SweetSue
Train Attendant
We booked our three week vacation last February and finally the day arrived for our long awaited trip. We left our house on Sept 11 at 4:45 am and arrived at the Toledo Amtrak station by 5:30 am. Since the long term parking is unavailable at this time, our son dropped us off. The lady behind the counter was not very helpful. We had tickets for the LSL to Chicago, the CZ to SAC and EB back to CHI and the CL back to Toledo. I added the SJ at a later date and they would have to be printed separately. I gave her my name as the kiosk was missing from the lobby and I couldn't print them myself. I began to tell her that I would like our luggage to be checked through to the Fresno station as we will be boarding the San Joaquin in SAC. She showed me that she had already printed the luggage receipts and I would have to pick up the luggage and re-check them at the Sacramento station. I really didn't want to do that because it would be a hassle if the CZ arrives late into SAC as I had been watching it's arrival history and knew that it was possible we could be very late, besides the fact that we each had 2 large pieces of luggage that we checked, plus a small carry on bag for each of us and a tote bag, camera bag, netbook bag and my purse. (Next time I'm packing less!!)
The LSL arrived early and we began to leave the station then stopped and sat for 45 minutes to wait for a freight to pass. We went to the diner and had breakfast once we were started again. I had the French toast and hubby Bob had an omelet. We both enjoyed the food. We ended up arriving Chicago 45 minutes late. We went to the Metro lounge and Bob went to get us some food and brought it back to the lounge to eat. We met two retired couples who were going on their first LD trip on the CZ, CS and EB. We sat and talked with them until we boarded the train. They were in our car but in a roomette. They had wanted a bedroom but all were sold out by the time they booked their reservations.
We had bedroom D in car 532 and our SCA was Brandon. He didn't show up until about an hour into the trip. He was very pleasant and explained the room and how things work. He was always there when we were ready to have our bed made up at night and morning. We never had to wait long once we pulled the call light, so we gave him a nice tip at the end of our trip. We used our duct tape to quiet the rattle in the sliding door between our bedroom and bedroom E. Also stuffed some washcloths between that door and the doorframe to help keep it quiet.
Our LSA, Jonathan came around about 4 pm to get our dinner reservations. He announced what the items were that they would be serving and my husband and I discussed the fact that it was hard to decide which we would have, the salmon, the steak or the bison meatloaf. Elliot was our waiter and he was a hoot! I had the steak and Bob had the salmon, both were delicious, although the steak could have used a little less garlic. We sat with a couple returning home to Nevada. We went to the sightseer lounge but it was crowded so we went back to our room. Brandon made up our bed around 9 pm. We were exhausted so we went to bed. Both of us slept on the lower bed. Neither of us really like the top bunk but since we had a roomette the last time we traveled, we also noticed the difference with traveling sideways while sleeping, it made me feel like I would roll off the bed if he put the brakes on.
Sunday, September 12 - We got around and went to breakfast around 7:20am. Had to wait as it was full so we went to the sightseer lounge to wait. A couple from Germany was seated with us at breakfast and he didn't speak any English. The woman only spoke enough English to be able to order breakfast for the both of them, so the only conversation was between hubby and me. We both had the mushroom, onion and cheese omelet, grits and bacon. Very yummy!. I turned around and noticed a couple with bright red t-shirts on. On their back, hers said JUST and his said MARRIED. I knew it must be RAILFANLNK as I saw in one of his posts that he was getting married and would be on the CZ. After we finished our breakfast we stopped by their table and I asked him if he was RAILFANLNK and it was. He said we would try to meet up later to talk. We decided to have dinner together and Al made the reservations for the four of us. We were stopped in Denver when we finished eating so we went outside for some fresh air and to take pictures. Back on the train, we took a lot of pictures of the scenery and of people fishing, kayaking, rafting and "mooning" in the Colorado river.
We ate lunch with an older woman traveling by herself. Virginia was a nice table mate. Morgana was our waitress. Hubby and I had the Angus burger and enjoyed it. While we sat in our room enjoying the scenery, two ladies from Pennsylvania poked their heads in and said "excuse me, we don't mean to be nosey but we were wondering what a bedroom looks like". We invited them in to see it. They had wanted to reserve a bedroom but could only get a roomette as the bedrooms were sold out. They were very nice and ended up staying an hour to visit.
We met Al and his new wife Brenda at the diner and had a nice conversation with them while we ate. We both had the salmon and it was delicious. Back to our room and it was already starting to get dark and it was only 7:30. We watched the scenery until it got too dark to see anything. Bob saw a mule deer today and a black bear also. We had Brandon make up our beds around 9:30 and we tried to sleep. Bob tried the top bunk until about 4 am when he came down and slept with me the rest of the night. Still trying to get used to sleeping on the train.
Monday, September 13 - We got up around 6 and got ready to go to breakfast. We ate the same thing as we had yesterday because we enjoyed it. Ate with the people that have the bedroom next door to us, Dawn and Jerry. They are both musicians in Nebraska. She teaches violin in her private studio and he is a school music teacher. We told them about this forum and also about AGR. After breakfast, Bob worked it out with the LSA and our waitress Morgana, to bring me a piece of carrot cake with a candle in it and they had whoever was left in the dining car sing " Happy Birthday" to me. As we walked through the dining car to go back to our car, Elliot, our waiter from the first night sang a solo "Happy Birthday" to me as he was busy earlier.
Lunch was served on a first come, first serve basis. We went around 12 noon. We both had the Angus burger and it was good. Sat with a woman from the Netherlands. She is a travel agent there and was on holiday but also working as she was making note of things that will help her with her clients when she books their trips to the USA. She was traveling alone and we found out that she will be in Las Vegas for 1 1/2 days the week we would be there. She was inquiring whether it is safe for her to walk alone at night there. We told her that there are a lot of people walking at night and she would most likely be safe but we gave her our phone number and where we were staying and told her to call us if she would like to walk around with us. (We never did hear from her when we were in Vegas though).
Got back to our room and got everything packed up and ready to disembark. We arrived into SAC early at about 1:35. Got our luggage and re-checked it in for our trip to Fresno on the San Joaquin. Bob walked to a Starbucks about a block away and got us a frappacino. Sat at the station until we boarded the train around 4:30. Got started on our way and then had to stop as the transfer switch was not working before we got to Modesto and they had to wait for a maintenance person to come fix it. Had a screaming baby most of the way and then 3 young women got on in Modesto and were talking and laughing very loudly, obviously very drunk. We were so happy to get off in Fresno. Got a taxi to our motel.
Sept14 thru Sept 26. - We spent the next portion of our trip sightseeing Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Yosemite and Zion National Parks. We stayed at the Desert Pearl Inn in Springdale, Utah just outside of Zion. A beautiful place to stay if you go there. We really enjoyed Zion and plan to go back someday with the right type of equipment to hike the narrows. We did step in the Virgin river long enough to take some pictures and say we did it. The water is about 42 degrees and we could hardly feel our feet after that. Will have to buy the sealskin socks and hiking boots for the hike but we hear it is so beautiful it is one of the things on our bucket list. We also stayed in Vegas for 3 nights and then drove to Seal Beach, California to visit relatives. Had lunch at Club 33 at Disneyland and also went to California Adventure. Went to Huntington beach and Balboa Island and then it was time to board the CS for the journey home.
More to follow.......
The LSL arrived early and we began to leave the station then stopped and sat for 45 minutes to wait for a freight to pass. We went to the diner and had breakfast once we were started again. I had the French toast and hubby Bob had an omelet. We both enjoyed the food. We ended up arriving Chicago 45 minutes late. We went to the Metro lounge and Bob went to get us some food and brought it back to the lounge to eat. We met two retired couples who were going on their first LD trip on the CZ, CS and EB. We sat and talked with them until we boarded the train. They were in our car but in a roomette. They had wanted a bedroom but all were sold out by the time they booked their reservations.
We had bedroom D in car 532 and our SCA was Brandon. He didn't show up until about an hour into the trip. He was very pleasant and explained the room and how things work. He was always there when we were ready to have our bed made up at night and morning. We never had to wait long once we pulled the call light, so we gave him a nice tip at the end of our trip. We used our duct tape to quiet the rattle in the sliding door between our bedroom and bedroom E. Also stuffed some washcloths between that door and the doorframe to help keep it quiet.
Our LSA, Jonathan came around about 4 pm to get our dinner reservations. He announced what the items were that they would be serving and my husband and I discussed the fact that it was hard to decide which we would have, the salmon, the steak or the bison meatloaf. Elliot was our waiter and he was a hoot! I had the steak and Bob had the salmon, both were delicious, although the steak could have used a little less garlic. We sat with a couple returning home to Nevada. We went to the sightseer lounge but it was crowded so we went back to our room. Brandon made up our bed around 9 pm. We were exhausted so we went to bed. Both of us slept on the lower bed. Neither of us really like the top bunk but since we had a roomette the last time we traveled, we also noticed the difference with traveling sideways while sleeping, it made me feel like I would roll off the bed if he put the brakes on.
Sunday, September 12 - We got around and went to breakfast around 7:20am. Had to wait as it was full so we went to the sightseer lounge to wait. A couple from Germany was seated with us at breakfast and he didn't speak any English. The woman only spoke enough English to be able to order breakfast for the both of them, so the only conversation was between hubby and me. We both had the mushroom, onion and cheese omelet, grits and bacon. Very yummy!. I turned around and noticed a couple with bright red t-shirts on. On their back, hers said JUST and his said MARRIED. I knew it must be RAILFANLNK as I saw in one of his posts that he was getting married and would be on the CZ. After we finished our breakfast we stopped by their table and I asked him if he was RAILFANLNK and it was. He said we would try to meet up later to talk. We decided to have dinner together and Al made the reservations for the four of us. We were stopped in Denver when we finished eating so we went outside for some fresh air and to take pictures. Back on the train, we took a lot of pictures of the scenery and of people fishing, kayaking, rafting and "mooning" in the Colorado river.
We ate lunch with an older woman traveling by herself. Virginia was a nice table mate. Morgana was our waitress. Hubby and I had the Angus burger and enjoyed it. While we sat in our room enjoying the scenery, two ladies from Pennsylvania poked their heads in and said "excuse me, we don't mean to be nosey but we were wondering what a bedroom looks like". We invited them in to see it. They had wanted to reserve a bedroom but could only get a roomette as the bedrooms were sold out. They were very nice and ended up staying an hour to visit.
We met Al and his new wife Brenda at the diner and had a nice conversation with them while we ate. We both had the salmon and it was delicious. Back to our room and it was already starting to get dark and it was only 7:30. We watched the scenery until it got too dark to see anything. Bob saw a mule deer today and a black bear also. We had Brandon make up our beds around 9:30 and we tried to sleep. Bob tried the top bunk until about 4 am when he came down and slept with me the rest of the night. Still trying to get used to sleeping on the train.
Monday, September 13 - We got up around 6 and got ready to go to breakfast. We ate the same thing as we had yesterday because we enjoyed it. Ate with the people that have the bedroom next door to us, Dawn and Jerry. They are both musicians in Nebraska. She teaches violin in her private studio and he is a school music teacher. We told them about this forum and also about AGR. After breakfast, Bob worked it out with the LSA and our waitress Morgana, to bring me a piece of carrot cake with a candle in it and they had whoever was left in the dining car sing " Happy Birthday" to me. As we walked through the dining car to go back to our car, Elliot, our waiter from the first night sang a solo "Happy Birthday" to me as he was busy earlier.
Lunch was served on a first come, first serve basis. We went around 12 noon. We both had the Angus burger and it was good. Sat with a woman from the Netherlands. She is a travel agent there and was on holiday but also working as she was making note of things that will help her with her clients when she books their trips to the USA. She was traveling alone and we found out that she will be in Las Vegas for 1 1/2 days the week we would be there. She was inquiring whether it is safe for her to walk alone at night there. We told her that there are a lot of people walking at night and she would most likely be safe but we gave her our phone number and where we were staying and told her to call us if she would like to walk around with us. (We never did hear from her when we were in Vegas though).
Got back to our room and got everything packed up and ready to disembark. We arrived into SAC early at about 1:35. Got our luggage and re-checked it in for our trip to Fresno on the San Joaquin. Bob walked to a Starbucks about a block away and got us a frappacino. Sat at the station until we boarded the train around 4:30. Got started on our way and then had to stop as the transfer switch was not working before we got to Modesto and they had to wait for a maintenance person to come fix it. Had a screaming baby most of the way and then 3 young women got on in Modesto and were talking and laughing very loudly, obviously very drunk. We were so happy to get off in Fresno. Got a taxi to our motel.
Sept14 thru Sept 26. - We spent the next portion of our trip sightseeing Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Yosemite and Zion National Parks. We stayed at the Desert Pearl Inn in Springdale, Utah just outside of Zion. A beautiful place to stay if you go there. We really enjoyed Zion and plan to go back someday with the right type of equipment to hike the narrows. We did step in the Virgin river long enough to take some pictures and say we did it. The water is about 42 degrees and we could hardly feel our feet after that. Will have to buy the sealskin socks and hiking boots for the hike but we hear it is so beautiful it is one of the things on our bucket list. We also stayed in Vegas for 3 nights and then drove to Seal Beach, California to visit relatives. Had lunch at Club 33 at Disneyland and also went to California Adventure. Went to Huntington beach and Balboa Island and then it was time to board the CS for the journey home.
More to follow.......
Jim
