pianocat
Lead Service Attendant
Started out in CDL in middle of the night, CONO to CHI. The "new" breakfast was really quite filling! Missed the Metro Deli but made do with local offerings, until time for the SWC. Rion was the SCA in the CONO and of course, he played the Johnny Cash version of "City of New Orleans" as we backed in to CUS and asked us all to contact our congressmen to make sure Amtrak stays funded. He was right there on the platform at CDL at 3:15a.m. chipper as can be! Carried my bag up to my room. He's a keeper!!!
Found an outlet to recharge at CUS and waited for the boarding call for SWC. I was a bit stiff, so opted NOT to take a redcap as i truly needed to walk at least a bit that day. My time at the gym has paid off, apparently
The CZ was running late, so the Metro lounge stayed full pretty much til my boarding call, on time.
Armodio [sp?] was the SCA, and he was a darling. Very attentive, carried my bag up the stairs [to me, that's worthy of a large tip right there!] He was great during the whole trip. SWC was pretty non-eventful for the duration to Flagstaff. I spent 2 days here, independently, in order to see the Grand Canyon. It was AWESOME!!! Loved the tour, which gave all 14 of us ample time at various locations along the South Rim. It was hot, but a dry hot. Still - the altitude affected me a lot. Had to take lots of breaks in walking, but that was fine.
Before I checked out of Little America hotel in Flagstaff, I met up with greatcats for lunch. He is a delightful, very knowledgeable person when it comes to this area. He went off to volunteer, I went off to explore Flagstaff.
The train [3] was late by 90 min. but time passed fairly quickly. Got to my sleeper and basically said...' please get me up at Riverside'. No problem...I think we all have an internal body clock that "knows" when it's time to get going. Had a tremendous visit with my daughter and her husband. Drove to Palm Springs in midst of Hurricane Dolores....much white-knuckle driving/riding...but i just loved being with them!
Tues was time to get a Metro ticket to LAUS and connect to the CS. This was a super sweet ride, almost no pax until Industry, CA... I felt weird as I was nearly the only non-Asian pax! No big deal. Got to LAUS and headed right for the 1st class lounge. It was not crowded at that hour, and I enjoyed a free outlet and some snacks before getting on CS #14. To my huge happiness, I found my roomette was on the oceanside!!! 2 x in a row. pretty good statistics!
I don't think I need to talk about the incredible scenery of the CS...Having done this once before, it was everything i remembered, PLUS. That stretch, alone - from Ventura to Vandenburgh AFB is worth every poetic meme there is for beauty. I'd do this again and again and again if given the choice
Arrived in PDX late, but just enough time to say 'hi - hug - good to see you' to Charlie Hamilton before we both had to find our trains elsewhere. Once I am living in the pacific NW, I'm sure we'll find the opportunity to spend a little more time talking!!
Changed to EB, it was a super gorgeous trip along the Columbia Gourge. Of course, got boring after Pasco so I slept. Set my alarm to make sure I got off in Spokane, but again...that body clock is so intune to what we HAVE to do...it works. Arrived in SPK on time, had a good night in a hotel, then next day checked out and looked around Riverfront Park again before heading over to the train/bus station. I took a Greyhound [Northwest Trailways] bus to Moscow @ 6pm. Arrived about 8pm and had a nice dinner in downtown Moscow with daughter and son in law. Back to my hotel. Frriday i spent exploring Moscow as both my daughter and son in law had to work. I was fine, the downtown very reminiscent of Walla Walla Saturday, we hit the farmer's market at Moscow, then traveled down to Walla Walla so I could check out an apt. complex I may want to move to. It was AWESOME!!! Everything i expected and MORE. I now know that this is where I want to end up! 2 hours from Moscow, I'll be so close to my daughter. We talked and talked...and it was pretty much decided that I'll NOT wait until next August...but will make the shift from midwest to WW at end of March, 2016. SO looking fwd. to this. Why put life on hold if you don't have to? So, I'll be a resident of WA by end of March! I haven't announce to my students yet - but will be doing that at end of August. I want them to have plenty of time to find alternate arrangements with other teachers. I think 7 months is fair.
The kids took me back to Spokane in time to catch the EB back to CHI. It was only 3 hours late, which allowed me to catch the CONO back down to CDL. Drove home to Evansville on Wed. July 29. It was a quick trip...but a super time with my girls!!! There's nothing more important than family, IMHO, and the sooner I get back out there - closer to them, the better!!! There's nothing for me here, anymore. Walla Walla, here I come
General comment: the food on the train was , at best...mediocre but it was balanced nicely by some awesome restaurants in so. Cal. and Moscow . I didn't starve
Take the train
Found an outlet to recharge at CUS and waited for the boarding call for SWC. I was a bit stiff, so opted NOT to take a redcap as i truly needed to walk at least a bit that day. My time at the gym has paid off, apparently
The CZ was running late, so the Metro lounge stayed full pretty much til my boarding call, on time.Armodio [sp?] was the SCA, and he was a darling. Very attentive, carried my bag up the stairs [to me, that's worthy of a large tip right there!] He was great during the whole trip. SWC was pretty non-eventful for the duration to Flagstaff. I spent 2 days here, independently, in order to see the Grand Canyon. It was AWESOME!!! Loved the tour, which gave all 14 of us ample time at various locations along the South Rim. It was hot, but a dry hot. Still - the altitude affected me a lot. Had to take lots of breaks in walking, but that was fine.
Before I checked out of Little America hotel in Flagstaff, I met up with greatcats for lunch. He is a delightful, very knowledgeable person when it comes to this area. He went off to volunteer, I went off to explore Flagstaff.
The train [3] was late by 90 min. but time passed fairly quickly. Got to my sleeper and basically said...' please get me up at Riverside'. No problem...I think we all have an internal body clock that "knows" when it's time to get going. Had a tremendous visit with my daughter and her husband. Drove to Palm Springs in midst of Hurricane Dolores....much white-knuckle driving/riding...but i just loved being with them!
Tues was time to get a Metro ticket to LAUS and connect to the CS. This was a super sweet ride, almost no pax until Industry, CA... I felt weird as I was nearly the only non-Asian pax! No big deal. Got to LAUS and headed right for the 1st class lounge. It was not crowded at that hour, and I enjoyed a free outlet and some snacks before getting on CS #14. To my huge happiness, I found my roomette was on the oceanside!!! 2 x in a row. pretty good statistics!
I don't think I need to talk about the incredible scenery of the CS...Having done this once before, it was everything i remembered, PLUS. That stretch, alone - from Ventura to Vandenburgh AFB is worth every poetic meme there is for beauty. I'd do this again and again and again if given the choice
Arrived in PDX late, but just enough time to say 'hi - hug - good to see you' to Charlie Hamilton before we both had to find our trains elsewhere. Once I am living in the pacific NW, I'm sure we'll find the opportunity to spend a little more time talking!!
Changed to EB, it was a super gorgeous trip along the Columbia Gourge. Of course, got boring after Pasco so I slept. Set my alarm to make sure I got off in Spokane, but again...that body clock is so intune to what we HAVE to do...it works. Arrived in SPK on time, had a good night in a hotel, then next day checked out and looked around Riverfront Park again before heading over to the train/bus station. I took a Greyhound [Northwest Trailways] bus to Moscow @ 6pm. Arrived about 8pm and had a nice dinner in downtown Moscow with daughter and son in law. Back to my hotel. Frriday i spent exploring Moscow as both my daughter and son in law had to work. I was fine, the downtown very reminiscent of Walla Walla
Saturday, we hit the farmer's market at Moscow, then traveled down to Walla Walla so I could check out an apt. complex I may want to move to. It was AWESOME!!! Everything i expected and MORE. I now know that this is where I want to end up! 2 hours from Moscow, I'll be so close to my daughter. We talked and talked...and it was pretty much decided that I'll NOT wait until next August...but will make the shift from midwest to WW at end of March, 2016. SO looking fwd. to this. Why put life on hold if you don't have to? So, I'll be a resident of WA by end of March! I haven't announce to my students yet - but will be doing that at end of August. I want them to have plenty of time to find alternate arrangements with other teachers. I think 7 months is fair.The kids took me back to Spokane in time to catch the EB back to CHI. It was only 3 hours late, which allowed me to catch the CONO back down to CDL. Drove home to Evansville on Wed. July 29. It was a quick trip...but a super time with my girls!!! There's nothing more important than family, IMHO, and the sooner I get back out there - closer to them, the better!!! There's nothing for me here, anymore. Walla Walla, here I come
General comment: the food on the train was , at best...mediocre but it was balanced nicely by some awesome restaurants in so. Cal. and Moscow . I didn't starve
Take the train
