freezing from Fort Worth to Austin

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DFW to Austin
Tues. 1 Feb.

This will likely be episodic, so hang on! Currently on Amtrak train 21 in the last rays of the afternoon sun - which runs Chicago to San Antonio TX - having joined it at Fort Worth, lvg at 2.10pm. It was there already at 1.50 when I arrived, having hailed a passing cab (very slowly due to ice) outside the Sheraton - somewhat surprised to see an elderly black lady inside but it got me to the station - or what they grandly call in Ft Worth ITC - that's Intermodal Transport Centre - i.e. local rail to Dallas, the TRE; the Amtrak train; buses and Greyhounds. At 4.04pm we passed Crawford TX (blink and miss it) the ranch home of Pres. Bush – not that you can see anything. We stopped at Temple TX for 5 mins – I hopped for a (very) quick look see and the train – 5 min. stop? more like 3, almost took off without me. It was formerly the HQ of the Santa Fe railroad or whatever but not a lot to see (in 2 mins anyway). The wind there was icy – after being on the train it really cut like a knife and I was happy to be on board again.

As you will have seen from the earlier pics all-enveloping snow this morning at 7.15am was a bit of a surprise. I knew it was going to be old but did not expect THAT cold and so soon – the cold cell must have really intensified and is predicted (Yahoo weather on my Ipod) to continue for next 3 days or so. Although it is mostly sunny/cloudy at the mo. The pavement was very icy outside the hotel and you had to be careful how you walked to avoid slipping – walking on ice new for me – snow I have done. And the road was just scrunched up ice and slush – vehicles generally only doing around 20mph and if you had 4WD I think wise to use it!

Now 3 hrs S of Fort Worth and given the late afternoon no real ice still visible here in the paddocks. The country side is pretty flat in all directions with only sight rises here and there. Texas is like Australia really – but yellow rather than brown, but still pretty dry. I saw some Texas wines last night in a shop – not sure how they manage it, growing the grapes that is – but they grow in the Riverina which is also pretty dry - and it did not look that flash – dry red might have been an apt description!

I think I did mention it was fairly cold here right? I think I have enough warm clothes to cope with close to or even under zero, the two under-T poly wool thermals will be as handy as Europe in October (and have advantage of drying very quickly, which is a plus for travel, a new quick drying long sleeve bought at Kathmandu in Akld for half price – my soft shell jacket which only has light fleece lining – but also my warm fleece – used today of course. I even brought my windstopper Kathmandu skullcap – and am wishing I had brought the gloves as well – well today anyway. By the end of the week it may all be a memory as certainly the Gulf country is warmer than here. And hey, Florida is Florida – moderate-warm all the time in Miami.

The train was comfortable – in chatting with a woman who was going down to Austin for her daughter’s 21st in Austin – why would you drive? – especially on a day like today, with atrocious driving conditions - when you can do it for only a little longer (in normal conditions, not icy) on the train for only $25. The Greyhound is around $40 – and takes over 5 hours. Amtrak is really cheap relatively – it was the first time she had got the train. You can fly – but why would you do that as well with all the delays for checkin and security etc. The legroom is way more generous than any bus – and did I mention they have a diner (not sampled) and more importantly a bar. I got a turkey and cheese hoagie (so Chicago) for $6 and a micro-brewed from Chico, Calif. Sierra Nevada pale ale – nice breakfast at 3pm – I only had coffee when I finally got up at 11 (blogging til 3am – just had to clear the backlog…) and checked out at 12.30pm and just hung in the Sheraton foyer looking at the little snowflake flurries drifting past outside til my exit.

This is posted from Carol's place in Austin where I am staying - local time is 1.45pm and the large outside thermometer in the garden says 20 deg. F - which I think is around -8C or soemthing. Think I will just stay inside! There have not quite been school closures but there have been rolling power outages with the result that they have been kinda cold.

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Photos

the Amtrak train to Austin
on Ft Worth station

Ft Worth platform
check the snow

moving out of Ft Worth
my Sheraton on R, nice old bldg on L

Ft Worth flyovers
slow moving vehicles not shown!

traintrack silos
on the way to Austin

the Amtrak skylounge
nice place to have a beer

Comments

[Huddo]

Coooold.
Hi Mike, Jest reading that made us cold! Good plan to have the winter "woolies" aboard. Amtrack lounge looked the place to be. Love Huddo.