day weekend when I pulled into traffic on I495 north. Except for a dearth of mobile-mansions, i.e. motor homes, the race to the mountains, lakes and shore was on in earnest. When I merged onto I95 north at the end of I495 the traffic appeared to be no different than previous years, except for the noted absence of mobile-mansions. I personally have no "problem" with the current price of gasoline. Point of fact, I think the government should have hung a dollar-a-gallon, tax on it years ago. MY PROBLEM, is the cost of #2 heating oil, which is now exceeding four dollars a gallon. Had we not already paid for our upcoming "Traincation", the worry about how to heat my home and not how to drive somewhere might have had a deleterious effect on our plans. Best regards, Rodger
Posted by 20th Century (Member # 2196) on :
Dollar-a gallon tax? Do you want a citizen revolt? I agree, and furthermore put that tax towards rail transportation. Scooters and Smart Cars should be marketed more aggressively. It's our established American way of thinking that needs to be challenged....and I don't think that challenge would be greeted with open arms. What politician would want to risk their votes to do this? I confess I do love my '07 Camry. Gas mileage is good. ... p.s. I'm staying home this holiday weekend.
Posted by chile2 (Member # 3110) on :
Mr. Norman---- I for one will not look to a "staycation". Staying at home (aka;doing chores) is much too much work! The kids and I will seize the day and head out soon, with the train a usual component of our travels/explorations. I for one, have always thought overlong auto trips are highly overrated.
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
I actually have no summer Amtrak travel plans at this point. I may do a one nighter up to the DC area and back or perhaps just a daytrip on the Piedmont or Carolinian but that's about it.
There is a family trip to Danville, KY for the Great American Brass Band Festival in June which we'll drive up for and I'm booked to fly solo for a four-day trip to the Colorado narrow gauge railroads in July........arrangements made and airline tickets purchased before the latest spike in fuel prices started.
Beyond that I see a summer of staying within 75 miles of home......and I'm not feeling deprived at all. The Guest Reward Points roll in with every fill-up and my next traincation will likely be on redeemed points.
So.......fuel prices being what they are we're not hurting yet. We are making choices such as short daytrips to limit hotel stays with our discretionary time.....plus my December trade for a vehicle with about 5-6 mpg better gas mileage.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
As I also submitted to Miss Vickie's trip report topic, here is a clip from last evening's NBC News suggesting recession or not, people are starting to make lifestyle changes. After all that piggybank, i.e. the accretion of equity in the principal residence, that magically got refilled each year hasn't had too much of a "top off' in now about the last two:
A debt-free retirement lifestyle? "oh so Grandma and Grandpa".
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
One of the staycation measures I plan this summer and fall is to ride every one of the Chicago-area Metra commuter train lines from North Western Station (oops, Ogilvie Center) out to its terminus and back -- for free. I'm going to see if I can do it all in one day, too.
Illinois' weird governor, Rod Blagojevic, demanded free Metra/CTA rides for all senior citizens as part of a CTA bailout. This was highly questionable, but my disapproval won't keep me from taking advantage of the measure. (Mr. Norman, after all, disapproves in principle of Amtrak's long-distance trains, but that doesn't keep him from riding them. Very sensible fellow, if you ask me.)
(Correction: I meant every one of the Metra trains out of Ogilvie on the old C&NW lines -- I had forgotten about those out of Union Station on the old CB&Q, MILW, ROCK etc. lines. Those will have to wait for another day or two of riding. But this project looks better and better to me . . . perhaps if there is enough interest we might mount local Railforum Geezer expeditions, including picnic lunches complete with flasked beverages, unless there are restaurants within walking distance of the terminuses.)
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
My thoughts regarding Boy King's initiative are set forth at another site:
But again, am I to look a gift horse in the mouth?
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
On the aforementioned site, Mr. Norman vows not to ride the CTA. I'm with him on this one, too, having commuted on the rattly-clank, filthy, pee-reeking old Red Line for 40 years. E.n.o.u.g.h. is e.n.o.u.g.h.
Posted by RR4me (Member # 6052) on :
My family is attending a reunion in Denver in July. I already purchased CZ round trip tickets for my wife and I, my daughter and my parents, so changes in current ticket prices, or gas prices won't have any affect on my plans. We do live close by a popular reservoir, and the big pickups/SUVs with boats in tow were crowding the road (gas is over $4 here, and Diesel is over $5).
I drive a Hyundai, and lowered my speed to just about 60 mph on my 35 mile work commute, gaining about 2 mpg. I anecdotally note that it's the big pickups and SUVs that still blast past me at over 70 mph. Oh well, it's their money.
To the direct question, I would hope Amtrak would increase advertising at least for the day trip crowds on the San Joaquins and Capital Corridors. I often take a train from Modesto to Sac just to eat lunch in Old Sac and visit the rail museum. Perhaps they could at least resurrect the several-year-old ads they had on billboards extolling the virtues of train travel over driving.
Posted by irish1 (Member # 222) on :
henry the milwaukee roads chippewa hiawatha used to runfrom chicago to ontanogan mi. i think this train ran to iron mountain until about 1964. you are probabaly right about the year it quit going north of iron mtn. you are in a beautiful area.
Posted by Judy McFarland (Member # 4435) on :
When I'm not lurking here, I am chatting about my hybrid car at other sites. Purchasing "Fiona" in Nov 2006 is looking more & more like a smart move. Unfortunately, I've probably waited too long to take that "someday" trip on route 66, even at 50+ MPG
I had thought this year might be the time for a trip on the Canadian, but the weak dollar means that won't happen. I just got back from a trip to NY to see relatives (flying - UGH) & took a drive to Montreal (about 125 miles each way). We parked the car & rode the metro or walked once we were there, but again the weak dollar limited our stay. Duty-free liquor is no bargain at these exchange rates!
Posted by Doc Brown (Member # 4724) on :
The official report is in, the US is using less gas now than it was at the same time last year. That coupled with a stronger dollar, and the effect high oil prices are having on the economy (its become very clear that the pain point is not $5 gal, as previously predicted, but much lower at $4) is finally starting to drive oil prices down a bit. Will it last? Who knows?
As far as "staycations" go, I too have only just recently heard the term. The majority of our vacations are done with our small travel trailer. I've done the math, and cost is a wash no matter how we vacation. Most important, we usually find that the management at most motels frown on campfires in our room. So to keep motel management happy, we stick with the trailer. Still, most of our trips are in state and pretty short. We have a trip to WV & KY coming up in late August. A few less meals out, a few less trinkets, and it won't cost us anymore than any other long trip towing the trailer. For the short term, there are no Amtrak vacations in our plans. No staycations for us just yet.
I do think that for Amtrak to take advantage of the situation, they need a new PR firm. Nothing I've seen in thier little bit of advertising makes Amtrak very appealing, especially to a "novice" train rider. Add to that the dismal ability to get a rental car at most stops on LD routes. I daresay that many may become fully turned off of rail trail travel after one trip, if they can even be enticed to get on in the first place. Coach overnight? Maybe. Then again, that may shut people down after one trip too.
Incidently, we recently bought a Chevy HHR to replace our Cadillac. The Caddy wasn't bad on fuel (avg 23 mpg mixed city/hwy), but the HHR averages about 5mpg better. I get to drive it to work most of the week, and we only drive our truck about 100 miles a week or so. Right now, we spending about the same per week in gas as we did in '05. I guess what I'm saying is that most of us are making some sort of adjustments to deal with the prices. That seems to be reflected in the nation's fuel consumption.
Posted by Vicki (Member # 3410) on :
I can't do a staycation (my first time hearing this term) but I know a lot of people who do.
I feel the need to get away, even if it's just a camping trip to the Dunes, which is about 60 miles from home. Of course, with our old truck, which gets about 3 gallons to the mile when towing our camper, even this can get pricey!
Posted by RRRICH (Member # 1418) on :
3 gallons per mile, eh? LOL
Posted by Vicki (Member # 3410) on :
quote:Originally posted by RRRICH: 3 gallons per mile, eh? LOL
Seems like. We towed the camper to Hannibal, Mo for a geocaching event in April and spent $400 just in gas! Sheesh!