Anonymous wrote:What if you took the MARC train to Garrett Park, MD?

There is a nice (homelike) restaurant right there. (Black Market Bistro)

I think she would like it. (Not sure if there are a few stairs at the entrance though...call them)

This is a good idea, except that MARC primarily runs at rush hour.

There are a few steps to get into the restaurant, but it’s literally right across the street from the train.

There is also the walkersville railroad if you are looking for a nice train experience. The rides are about 90 minutes and then have lunch in Frederick.

http://wsrr.org/ws/

This Washingtonian article captures some good ideas:

https://www.washingtonian.com/2023/03/28/4-great-weekend-train-trips-from-dc/

I definitely will let everyone know where we ended up and how it went! Checking out a few things liking train timetables and such. I think she is going to be very happy.

OP

Let us know what you decide!

No ideas on destinations for you, but we took my mom on the train to NYC from Union Station last December. It was a good trip, but just wanted to share our Amtrak experience with a senior citizen!

My mom uses a cane, and navigating the train stations with mobility issues was definitely more challenging as she is not stable on escalators, so we had to find our way from elevator to elevator. Also discovered that at both Union Station and Penn Station the elevators are serving double duty as restrooms, so conditions were kind of gross, and Penn Station was a bit of a maze to get around from elevator to elevator. Definitely would aim for a smaller station!

And hadn’t really contemplated the amount of walking along tracks etc involved in train travel, but as we were waiting at Union Station an Amtrak “Red Cap” noticed us and drove my mom (and the rest of us) out to the train on a golf cart. We were also able to get a red cap to help us for our departure from Penn Station, but never got one for about arrivals—I assume you’d ask your conduct to see this up? It was less straightforward than arranging a wheelchair through the airline like we’ve done before.

I hope you have a great trip with your mom.

Bump

Thank you for all the ideas so far! This has been very helpful!

Ashland stops right in town, like the same block as a bunch of nice cafes (try homemade by Suzanne)… it’s small and cute. About 2 hrs. Just time it so you can get back easily.

How about the MARC to Frederick? I’ve never taken it, but l just googled out of curiosity and looks like the station is pretty close to the old downtown where there are lots of restaurants

What if you took the MARC train to Garrett Park, MD?

There is a nice (homelike) restaurant right there. (Black Market Bistro)

I think she would like it. (Not sure if there are a few stairs at the entrance though...call them)

Anonymous wrote:Ashland, VA and Old Town Manassas might be nice. The only problem is getting back to DC, the return trip might take a long time. (Amtrak is often delayed south of DC). Perhaps someone could drive to pick you guys up for the return journey?

For this reason, i would really consider going to a station that is accessible by Acela, and booking Acela tickets. Much more comfortable/reliable/frequent.

Philly's train station is so wonderfully old fashioned, you could literally walk out to a cab on 29th st no problem, but it is true that half the station is boarded up due to renovations. All they have in the station is a hudson news stand and a dunkin outpost.

I was thinking Ashland too due to the not overwhelming part. It's tiny but cute.

Your post made me think of this article from a few years back. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/in-wilmington-and-philadelphia-restaurant-tables-worth-a-train-trip/2013/09/18/b40d3812-1185-11e3-b4cb-fd7ce041d814_story.html

Baltimore on the Acela would be a quick train ride. You could take a cab and eat at the art museum restaurant or maybe a place in the inner Harbor that overlooks the water there.

Culpeper, VA is a great little town and the station is right at the end of the Main Street with lots of restaurants and shops.

Another thought is to drive to Staunton, VA and do the Virginia Scenic Railway 3 hour trip with lunch served on the train? The Allegheny west passage is supposed to be nice. I don’t recommend taking Amtrak to there from dc because while it’s another great small Virginia town it’s extremely hilly especially from where the station is. If you did the scenic railway from there you could park right at the station or at least get her situated out front while you park.