Author Topic: John Lannan's on the slooooow train to Florida (Read 4664 times)

houston-nat · « **on:** February 08, 2011, 07:04:36 pm »

Quote

John Lannan will arrive in Viera, Fla., sometime tomorrow, six days before pitchers and catchers officially report and about 24 hours after he started his journey to spring training.

The word "journey" here is only half-hyperbolic. Lannan woke up this morning in his offseason home in Hoboken, N.J., and stuffed his car to the gills with gear and clothes. He drove four hours to Lorton, Va., arriving at 2:30 p.m. so his car could be loaded on to his unusual mode of transit: the Amtrak Auto Train.

"My dad did it a couple years ago," Lannan said at 5 p.m., about an hour into the 17 ½-hour train ride from Lorton to Sanford, Fla. "He mentioned it, and I just decided to try it. There was no rush to get down. So far, so good."

He chose the train, basically, so he could bring his car to Viera without having to drive it there himself. It's also cost-effective. If you wanted to make the trip to Viera in a tiny, moving room with your car hitched to the back of a train, say, next Wednesday, it would cost $431. Not bad.

Lannan should arrive in Sanford, which is an hour or so outside of Viera, at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. He chose a sleeper car, which has its own bathroom and a couch that turns into a bed.

"I definitely passed rooms that are smaller," Lannan said. "It's big enough. It's going okay so far."

Lannan came prepared to pass the 17 ½ hours. He packed five movies and DVDs of "30 Rock" and "The Office" to watch; Maxim, US Weekly and People magazine to read; and his iPod to listen to. Dinner is at 9 p.m., but there's also a snack cart. "I already bought a cheeseburger and some Doritos," he said.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/nationalsjournal/2011/02/john_lannans_train_ride_to_spr.html

If he has too many cheeseburgers and Doritos, he'll show up to camp looking like Shairon Martis.
P.S. Sweet attache

KnorrForYourMoney · « **Reply #1 on:** February 08, 2011, 07:06:07 pm »

Nice taste in tv comedies

hammondsnats · « **Reply #2 on:** February 08, 2011, 07:06:12 pm »

cool write-up. hope we see the 2nd half john lannan who was a more than serviceable back end of the rotation NL East starter ... right PotCan and PA?!?!?!?!?!

Nathan · « **Reply #3 on:** February 08, 2011, 07:07:41 pm »

Going on a train ride like that seems like a cool way to travel. I'd like to go on a trip somewhere like that one day.

PANatsFan · « **Reply #4 on:** February 08, 2011, 07:23:54 pm »

Quote from: hammondsnats on February 08, 2011, 07:06:12 pm

cool write-up. hope we see the 2nd half john lannan who was a more than serviceable back end of the rotation NL East starter ... right PotCan and PA?!?!?!?!?!

Whatevs I already said I love the guy. But you ignore the 2nd half Marquis

PANatsFan · « **Reply #5 on:** February 08, 2011, 07:24:07 pm »

Quote from: Nathan on February 08, 2011, 07:07:41 pm

Going on a train ride like that seems like a cool way to travel. I'd like to go on a trip somewhere like that one day.

The autotrain is PIMP.

hammondsnats · « **Reply #6 on:** February 08, 2011, 07:33:42 pm »

Quote from: PANatsFan on February 08, 2011, 07:23:54 pm

Whatevs I already said I love the guy. But you ignore the 2nd half Marquis

no i didn't ... and his second half wasn't as good as lannan's IIRC.

i don't ignore maya's awful stint, either. he better get his crap together this year.

houston-nat · « **Reply #7 on:** February 08, 2011, 07:39:43 pm »

Quote from: hammondsnats on February 08, 2011, 07:33:42 pm

he better get his crap together this year.

Eh, he's got a couple months in Syracuse to work on it.

Lintyfresh85 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 08, 2011, 07:51:48 pm »

Traveling in style!

hammondsnats · « **Reply #9 on:** February 08, 2011, 07:52:02 pm »

Quote from: houston-nat on February 08, 2011, 07:39:43 pm

Eh, he's got a couple months in Syracuse to work on it.

healthy CMW > Maya, imo btw

PANatsFan · « **Reply #10 on:** February 08, 2011, 10:41:47 pm »

I wonder if he ever read the Hoboken Chicken Emergency?

JMW IV · « **Reply #11 on:** February 08, 2011, 10:44:11 pm »

Quote from: Nathan on February 08, 2011, 07:07:41 pm

Going on a train ride like that seems like a cool way to travel. I'd like to go on a trip somewhere like that one day.

I took the train when I went to see my mother a few weeks back.

hammondsnats · « **Reply #12 on:** February 08, 2011, 10:46:42 pm »

yeah growing up on a trip to disney world/orlando, we took the train ... it was a cool experience.

John · « **Reply #13 on:** February 08, 2011, 11:04:48 pm »

Quote from: Nathan on February 08, 2011, 07:07:41 pm

Going on a train ride like that seems like a cool way to travel. I'd like to go on a trip somewhere like that one day.

The autotrain is only Lorton to Sanford, FL which is close to Orlando.

I did the trip once and generally liked it. My Sony Walkman and the many cassettes I brought with me made the world of difference.

What I didn't like was the food they served and the seat I had which was too close to the bathroom.

Lannan is lucky he can afford a luxury sleeper. Those rooms are very expensive. He can also afford to bring some better food with him. They let you bring coolers on the train with you. I made the mistake of listening to others who told me the food was good. I guess that depends on what you like because I thought that except for the continental breakfast which is hard to screw up the dinner was lousy and the portion was small.

imref · « **Reply #14 on:** February 08, 2011, 11:05:23 pm »

Quote from: Nathan on February 08, 2011, 07:07:41 pm

Going on a train ride like that seems like a cool way to travel. I'd like to go on a trip somewhere like that one day.

we've looked into it, it's very expensive for a family of 4 (about $1200-1600 depending on the room). My uncle used to take it each year to get to his winter retirement home in FL. The train is very nice, they have wine tasting as well.

blue911 · « **Reply #15 on:** February 08, 2011, 11:18:17 pm »

Quote from: PANatsFan on February 08, 2011, 10:41:47 pm

I wonder if he ever read the Hoboken Chicken Emergency?

He's probably really into Sinatra.

CALSGR8 · « **Reply #16 on:** February 09, 2011, 04:08:25 am »

My cousin hates to fly. So if has to travel long distances he takes the train. Once took his wife & daughter on an Alasken cruise. Took the train from Baltimore up and through Canada to Washington state. Took the Cruise from there. Had a great time. HE and his daughter took the train. His wife flew and met them there later.

Galah · « **Reply #17 on:** February 09, 2011, 06:23:19 am »

We take the auto train for Christmas vacation. Load up the car with all the presents, bring along a bottle or two of wine, couple movies loaded on the iPad....and I get to drive my own car the whole time I'm down there instead of paying Avis.

UMDNats · « **Reply #18 on:** February 09, 2011, 08:22:04 am »

If I get a job outside of DC this summer I'm definitely using this to bring my car to.

PANatsFan · « **Reply #19 on:** February 09, 2011, 09:02:48 am »

Quote from: UMDNats on February 09, 2011, 08:22:04 am

If I get a job outside of DC this summer I'm definitely using this to bring my car to.

it ONLY goes to one station in Santee, FL. So that limits your options.

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #20 on:** February 09, 2011, 09:29:58 am »

Quote from: John on February 08, 2011, 11:04:48 pm

the dinner was lousy and the portion was small.

Channeling your inner Woody Allen?

blue911 · « **Reply #21 on:** February 09, 2011, 10:06:33 am »

Quote from: JCA-CrystalCity on February 09, 2011, 09:29:58 am

Channeling your inner Woody Allen?

on the other hand it could be catered by Golden Corral

machpost · « **Reply #22 on:** February 09, 2011, 10:20:39 am »

Quote from: John on February 08, 2011, 11:04:48 pm

He can also afford to bring some better food with him. They let you bring coolers on the train with you. I made the mistake of listening to others who told me the food was good. I guess that depends on what you like because I thought that except for the continental breakfast which is hard to screw up the dinner was lousy and the portion was small.

How does it compare to airline food?

HalfSmokes · « **Reply #23 on:** February 09, 2011, 01:05:06 pm »

Quote from: machpost on February 09, 2011, 10:20:39 am

How does it compare to airline food?

at least on the NE regional, Amtrak food is inedible

Galah · « **Reply #24 on:** February 09, 2011, 01:20:29 pm »

Quote from: HalfSmokes on February 09, 2011, 01:05:06 pm

at least on the NE regional, Amtrak food is inedible

NE Regional is not the same as the Car Train. I'd rate the dinner much better than airline food, prepared on the train and served on plates, I thought it was passible, but there's nothing to stop you from bringing on board your own picnic basket, unlike the airplane (or the ball park for that matter) they don't search your bags and confiscate all liquids.