LA to DC-Cross Country By Train
Nov 30th, 2017, 12:15 PM
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LA to DC-Cross Country By Train
In early November my mother and I took Amtrak across the country from Los Angeles to Washington DC. The trip was to celebrate my mother’s “big” birthday last year. This was our first long distance US train trip and we took the Southwest Chief from LA to Chicago (2 days/2 nights), spent the night in Chicago, then took the Capitol Limited to Washington DC (one night/day) where we spent three nights before flying home. Both train legs were done in a sleeper compartment. We've taken many train trips in other countries, some long distance, but nothing in the US, so this was all new to us.
Union Station Los Angeles
Union station is a study in contrasts. On one hand, it’s a gorgeous example of 1930’s architecture with soaring coffered ceilings and art deco leather lounge chairs. It’s not uncommon to see weddings complete with multiple bridesmaids and a full Mariachi band in one of the courtyards. On the other hand, it’s always been a way-station for people without a place to go, some without a clear grasp on reality. On a busy workday, take care not to get run over by commuters in a hurry to get to work via LA’s blossoming Metro lines.
The Metropolitan Lounge is a nice place to sit out of the fray in Union Station, but it’s certainly not on the level as most airline’s premium airport lounges. Only open to passengers holding sleeper car tickets, there are comfortable seats and if you want, red caps will take you and your luggage to the train via motorized cart (we walked). In terms of amenities, there are some canned sodas, a water dispenser, cookies, potato chips and some odd, plastic wrapped pastries.
On the train:
Amtrak’s cross country trains in the West and Midwest are all “Superliners” which are double-decker trains. Six months before our trip we booked our tickets in a “Bedroom”, Amtrak’s larger sleeper accommodation which is a private room that’s approximately 6’x8’ and has its own bathroom. On the Superliner the Bedrooms are all upstairs on the train.
The Bedroom has a sofa which pulls out into a bed at night, with a bunk above it that also pulls down. The upper bunk is about a foot narrower than the top bunk and close enough to the ceiling that one cannot sit upright. In addition to the bunks, there’s a fold-out table and a chair opposite the sofa. The room has its own toilet/shower combo and a tiny sink with mirror in the room, next to the door. There’s one large double window in the room as well as a window in the sliding door to the hallway which is on the opposite side of the train, so there is plenty of natural light.
On both trains, we had bedroom “E”. This is in the middle of the car, but only shares one wall with the other compartments with the other wall facing the stairwell. This is good because the walls are thin (we could hear our neighbor’s toilet flush every time), but we never heard noise from the stairs.
There is another, less expensive, sleeper car option called a “Roomette” which is basically two wide seats that face each other in a tiny compartment. These rooms are on either side of a central hallway and share a common restroom at the end of the train car (photo above left). I wasn’t able to get a good photo of a roomette, but you can find them on the Amtrak website. At night a top bunk folds down and the two seats turn into the bottom bunk. They also have access to a shared shower room. They have very limited luggage space.
The other option on the train is a coach class seat, which have a ton more leg room than any airplane coach class, but you’re still sitting up for the whole trip. These tickets do not come with food or access to showers.
More to come...
Union Station Los Angeles
Union station is a study in contrasts. On one hand, it’s a gorgeous example of 1930’s architecture with soaring coffered ceilings and art deco leather lounge chairs. It’s not uncommon to see weddings complete with multiple bridesmaids and a full Mariachi band in one of the courtyards. On the other hand, it’s always been a way-station for people without a place to go, some without a clear grasp on reality. On a busy workday, take care not to get run over by commuters in a hurry to get to work via LA’s blossoming Metro lines.
The Metropolitan Lounge is a nice place to sit out of the fray in Union Station, but it’s certainly not on the level as most airline’s premium airport lounges. Only open to passengers holding sleeper car tickets, there are comfortable seats and if you want, red caps will take you and your luggage to the train via motorized cart (we walked). In terms of amenities, there are some canned sodas, a water dispenser, cookies, potato chips and some odd, plastic wrapped pastries.
On the train:
Amtrak’s cross country trains in the West and Midwest are all “Superliners” which are double-decker trains. Six months before our trip we booked our tickets in a “Bedroom”, Amtrak’s larger sleeper accommodation which is a private room that’s approximately 6’x8’ and has its own bathroom. On the Superliner the Bedrooms are all upstairs on the train.
The Bedroom has a sofa which pulls out into a bed at night, with a bunk above it that also pulls down. The upper bunk is about a foot narrower than the top bunk and close enough to the ceiling that one cannot sit upright. In addition to the bunks, there’s a fold-out table and a chair opposite the sofa. The room has its own toilet/shower combo and a tiny sink with mirror in the room, next to the door. There’s one large double window in the room as well as a window in the sliding door to the hallway which is on the opposite side of the train, so there is plenty of natural light.
On both trains, we had bedroom “E”. This is in the middle of the car, but only shares one wall with the other compartments with the other wall facing the stairwell. This is good because the walls are thin (we could hear our neighbor’s toilet flush every time), but we never heard noise from the stairs.
There is another, less expensive, sleeper car option called a “Roomette” which is basically two wide seats that face each other in a tiny compartment. These rooms are on either side of a central hallway and share a common restroom at the end of the train car (photo above left). I wasn’t able to get a good photo of a roomette, but you can find them on the Amtrak website. At night a top bunk folds down and the two seats turn into the bottom bunk. They also have access to a shared shower room. They have very limited luggage space.
The other option on the train is a coach class seat, which have a ton more leg room than any airplane coach class, but you’re still sitting up for the whole trip. These tickets do not come with food or access to showers.
More to come...
Nov 30th, 2017, 02:57 PM
#4
I note that you spent the night in Chicago which was a smart move. The trains from the west are late often enough that you might miss the Capitol Limited and sometimes even the Lake Shore Limited.
I never felt the need to have a toilet or shower in a bedroom. For a 2 or 3 night trip I choose a Roomette. I did take a roomette with my DW 2 nights to Chicago in May. I slept in the top bunk with my CPAP quite soundly.
From Chicago we took Business Class on the Lake Shore Limited to Erie PA. From Erie, we rented a car from Enterprise earning Amtrak Guest Rewards points.
The return trip was Business Class from Erie to Chicago then coach from Chicago to Omaha (11PM) where we moved to a Roomette all the way to Glenwood Springs (mid afternoon) and then back to coach the rest of the way back to Winnemucca where our car was parked. Yes we were 7 hours late getting back to WNN because a sleepy truck driver dumped a load of cattle feed on the tracks in eastern Colorado -not Amtrak's fault. Union Pacific wasn't too happy about it either.
Our recent trip back from southern California was a bus from Newhall (bad traffic on I-5) to Bakersfield, leaving Bakersfield 18 minutes late arriving in Sacramento 20 minutes late which was OK since the Coast Starlight was also 20 minutes late.
We got lower level Business Class seats all the way to Chemult. We now have enough AGR points to take a long train trip for "free" next year.
The good thing about being late in a sleeper was that I got a good shower while the train was not in motion and we got extra meals on Amtrak's dime.
I never felt the need to have a toilet or shower in a bedroom. For a 2 or 3 night trip I choose a Roomette. I did take a roomette with my DW 2 nights to Chicago in May. I slept in the top bunk with my CPAP quite soundly.
From Chicago we took Business Class on the Lake Shore Limited to Erie PA. From Erie, we rented a car from Enterprise earning Amtrak Guest Rewards points.
The return trip was Business Class from Erie to Chicago then coach from Chicago to Omaha (11PM) where we moved to a Roomette all the way to Glenwood Springs (mid afternoon) and then back to coach the rest of the way back to Winnemucca where our car was parked. Yes we were 7 hours late getting back to WNN because a sleepy truck driver dumped a load of cattle feed on the tracks in eastern Colorado -not Amtrak's fault. Union Pacific wasn't too happy about it either.
Our recent trip back from southern California was a bus from Newhall (bad traffic on I-5) to Bakersfield, leaving Bakersfield 18 minutes late arriving in Sacramento 20 minutes late which was OK since the Coast Starlight was also 20 minutes late.
We got lower level Business Class seats all the way to Chemult. We now have enough AGR points to take a long train trip for "free" next year.
The good thing about being late in a sleeper was that I got a good shower while the train was not in motion and we got extra meals on Amtrak's dime.
Nov 30th, 2017, 07:05 PM
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Dai- more coming up next!
Dukey- the trains were on time enough, within a few minutes of schedule.
tomfuller-yes, we wanted a night off the train, partly because we didn't want to risk missing the connection. But I was happy to get off and sleep in a nice bed too. More on that later.
As for Roomette vs Bedroom, I enjoyed having the space. The Roomettes are a good option, but this was a special trip for my Mom and I bought the tickets well in advance to get the best price possible. I think it was worth it.
Dukey- the trains were on time enough, within a few minutes of schedule.
tomfuller-yes, we wanted a night off the train, partly because we didn't want to risk missing the connection. But I was happy to get off and sleep in a nice bed too. More on that later.
As for Roomette vs Bedroom, I enjoyed having the space. The Roomettes are a good option, but this was a special trip for my Mom and I bought the tickets well in advance to get the best price possible. I think it was worth it.
Nov 30th, 2017, 07:16 PM
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Onward...
Sleeping on the train
When the bunks are folded out at night, I found the top one to be a bit claustrophobic because I could not sit fully upright. Also, Amtrak could do better by offering nicer linens. The pillows are firm foam and inflexible, the sheets are ok, but the worst was the thin blue acrylic blanket. Even most airline’s business class seats offer duvets on their long-haul lay flat seats. The blue blanket was warm enough, but it felt cheap, as well as charged with static electricity every time it moved (hello, synthetic fiber).
The lower bunk was wider, but never quite level because the “mattress” is made up of the back and bottom seat cushions wedged together. The sleeping component of the trip is probably my greatest criticism of the experience.
I showered in the room on our Southwest Chief leg of the trip and I probably wouldn’t do it again. It’s too tight and the water pressure was poor. I’m a fairly “small” person, but I suspect someone of a larger size would have a hard time just using the toilet in the room. Mom used the communal shower room in the bottom section of the train car and said it was fine. It’s much more spacious.
Electronics:
There are three electrical outlets in the compartment; two next to the sink and one next to the closet at the lower bunk/sofa. There are none on the upper bunk, though there is a reading light up there. There are also reading lights over both ends of the sofa and the chair as well as an overhead light. It would have been convenient to have an outlet next to or under the folding table like we did on our overnight train in China.
We brought a multi-unit USB charger with us to charge our phones and tablets. There is wifi on some of the trains, not all. We had it on the Southwest Chief, but it was spotty at best. There wasn’t any wifi on the Capitol Limited but we did have service on our phones for much of that route.
Luggage:
Anything larger than a standard 21” rollaboard suitcase will probably have to be stored on the luggage racks on the lower level of the train or loaded onto the baggage car. In our bedroom, we were able to store one 21” suitcase underneath the single chair and one on the shelf above the chair (see photo below). We were able to put smaller bags under the sofa seat and on the floor next to the chair. In the Roomettes, there is even less space and I’m not sure where you’d put bags like this.
Sleeping on the train
When the bunks are folded out at night, I found the top one to be a bit claustrophobic because I could not sit fully upright. Also, Amtrak could do better by offering nicer linens. The pillows are firm foam and inflexible, the sheets are ok, but the worst was the thin blue acrylic blanket. Even most airline’s business class seats offer duvets on their long-haul lay flat seats. The blue blanket was warm enough, but it felt cheap, as well as charged with static electricity every time it moved (hello, synthetic fiber).
The lower bunk was wider, but never quite level because the “mattress” is made up of the back and bottom seat cushions wedged together. The sleeping component of the trip is probably my greatest criticism of the experience.
I showered in the room on our Southwest Chief leg of the trip and I probably wouldn’t do it again. It’s too tight and the water pressure was poor. I’m a fairly “small” person, but I suspect someone of a larger size would have a hard time just using the toilet in the room. Mom used the communal shower room in the bottom section of the train car and said it was fine. It’s much more spacious.
Electronics:
There are three electrical outlets in the compartment; two next to the sink and one next to the closet at the lower bunk/sofa. There are none on the upper bunk, though there is a reading light up there. There are also reading lights over both ends of the sofa and the chair as well as an overhead light. It would have been convenient to have an outlet next to or under the folding table like we did on our overnight train in China.
We brought a multi-unit USB charger with us to charge our phones and tablets. There is wifi on some of the trains, not all. We had it on the Southwest Chief, but it was spotty at best. There wasn’t any wifi on the Capitol Limited but we did have service on our phones for much of that route.
Luggage:
Anything larger than a standard 21” rollaboard suitcase will probably have to be stored on the luggage racks on the lower level of the train or loaded onto the baggage car. In our bedroom, we were able to store one 21” suitcase underneath the single chair and one on the shelf above the chair (see photo below). We were able to put smaller bags under the sofa seat and on the floor next to the chair. In the Roomettes, there is even less space and I’m not sure where you’d put bags like this.
Nov 30th, 2017, 07:41 PM
#7
Nice to see a report on a train trip! In 2012 I crossed the US in the other direction - New York to Chicago and Chicago to San Francisco, with a couple of nights in Chicago. I had roomettes, but I was traveling solo. I had no issues with noise from other rooms, or with the bed, and the shower room had plenty of hot water.
I came back on Via Rail across Canada, and I have to say that Via Rail outclassed Amtrak, both in options for singles and in the quality of the food, although Amtrak's wasn't bad.
The cross country Amtrak trains were on time, but the train from San Francisco to Portland left three hours late. Equally, the Canadian arrived in Toronto three hours late.
I came back on Via Rail across Canada, and I have to say that Via Rail outclassed Amtrak, both in options for singles and in the quality of the food, although Amtrak's wasn't bad.
The cross country Amtrak trains were on time, but the train from San Francisco to Portland left three hours late. Equally, the Canadian arrived in Toronto three hours late.
Dec 1st, 2017, 06:38 AM
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Hi Kristina,
Hi Kristina,
I loved reading this report so far and look forward to the rest! I've been on a few West Coast-East Coast rail routes and I could not agree with tomfuller more that you did the right thing by spending the night in Chicago. I'm glad the on-time performance was good for you (it isn't always) but I always recommend people considering crossing west to east by train to overnight in Chicago as then there's no anxiety about missing the train to DC/Boston/NY. Not to mention that Chicago has some pretty wonderful activities to keep a visitor busy during a layover.
I've only taken the westbound trains from Chicago to the San Francisco Bay area, Seattle and San Antonio, so would love to hear your thoughts on the scenery observed from the Southwest Chief. The Chicago-SF Bay and Chicago-Seattle trains have some truly stunning scenery. I hope as well you mention what you did during your layover in Chicago.
Best wishes, Daniel
Hi Kristina,
I loved reading this report so far and look forward to the rest! I've been on a few West Coast-East Coast rail routes and I could not agree with tomfuller more that you did the right thing by spending the night in Chicago. I'm glad the on-time performance was good for you (it isn't always) but I always recommend people considering crossing west to east by train to overnight in Chicago as then there's no anxiety about missing the train to DC/Boston/NY. Not to mention that Chicago has some pretty wonderful activities to keep a visitor busy during a layover.
I've only taken the westbound trains from Chicago to the San Francisco Bay area, Seattle and San Antonio, so would love to hear your thoughts on the scenery observed from the Southwest Chief. The Chicago-SF Bay and Chicago-Seattle trains have some truly stunning scenery. I hope as well you mention what you did during your layover in Chicago.
Best wishes, Daniel
Dec 1st, 2017, 07:45 AM
#10
I will be following your report. A friend who hates to fly finds it more comfortable to use the train when she travels to DC. Once she got held up outside Chicago (on the return back to LA) due to a suicide and missed connection. It wasn't fun..they had to sleep on the train, and she hadn't booked a sleepr. Other times they've been put up in a hotel.
The last long distance train I took in the US was decades ago on that routebut we got off in Arizona to go on a lower Colorado R float trip. Unfortunately that leg is an overnight one. I remember getting off in the pitch dark waiting for the pickup at the platform.
We enjoy taking the trains down to San Clemente and San Diego which are nearly always on time.
The last long distance train I took in the US was decades ago on that routebut we got off in Arizona to go on a lower Colorado R float trip. Unfortunately that leg is an overnight one. I remember getting off in the pitch dark waiting for the pickup at the platform.
We enjoy taking the trains down to San Clemente and San Diego which are nearly always on time.
Dec 1st, 2017, 08:21 AM
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Daniel- yes, an overnight in Chicago is a good idea. We didn't do much in our 24 hours there except shop and eat. It was VERY cold, and we've both been there before, but I will cover it in later posts.
And on we go...
Food on the train and the Dining Car:
Both the Bedrooms and the Roomettes have all meals included in the cost of the ticket. For us, that meant two dinners, two breakfasts and two lunches on the trip from LA to Chicago and dinner and breakfast from Chicago to DC.
For both lunch and dinner, any main course item on the menu is available and both meals come with dessert and non-alcoholic beverages but any alcohol is extra. The dinner meal also includes a salad. Current menus can be found on the Amtrak website.
Based on the Dining Car menu prices for what we ate for the trip, this worked out to be a value of about $70 per day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for one person (varies with what is ordered). While you can certainly spend less if you dine a la carte, if you are in a sleeping car it’s all bundled into your ticket cost and you get all the extras with each meal (coffee with breakfast, side of bacon with your eggs, dessert at lunch and dinner etc.).
Breakfasts are open seating (no reservations) but both lunch and dinner require a reservation and the dining car attendants go around taking reservations early in the day. Diners are seated together randomly as they arrive at any meal period, with no choice of companions, so it really is the luck of the draw who you sit with. We certainly had some interesting people to chat with along the way.
Our first meal was dinner out of LA and we both ordered the flat iron steak medium rare. It came out perfectly cooked. The salad is a basic iceberg, tomato, shredded carrots, etc with Newman’s Own dressing packets on the table. Dessert was a chocolate tart with too-sweet raspberry sauce. The cheesecake was not bad.
I assumed that everything was pre-cooked but at our short stop in Raton NM, we met one of the cooks who was hanging out the window of the kitchen on the lower level of the dining car. He told us they have a grill in the kitchen and the steaks were cooked to order. Many of the other items are cooked sous vide and then finished to order. As someone who is a former chef and has worked in the restaurant business for almost 30 years, I am very impressed with what these cooks can do in a limited environment that is moving while they are trying to cook.
Our first breakfast was scrambled eggs, roasted potatoes, side of bacon, and a “croissant” which really wasn’t a croissant but more of a biscuit. On another morning I had an omelet which came with way too many peppers and onions inside and the cheese on the outside, on top. In what world does the cheese go on the outside of the omelet?
Lunch on day two was a beef burger for mom and a black bean and corn veg burger for me. Both were totally fine, and while I had the beef burger on another day, I actually enjoyed the black bean burger more (more flavor and not as dry as the beef). On another evening the dinner was a bit disappointing; mom’s salmon was way overcooked, and I had a butternut squash risotto with chicken that was overly salted and topped with an inexplicable mound of green beans that seem to go on every plate. My recommendation? Stick with the steak.
We brought our own snacks and it was too much extra food. With three meals a day in the Dining Car, we didn’t really need that much. We also brought our own alcohol and cocktail fixings and managed to have a cocktail and hors d’oeurves (cheese, crackers, truffled salami) each night before dinner. Note: sleeper car passengers are allowed to bring and consume alcohol on the train (only in their compartment), coach passengers are not.
There was no hot water easily available on the train (like on our train in China which had a big hot water dispenser and provided a thermos in every compartment), only coffee in the morning (which was horrible) in a large urn near the stairs of each train car. However, my mother was able to ask for a cup of hot water for tea from the dining car. The sleeping car attendants brought us a bucket of ice when asked (for cocktails and to keep the items in our mini cooler chilled) so ice is available if you want it.
And on we go...
Food on the train and the Dining Car:
Both the Bedrooms and the Roomettes have all meals included in the cost of the ticket. For us, that meant two dinners, two breakfasts and two lunches on the trip from LA to Chicago and dinner and breakfast from Chicago to DC.
For both lunch and dinner, any main course item on the menu is available and both meals come with dessert and non-alcoholic beverages but any alcohol is extra. The dinner meal also includes a salad. Current menus can be found on the Amtrak website.
Based on the Dining Car menu prices for what we ate for the trip, this worked out to be a value of about $70 per day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for one person (varies with what is ordered). While you can certainly spend less if you dine a la carte, if you are in a sleeping car it’s all bundled into your ticket cost and you get all the extras with each meal (coffee with breakfast, side of bacon with your eggs, dessert at lunch and dinner etc.).
Breakfasts are open seating (no reservations) but both lunch and dinner require a reservation and the dining car attendants go around taking reservations early in the day. Diners are seated together randomly as they arrive at any meal period, with no choice of companions, so it really is the luck of the draw who you sit with. We certainly had some interesting people to chat with along the way.
Our first meal was dinner out of LA and we both ordered the flat iron steak medium rare. It came out perfectly cooked. The salad is a basic iceberg, tomato, shredded carrots, etc with Newman’s Own dressing packets on the table. Dessert was a chocolate tart with too-sweet raspberry sauce. The cheesecake was not bad.
I assumed that everything was pre-cooked but at our short stop in Raton NM, we met one of the cooks who was hanging out the window of the kitchen on the lower level of the dining car. He told us they have a grill in the kitchen and the steaks were cooked to order. Many of the other items are cooked sous vide and then finished to order. As someone who is a former chef and has worked in the restaurant business for almost 30 years, I am very impressed with what these cooks can do in a limited environment that is moving while they are trying to cook.
Our first breakfast was scrambled eggs, roasted potatoes, side of bacon, and a “croissant” which really wasn’t a croissant but more of a biscuit. On another morning I had an omelet which came with way too many peppers and onions inside and the cheese on the outside, on top. In what world does the cheese go on the outside of the omelet?
Lunch on day two was a beef burger for mom and a black bean and corn veg burger for me. Both were totally fine, and while I had the beef burger on another day, I actually enjoyed the black bean burger more (more flavor and not as dry as the beef). On another evening the dinner was a bit disappointing; mom’s salmon was way overcooked, and I had a butternut squash risotto with chicken that was overly salted and topped with an inexplicable mound of green beans that seem to go on every plate. My recommendation? Stick with the steak.
We brought our own snacks and it was too much extra food. With three meals a day in the Dining Car, we didn’t really need that much. We also brought our own alcohol and cocktail fixings and managed to have a cocktail and hors d’oeurves (cheese, crackers, truffled salami) each night before dinner. Note: sleeper car passengers are allowed to bring and consume alcohol on the train (only in their compartment), coach passengers are not.
There was no hot water easily available on the train (like on our train in China which had a big hot water dispenser and provided a thermos in every compartment), only coffee in the morning (which was horrible) in a large urn near the stairs of each train car. However, my mother was able to ask for a cup of hot water for tea from the dining car. The sleeping car attendants brought us a bucket of ice when asked (for cocktails and to keep the items in our mini cooler chilled) so ice is available if you want it.
Dec 1st, 2017, 07:06 PM
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If you'd like to see the photos related to the posts above (and lost of them!), you can see them here:
http://www.wired2theworld.com/2017/1...-on-the-train/
http://www.wired2theworld.com/2017/1...-on-the-train/
Dec 2nd, 2017, 07:03 AM
#13
Thanks for posting the pictures. I'm looking forward to the second segment.
On my last trip on the SWC, I had breakfast with Mark Murphy who is/was Amtrak VP in charge of Long Distance routes. He was on his way to a rail meeting in Los Angeles.
If you are traveling solo in a roomette, you can put your larger luggage up on the upper bunk.
To use a CPAP in the upper bunk, I bring along a 4 foot extension cord.
Hot water is usually available in the lounge car. They have it for the cup of noodles ($2.50) or for a cup for someone who wants to make their own tea.
On my last trip on the SWC, I had breakfast with Mark Murphy who is/was Amtrak VP in charge of Long Distance routes. He was on his way to a rail meeting in Los Angeles.
If you are traveling solo in a roomette, you can put your larger luggage up on the upper bunk.
To use a CPAP in the upper bunk, I bring along a 4 foot extension cord.
Hot water is usually available in the lounge car. They have it for the cup of noodles ($2.50) or for a cup for someone who wants to make their own tea.
Dec 2nd, 2017, 07:17 AM
#14
I travel with a 22inch two-wheeler and a day pack - I didn't have any trouble finding room for them in a roomette, but it would been a different matter with two people! Note that on Viewliner trains the roomettes have a toilet, as do the one-person cabins on Via Rail.
Dec 2nd, 2017, 07:30 AM
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Thursdaysd and Tom- Yes, I think a roomette would be fine for one, but for two of us, I don't think there would have been room for our luggage, even though we travel light. Also, I'm not sure I'd want to use the toilet in the roomette on the Viewliner if I was traveling with another person!
Dec 2nd, 2017, 07:34 AM
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Part 2, Scenic Views, Chicago, and Stops Along the Way
One of the best things about train travel is being able to see the world go by a ground level. Even though I brought books, magazines, and movies on my computer, I never opened any of them. It was too easy to get mesmerized by the world going by. I did take a lot of photos.
I thought I would spend time in the lounge car but I was more than content to sit in our compartment. Perhaps if I’d been in coach I would have spent more time in there.
Along the trip, there are many stops, but most of them are not stops where you can get off the train. Some are mere minutes in the single digits. On my wishlist would be longer stops during the day. We had over an hour in Albuquerque (I think because of the time change) and it was lovely to walk around downtown. I know the train is “transportation”, and not a tour, but still, longer breaks of even an hour or two would be nice.
One of our first quick stops was in Winslow Arizona. Yes, the one in the song. I wish I’d had time to go stand on the corner and look for the girl (my Lord) in a flatbed Ford. ��
The first time got off the train to get some fresh air was at an early morning stop in Gallup New Mexico. At this stop, they announced we had about 10 minutes and warned us not to leave the platform.
In Albuquerque, there was a longer than normal stop, over an hour, probably because of the Daylight Saving time change on that day and the need to have the train stick to the schedule.
We took the opportunity to walk around the almost empty downtown area on an early Sunday morning. Our goal was to find a real cup of coffee (because the coffee on the train is almost undrinkable) and about 2 blocks from the station we came across a local coffeehouse called Espresso Fino at 222 Gold Avenue.
We also stopped at a nice grocery store called the Silver Street Market (205 Silver Avenue) which had a decent selection of produce and pre-made food options that would be great for those traveling in coach.
Albuquerque has lots of neat murals and street art all around downtown too.
Late in the afternoon, we reached Raton New Mexico, below. Our stop here was a few minutes longer than normal, but again we were told not to leave the platform. While we walked around the in the chilly air, the police were called to remove a rowdy and belligerent passenger from the train.
The next morning, we stopped briefly in Kansas City MO, but it was too early and too cold for me to get off the train.
One of the best things about train travel is being able to see the world go by a ground level. Even though I brought books, magazines, and movies on my computer, I never opened any of them. It was too easy to get mesmerized by the world going by. I did take a lot of photos.
I thought I would spend time in the lounge car but I was more than content to sit in our compartment. Perhaps if I’d been in coach I would have spent more time in there.
Along the trip, there are many stops, but most of them are not stops where you can get off the train. Some are mere minutes in the single digits. On my wishlist would be longer stops during the day. We had over an hour in Albuquerque (I think because of the time change) and it was lovely to walk around downtown. I know the train is “transportation”, and not a tour, but still, longer breaks of even an hour or two would be nice.
One of our first quick stops was in Winslow Arizona. Yes, the one in the song. I wish I’d had time to go stand on the corner and look for the girl (my Lord) in a flatbed Ford. ��
The first time got off the train to get some fresh air was at an early morning stop in Gallup New Mexico. At this stop, they announced we had about 10 minutes and warned us not to leave the platform.
In Albuquerque, there was a longer than normal stop, over an hour, probably because of the Daylight Saving time change on that day and the need to have the train stick to the schedule.
We took the opportunity to walk around the almost empty downtown area on an early Sunday morning. Our goal was to find a real cup of coffee (because the coffee on the train is almost undrinkable) and about 2 blocks from the station we came across a local coffeehouse called Espresso Fino at 222 Gold Avenue.
We also stopped at a nice grocery store called the Silver Street Market (205 Silver Avenue) which had a decent selection of produce and pre-made food options that would be great for those traveling in coach.
Albuquerque has lots of neat murals and street art all around downtown too.
Late in the afternoon, we reached Raton New Mexico, below. Our stop here was a few minutes longer than normal, but again we were told not to leave the platform. While we walked around the in the chilly air, the police were called to remove a rowdy and belligerent passenger from the train.
The next morning, we stopped briefly in Kansas City MO, but it was too early and too cold for me to get off the train.
Dec 2nd, 2017, 03:56 PM
#18
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Chicago:
We arrived in Chicago around 3 pm and took an Uber to our hotel, the Westin Michigan Avenue. We could have taken a bus, but it would have taken much longer at that time of day.
As we were checking in to the hotel, I felt really dizzy. It was like spending a lot of time on a boat and when you get off it feels like the solid ground is moving. Being on a train for a long time has the same effect, we both felt the dizziness and rocking motion for almost 24 hours after being off the train.
We were at the Westin for about 24 hours. My SPG Gold status got us free internet and a 4 pm checkout which was helpful because our train didn’t leave until after 6 pm. I booked the room for cash plus points and think it was a pretty good value. We took the offer to upgrade to a room with club lounge access for $30.
Our 25th-floor room was spacious and had fantastic views of Lake Michigan, Lake Shore Drive, and some cool apartment buildings. The beds were SO comfortable after being on the train for two nights. The evening hors-d’oeuvres in the lounge were a disappointment but the breakfast spread was pretty nice with lots of different food options. There’s a great view from the lounge down Michigan Ave too.
That night we had dinner at Bistronomic, a cute little French bistro close to the hotel. The cocktails were excellent. We had one called Amanda’s Smoky Day with bourbon, smoked orange juice, rosemary and ginger ale and one called the Winter Star with bourbon, star anise, and orange bitters.
For an appetizer, we shared a decadent chicken liver mousse with an apple, hazelnut and arugula salad. Then I had to have the escargot (of course!) and my mother had a butternut squash soup with truffled croutons. Finally, we shared a Lyonnaise salad with duck prosciutto, poached egg, and pomegranate seeds.
The next day, we didn’t do any traditional “sightseeing” in Chicago because we’d both been there before (my mother had worked there for a long time) and it was very cold out. So instead, we walked around, did a bit of shopping and checked out the all-things-Italian-food emporium called Eataly.
I’m not sure why, but I did not expect to be as impressed as I was. I did expect things there to be over-priced (and they were), but the selection really was phenomenal. I suspect that if there’s any Italian ingredient you need for a special meal, it’s there. In addition, the dining options were varied and all looked enticing. We had lunch in one of their multiple eating areas and restaurants called Il Pesche.
For lunch, we ordered a half dozen oysters and a couple of plates of pasta. My pasta was “fiori” (flower shaped) ravioli made with spinach pasta, stuffed with mushrooms and a thyme butter sauce with soto (reduced balsamic). My mother’s pasta was the linguine alla vongole, (with clams) and we each had a glass of Italian white wine (mine from Calabria). All of it was surprisingly good. There was a good house-made bread too, served with a very fruity olive oil.
After lunch, it was time to go back to the room to get ready for the next train trip. Our train to Washington DC didn’t leave until 6:40 pm so we had plenty of time to get to the station (another Uber), check out the gorgeous architecture there, and hang out for a bit in the Metropolitan Lounge (again, available only to Sleeper Car and Business class passengers).
I wasn’t much wowed by the metropolitan lounge in Chicago. It’s nicer than LA in that it’s much larger (two floors), has a children’s area, and showers available. But it was crowded and when we were there, there was no food and only a coffee and soda machine. I guess the “light snacks” they tout are a few canisters of peanuts and Chex mix? We sat upstairs which felt a little calmer and less crowded. They do have cocktail service in the evenings but we did not partake.
We arrived in Chicago around 3 pm and took an Uber to our hotel, the Westin Michigan Avenue. We could have taken a bus, but it would have taken much longer at that time of day.
As we were checking in to the hotel, I felt really dizzy. It was like spending a lot of time on a boat and when you get off it feels like the solid ground is moving. Being on a train for a long time has the same effect, we both felt the dizziness and rocking motion for almost 24 hours after being off the train.
We were at the Westin for about 24 hours. My SPG Gold status got us free internet and a 4 pm checkout which was helpful because our train didn’t leave until after 6 pm. I booked the room for cash plus points and think it was a pretty good value. We took the offer to upgrade to a room with club lounge access for $30.
Our 25th-floor room was spacious and had fantastic views of Lake Michigan, Lake Shore Drive, and some cool apartment buildings. The beds were SO comfortable after being on the train for two nights. The evening hors-d’oeuvres in the lounge were a disappointment but the breakfast spread was pretty nice with lots of different food options. There’s a great view from the lounge down Michigan Ave too.
That night we had dinner at Bistronomic, a cute little French bistro close to the hotel. The cocktails were excellent. We had one called Amanda’s Smoky Day with bourbon, smoked orange juice, rosemary and ginger ale and one called the Winter Star with bourbon, star anise, and orange bitters.
For an appetizer, we shared a decadent chicken liver mousse with an apple, hazelnut and arugula salad. Then I had to have the escargot (of course!) and my mother had a butternut squash soup with truffled croutons. Finally, we shared a Lyonnaise salad with duck prosciutto, poached egg, and pomegranate seeds.
The next day, we didn’t do any traditional “sightseeing” in Chicago because we’d both been there before (my mother had worked there for a long time) and it was very cold out. So instead, we walked around, did a bit of shopping and checked out the all-things-Italian-food emporium called Eataly.
I’m not sure why, but I did not expect to be as impressed as I was. I did expect things there to be over-priced (and they were), but the selection really was phenomenal. I suspect that if there’s any Italian ingredient you need for a special meal, it’s there. In addition, the dining options were varied and all looked enticing. We had lunch in one of their multiple eating areas and restaurants called Il Pesche.
For lunch, we ordered a half dozen oysters and a couple of plates of pasta. My pasta was “fiori” (flower shaped) ravioli made with spinach pasta, stuffed with mushrooms and a thyme butter sauce with soto (reduced balsamic). My mother’s pasta was the linguine alla vongole, (with clams) and we each had a glass of Italian white wine (mine from Calabria). All of it was surprisingly good. There was a good house-made bread too, served with a very fruity olive oil.
After lunch, it was time to go back to the room to get ready for the next train trip. Our train to Washington DC didn’t leave until 6:40 pm so we had plenty of time to get to the station (another Uber), check out the gorgeous architecture there, and hang out for a bit in the Metropolitan Lounge (again, available only to Sleeper Car and Business class passengers).
I wasn’t much wowed by the metropolitan lounge in Chicago. It’s nicer than LA in that it’s much larger (two floors), has a children’s area, and showers available. But it was crowded and when we were there, there was no food and only a coffee and soda machine. I guess the “light snacks” they tout are a few canisters of peanuts and Chex mix? We sat upstairs which felt a little calmer and less crowded. They do have cocktail service in the evenings but we did not partake.
Dec 2nd, 2017, 04:04 PM
#19
Sounds like a great one-nighter. Surprised by the disorientation. I spent three nights on the Canadian (and on the Trans Mongolian) and didn't feel any different when I got off. Do you get sea sick?
Dec 2nd, 2017, 05:19 PM
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thursdaysd- Not always, but yes, I have been seasick. Thing is, I didn't feel motion sick on the train (ok, once, but not for long), but this was after we got off the train. My mom had it bad too. I googled it and it's not that uncommon I guess.
