My adult son & I are planning to take Amtrak from Greensburg to Altoona for a day trip on Saturday. We'd like to go see Horseshoe Curve for an hour or 2, and am wondering inf local taxis will take us there and back.
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One word...UBER. They’ll take you anywhere...for enough money. 😉
What Rich said
Horseshoe Curve is about a 10-mile drive from the Amtrak stop, but driving up there if not familiar requires GPS or map-reading skill. Altoona does have several taxicab companies, it would be interesting to compare cost/availability with UBER. I would think a taxi driver would be more willing to leave you at the curve for a couple of hours than a possibly distracted Generation Z UBER driver.
Personally I'd rent a budget car, for more flexibility and given that the OP will have 7 hours to kill between trains.
Like others have said Uber of Lyft will get you there and back. Beats waiting for a cab.
Son and I decided o use a limo service for 4 hours. It is a bit expensive, but this trip is a birthday present--he hits the Big 30.
Nice choice! Say hi to the Amish for me if they're up at the park picnicing.
I agree with Borden Tunnel and Rattler 21. Trying to do this with a cab or Uber is a good way to miss your train home. If it's worth going, it's worth $50 or $60 for a one-day car rental. Car rentals for weekend days are usually lower than for weekdays. Try one of the travel websites that get you rates at hotels and for rental cars.
Borden Tunnel posted:Nice choice! Say hi to the Amish for me if they're up at the park picnicing.
Rich Melvin posted:One word...UBER. They’ll take you anywhere...for enough money. 😉
Well, this has to be a forum first, that the words Amish and Uber appear in the same topic. Might be waiting a while for that one. It is possible that my mind has gone around the bend. 
The limo was a classy choice.
I'm not kidding, and they use some type of van service to reach the curve.
The Amish certainly seem fascinated by railroading.
2016 photos
by WW Jenkins
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Borden Tunnel posted:I'm not kidding, and they use some type of van service to reach the curve.
The Amish certainly seem fascinated by railroading.2016 photos
by WW Jenkins
That is interesting. That strikes me as rather liberal behavior for that group. The humor comes when both words are taken together, as in "Amish Uber". A true oxymoron based on technology.
On the other hand, maybe I shouldn't be that surprised. The last time I was out that way, we stopped at the TCA Museum and had a nice conversation with one of the staff. He was saying that some of the local farmers had small out buildings where they had phones and maybe even internet access. They wouldn't go so far as to bring it in the house, but they are becoming more connected to the outside world, while trying to preserve many of their traditions
Elliot:
A fair number of Amish back in my home area in central PA have what amounts to a phone booth along the main roads near their farms. A local magazine in that area had a short article about them last year - I believe.
And I have noted Amish "rail-fans” just about every year we’re back in PA visiting family. In addition to seeing them picnicking at HSC; I’ve also seen their buggies pulled up under the shade of a tree near the crossing in Mattawanna, PA.
Curt
Yeah Curt, that was the exact gist of the conversation we had on that rainy afternoon at the museum. I want to say that was more than five years ago, so this has been going on for a while.
Elliot....I think that is hilariously astute of you to see the Amish juxtaposed(?) with the word Uber....what a world...its almost like fried Oreos, or chocolate and peanut butter....
Amtrak is Amish means of transportation long distance
A few years ago I had an Amish contractor in for an estimate to replace my roof. Young man shows up we walked around the house nice conversation and a cell phone rings ? The look on his face was priceless and he was trying to ignore it. I said please answer it which he did in a very quiet manner also in Pennsylvania Dutch. The contractor did an awesome job on my roof and gutters.
My brother in law has used Amish contractors to replace his roof; build a two story garage; build a new pool enclosure fence and rebuild his pool shed. I don’t believe there are any finer craftsmen in central PA than the Amish.
Curt
Wasn't the new boiler for the Climax being restored at Cass built by Amish boilermakers?
When my wife and I did the shop tour at Strasburg there were several Amish craftsmen working in the wood shop. Had their "no pedal" bicycles parked outside.
