DEN-RNO round trip

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Casinocim

Lead Service Attendant
Joined
Aug 16, 2008
Messages
295
Location
Colorado
The original plan was my mom and myself traveling in lower coach for both ways. Rooms were priced high then sold out. We have decided that roomettes are too small for us, so I don't look at those, unless they would be super cheap and we could get two.

My sister decided to go to Reno with us, flights were priced high for the leg to Reno so she decided to ride the train with us and fly home with sticking to the plan of coach seats.

After watching for a few days a family room opened up and had a more lower price. I was worried about allowing 3 adults in a room but no problems there.

We pretty much boarded on time. Some people in the sleeper car line were a little irked they let the coach passengers on first. I didn't care as long as I got on.

Once onboard we dropped our things in our room and headed up for breakfast.

We ordered and then the power went off. So we sat there listening to the crew tell everyone no coffee until the power went on. After a while I grew restless and went down to our room to organize. Went back to the diner and after waiting a while more, we were served breakfast. We all had the scrambled eggs which I think is fairly good.

While eating we were told we had to hook up some cars to ours. After a couple of hours we left the station.

Our train had 6 engines, two were Siemens, I had to ask what those were as I had not seen them before and we also had a baggage car attached.

After breakfast we went to our room, plenty of space for 3 adults. My mom decided she could sleep on the bottom child's bed, I said I would take the top bunk since my sister has bad knees, although she did offer to get up there. We also lowered the upper child bed to store our makeup bags.

I was amused as to how my mom sat by a window and my sister sat at the other window leaving me in the middle, in front of the mirror to stare at myself the whole trip :huh: :giggle: The thing is, I love riding the train and staring out the window, both of the window seat riders played on their Ipads for most of the time :angry2: I could have spoken up and asked to trade but it's just not done with those two.

It didn't ruin my trip but I started thinking about all of my solo train trips and how I loved the peace of being alone. With other people it's not the same but I still love it.

We had lunch and dinner in the dining car, for lunch my mom and I tried the turkey and mashed potatoes, I liked it, my mom didn't. For dinner we all had the steak which I think is good but again my mom didn't like it. I don't remember what my sisters thoughts on food was.

I'll have to say I don't sleep well on trains, I wake up all night long but still enjoy being able to lay down flat.

One of the best things about this trip is we had an attendant who while quietly friendly kept the bathrooms clean! The trash never overflowed, it was wonderful. I also think this was part passengers also, clean group, hooray!

Breakfast again, scrambled eggs, before Reno.

We had made up about an hours time arriving in Reno.

Reno!

We stayed at Atlantis our favorite hotel/casino. First time in the Concierge Tower, it was nice. They have a lounge which offers a continental breakfast each morning, afternoon desserts and hors d'oeuvres in the early evening, loved this. I used the lounge more than my mom and sister. For some reason they really didn't eat much this trip. One morning I skipped the lounge and had a solo buffet breakfast. I love their buffet here, very good food.

We visited a few other casinos while there. I had some great luck and some not so great luck but really had a good time. And yes, that's all we did, gamble and I ate. :)

My sister left Reno one day ahead of us so on our return trip it was my mom and I in the lower level coach.

The train arrived early. Chose our seats and settled in. Dinner reservation offered was about 7:30 so we decided to skip but right after our coach attendant came and offered to bring food down. So my mom spoke up and said we will share a hamburger :huh: The attendant kept questioning my mom about wanting the lounge burger or the dining car burger, they were the same he said but one was cheaper. Uh no, they are not the same to me. We had the dining car burger and it was good.

After we ate, we both had a hard time getting comfortable, my rear end seat cushion didn't seem very cushiony. After a bit my mom sat in two empty seats and was able to stay there the whole trip which made it more comfortable. I have to make note to myself to bring a third blanket, my mom used the two blankets I had brought for us. I was a bit chilly at night while trying to sleep but it wasn't horrible. Did I say I miss my solo trips ;)

After Provo everyone in the lower level had two seats to themselves, it was a nice group of people.

I have to add, our attendant was nice but he never cleaned the bathrooms. There was a can of foaming cleaner in one that everytime I went I wiped down the toilet, I had to, there were people in those toilets all the time, they were super busy and they, the people, weren't very clean. By Denver, the trash was starting to come out of the bins.

We were early at all stops until Grand Junction I believe. We were able to get out at Winnemucca and Elko. The conductor said he had never been so early arriving in Winnemucca, I wondered if that was good or bad thing. Need for speed at the controls :eek:

Attatched to this train were three old California Zephyr cars. Didn't get a picture of them.

Had scrambled eggs again for breakfast. Then had a more kind of solo trip since my mom was in another seat. At lunch we shared a burger again and both had side salads. I wanted dessert but didn't want to pay for it so we bought a Snickers bar.

Enjoyed the scenery through the mountains. On the way out to Reno, we got our 'moon'. :giggle: but not on the return. Arrived in Denver a few minutes late. My nephew, who picked us up, asked if we would please schedule our arrivals into Denver not on the weekends. The train station was very busy.

It was a good trip. I'm ready for a train trip to New Orleans, hopefully that will happen pretty soon.

Thanks all for reading. :)

Sorry I couldn't figure out how to turn my photo :blush:

IMG_7830.jpg
 
Very enjoyable reading--thank you! I chuckled when reading about traveling with relatives--I usually travel solo, but have taken a couple of short train trips with my cousin, who is not really a train person. And after that, I usually need a solo trip again! (Sounds like you might, too! :p )
 
Did you arrive in Denver on October 8? If so, I went hiking in the mountains above Eldorado Springs and was waving at the train as it came out of Tunnel 10. It was a pleasant surprise to the the original CZ cars on the end of the train.
 
Did you arrive in Denver on October 8? If so, I went hiking in the mountains above Eldorado Springs and was waving at the train as it came out of Tunnel 10. It was a pleasant surprise to the the original CZ cars on the end of the train.
Yes!
 
I'm experimenting here with this picture. This is from my phone where the other I posted from my computer. ImageUploadedByAmtrak Forum1476382661.859249.jpg

Of course it is small on my phone!
 
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Thanks for sharing your adventures.... sounds like solo travel is much more enjoyable!!! Don't you have people who have the window seat and stare at their electronics?? We set a rule beforehand: Window = watching the view... don't want to...Move over!
 
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