Southwest Chief, April 2014

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Jan 28, 2012
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Location
MI
This trip had been postponed earlier and was now back on track, coinciding with the kids' Spring Break. Train 3 CHI-LAX-LAS and then 4 on the way back, this time from Vegas to Kingman AZ and onwards.

The good: With or without flowers, newspapers or cranberry juice, Amtrak's LD trains are an exhilerating visual journey and are staffed by superlative employees who are knowledgeable, hardworking and put care and thought into everything they do.

The bad: Years go by and the Wolverine service is still wildly inconsistent at best.

The ugly: Shared restrooms. Once quaint and serviceable, part of the adventure, nowadays nasty.

The weather was still cold but had cleared from the previous day’s rain and the sunrise seemed to preview the weather that awaited in the Southwest. We arrived at the Ann Arbor Amtrak station with high hopes and keen anticipation of the adventure ahead. The AM Wolverine to Chicago is generally reliable for those who need to be there by a certain time, and the onboard experience is pleasant and low key. Amtrak has evidently trained employees to apologize for delays and provide explanations. Personally I can live without the perfunctory “We apologize for the inconvience” especially having spent years in the travel industry, knowing how little those words mean, but the general public sets great store by apologies and I think that is why you hear them so freely given. I’d rather have good information. And, sometimes you get both. This particular morning, an announcement was made that due to a signal problem, the train was stopped to let the conductor off at the crossing, and would then move forward a little and then stop again to pick him up. Well I don’t know what the “signal problem” was but that conductor must have been one heck of a runner because the train never stopped after the crossing. You can create your own visual there :) The train continued through pretty western Michigan countryside, still with thin patchy crusts of snow in places. Amtrak's new onboard Wifi was easy to connect with, but useless after that. Email wouldn't load, weather channel site wouldn't load. It may have been a lot of people using limited bandwith. My son was able to connect to his favorite ESPN site so the countryside held no interest for him, and I didn't care about my email enough to troubleshoot further. Enjoying coffee with scenery was enough, and my daughter was brimming with barely suppressed excitement about the trip. She wanted to order her own beverage from the cafe car and pay for it with her money. Since we were in the front row of BC and I could see the adjacent counter, I said sure. Although, the beverage is free in BC, I told her just to give him a tip as I signed the sheet for her already. The café car attendant, depending on your perspective, could be described as either reticient, uncommunicative or surly. When my daughter went to ask him for a cup of herbal tea, he replied that he only had regular tea, and did not say another word. If it were me, and a little kid asked for something like that, I’d have suggested something else, maybe hot chocolate. I also would have cracked a smile. My kind hearted little girl took some change out of her coin purse and went back to the counter to give him a tip even though she didn’t get anything, because she thought it might "cheer him up". I didn't want to discourage this display of compassion and sensitivity so I just told her how proud I was of her doing a nice thing for someone. And as always, I'd brought stuff to snack on and some bottled waters. We arrive in Chicago with plenty of time before the SW Chief is scheduled to depart. The Metropolitan lounge is teeming with passengers. Son gets connected on his laptop and we girls take a walk around Chicago, sunny but still very brisk. We pick up some essentials, and head back to the lounge. LD trains are called, starting with the Texas Eagle, then the EB and the Zephyr, gradually the crowd thins somewhat and the moment of magic arrives when they make the announcement for Train 3. The gracious Metropolitan lounge attendants walk us out to the track to the mightly Southwest Chief and our journey to the West is truly underway. Goodbye, cold, ice and snow! We board Car 331, Family Room 15 and get settled as the train glides out of Union Station.

Our room is on the lower level, and is remarkably spacious. Capacity is 2 adults and 2 children, so the 3 of us have more than enough space to hang out in, and windows on both sides of the train. The first mini-crisis occurs when the kids start looking around for outlets to plug their various electronics into. The room contains only one outlet. "How can this be?" my son asks. When the SCA stops by to introduce himself, he confirms that yes, there is only one plug, as these cars were designed 45 years ago. It simply means that a shared charging schedule must be devised, and that a power strip would be handy to have on future trips. Paul is a wonderful SCA, with old-school professionalism and courtesy. He is also training a new hire on his first day on the job. Being new, I don't think it's quite right to give his name, but I will say the young man was enthusiastic, hardworking and was clearly being trained by the best. He is bound to enjoy a great career in his new role, plus I'm pleased to see that Amtrak is secure enough to be hiring.

Late afternoon sunshine illuminated Chicago buildings, the highrises and the more pedestrian urban landscape as we rolled along, and then the train stopped. Moments later, a familiar apology for the delay and then an interesting explanation: We were stopped because the train impacted "a piece of equipment near the track" which "took off a piece of engine." After maybe 20-30 minutes to give people time to speculate on how vital a piece of engine this was, the train started moving again with no additional explanation. The dining car attendant came by to take our reservation and we headed for the diner early, to try and acclimate slowly to the time changes.

Dining car staff on this trip was outrageously friendly and fun. They were on Day 3 of a five day tour of duty and were clearly a little punchy. Yet they were having so much fun with their jobs, the passengers and their coworkers, that a botched order or dropped plate here and there only added to the fun. I loved these guys. I did notice, as a change from our EB trip of a couple years ago, that the community seating aspect was enforced to the point where the diner could be 3/4 empty and they would seat a single person with us every time. It didn't matter, though, we were there to go with the flow, and met some very interesting people. For this first meal onboard the train, our dining companion was a woman traveling to Kansas City from the east coast, for a family health issue. Her family did not accompany her on this trip, and both she and her husband were always busy with work and their kids, so she thought the train might be a low-stress alternative to flying. He stayed home with the kids so she could take the time needed for this trip. I wish she had booked a sleeper, because that probably would have been more relaxing for her, as her coach car was evidently loud and populated with unsupervised children. We had lots of common ground to discuss and she seemed to enjoy the meal and being able to chat with us as the sun set over fields in Illinois. As our meal drew to a close, a compliment from her on my well behaved children sent MM's heart soaring.

After dinner we head back to our room and relax for a while before getting ready for bed. Going down the hall to the restroom, I notice that the liquid soap dispenser has vanished. Not a problem on the sleeper as I steal a bar of soap from the shower room, and when we see Paul and his trainee, mentioned that there was no liquid soap for handwashing. Paul said that people do take these for the Amtrak logo... I find that more than a little weird... but no matter, the soap dispensers are replaced and manage to stay put for the remainder of the journey.

Our SCA trainee helps us get the room ready for night and we are then ready to take care of the room ourselves for the duration of the trip. Having showered in the morning, we all change, clean up with washclothes, brush teeth and son climbs up into the top bunk. He's a lanky kid and was able to stretch out comfortably with no one in the adjacent upper bunk. I marvel at the good sized adult lower bunk and my daughter is delighted with her own little space which includes her own window. We fall asleep early and don't even wake up for major stops like Kansas City.

Next up: Sunday, full day on the train
 
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I don't want to get fired so this installment will be quick. We rose early for breakfast, in the ongoing attempt to sort of stay on Eastern time, and this morning our dining companion was a young woman on her way to visit her grandparents. This was her first train trip and she seemed to be enjoying herself. She gave us a glimpse of what life must be like living in tornado country. We really don't deal with this much in Michigan, although we've had a few. We're still in Kansas at this point, still a lot of fields and farm. La Junta, CO is one of the "smoke/fresh air stops." I never miss a chance to get out and walk a bit, take a look at the often historic train stations, and my daughter comes with me as she evidently doesn't trust me not to miss the train. When my son was little he was the same way. Now, he stays onboard and takes advantage of the train not moving to do some homework problems. I try to drum up a little excitement about breathing the air in different states, alas the younger generation finds this lame. The train whistle sounds and the conductor yells the "All Aboard!" Soon, the train leaves CO and is traversing NM. The desert landscape stretches as far as the eye can see. It looks EXACTLY like the ending scene in "Vegas Vacation" a movie we are watching for the 50th time in anticipation of the destination. The train begins a slow ascent into the mountains, and that is entertainment that surpasses any printed or digital material, The family BR is excellent for scenery with the windows on both sides, so we stayed in our room until lunchtime.

Next: Lunch and ABQ stop
 
Thanks for following :) I had to get to my day job. And then the cook-dinner job. So anyway, we left off in NM, headed for ABQ. Some ranches, with horses and cows, one of our dining companions mentioned they saw buffalo but I wouldn't know, unless they were very cow-like. The new young 'uns were frisking about happily while the moms grazed nearby. The farms became more few and far between as we got higher in altitude, but the scenery became quite interesting with the different rock formations, and reddish rocks and dirt. We went to lunch after Raton, NM, before Las Vegas NM. No neon at that stop :) Our lunch companion was on her way to meet up with friends/family somewhere around the ABQ stop, where they had various adventures planned. She was much fun and also had something in common with my daughter as they both have the "shopping bug." She was not able to sleep much the previous night in her roomette, and I could understand as the rough track in areas takes some getting used to. I have not written much about the food itself, and honestly it isn't the draw for me. The breakfast scrambled eggs were certainly good, and my son had omellettes that he enjoyed. Daughter had the railroad french toast. Otherwise, for her, the choices were really a hotdog meal or the cheese pizza. She thought the chicken nuggets were on the level of the school cafeteria, not a ringing endorsement, and isn't fond of mac/cheese. We both love raw vegetables and I really have to plan better next time and pack some in a cooler. Son on the other hand was quite happy with the cheeseburger at lunch and the steak for dinner. I tried the entree salad for today's lunch and it was fine. I'm just not really going to complain about food that I don't have to shop for, prepare, cook and clean up after. And it's vacation :) We finish our lunch and bid our companion safe travels, then head back to our room again. Hanging out with my kids, watching the scenery, is what this trip is about. I'm loving it that there is no internet and cell phone reception is bad. We have to interact as a family and they will remember these times. The next stop will be Albuquerque and this is a somewhat lengthy servicing stop, so there will be plenty of time to detrain and look around. Besides, we've heard from our lunch companion that local Navajo artists have their wares to sell right on the platform. My son has already decided he's not interested in seeing what there is to see, and wants to be able to write out his chemistry problems while the train is stopped, so once again it's up to us girls to explore the Wild West. As we are stepping off the train in ABQ, we see our friend from lunch and we say goodbye to her again, as she reminds my daughter to get out there and shop. :) As if she needed reminding. :) The weather was gorgeous, especially for us Michiganians. Sunny, cool, and dry, with air that felt intoxicating to breathe (once we got away from the smokers). Tables with jewelry and crafts were either set up or in the process of being set up, along a section of platform outside the ABQ station which was a combination Amtrak/Greyhound depot that even had a little cafeteria inside. We didn't spend any time in the station; being much more interested in perusing the craft tables. Daughter found a handmade hair clip and bracelet which made her very happy, and I got a pair of earrings. We decide to wait until our trip back to buy more and set forth for a good walk in the sunshine and cool breeze. There was so much time with our early arrival, that I wanted to take a longer range walk around downtown ABQ, but my girl is still young enough that she was terrified about missing the train so we limited our walking to crossing through the station and around the block before heading back to our sleeper. Paul was amused when I told him that my daughter didn't trust me not to miss the train and he said that was common with little ones. We boarded with time to spare and got settled as once again, the mighty SW Chief left ABQ. It wasn't all that long until our dinner reservation was called. Our companion this time was a very quiet man, so quiet that I felt like I was doing something wrong. Thinking it was the "train thing" I tried to engage him in conversation, and he did answer questions when he had to, but mostly I just felt like I was bothering him. Or maybe it was something he didn't like about me, or the kids. It was very different. He was retired and headed to California to visit a relative, and had a distant look in his eyes that was more empty than sad, but I wished I could have chased that emptiness away, at least for the duration of the meal. As far as the food itself, he appeared to enjoy his half chicken. I tried the "healthy" option which was described on the menu as an eye of round steak with baby carrots and couscous. The couscous was the only part of that that appeared, and while I was more than OK with the sauteed spinach, the meat had no resemblance to any beef cut I've ever seen. I asked the server if if was possible to ID the meat and, with his signature humour, he said, "I don't know, I never eat that healthy stuff." Then he asked a diner at the next table who ordered the same thing what the meat was on her plate, and she answered, "top round." I was still dubious. In fact, I was convinced this was a pork steak. No religious objections, mind you, but in general not crazy about pork products. Bacon or sausage maybe once or twice a year. Ham never, and pork loin steaks, never. Just don't like it. So I left it and had the side dishes. Good excuse to have dessert :) I leave the tip and we excuse ourselves and as we headed back to our room, my kids both opined that the gentleman seated with us didn't feel like talking and I shouldn't have tried so hard. I replied to them that it just seemed like what you were expected to do, but I agreed with both of them that it would have been better for me to just keep quiet.

We enjoyed the scenery until the sun finished setting and went to bed early, mindful of the time change. With the 8 am arrival into LAX, we are advised that breakfast will only be served from 5-6. We are not committed either way, and decide that if we are awake, we'll get a last train meal, and if not, we'll make do upon arrival.

Next: California Dreaming...Sort Of
 
CALIFORNIA!

What the hey, I'm up at 0430, why, cause it's 0730 at home and I should have been up an hour ago. I open the curtain and peer out at a different landscape, flattened, with definite signs of civilization, gas stations, stores and multiple train crossings. Presently the aroma of brewing coffee is wafting through the car and I go upstairs to get that morning cup. At 0500 I advise kids that if they want another diner meal, this is it. They get ready in a hurry and we make our way to the diner where the servers, as jocular as they have been for this trip, motion for us to sit down and then a couple of minutes later, they seat an elderly gentleman with us. His wife decided to sleep in and skip breakfast. They have, he tells us, been married for over 50 years. In fact he had many stories to tell about his business before he retired, his family and the plans that brought he and his bride to Los Angeles. He was entertaining, personable and we all 3 were delighted to have his company that morning . It really just made my day that a couple who had to be in their 70s, enjoyed new adventures. While they did enjoy their train experience, he correctly pointed out to me the cost of their sleeper exceeded the cost of flying. All too soon it was time to part ways, and say goodbye to him and to our dining car crew. They were wonderful and I will always treasure the one who made a point to communicate with me about a dropped plate. You know who you are :) When we got back to our room, it had already been restored to day configuration. I felt bad because we had every intention of doing that ourselves, not to mention moving all the bags and stuff that our young SCA ending up doing. He was certainly gracious about it when I said as much to him. Approaching LAX, there were slowdowns for the ubquitous freight traffic, although the schedule padding allowed for a close-to-on-time arrival. Sunshine and palm trees signaled that we were in CALIFORNIA!!!

Next: From Espresso to Greyhound
 
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This is Greatcats here in Flagstaff. By the dates you made your postings, I was going to come down to the station tonight and say hello to you, but I see that you have already arrived LAX. Enjoy that ride over Raton on the way back, because it is looking pretty likely that in 2016 it will be rerouted through Amarillo. Just as long as they keep the train running!
 
Not only that Greatcats, we have already arrived back in Michigan as of Saturday night. I was using incorrect verb tenses to try and convey that "real time" feeling but we actually got to LAX on Monday the 7th, in Vegas the same afternoon, then left again on Thursday the 10th,via Kingman. After getting back home I've been steadily unpacking, cleaning, washing and had to be ready for the usual Monday work day, and writing is always a constant exercise in editing for me, so that has a lot to do with the time delay. Why are they rerouting the train, I don't understand?

Anyway thanks for the comment, I've gotten too tired to finish the last installment LAX-LAS tonight, but should get that done tomorrow and then there will be the return jaunt via Kingman. Sorry we didn't see you in Flagstaff - that is one busy station, even at the late or early times, there were a lot of people either boarding or leaving the train. Seemed like that stop alone should be enough to keep the SWC in business.
 
MM -- the reason that the SCA has to "do up" the room before arival into LAX is so that it is already made up fresh and ready for the next trip, with clean sheets and all. The more they can do before arrival, the quicker they can get the car finished up. They would leave your pillows to change the cases after you are completely out of the room, but the beds were certainly made up before they were set back up in daytime configuration.

As a side note: when our EB was so very late getting into CHI in December, the SCA made up the beds when we got up on the day we should have arrived. Then yet more delays caused us to have to use the beds again, so all the spare linens were dirty as well before the trip was over. The SCA just shrugged and said "they'll have to deal with it in the yard when they clean the train."
 
Hi Michigan Mom - The likely reroute of this train has been the topic of much discussion on this forum, but not in recent weeks. To sum up the reasons for the re-route, which could have additional reasons tacked on, goes something like this: The Southwest Chief is usually fairly well patronized; that is not the problem. However, the old Santa Fe mainline across western Kansas, through La Junta, over Raton Pass and to Albuquerque is no longer a primary freight route. In western Kansas and to La Junta, there is some freight service, but the passenger train speed has had to be decreased due to the rough track. From La Junta, or maybe Trinidad, west to Lamy in the Santa Fe area, all freight service was withdrawn off that line several years ago, I believe around 2006. It is simply more efficient and less problematical for BNSF to send its long distance freight on a less mountainous, double tracked route east across the Texas panhandle into Oklahoma. There is a contract in force through the end of 2015 for BNSF to keep the Raton Pass line operable, but what will happen after that remains to be seen. Who is going to pay millions of dollars to keep over 200 miles of railroad, scenic and historic as it is, up to passenger train standards, for two trains a day? It no longer serves the purposes of BNSF, Amtrak is not in a position to cough up the money, and the states involved, especially New Mexico, have backed away from the matter. The scenario has not yet played out and it could turn out in different and unexpected ways, but there are certainly good reasons to send the Amtrak train over the route through Amarillo and then up to Wichita. It would still serve Albuquerque, but would have to be run north several miles from the present mainline and reversed on the wye track south of Albuquerque station, which has been done before. I hope I answered your question; some others will probably chime in with some additional remarks. I will be interested to read the rest of your trip and am glad that you are safely at home.
 
Another fast pre-work installment: So there we are detraining in California, with sunshine and the aforementioned palm trees swaying slightly in the breeze. We say goodbye to Paul and the Southwest Chief's newest SCA, and set forth into the station. As usual I had calculated the amount needed for tips and it worked out perfectly, with the correct amounts left for the return. There are no ATMs on the train :) Once inside the station, we walked until we found the Metropolitan Lounge. This lounge bears as much resemblance to Chicago's as gold does to plastic. Clean, with abundant sunshine from the windows, with a tray of snacks (packaged muffins, but from a local business in San Luis Obispo), a fridge stocked with cranberry juice cocktails, a water dispenser, and.... an espresso machine. That's right... not just coffee... cappucino with the touch of a button. CALIFORNIA!! Oh, this was a lovely quiet place to wait for the next departure. The kids weren't interested in the snacks but I took a muffin and a cup of tea, and they got cold water from the dispenser and we sat down to charge up everything for the bus ride. With the 2 hour layover, as usual the girls had to get out and explore, so we left our bags with my son and went outside of the station into the courtyard. What a gorgeous station is LAX, with beautiful public areas both indoors and outside. One of the courtyards has a fountain in the center and off to the side, a koi pond. We sat and watched the fish for a while and then went back inside to pick up a couple snacks to take on the bus ride. After gathering our belongings, we went out to the bus stand, which, while mildly chaotic, was still a pleasant place to wait, given the weather. We started getting a little apprehensive when 3 buses loaded up and departed for Bakersfield, with no sign of our LAS bus, and no announcements or information given. Departure time had come and gone, and the kids were starting to give me those "looks". We finally found an employee who said we had not missed it and to wait at the far end. Finally, the Greyhound arrived and the irascible driver got out and we began boarding. (OK, I did not know that early on that he was in fact irascible). An hour after scheduled departure, the bus lumbered out of Union Station and we were on our way. There is really no way I can say this without sounding negative... so I'm just going to say it. This is not an experience that we ever hope to repeat. I make no apologies for hating it, as Shakespeare said "to thine own self be true". So the bus makes numerous stops in little stations around the LA area before heading out to the desert. No express bus, this is, and the driver made a long and interesting announcement after everyone boarded. There was a strict lecture about noise, using headphones for electronics, and keeping conversations quiet, (which I did appreciate) along with an admonition that alcohol or drug use and hostility would not be tolerated and would be "prosecuted." As I said, interesting. He then continued to educate us about the delay and told everyone to call ahead and let whoever was meeting us know that we would be late, between 530-6 pm instead of 4:55. "This is a bus," he said unnecessarily, "This is not a train, or a plane. This is a busy spring break week, and the highways and byways are all being used by people like you who...." it went on like that. Well, this was completely disingenious because the delay was caused by the Greyhound's hour late departure from LAX, not by any traffic on the "highways and byways." His lecture had the desired effect, I guess, because no one complained, at least not out loud, although the guy in the seat in front of us muttered angrily before taking a sip from his little flask.

-To Be Continued- there's the work thing and this is taking longer to write than anticipated.
 
Aloha

I guess I have not cared about the Bus ride because every time I have ridden it was going to or from friends and family. And also since I was not driving the rout I could watch the scenery go by. Did you see the cat on the mountain?
 
Don't remember the cat on the mountain,GG. There were some weird looking solar panel things set in a flat area, though. Looked like alien spaceships or something. Anyway, to continue, one of the last LA-area stops was San Bernadino. (I think... might have that wrong... it was a tiny little station). The driver announced we would be there 10 minutes and could get off the bus. I decided to go see if there was a restroom in the station, and the kids stayed onboard. As I got off, the driver was chatting with a station security guard. Before I could say anything, he assumed his version of a polite smile, gestured and said, "You can smoke over there." "I don't smoke" I told him. "Is there a restroom inside?" He gave a very interesting response that I won't repeat verbatim here, but if had to do with what I could go do inside if I wanted. Trying for jocularity, I said, "Now don't leave without me." His face transformed with remarkable speed into a decided frown, and I realized that I had used up my 5 seconds of alloted conversation time with him. "What?" he said. "Well, my kids are on the bus, so don't leave without me. Although you would like them. They are nice kids!" If I tell you that my attempt at humor fell a little flat that wouldn't even begin to convey what was reflected in his expression. The security guard chimed in and said in a serious tone, "You can't do that." Now I'm confused. "What? I can't?" "No!" they both said, shaking their heads. I was aghast. "But they are 17 and 11!" The driver and the guard continued the head shaking and the driver said, "You have to take them with you." This was too much. "Really?" I said. "To the bathroom?" The security guard then said, "No, we meant you can't leave them and take off." The reader is probably thinking they were being humorous but they so clearly were not. They were speaking to me in the exact same tones as were used to tell the passengers they couldn't do drugs onboard. Why on earth would they even feel the need to say something like that??? I walked into the station and saw a table where the TSA was wanding everyone and searching their bags prior to boarding, then looked at the station restroom. it smelled awful and 2 women were in the midst of a conversation about a "problem" with one of the stalls. I walked back out and got on the bus. As we pulled out and headed back to the freeway, for the benefit of the newly boarded passengers the driver repeated his lecture about noise and not using any illicit substances. He also announced there would be a meal break at Barstow. The kids were pretty hungry by now and luckily we had the Subway sandwiches purchased at LAX, so they had something to eat in the meantime, and we simply avoided drinking anything. The bus ride over the desert was certainly scenic, and there was still the anticipation of our final destination. The passengers around us were just a very, very interesting cross section of humanity. I don't want to be judgmental, so I'm not judging, I'm just saying that I wouldn't want to meet most of them in a dark alley, and there was an awful lot of information sharing that I'm not thrilled my kids got to hear. At least, not my youngest. The guy in front of us, who seemed mean at first, mellowed out quite a bit the more he sipped from his flask. My daughter whispered, "Mom, he's drunk." He got very cordial with the woman next to him and they had some very earthy conversations, but my daughter started watching a movie on her portable DVD, with earbuds and didn't hear much. My son was across the aisle next to another young man. That's about where the resemblance between the two ended, and I'm not going to elaborate on that. By the time we were getting near Barstow, I got to really appreciate the prison warden I mean the driver's announcements. We pulled into the Barstow rest stop and most of the passengers made a beeline for the main building. We went into a nearby burger place, bought some food and used the bathrooms there before heading back to the Greyhound. From here on in it would be nonstop to Vegas, and the passengers seemed more settled, although a couple of times the driver admonished everyone that if he could hear a conversation, it was too loud. Finally the desert landscape began to give way to occaisonal buildings and then we were approaching the Strip. Iconic Vegas landmarks thrilled the crowd, and the kids perked up too. There was one final announcement threatening people with eternal damnation if they didn't stay seated until he advised us it was OK to stand up... fine, totally understandable... and then we were there. Readers will appreciate that we were pretty dam thrilled to be getting off that bus. We were humbly grateful that our luggage was not stolen, and we cut through the station and headed to Fremont Street to our hotel. There was no sightseeing other than the walk through Fremont, through the casino and then the checkin process. Our room at the D hotel was quiet and comfortable, we all took LONG HOT showers and relaxed for the night before heading out the next morning. 2 days on the Strip at the MGM and come Thursday, the 10th, we are reluctantly going to head back on Train 4.

Next up: Van to Kingman, AZ... like... Night to a different Night
 
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Enjoying the trip report Mich Mom. Your last segment on the bus will reinforce our efforts to avoid bus rides as much as possible. :eek:

Although, we have ridden the buses from LA to Bakersfield during the day to connect with the San Joaquins and they were all pretty nice experiences.

Looking forward to your Kingman shuttle experience which is how we will make our trip to Laughlin and Las Vegas in the future.
 
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You'll have no problems with the shuttle service, RRBill - maybe the late hour, but as you will see, a totally different experience than the bus ride. Without further ado:

From Knight, to Night... to a different Knight... and then another Night....

So, after 4 days, 3 nights, late on the 4th day after hanging out at Excalibur for the day, we arrive at LAS airport via taxi. We are all feeling somewhat letdown about leaving Vegas but were also looking around wondering where to find the bus or shuttle to Kingman. One of the airport police was familar and he pointed out the bus/shuttle stand just outside the terminal. Even then we weren't sure exactly where to wait and we found another traveler who was waiting for the Amtrak shuttle as well. RRBill and anyone else planning this, I suggest arriving no earlier than 45 minutes before departure, maybe 30, although even 20 would not make you miss the shuttle. Shortly after we found where the correct stop was, a van drove up and the friendly driver got out then came over to talk with us. The van was pulling a "pod" that would hold the luggage. The driver, who knew our names before we could tell him, collected the tickets and introduced himself. His name was Andy and he was the epitome of professional, friendly and considerate. For those of us who had arrived early, he loaded the luggage in the pod. We were welcome to wait inside the van but it was a pleasant evening and we all elected to wait outside. He discussed suggested seating for everyone. For our group of 3, he thought the last row would be best, and we took him up on the offer. When it came time to board, 2 passengers did not show up, and after Andy directed us to our seats, advised that my son could stretch out in the empy row if he wanted. Andy completed some paperwork and we were on our way. What a different experience from the Greyhound this was. Swadian Hardcore will want to kill me and I understand, I can only ask for similar understanding that not everyone looks at everything the same way. Anyway, Andy gave detailed information on what the trip would be like, stops, climate control, and asked us to let him know if we were uncomfortable in any way. No one onboard was picky about that and the heat alternated with the a/c. The first stop would be Laughlin, which was about an hour and a half, and then after 30 minutes there, Kingman was only 35 minutes away. So even the first leg went by quickly. I actually wished this could be done in daytime for the scenery and wakefullness aspect but I'm sure there is just no other way to structure this connection else someone would have thought of it by now. We catnap a little and soon wake up when the van pulls off the freeway, and Andy parks in a neon-lit plaza adjacent to a hotel, In and Out Burger, gas station and other buildings. The desert night is pleasant and cool. My son decides he'd rather stay napping so my daughter and I get out to explore. What we thought was a hotel, as we went in to locate the restroom, was actually a casino (with hotel attached). The casino floor was vast but not tortuous like it would be in Vegas; rather it was one large floor. The night had a surreal quality, so many people awake so late, in this beautiful desert community. It honestly felt like life on a different planet. We walked to the store across the street to get bottled water/ milk and I was intrigued by the In and Out Burger. Supposedly this is a chain that West Coasters hold dear because of the excellent burgers and I wanted to try one. On the other hand I don't normally eat cheeseburgers in the middle of the night. Still, who knows when we'd have the opportunity. My daughter declined so I ordered one and indeed, it was pretty darn good. Just the regular cheeseburger. Highly recommended :) Maybe the 2 Joes could check it out and let everyone know what they think. After that we head back to the van, I asked Andy if he was able to get a burger and he said he was busy doing his paperwork during the break. Everyone boards and we head back to the freeway. As Andy had promised, it was a short ride to the Kingman, AZ Amtrak station. Andy showed us how the station sits along historic Route 66, and said that the train was running on time, (which meant an hour wait) and unloaded the luggage while he explained that we could sit inside the waiting room but that the rest of the station was closed, including the small museum at the other end, although we could peek through the windows. There was another room where Amtrak crew were waiting but we couldn't access that. I have to say Andy was really an amazing person. Can you imagine doing his job, having to work only at night? Being so cheerful, professional and focused on customer safety? I can't. His demeanor and how he performed his job gave me a confidence that I don't normally have driving around in the middle of the night. Andy wished us all safe travels, we said goodbye and he set off on his hour commute to his home. After that, there was nothing to do but doze or play with electronic devices in the small waiting room. Andy had warned us a lot of freight traffic would be coming through, and after we all jumped up at the first one, we realized there was no chance the SW Chief would be that early and everyone kind of settled in their seats. One passenger did go outside to look at the freight trains when they showed up but it was chilly enough that the rest of us stayed inside. Finally, at around 15 minutes before scheduled arrival time, a conductor came through the adjoining door to instruct us where we should wait on the platform. I have to say his directions were very explicit. It seemed no one would be boarding at the same door. When Train 4 finally arrived, we were a little shocked at the distance we walked to our sleeper. The other sleeper passenger was waiting in a different area, and the coach passengers, in a different area yet. Doors were opened and they all boarded and I started to feel a little irrationally apprehensive. Finally a conductor got to us, and let us on. Again, a little irrational but i can't describe how relieved we all were, to be onboard our sleeper, to find our beds ready. Car 430 was one of the older cars, with the nonworking "music controls" in the roomettes. Considering the date of manufacture, I sure would love to know what the musical selections were. Unlike many passengers I probably would love the music. I hoped the SCA didn't have to wake up in the middle of the night to get the rooms ready, but I'm guessing not since we didn't see anyone. Quietly, we got settled, cleaned up and my son, across from us in his own roomette, hoisted our small bags into his upper bunk. We said good night to him and gratefully crawled into our own beds and fell asleep quickly. Our shuttle ride from LAS, to Kingman, compared with the bus ride, definitely Night to Knight... or Knight to Day... or day to night.... anyway....

Next.... Flagstaff, AZ and beyond
 
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MM. The last time we were in Kingman, the station was still being renovated and there was a small room in a building across the street from the station where everyone waited. We stayed at a Quality Inn where the crew stayed and the hotel shuttle brought all of us down to the waiting room before the train arrival. Nice to know the station is usable now and that you had such a great experience with the LV shuttle.

Look forward to the next part of the report. :)
 
Wow, great report so far - I'm looking forward to reading the rest of it!

I've not yet seen the Metropolitan Lounge in Los Angeles - it sounds very nice. I also love LAUS. It's such a beautiful old building, and all those courtyards and fountains make it a lovely place to spend a layover. I just booked a trip on Train #4 today and actually chose an earlier connection so that we can spend more time there! I'd never even think about doing that at any airport, anywhere.
 
In a precursor to our Gastronomic Adventures, when the 2 Joes ventured to Vegas to help Eric with the Santa train for the Nevada RR Museum, we encountered In and Out! I had heard some rumors about the joint beforehand and had done a little research for our order. With a little trepidation we each ordered the following: One 2 by 2 animal style and fries well done, without batting an eye they placed the order and sent us along our way! In and Out has a complete secret menu to order from! We were pleased with the meals we received and we may have to try another secret option sometime! It was on this trip that the seed for our adventures was planted!
 
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