Wish We'd Tried this Sooner! | Amtrak in a Wheelchair
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 เม.ย. 2023
- This is an Official Cole & Charisma Video Of: Wish We'd Tried this Sooner!
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About Cole & Charisma:
Welcome to the official Roll with Cole & Charisma TH-cam channel! Since the start of our relationship we've gotten a lot of questions about our experiences as not only an interracial couple, but an interabled one as well. On this channel you can catch us doing travel and adventure vlogs, challenges, our inclusion series, couple first times, music, and so much more! We started this vlog to bring people into our lives, to answer some questions about how we navigate the world, and hopefully raise awareness surrounding accessibility and dating in a wheelchair. You'll quickly see in our episodes that we're all about inclusion and keeping a great attitude no matter your circumstances, so if that's what you're into, you're in the right place!
I am at awe how you two click so well, being a wheelchair user, finding someone who doesn't give it a second thought to just be there for you is a rare thing, in this day and age, most people do not want to be "tied" down, especially with a disabled person, it takes a special person to see you and not the chair or disability
Amtrak employee here!!!
The train is not for anyone who is in a rush. The train is for the journey.
Service dogs can get off at ANY stop to relieve themselves. It does not have to be one of the designated “fresh air breaks”. Just let your attendant know!
The trains in the east are different than in the west. Single level vs two level equipment. The two level trains have very different accessible rooms but much better food.
If you have any questions I’d love to answer.
@Roll with Cole & Charisma ICYMI This! This info is so helpful; thank you! Hubs & I've only taken a short train ride from Boone, Iowa. It traveled across some gigantic historic wooden bridge 😳😅 (It was great!) Seeing your trip makes me want to go further!
Well said. On my bucket list.
Hi Rachel. I definitely am thinking of taking Amtrak with my daughter. What are some suggestions that you have as things to do or bring so that she doesn't get bored. She's currently eight going on nine. By the way I'm using my boyfriend's TH-cam profile in case you're weirded out by a random lol. He hardly ever uses it. Let me know please.
@@calvinshumate6628 of course. What route are you planning on taking? Some the best past time is out the window but some trips absolutely require entertainment.
The train is a perfect place to meet amazing people. If you take a route that has double decker equipment (called superliners and typically on routes west of chicago) there is typically an observation car in the middle of the train and it has a little cafe below it.
Bring games. Card games and/or small board games. You might make friend a on the train to play with. Don’t be afraid to talk to strangers. There are some amazing stories to be heard.
Hello @Clouds519. My experience is that the Amtrak Viewliner (the train that Cole & Charisma are on) goes up and down the East Coast. It is a newer train, and the Accessible Bedroom is much nicer, cleaner, and more functional than the Amtrak Superliner. The Amtrak Superliner (Zephyr), which I took from Chicago to California, is an older train. The Accessible Bedroom is older, and the one I was in was not as clean as the Viewliner. For me, the seating was not as comfortable as the Viewliner. But the upside of the Superliner is the dining experience. SUPERB!!! Another upside were the clear observation cars. The views were tremendous. So, in conclusion, there are upsides and downsides to both. I wish the Viewliner Accessible Bedrooms were on the Superliner trains.
My husband is severely disabled and cannot walk, he’s in horrible pain. I just found this channel from looking up wheel chairs. It really gives me hope and I really brings me up. It’s a very lonely life living with someone as disabled as my husband. Thank you for sharing your stories!
And you are a star for loving him❤
The medical bag rule is probably for liability. They don't want to get sued if someone's medical supplies or medication gets lost, stolen, or damaged.
I'm happy you guys enjoyed it. I rode the Amtrak from Louisiana to California as a Quad. Despite the rocking from side-to-side in the wheelchair, lol, it was a beautiful ride. I would definitely do it again.
Did you need a bed?
Thanks for sharing! That makes us feel even better going from LA to Richmond. Such a chill experience
@@norm3207 The Amtrak has suites with a bed you can reserve. I’m not sure how much you can tolerate, but I spent most of the time in the wheelchair. I felt more stable due to the rocking.
@@MyronWright I don't think it's for me I'm not that mobile I would I would have to stay in the wheelchair the whole time
You always want your medical bag with you.
What wonderful moments for a lovely couple having fun together. It looks like the train was enjoyable. Wish you happiness and God's blessings
🤗
I've traveled by Amtrak many times during my youth, but never cross-country. Always enjoyable. Today, I am disabled with MS and happy to know, thanks to your great reviews, that this mode of transportation would work rather well for me and my husband. Safe and happy travels!
I've seen you guys do SOO much, it never dawned on me that you guys had never traveled by train. You guys adventures (and life in general) is so encouraging (for ALL) and you guys never disappoint and you guys encourage so many people. Thank you!
18:43 That's the OG right there on the crank, wow 💪🏽💥 Probably tucked in his cape to be modest. With my husband being blind, I over appreciate every hero
Thanks for bringing us along. I grew up riding trains, although it has been years now since I did it. Keep on truckin' you two!!
Thanks, you too!
Lovely video!❤ my Dad who passed in 2020 at 91 times around the sun, used to travel from Ohio to California to see my sister on a train. He did it most every year. He loved the outdoors and like the scenery of a train ride.
You both are so inspiring. Thank you for sharing your lives with us!
I've been on Amtrak before with my son, he has autism. A really nice ride for both of us. My mother loved Amtrak.
10:23 FYI, the moist towel trick is also a classic way to stop cutting boards and mixing bowls from sliding around in the kitchen! :)
I liked that for you as well Cole. Like you said you actually get to spend time with Charisma and she actually gets to enjoy herself as well.
I went from Louisiana to Chicago for a wedding. It took 18 hours. I enjoy every minute of it. We had at least 30 in our group including children. I found the seats very comfortable (we did not get the sleeper) and I feel the hosts and hostess are more friendly. One thing we were able to do (I do not know if they still let you) is bring our food and snacks and with such a large party it was a big saving. And the best thing is you let someone else do your driving. Glad you'll enjoy it.
Glad you enjoyed it. Amtrak is either great or horrible. If you have to be there by a certain time, like if you’re traveling on business, it can be horrible because you miss connections and they have to give way to the freight trains that own those tracks. If you’re just traveling for leisure, it’s fun. On the “long” rest stops, DON’T GET AWAY FROM THE TRAIN! Step outside and stay right there at the side of the train! Amtrak leaves ppl at stops a lot. Not their fault; they just don’t cut you any slack. It doesn’t matter if they tell you it’s a 15 minute stop. If they have to leave after 10 minutes they will call boarding and you have to board that instant. They wait for nobody. They have to work around the schedules of the freight trains that own those tracks.
Great video. I'm so glad that the trip worked out for you two! Here are some answers to questions posted in comments to your video: All sleeping-car tickets (all sleeping-car accommodations) on Amtrak include all meals on the train for however long your trip is. Coach tickets do not include meals; coach passengers either purchase in the cafe car or bring their own food. Sleeping-car passengers can eat in the dining car, or they can have "room service" (the meal brought to their sleeping-car accommodation--which is the only option, unfortunately, for those in a wheelchair). Each Amtrak sleeping car has only one room for those who are mobility-challenged, but some trains have more than one sleeping car. So, reserve your accommodation as soon as possible to be sure to get the trains you want. Depending on the accommodation, the price for Amtrak sleeping-car travel ranges from expensive to very expensive. This video does a great job showing the hand-cranked mechanisms to board and off-board those in wheelchairs. Those mechanisms are located in locked, special sheds at almost all Amtrak stations/depots/platforms across America--even in those depots that don't have local Amtrak personnel. In those instances without local employees, the conductor of the train gets the mechanism out of the shed on the platform and operates it just as you saw in this video. In this way, hundreds of Amtrak stops across America serve passengers in wheelchairs. Sounds like "Sophie" is a service dog: Amtrak is very, very accommodating to service animals. I've seen conductors allow a "long" stop at what is ordinarily a brief stop-and-go depot so that a service dog can be relieved. For those mobility-challenged passengers traveling alone, I've even seen the Amtrak conductor him-/herself take the dog out for relief! (Here's a TH-cam video of that very thing; starts at 1:30 in the video: th-cam.com/video/h4ZXxjYwSH0/w-d-xo.html.) It's amazing. Amtrak conductors rule! Hope this is helpful to those considering an Amtrak trip.
Literally just binged watched Amtrak long trips and now my fav couple is on one! Confirmation that I need to book a trip! Also, I thought I was the only one who still says “cool beans” 😊
Absolutely fantastic that you do this (and so much more) for the disability community. I'm not in a wheel-chair, but I have a degenerative spine, so my mobility is seriously impacted and I always have to go to places where they have disability access. Regretfully, I'm in South Africa and so much more to be done for people with disabilities.
This was so fun to watch, thank you for taking us along! It looked like it worked out well for you, and it's nice to have your own sleeper cabin if it's affordable.
Years ago when I was married, we took the Amtrak from Southern CA up to Seattle WA. I think it took about 1 1/2 days if I remember correctly. It was such a fun trip, I will never forget it! I loved sitting in the observation car and just watching the scenery go by.
We had regular coach seating on the way up, so it wasn't the most comfortable, but we spent a lot of time walking around, and in the observation car, so it was ok. On the way back we had our own mini-compartment sleeper, and that was a lot nicer. It was more private and quieter than coach, and there were 2 pull-down beds that were pretty comfortable for sleeping.
I hope traveling by train works out well for you guys. I like it better than flying, but like you said the only drawback is that it takes longer.
I love the train. When your sleeping it’s like being rock by your mother😂
Awww, we can’t wait to give it a try over night. Being rocked to sleep sounds amazing
It's is very much like that!. The best sleep I ever had was on a train. I was 19 amd went on a trip with friends. I figured I would be awake the whole time. Nope, the trip was going to he 19 hours. I slept 12 of those lol at once. It's was the best!!
Agreed... Took our 5 teens on a cross country Amtrak adventure before they started graduating from high school and it was AMAZING! We even scheduled in multiple day stops in places like Glacier National Park. So fun and slept like a log.
What if you miss your stop!?
@@kesia_shani I set my alarm so I could get up have a shower and breakfast. Then I pack and just watch the beautiful scenery.
Hi y’all! Glad you enjoyed the trip. I do enjoy Amtrak! The one thing you have to remember is that Amtrak is known for being late because they don’t own the tracks and have to let the freight trains go first. Mostly in the long haul routes.
So consider taking Amtrak for seeing parts of America that you would not be able to see from a plane. With Amtrak, it’s not about getting there, it’s about the journey!
If you keep that in mind, you’ll enjoy every trip!
Good luck and safe travels!!!!❤
What a fun trip. You guys sure love traveling.
Gotta get it all in before we settle down with the baby one day! 😄
I completely love traveling on Amtrak. I wish it went more places. I mainly did it from DC to NYC. I hope to do it again in the future.
I like it a lot because when you get a room they feed you also, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. When you have a layover, you sit in a special section for those who have rooms and snacks.😃
I always love it so much when you guys upload!
I use to take the Amtrak from Bmore to Savannah. Each station has its own vibes. Also the difference in times or if you are in coach or in a room car. Glad to see your first time.
I'm glad you had a positive experience traveling Amtrak. Thanks for sharing.
I’m glad had a nice time. Thank for sharing guys. Happy Easter.
Love you both so much! Happy Easter! Both of you keep strong, always.
Hey guys looking good I hope you had a great Easter 🙏❤... The train looks like a lot of fun. Because of you guys now I can go and use the train if I need to go further away from home! Thanks for showing us what is possible and what is not 😊‼
Yes! Definitely recommend it and happy Easter!
@@coleandcharisma ❤
Thank you for sharing the train ride. At times I felt like I was actually riding along. Unconditional love look great on you guys. Have a blessed and happy Easter .🐰🐣❤
Amtrak is so much fun! I'm glad you guys got to try it. I'll be taking Amtrak to California later this summer, can't wait!
Appreciate your consistency and carrying us along in all your adventures, love seeing you in each other's company, your adventurous life style is one great thing for me, love you guys❤💗💗💐💐👍👍
Hi, just came across your site.. I've taken the Amtrak Auto Train several times and love it. I went from Va to Sanford Fl in 16 hours. ( and in reverse ) I like having my own vehicle. I get a roomette and the meals are included with a complementary glass of wine. The meals were good and the desert was yummy. The porter was great, he makes your bed when you ready. There is a shower with towels n toiletries supplied and very clean in the train car..There are cabins available with private baths for more money. There are always deals and you can be alerted to them by email. Safe Travels.. I am now a subscriber and glad I came across your channel.
You guys are so awesome! Nice to find you!
I lost the use of my legs about 18 months ago. I still have to travel for work then one day I had to go through both Chicago and Atlanta. I totally balked. Then our travel person found a train. The longer travel time far offsets the literal pain of flying.
Absolutely, the train is amazing ❤
I loved being rocked on the train when I'm sleeping. Fun times! Happy Easter guys
🎵Rock-a-by-Cooooleeeey, on the Amtraaaak 🎶 😂
Love you guys so much. You are an inspiration to me
Safe travels. Thanks for sharing. Love you guys.
My young sons and I did an antique train ride with a formal dinner that was a murder mystery train adventure. We had a blast
I believe the 50lb bag requirement has more to do with saving the backs of the workers that have to lift and move them.
Oh I absolutely love Another Broken Egg!! You guys have fun!!
Amtrak trains are amazing. I travel with them from Manhattan, to Alexandra station to Virginia, to visit my son on FORT BELVOIR YEARLY
The food service on Via rail was excellent, we had so many choices, we felt we would roll off the train at the end of our trip with all the food.
I'm glad you had a happy ride,so much adventure you had!
Love the video bro! Blessed you on what y'all have! Amazing nothing but amazing..with a great support system you can overcome anything. Love from Atlanta ga ❤️
You both have good communication skills, you listen to and respect eachother.
Looks like you both had fun! Happy Easter!
Thank you! You too!
Haven't been on Amtrak in decades. This was an eye opener. Thank you
,We traveled across canada by train , was the best experience ever took 4 days . We will remember it forever.
That’s on my bucket list!
When my sons were young, we would get a sleeper compartment on Amtrak from Chicago to Washington, D.C. We LOVED it! My sons really enjoyed the dining car that was reserved for sleeper car guests. Back then, Amtrak served meals on REAL plates; not the plastic stuff! I'm so glad you had a good experience. I hope I'll be able to take a train back east at least one more time.
I can't resist. 🤣"Captain of the train...." LOL I think you wanted to say conductor. My husband and I have done several Amtrak day trips together. He is in a chair. I personally have done dozens of overnight trips alone. Here are the drawbacks for traveling in a chair for 24+ hours: On the west coast trains they use the two story Superliners. The accessible room is on the lower level of the sleeper. There is no shower. On the east coast trains you were on one of the newer Viewliner cars which are the most comfortable. The other drawback is not being able to go to the dining car to eat. On a very long journey you are at the mercy of the the car attendant. Now, if you are traveling with someone abled bodied, that is not as big a deal. For me, I love the train for the ability to move from car to car and meet others in the lounge car, the dining car or on the west coast sight seer lounge. 24-48 hours in one small room might get claustrophobic after awhile. Happy travels!
Awesome!! I love Amtrak. I’ve taken it from Tampa to Miami and from Tampa to Savannah. Great experience. I’ve never gone on the sleeper car. I was surprised at how great the breakfast was in the dining car. Glad you had the chance to experience this. 💜
So excited to see you doing this! I've been a c5-7 incomplete quad for going on 34 years.
You both are so beautiful and blessed!!Love you all videos.May God continue to bless such a beautiful couple!🤗❤
I love travelling by Amtrak!! I did LA->Chicago->NYC last year and less than a week ago was doing the reverse but my Chicago to LA train was cancelled due to weather so I was stranded in Chicago for a bit. But I can't wait to do it again. I love watching the world go by from my little roomette :)
Nice! And oh yeah, it’s such a calming experience just watching the land zip by 😍
Wow…I love Amtrak. Would love to travel cross country. Love it, Love it!
Hello Cole & Charisma ... Loved this video. Amtrak is definitely the best way to long distance travel. 👍👍😇
What an adorable couple!❤
You guys should look into the auto train. The van is right on the train with you.
Don’t have to worry about renting a broken down van😂 I took if from Philly to Florida. #Loveit
This is inspiring. Ive been in a chair for a year now, still processing the reality. Gonna look into it.
Happy Easter to the best couple on TH-cam and everyone in the world 🌎 Peace and Blessings. 🙏💕
Thanks for sharing guy's! I have loved watching you guy's travel. This was by far a great experience. 😊 I will definitely be looking into traveling by train. I have already started to follow a few people who travel by train and it's very interesting.
I travel from Chicago to LA my train --- I take the scenic route and love it! Glad you enjoyed.
Hi Cole and Charisma I took a train trip from Philly to Chicago to Las Vegas many years ago (4days)it was fun seeing all the cities we went through the train is so cold at night dress warm always I enjoyed the sun during the day and the food have a safe trip 🏡 home😇🙏👍
Fun!! Thx for sharing this experience. I’ve always wanted to try Amtrak. My hubby and I are thinking about trying this now😊down south.
Excited to see your next train trip!
This sounds like a wonderful way to travel, especially when the children come along. For long trips, make it an adventure and plan your activities well. Great fun guys!👌🏾🥂🎂🎉❤️🌺
You guys are a Genuine Beautiful Couple , love the chemistry ⚛️ between u2 ❤❤
Thank you so much 🤗
My favorite mode of travel is by train. Glad you guys enjoyed yourselves. God bless.👍🏾🙏🏽
It is a fabulous way to travel IF you have the time. It is definitely more relaxing than flying. ❤
Y'all adventures are amazing ❤❤
Oh fun!!!!!! Happy Easter!
This trip, to me, is nostalgic. Reminds me of those great old movies when people took trains to cross country. Takes longer, but a much fuller experience than flying. So cool! Thanks for sharing guys. 4:09
I just tried Amtrak for the first time a few months ago and it checked all the same boxes for me. (I was on the train for two days one way and three coming back if yall ever have questions!) I really loved it.
It was comfortable. Food brought to me. My bags were carried on and off for me. It made traveling feel comfortable vs feeling like a burden.
Keep in mind that the Amtrak Viewliner (the train that you are on) is different from the Amtrak Superliner (an older train). The Accessible bedroom on the Viewliner is much nicer than the Accessible bedroom on the Superliner. Keep that in mind when planning your future trips with pets and babies.
That was a really fun episode!! I've never done a train, and I REALLY don't like flying, so I'm thinking that'd be a fun way to travel!
Wow! That's amazing one of these days were going to travel with Amtrak💕
You two are so sweetly symbiotic.
I love Amtrak. I want to go on a long distance trip. I'm glad you enjoyed the trip. Blessings
Very cool! I’ve never taken a long trip on a train. The longest trip was maybe a couple hours. Once in England and once in Germany. Looks like a lot of fun to have your own cabin.
My husband and I have taken the auto train from Lorton VA to Sanford Fl and back several times. It’s a great way to travel, stress free and your car arrives when you do. It’s an overnight trip. Sleep is fitful however, also if you’re not far back from the engine the constant blowing of the whistle, will keep you awake, plus the rocking and noise. We also took a regular AMTRAK from DeLand Fl to Raleigh NC, also an overnight. It was like a bus, stopped in every station, seemed like it took forever. It was noisy and rough,BUT still better than driving. With Cole’s wheelchair and Sophie, AMTRAK is the way to go!! Having a bedroom is a must, we only had coach seats.
Showers of Blessings to you all 🎈 😊
This is my first time seeing you guys! I loved this video and will be subscribing. Looking forward to seeing your adventures!
I took Amtrak's Texas Eagle from St. Louis to Chicago earlier this year, and it was great! It was also my first train ride. I booked a coach seat and a transfer seat, so I was able to transfer out of my wheelchair and keep it right in front of me. The Texas Eagle is a two level train, and I couldn't move between cars to get to the cafe since you have to go up a staircase. It was fine tho because I packed plenty of snacks for the 6 hour trip. I figured that if I wanted to get something from the cafe that I could just ask the train staff for help, but I didn't try it this trip. It was nice not having to worry about driving or getting my chair damaged on an airplane.
I love Amtrak!! Better comfort and more space!! ❤I give it a 10!!! ❤
Love the accommodation on the train.....seems fun to be on. Happy Easter and all the best❤❤🥰😍😇😇
I could not find you guys on TH-cam and I panicked. I am so happy to see you guys are well.
Well I reckon I’ll add Amtrak to my bucket list. Thanks y’all ❤
Kay Davis that is so nice of u to say Happpy Easter to everyone in the world the same to u Happy Easter Bless You
Hey guys my first time posting on your TH-cam page. I watch you all the time. Glad you settled tackle the Amtrak. My husband and I ride it all the time. Enjoy 🎉
Born and raised in Charleston. I hope we treat you great. Y'all have a fantastic time touring Charleston.
Love your videos!❤
I love it you both are traveling back and forth across the states
We’ve taken several trips on the AutoTrain from Lorton, VA to Sanford, FL to visit our daughter in Orlando. As the name suggests, we pack up our van and it comes along for the ride, so we have our own transportation while there. I highly recommend getting an accessible room rather than traveling coach; it’s an overnight trip. The only hiccups, which plague most Amtrak service, is that it shares tracks with freight trains; when one derails, the delays can be immense! But it certainly beats flying and risking damage to my wife’s complex, expensive powerchair, and then cobbling together accessible transportation while we’re there.
Cole and charisma you rock
That “so” at the same time at 17:07, you guys are the cutest I swear🥹
Also, i used to ride the amtrak as a kid to visit my dad. I was like 4 or 5 but I loved going on the train man, i definitely have to plan a little trip soon
I absolutely love the train. The accessible room is very convenient. With a baby, you could also try the bedroom.
Or a pet. If Sophie goes. You must include her when you but tickets. Not all trains alliw pets and those that do have restrictions, like only 5 animals per train and a distance limit.