Life in the Slow Lane: Train Trip Out (22

16 October 2008

Train Trip Out (22 - 24/9)

My journey to DC started bright and early with my train leaving at 435 a.m. It was actually running on time at this point. I learned that the train very easily gets behind - freight trains have priority on the tracks and, of course, there was the train stop waiting for the cow to get off the tracks in Iowa, which is one of my favorite train stories from the whole trip. Even though I did make my connection in Chicago by seconds (turns out this is my black hole place for travel, the place where I will be very lucky if I make a connection). Even with those delays, I did enjoy this and would at least recommend doing it once in your life. I got to meet new people, whose names I don't remember and many of whom I did not learn at all. I had lunch with a couple from South Africa and ate breakfast with some from Indiana. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the dining car and the club car were actually pretty comparable to any other restaurant. Looking out the window it was incredible to see the scenery passing by and seeing this country in it's splendor. Unfortunately, I don't remember exactly where I took my pictures from the window. So, I'll try to label, but some of it's just my best guess.

One of my favorite stories from the train trip, however, had nothing to do with what was going on outside the window. On the trip from Chicago to DC, I was seated next to a nice guy who was completely disillusioned with the journey and chose to just sleep to try to stop being annoyed. Across the aisle was a mother traveling alone with her three-month old son. During one of his naps, I offered to help her out with her son. I didn't know if she would take me up on the offer or not - random stranger offering to take your child off your hands and all - but she did. I don't know if it's because I came across as a nice person, if she figured we were on a train and there was no where to run or if she just really needed a break, but she gave him to me and went to take care of some business. The look on the guy's face when he woke up and saw the baby on my lap was priceless. I just told him "the trip has taken a lot longer than we though it would." After the initial confusion, he remembered where he had seen the baby from and played a bit with him as well. I just wish that I had had my camera ready when he initially woke up. It was fabulous.

The first part of my trip - The California Zephyr line.

The second leg - The Capitol Union line (I think that was the name of the run)

This is about where they said we would be running along the line of the Colorado River. In my mind this is just a tributary because it seems way too small to be the actual river.