long-distance Amtrak, anyone?

[Tussiemussies]

Blackdog, I usually feel the same as you do but once I am there usually have a good time. Hope you do have a good time...Christine

[Azure]

Have fun!

[dado potato]

Zephyr does indeed roll from Chicago to Emeryville (near San Francisco). Next year I think we may get on the Empire Builder near our home in WI and ride coach into Chicago, spend a night there, and take the Zephyr out the following day. We'll probably get off (the train) in Sacramento, and rent a car to frolic with grandchildren in CA.

In a roomette a cribbage board and a deck of cards can be an endless source of amusement.

In the dining lounge, if your party is less than 3, you are certain to have some random travelers to sit and converse with during meals. (I noted that a number of sleeper/roomette passengers -- whose meals were included in their fares -- picked up the meal tabs for passengers who were traveling coach. For example, I saw this courtesy extended to a Chinese student and a hearing-impaired Methodist minister, each traveling alone. I believe there was a particular interest in these individuals as dinner companions/conversationalists...It's wonderful to see that the art of conversation is not dead, and furthermore intelligent conversation can even get you a meal!)

[Blackdog Lin]

We are home from our Amtrak adventure. I enjoyed it, DH not so much. I thought it marvelous to get halfway across the country in about 35 hours, without being restricted to a car seat and while being able to relax and enjoy the scenery. The meals were generally very good, though inconsistent. Our car attendant (we had a sleeper) was the same woman both ways, and she was friendly and mostly efficient. Sleeping on the train was, well.....certainly no different than how I sleep at home: sometimes I sleep well, and more often I don't. I didn't mind the rocking and clickety-clack of the rails, but there were always rattles in the room to annoy.

I'd say everyone who travels ought to try an Amtrak adventure at least once. We probably won't ever do it again (DH won't allow), but I'm glad we got to try it.

[Spartana]

I'm glad you had a good time - sorry not so for DH but I remember you said he had some health issues and being in a cramped space probably was hard. How did you like the time not aboard the train? Did you arrive on time (a problem with Amtrack I've heard) and was it easy to get around to other places? That's always a concern. I know when I had a Eurail Pass (a 2 month pass) there were several times I'd arrive very late (like 3 am) at some lonely train depo and miss my connection. The depo was closed up, as was everything else nearby, and I'd have to spend a semi-scary night sleeping on a bench outside the train station. An adventure in quaint towns in Europe, not quit the same in Los Angeles or a big american city.

[pcooley]

I'm curious why your husband did not enjoy himself. Was it mainly health issues? I find few things more fun than traveling by train.

[Blackdog Lin]

Spartana: we were lucky with a timely trip both ways. We were on-time arriving Los Angeles westbound, and 1/2 hour early arriving Kansas City eastbound. The trip was planned to have no connections to make, getting off the train we were then on our own (westbound get our rental car; eastbound find our car and head home). All in all the whole trip went remarkably well, life mostly cooperated, DH went with the flow for the most part, and was un-grumpy. It was a good trip - though I'm done with big trips for a few years.

paulc: There's a lot of personal blah blah blah to your question, and DH will never come right out and tell me, but I know. The train trip forced him to confront his weight. He's disabled with his back and knees and shoulders, but much (most) of his disabilities are due to or exacerbated by his weight. He couldn't fit into the diner car booths. I knew it might be a problem, I had researched it, and the first thing I did upon embarking at KC was trot him down to the diner to see if he could be comfortable - he couldn't. So we ate all our meals in our room - which wasn't at all a bad thing, we had a nice SCA who was helpful and didn't "look down at us" for it, it's a service that Amtrak advertises and provides (room service!), and we had pleasant meals together in the room.....

.....but being honest here.....I know that's all it was. He decided he didn't like the train travel only because it made him aware of his weight problem. And it's only after writing this that I realize that that's why he won't fly anymore - our last two plane trips he had to ask for the seat-belt-extension, which I really didn't think about (I love the big lug and really don't think about his weight anymore); but am realizing now that it bothers him in ways that I can't understand.

blah blah blah. I liked Amtrak travel, and would recommend it.....but has anyone caught on tonight to the fact that there's a Firefly marathon on TV? My little travel woes: boring. Firefly marathon: awesome. I smile, then I grin, and frequently I LOL.

[frugalone]

Found this web site:

http://www.seat61.com/UnitedStates.htm#.UU8edVeYWSo

It also includes info on worldwide train travel.

One of my friends has traveled across the U.S. by Amtrak many times. She sits in one of the chairs overnight rather than renting a couchette. Although she is older than I am, I am not sure I could "rough it" to that extent. I've heard it described as being akin to sleeping in a La-Z-Boy, only with the noise of the train clacking along.

[Spartana]

.....but has anyone caught on tonight to the fact that there's a Firefly marathon on TV? My little travel woes: boring. Firefly marathon: awesome. I smile, then I grin, and frequently I LOL.

Firefly marathom!!! Makes me wish I had cable. Did you know that "Firefly" was the name of the (fictional? Semi-fictional) tug boat "manned" by the infamous Tugboat Annie? Learned that last night on a PBS special about women in the Merchant Marines.

Anyways, gla dthe trip went well and you enjoyed it. Giving me train wanderlust though as i love train travel.