Chris Guenzler Millionth Amtrak Mile
into La Plata, Missouri, at 9:57 AM CT on April 7, 2008
www.trainweb.com/depotinn/2008apr07.html
On Monday, April 7, 2008, Chris Guenzler will have traveled 1,000,000 miles on Amtrak !!!
Chris Guenzler completed his millionth mile of all types of rail travel on April 27, 2007. Many of the below photos are from that event. This new event will commemorate Chris' completion of One Million Miles on just Amtrak routes! Chris has traveled every mile of the entire Amtrak system many times. So far as we know, Chris Guenzler may be the only regular passenger documented to have ever traveled 1,000,000 miles on Amtrak since Amtrak was founded in 1971.
And ... this event is right in time for National Train Day! Amtrak announced that it will celebrate its first annual National Train Day during six weeks of celebrations culminating on Saturday, May 10, 2008. Amtrak's celebration of National Train Day will begin six weeks prior to May 10 with special promotions, events, partnerships and an advertising campaign. On May 10 Amtrak will host events at four of its largest stations, Washington, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, where visitors may take part in a variety of activities including live musical performances, exhibits, trip planning, VIP appearances and trip giveaways. For more information, click here to read the Amtrak News Release and visit NationalTrainDay.com
Click Here For Info On Reservations For Attending The Events!
Saturday, April 5, 2008, Fullerton, California, Departure Party
Chris will depart from the Fullerton Amtrak Station in California on the eastbound Amtrak Southwest Chief Train #4 on Saturday, April 5, 2008, at 7:20 PM. There will be a departure celebration at the Knowlwood Restaurant near the Fullerton Amtrak Station starting at 5:00 PM. Everyone is welcome! Buy your food and beverages at the counter and join our party! No need to RSVP, but if you'd like to let eveyone know you are coming, click here to RSVP YES or even MAYBE!
Travel with Chris on his Millionth Amtrak Mile Journey!
Board the train anywhere along the route of the eastbound Amtrak Southwest Chief Train #4 any time between Saturday, April 5, 2008 and Monday, April 7, 2008 and join the group traveling along with Chris. Click here to view the train schedule. To book your Amtrak travel click here or call 1-800-USA-RAIL.
Monday, April 7, 2008, La Plata, Missouri, Arrival Celebration
Chris will reach his 1,000,000th Amtrak mile right at the La Plata Amtrak Station just as the eastbound Amtrak Southwest Chief pulls into the depot. The scheduled arrival time of the train is 9:57 AM. After a short arrival reception at the depot, a celebration will be held at the new Silver Rails Event Center in Downtown La Plata.
Above Right: The crowd that awaited the arrival of Chris Guenzler at the April 27, 2007 event.
Free shuttle transportation will be provided from the depot to the event center for those arriving by train and anyone else that does not have their own vehicle. Everyone arriving by train may safely leave their luggage in the shuttle van during the arrival events. Free hotel shuttle transportation will be provided at the conclusion of the celebration at the Silver Rails Event Center.
On Monday Afternoon, April 7, 2008, a FREE TOUR of La Plata's Rail Features will be provided
The tour will include the Depot Inn & Suites (a rail museum in itself!), the Exhibition of Amtrak History, the Chris Guenzler Millionth Mile Lookout Point, the Silver Rails Event Center, the La Plata Santa Fe Depot / Amtrak Station, the TrainWeb.com / TrainParty.com new facility, a quick trip through Amish country, and more!
At 6 PM on Monday, April 7, 2008, there will be a Celebration Dinner at the Silver Rails Event Center
Click here for more details about the recently opened railroad themed Silver Rails Event Center. During the celebration dinner, there will be a presentation of the future Silver Rails Resort that is planned for La Plata, Missouri. If you would like more information about the future plans for the Silver Rails Resort to be build in La Plata, click here for a PowerPoint slide show presentation.
On Tuesday, April 8, 2008, an optional Van Tour to St. Louis is offered.
Those that chose to go on this van tour will be provided round trip transportation to St. Louis, Missouri, where the group will ride the St. Louis Metrolink Light Rail System and then visit the Museum of Transportation in West St. Louis County. The tour van is limited to the first 24 people to purchase tickets. Tickets will be sold for $20 per person which is well below the cost to operate the van to St. Louis and back. The $20 per ticket covers the cost of round-trip transportation only and does not include any Metrolink fare ($4.50 for a day pass), museum admission ($6 per adult), or any meals or beverages. The van tour is scheduled to depart from La Plata at 7:00 AM. Riding the Metrolink is expected to be about 3-1/2 hours and the group will be at the museum for about 3 hours.
On Wednesday, April 9, 2008, you are on your own to enjoy the hotel and tour the grounds!
Some people will be planning to take the entire Amtrak trip with Chris Guenzler while others will be staying only for the day of the celebration or a few additional days in La Plata. You are welcome to create your own itinerary. More information about rail and air transportation as well as car rental information will be posted to this page shortly.
Plans for the Amtrak Return Trip
Chris will be staying at the Depot Inn & Suites for 3 nights, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, April 7 - 9, 2008. He will depart on Thursday, April 10, 2008 at 9:57 AM CT on the eastbound Amtrak Southwest Chief Train #4. He will take that train to Galesburg, Illinois, where he will switch to the westbound Amtrak California Zephyr. Chris will ride that train to Sacramento, California, and then switch to the Amtrak San Joaquin to Bakersfield and then take an Amtrak Connecting bus to Los Angeles and then the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner back to Orange County. Anyone who would like to travel on any portion of the return trip with Chris is welcome to book their Amtrak travel themselves and tag along!
How to Travel to La Plata, Missouri
Click here for information on how to travel to La Plata, Missouri, USA from any part of the nation, or the world, by plane and/or by train. Special Note: Free shuttle service is available from the Kansas City Airport (MCI) to La Plata if you are arriving into the airport before 3:00 PM on Sunday, April 6, 2008, and will be departing from the Kansas City airport after 3:00 PM on Tuesday, April 8, 2008. Seating is limited. Please e-mail steve@trainweb.com for further details.
For those of you that have not heard, the Chris Guenzler Millionth Mile Lookout Point is now enclosed and heated! You can now watch trains on the BNSF mainline from the enclosed comfort of the Lookout Point year round! A radio scanner built into the facility lets you listen in on all railroad radio communications while you are there. Click here for photos and more info about the lookout point.
MAKE YOUR PLANS TO ATTEND SOON!
Reservations are not necessary to greet Chris Guenzler as his train arrives into the La Plata Amtrak Station at 9:57 AM CT on Monday, April 7, 2008, nor to attend the celebration that will take place at the new Silver Rails Event Center immediately following train arrival. Free shuttle van transportation will be provided for everyone attending. If you need more information on how to get to La Plata, Missouri, by train or plane, click here.
If you will need hotel accommodations, please make reservations at the Depot Inn & Suites at your earliest convenience by calling 1-888-814-3669 or online by clicking here.
If you would like to attend the 6 PM Chris Guenzler Millionth Mile Dinner Celebration at the new Silver Rails Event Center, tickets are available for $20 for Vegetable Lasagna and $25 for Prime Rib. The main entree will be served at your seat and there will be additional salads, sides and beverages served buffet style. Profits from this event will go to the American Passenger Rail Heritage Foundation for the maintenance and expansion of the history exhibition. You can purchase your tickets for this event using your credit card by calling the Depot Inn & Suites at 1-888-814-3669. Tickets purchased will be held at the front desk of the hotel until your arrival.
If you would like to go on the Tuesday, April 8, 2008, Van Tour to the St. Louis Metrolink Light Rail System and Museum of Transportation (see details above on this page), tickets can be purchased for $20 using your credit card by calling the Depot Inn & Suites at 1-888-814-3669. Tickets purchased will be held at the front desk of the hotel until your arrival.
Let Everyone Know You Are Coming!
If you'd like to announce your attendance to let others know you will be there, you can join the Train Travel Meetup Group and then RSVP. The below RSVP is not required to attend and the RSVPs currently listed by no means represents all those who will be in attendance, but it does help in letting others know who might be showing up for this event. Click here to RSVP for the Fullerton, California, Saturday, April 5, 2008 Departure Party. Click here to RSVP for the La Plata, Missouri, Monday, April 7, 2008 Arrival Celebration.
We hope to see you in La Plata, Missouri, on Monday, April 8, 2008!
More Chris Guenzler Info:
Media Coverage:
Chris Guenzler Millionth Amtrak Mile Press Release
/ MS-Word Version
Los Angeles Times
/ Seattle Post-Intelligencer
/ Houston Chronicle
/ Kansas City Business Journal
/ St.Louis Business Journal
/ Denver Business Journal
/ Press-Enterprise
/ Austin American-Statesman
/ Las Vegas Business Press
/ The Sun Herald
/ Texas Cable News
/ Forbes.com
/ TravelJourno
/ Transport Topics Online
/ Yahoo!
/ AOL.com
/ News Blaze
/ Breitbart.com
/ PR Newswire
/ eReleases
/ Hoover's
/ MarketWatch
/ Interest!ALERT
/ RCR Wireless
/ Publicity Insider
/ Soapdom.com
/ ADVN
/ WFAA.com
/ AZ Central
/ Bolsamania
/ The Earth Times
/ eClassa - News and Information That Means Business
/ Kansas City InfoZine
DEPOT INN & SUITES / SILVER RAILS RESORT / LA PLATA, MISSOURI
More Photos:
Exterior /
Interior /
Rooms /
Train Watching /
Amtrak Exhibition /
Event Center
For Travel Arrangements & Info e-mail: travel@SilverRails.net or call: 877-459-5900 (toll-free).
THINGS TO SEE IN & NEAR LA PLATA, MISSOURI:
SILVER RAILS RESORT CONCEPTUAL PLAN:
OTHER RELATED LINKS:
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