riding on Amtrak for 6 days and no news from outside world

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ToniCounter

Service Attendant
Joined
Aug 3, 2015
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I've been riding coast to coast on Amtrak for the last 6 and half days.

No need to describe the train rides, since anyone reading this must

know almost everything there is to know.

However, I discovered something new. News. Or lack of it. I did

not bring my Macbook or Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 tablet with me on

this trip. I left them in their carrying case at home before I left.

Unfortunately, it wan't until I was inside the bedroom on my Amtrak

train that I realized I had also left my iPhone in that case. Well.. at

least I remembered to bring the charger and spare USB battery

charger..

So I was literally in a news blackout for 6 and half days. No news,

no emails, no text, no phone calls... oh wait... is that what prison feels

like? :D Although I did spot newspapers in the lounge, but resisted

picking them up. :) During a 9-hour layover in Chicago, I was out

sightseeing and did not spend any time in the lounge, so no TV.

(in another thread, people recommended deep dish pizza places and

I visited all three of them... they were tasty, but what is the deal? they

are just meat pies with marinara sauce in large pies! no offense to

the folks of Chicago :) )

The truth is that I had the most relaxing 6 and half days without knowing

what the outside world was doing. The days consisted of staring out

the window, booze(BYOB), meals in the dining car, fun but meaningless

chit-chat with strangers, some light flirting(travelling solo this time),

sleep, more sleep.. then repeat 6 times each day.....

Who knew that not knowing the current news could be so great?

I just got off the train this morning. I'm sure by tonight I'll have the urge

to turn on the hotel TV and find out what Donald and Hillary are up to.

Did they have all new sex scandals or throw up on foreign leaders

or worse? Are we at war with Canada yet? :D :D :D
 
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It would be nice to leave my phone at the house. Freedom and peace of mind.

Sound like your detoxing trip work well. Glad you enjoyed yourself. Next time I am available to carry your bags, if you need the help.
 
That's why I have a trip scheduled for late October on the EB. To miss election $#&!
 
riding on Amtrak for 6 days and no news from outside world
Nirvana.

1. A state in which the mind, enlightened as to the illusory nature of the self, transcends all suffering and attains peace.

2. A state in which the soul, having relinquished individual attachments and recognized its identity with Brahman, escapes samsara.

3. An ideal condition of rest, harmony, stability, or joy.

I'll be doing the same next month.
 
TONI, we are not at war with Canada, but we are ALMOST at war with Mexico.

Sorry about the dining fiasco in our fair city. 3 deep dish pizzas in 9 hours must be a record! I've noticed AU'ers are prone to recommend pizza and diners for Chicago layovers. Not sure why; we have great dining here, some close to Union Station. If you have a serious interest in Chicago dining, please consult eater.com or yelp.com for useful recommendations.
 
TONI, we are not at war with Canada, but we are ALMOST at war with Mexico.

Sorry about the dining fiasco in our fair city. 3 deep dish pizzas in 9 hours must be a record! I've noticed AU'ers are prone to recommend pizza and diners for Chicago layovers. Not sure why; we have great dining here, some close to Union Station. If you have a serious interest in Chicago dining, please consult eater.com or yelp.com for useful recommendations.
oh, don't get me wrong.. I loved the deep dish pizza... they were quite filling and tasty. Just dont' taste like "pizza" to me... more like giant meat/veggie pies with crispy pie crust.

I didn't have enough time, but on the way back, I plan to check out Greek and Chinese food in Chicago. :)
 
One of the great tourist myths of Chicago is that all Chicagoans love deep dish pizza. As a proud Chicago area resident I avoid deep dish like the plague and I have many allies in this. Next time in Chicago go to Aurelio's at Roosevelt Road and Michigan Avenue and enjoy a great thin crust.
 
And don't forget to eat a Chicago Dog!

There's a Gold Coast Dog stand upstairs in the Food Court in Union Station, and they have great Brats and Dogs!

Just don't ask for Ketchup, that's heresey in Chicagoland!

Al's Roast Beef close to Union Station is also Excellent, ask for the Peppers with it,!
 
Being a news junkie, I found the news black out very relaxing. It was one of the best parts of any of the trips I have been on. Going across Canada last year, my cell phone just did not work for calls or texts or anything, in spite of the carrier assuring me it would. I spent a great deal of time talking with other passengers, all of whom were Canadians, and learning about their great country. A lot of time was spent looking out the window at the farms, lakes and forests throughout the trip.

No news is great news. Especially now with all the election stuff perpetually being on the news programs.
 
Being a news junkie, I found the news black out very relaxing. It was one of the best parts of any of the trips I have been on. Going across Canada last year, my cell phone just did not work for calls or texts or anything, in spite of the carrier assuring me it would. I spent a great deal of time talking with other passengers, all of whom were Canadians, and learning about their great country. A lot of time was spent looking out the window at the farms, lakes and forests throughout the trip.

No news is great news. Especially now with all the election stuff perpetually being on the news programs.
I can envision the Halcyon Days of rail travel when passengers actually relaxed and socialized on the train rather than beating and bluthering on phones and tablets. You got your news updates from newspapers butchered on board or on the station platforms and if you were really traveling high on the hog, there may have been a radio in the Pullman Lounge.
 
I don't mean to veer the thread into a new realm of unrelated territory, but what are some of the best spots in Chicago where an Amtrak passenger making a 5 hour layover could find genuine Chicagoan pizza? Certainly there are some folks on the AU forum who have made enough layovers in Chicago (or some who might live in or near Chicago) in order to know what the best places would be.
 
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I don't mean to veer the thread into a new realm of unrelated territory, but what are some of the best spots in Chicago where an Amtrak passenger making a 5 hour layover could find genuine Chicagoan pizza? Certainly there are some folks on the AU forum who have made enough layovers in Chicago (or some who might live in or near Chicago) in order to know what the best places would be.
.There are several "what to do in Chicago" topics already open so I suggest you find those and get your answers especially since you did not mean to veer the thread away from it real topic.
 
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Yeah, the "news addiction" so may of us seem to have --

It can't really be an addiction --

Because the withdrawal symptoms are so gosh-darn pleasant.

After a long train trip -- no news is good. [Delete long rant on the media focussing on the scary stuff to sell ads]

As for dining in Chicago -- there's so much, so good (and some not good, of course)

The few times I've stayed with local friends - Greek, Serbian, Noveau something-or-other and and and and ...
 
I've been on a trip like that. Try three weeks in China during the 1980s. It wasn't devoid of TV news, but it was mostly in a language I didn't understand. Some hotels had copies of the English language China Daily, but it wasn't very useful for any serious news coverage.

I thought that my three night solo backpacking trip would be like that. That was until I heard a kid in a tent 25 feet away talking to his mom on a cell phone. That was before smart phones were ubiquitous though.
 
Being a news junkie, I found the news black out very relaxing. It was one of the best parts of any of the trips I have been on. Going across Canada last year, my cell phone just did not work for calls or texts or anything, in spite of the carrier assuring me it would. I spent a great deal of time talking with other passengers, all of whom were Canadians, and learning about their great country. A lot of time was spent looking out the window at the farms, lakes and forests throughout the trip.

No news is great news. Especially now with all the election stuff perpetually being on the news programs.
I can envision the Halcyon Days of rail travel when passengers actually relaxed and socialized on the train rather than beating and bluthering on phones and tablets. You got your news updates from newspapers butchered on board or on the station platforms and if you were really traveling high on the hog, there may have been a radio in the Pullman Lounge.
IIRC, top trains like The 20th Century Limited, at one time posted bulletins from stock exchange "ticker's" in the club car...not sure how they got updates...
 
For the more adventuresome eaters, I suggest googling "Check Please" (local PBS restaurant review show, most famous guest was State Senator Obama) for restaurant suggestions, some of which aren't too far from Union.
 
Definitely some excellent food options for a Chicago visit in this thread. I would urge pizza lovers to try Chicago's thin crust pizza too. It's a bit different than New York pizza and quite yummy. A lot of us native Chicagoans grew up on this type of pizza vs. the stuffed pizza. For our family, stuffed pizza was a once in awhile thing. We had the thin crust pizza from a neighborhood place A LOT. And I still try to get a thin crust pizza when I visit. Gold Coast Dogs is great too. Skip the fires, get a pizza puff with your dog or beef sammy. That's a uniquely Chicago item. You'll either thank me or curse me later for the pizza puff... it can kind of be a gut bomb ^_^ !
 
Being a news junkie, I found the news black out very relaxing. It was one of the best parts of any of the trips I have been on. Going across Canada last year, my cell phone just did not work for calls or texts or anything, in spite of the carrier assuring me it would. I spent a great deal of time talking with other passengers, all of whom were Canadians, and learning about their great country. A lot of time was spent looking out the window at the farms, lakes and forests throughout the trip.

No news is great news. Especially now with all the election stuff perpetually being on the news programs.
I can envision the Halcyon Days of rail travel when passengers actually relaxed and socialized on the train rather than beating and bluthering on phones and tablets. You got your news updates from newspapers butchered on board or on the station platforms and if you were really traveling high on the hog, there may have been a radio in the Pullman Lounge.
IIRC, top trains like The 20th Century Limited, at one time posted bulletins from stock exchange "ticker's" in the club car...not sure how they got updates...
I believe that they received the stock exchange tickers by telegram to certain key stations. Which would have been the crew changes. Even though the timetable may have lacked intermediate stops the train actually stopped several times on its route. Albany, buffalo, Cleveland, Toledo for crew changes. Likely it was updated there.
 
Being a news junkie, I found the news black out very relaxing. It was one of the best parts of any of the trips I have been on. Going across Canada last year, my cell phone just did not work for calls or texts or anything, in spite of the carrier assuring me it would. I spent a great deal of time talking with other passengers, all of whom were Canadians, and learning about their great country. A lot of time was spent looking out the window at the farms, lakes and forests throughout the trip.

No news is great news. Especially now with all the election stuff perpetually being on the news programs.
I can envision the Halcyon Days of rail travel when passengers actually relaxed and socialized on the train rather than beating and bluthering on phones and tablets. You got your news updates from newspapers butchered on board or on the station platforms and if you were really traveling high on the hog, there may have been a radio in the Pullman Lounge.
IIRC, top trains like The 20th Century Limited, at one time posted bulletins from stock exchange "ticker's" in the club car...not sure how they got updates...
I believe that they received the stock exchange tickers by telegram to certain key stations. Which would have been the crew changes. Even though the timetable may have lacked intermediate stops the train actually stopped several times on its route. Albany, buffalo, Cleveland, Toledo for crew changes. Likely it was updated there.
Yeah, I kind of figured that. Likely it was one of the responsibilities of the Train Secretary (who was a public stenographer)...
 
I wonder how many ticker updates actually did get posted on the 20th Century Limited, given that the New York and Chicago markets were closed during the overnight hours the train ran.
 
Pizza puff? I think I've seen them in the freezer section at the grocery store. Not sure. I've lived in and around Chicago most of my life and never heard of them being sold any where except possibly the grocery store. Where did you get them?
 
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