While I am sure some of you may be uninterested in the detail I will provide, it is my desire to paint an accurate and complete picture from our first waking moments of this day, until we close our eyes, side by side on the train.
This is why I will begin with my first waking thought:
"I am really tired and I don't want to get out of bed." A great attitude to start my day. :-)
Steve hopped in the shower while I lounged in bed, hoping to resurrect some latent energy. We had gone to bed late and just the thought of the laundry that still needed to be put away and the odds and ends I needed to get done before we left, slightly overwhelmed my sleepy head. I wandered aimlessly around the house for a few moments before getting a shower and packing my toiletries. Steve had the smart idea to hold our mail (you can do this online at usps.com) so we wouldn't have piles of it when we got back. He had to run to the church to drop something off and by the time he got back, I was ready to go and Ev arrived shortly after to take us to the train station.
Philadelphia 30th station was grand in its day. The ceilings were high and tiled with deep burgundy and gold colors. A little monument had been erected to outline the station's history. It was dreamed of in the 20's and built in the 30's. Perhaps my favorite part (other than the architecture) was the train information board. With every change or update of schedule, the letters would flip, creating a lovely clicking sound throughout the station.
30th St. Station ceiling with lamps:
Some of the people I observed:
Policeman with a beautiful German Shepard dog
Couple making-out on a bench
Red Caps- gentleman who take your luggage down to the train tracks for you (so named for the red caps they wear).
Crazy lady who spent the weekend in Atlantic City for her birthday (she was very friendly) :)
Me with all of our luggage:
Scenery rushing by:
Train stop
Beautiful!
The train from Philadelphia to Washington D.C. was 1 story and ___ cars long. The seats were comfortable and there was plenty of luggage space. We settled down for a 2 hour trip. The time flew! Steve worked on his computer and I read a book. I did think that the train smelled a bit like the mouthpiece on a clarinet I used to play in elementary school. There were outlets and reading lights conveniently placed at every seat. Overall, a very pleasent ride.
We arrived in D.C. around 2:00 and for $3 found lockers to store our luggage in while we found a place to eat. The train station was BEAUTIFUL! There were so many stores and restaurants to choose from. The building itself was stunning and ornate, especially since it was decorated for Christmas. We settled on Johnny Rockets and enjoyed excellent burgars and fries. After wandering around a little while, we retrieved our luggage and checked it into our next Amtrack train.
Washington D.C. Union Station:
Now, the wonderful thing about my husband and I is that we have the ability to think and prepare for situations in advance. This does us little good, however, if we forget to actually follow through on these wonderful ideas. The train provides each passanger with a pillow to sleep with. These are the same pillows that they give you on airlines...basically useless. Steve purchased small pillows that we covered in our own pillowcases and packed those along with two fleece blankets for our 17 hour trip throughout the night. You guessed it...instead of switching them to our carry-on bags, we left them in our checked luggage. Now, we are reduced to be like the common folk and use the stupid pillows.
Our train!
The 2nd Amrack train we took (17 hours) would take us from D.C. straight to Chicago. We found a seat with an outlet and settled in. The leg room was great, the seats were comfortable and the wide windows had curtains. Lovely train. We also ended up having great train neighbors. One of them sang "How Great Thou Art". She had a beautifully, mellow voice.
WHAT A GREAT TRIP...other than the stupid pillows.
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