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Published: July 16th 2008
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Sears Tower
Right near the train station Day 1
We left for Portland around 6am. Kelsie drove down with us to take the car back. A quck stop at Tim Horton's on the Maine Mall road enabled us to meet what had to be Tim Horton's newest employee. Two atempts at a hazelnut with just cream, no sugar, and she produced a regular coffee for Brian the third time we asked for it. We'd already paid for it, and it was on the screen, but she was still having trouble.
We got to the bus station right as the bus was boarding. A pleasant ride to Boston watching "the Bucket List," which really isn't a pleasant movie.
A red cap at Boston tried to get us into the first class lounge there, but we were rejected because we weren't riding in a sleeper that day. Uneventful ride to Albany where were switched to the train that would take us to Chicago. Sleeping on coach is not easy. There were too many kids and too many stops, but we both managed to sneak in a few hours throughout the night.
Day 2
We ate breakfast in the dining car. Brian's eggs were cold and awful,
Sun Times Building
Down a body of water I have yet to id, with the Chicago Sun Times Building in the background but my french toast we yummy enough and hot. We got into Chicago 30 minutes late, but plenty of time to store our gear at the Amtrak first class lounge and go for a walk down town. The Sears tower was right next to Union Station. On the way home, we have a longer layover in Chicago and may go up to the observation deck. We went Giordano's for lunch. The deep dish pizza with onions, greep peppers, sausage and pepperoni with fresh mozzerella was fabulous! Wow. We ordered a small and I could only eat two pieces of this gooey delight. We waved off dessert and walked back to the station.
Bob is our attendent on the California Zepher #32 sleeping car. He is a young looking man who claims to be a grandfather. He's very helpful and assured me I could successfully navigate the shower room. It was a little like rinsing under a bucket full of holes, but it was hot and much appreciated and I feel human again. I am a slave to life's conviences.
We passed through flooding near the Missisippi. Corn fields are still flooded a few miles out from it and
the closer we came to the river and got to denser areas, there were still houses with water half way up them. The tracks are littered with railroad ties discarded after repair. Brian saw a few lengths of torn up track in the water as well. There's a bright green algea on top of the still water.
We ate supper with Ernie and his great-nephew Alex. Alex had flown to Boston to pick up his uncle for a visit to Utah so Ernest could see his sister. We had a very pleasant conversation. Sleeping in the sleeper car was alot quieter than coach. I tried the top bunk, if folds down from the roof. There's kinda a harness that would attempt to catch a falling sleeper. We slept through most of Nebraska. I only woke up a couple times during the night, but we were up very early, especially with the hour the clocks went back to mountain time while we slept. We sat in the observation car and watched a pink sunrise over Nebraska. The land had changed from endless cornfield to kinda a scrubrush with trees dotting the landscape and around the houses. There were lots more
California Zepher
All aboard the California Zepher, three days and two nights. Sleeping in the "top bunk" was a bit of a coffin preview, but I decided to get over it. cows in Nebraska. It's very odd to see the sun rise and set as a pink circle so far away on the horizon.
Day 3
We had breakfast with a couple fellas from coach. A man who told us quite a bit about Northern California and a quiet man who I'd guess was going all the way to San Fransisco. We rolled into Denver around 9am and out about 10am. We didn't go too far from the train. I did take a picture of the station.
Once out of Denver, we headed into the Rockies and followed the Colorado River for 238 miles. Our car attendent Bob wanted to make sure we knew how far it was. There were lots of people on the river, waving at the train from rafts and kayaks. Bob had warned us last night that rafters like to give the "Amtrak salute." The Colorodo has many moons!
The scenery was spectacular. Lots of canyons and gorges and the river running through it all. The rocks were painted with different colors and lots of red. The river was slightly brown but full of rafters. We passed through around 50 tunnels. One was 6
Farmland
Miles and miles and endless miles of corn fields in several states. miles long and took 10 minutes to get through. We were asked not to move around or open any of the doors between cars. Opening the doors would let diesel fumes in.
I could have never imagined the vastness in the west, whether it's the cornfields or the scenic pass through the rockies. In the open desert areas, there are small clusters of houses and trailors with a few trees, but nothing else seems to be around for miles and miles. The areas like these aren't much bigger than my dad's field.
Lunch was late today and kinda odd...meatballs with marina sauce on bright yellow rice. Our companion was odd as well. From Minnesota. Amazing what you find out about people on the train, i know he's a vetern, can't keep a girlfriend, has girlfriends who love their dogs too much to travel with him and he kept telling us he's not afraid of water.
The afternoon/evening was spent in Utah. Lots of dry wash landscape. Not much to do but wonder what the settlers thought as they traversed the countryside a few miles a day looking at the same mountain range for days on end. We
Leaving Denver
Thru the Rockies, taking pictures out the window doesn't get the best result. ate supper with Donna and Kevin from New Jersey. Brian and Kevin talked fishing and Donna and I talked kids. It was very pleasant. After finishing a movie on the laptop and some Tylenol PM, we crashed for the night. We lost another hour during the night as we entered Pacific time in Nevada. Much of the night was spent finishing up Utah and entering Nevada.
Day 4.
We saw mule deer, foxes and cows this morning. We up around 5 and in the breakfast car by 6:30. Had breakfast with a couple who are from near Steamboat Springs. They were tired from trying to sleep in coach, but perked up after coffee and juice. They were alot of fun to chat with, he owns his own grocery store that catered to visitors to Steamboat Springs and a local airport that he said the rich and famous fly into. Their area sound amazingly similar to Newry, although probably a little bigger.
The landscape is still dry with moutain ranges off in the distance. Lots of sage brush. Bob's challenge for today was tell him if the Sierra's this afternoon are prettier than the rockies. I can't imagine it's
Road into the Mississippi
A road leading directly into the river. prettier but I'm willing to give it a look.
(We've arrived in Sacramento. More if I find wi-fi again)
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wendymarie37
Wendy Hanscom
Train Food
Robin....train food is a mixed bag. Some was good and some was just so so.