Train Trip to Wilson

Due to an incident with the train ahead of us, we were turned back to Raleigh before we got very far on Oct 9, so we'll try this again!

If you've never been to Wilson, this is a great opportunity to explore one of North Carolina's quaint small towns. This one happens to be home to the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park, which can't be adequately captured in pictures. It's a city block filled with art in motion - especially impressive on a windy day. Across the street is a museum and gift shop and there are nearby restaurants, breweries, bars, and shops, all within walking distance of the train station. The walk from the train station to the park is 7 minutes (0.3 miles) on sidewalks. We can get lunch from the Whirlidog Cafe or the food truck that may be parked by the brewery across the street. The food truck doesn't have a website, so I'm not able to access their schedule. There is a covered picnic area in the park, so if it's a nice day, we'll get our food to go and eat at the park.
Amtrak information:
Leave from the Cary Amtrak Station at 9:47 and arrive in Wilson at 11:14. There are 2 stops along the way in Raleigh and Selma. Cost of the round trip is around $14. That's the coach ticket that's non-refundable with no changes permitted. You can get half your money back if you cancel before departure. Since the trip sold out last time, I would definitely buy your ticket as soon as you are sure you can go.
Return train leaves at 4:05 and gets back to Cary at 5:41.
Unlike air travel, the train station doesn't have security, so no need to get to the train station more than 15-20 minutes before the scheduled departure.
Everyone will be responsible for purchasing their own train ticket in advance. Once we are there, we'll have lunch and will most likely divide into small groups to explore the town.
NEW INFORMATION ABOUT GROUP RATES: On our trip back to Cary last time, we found out you can get discounts for groups of 3-8. Since the transaction requires the full legal name and date of birth for EACH passenger, I don't want to take that on. So, if you want to get together with people you know and buy your tickets together to get the discount, you can work that out amongst yourselves. Seniors already get 10% off, but if you want the group discount of 15% for 3 people, 25% for 4 people, etc. up to 60% for 8 people, you need to choose ADULT tickets instead of SENIOR. You also need to enter the discount code V291 if you purchase tickets on the Amtrak app. Here's a link with more details on that: Get Up to 60% Off Small Group Travel With Share Fares | Amtrak

Links with helpful information:
Whirligig Park: Home
Amtrak: Train Tickets, Schedules & Routes | Amtrak
Whirlidogs Cafe: WhirliDogs | Hot Dog Café and Restaurant in Wilson, NC