What I Learned on our Train Trip to Boston and Back Again

Our really marvelous bedroom compartment--the type that we had all the way back across the country.
It cost more than the smaller roomettes we had on the way to Boston,
but it was roomy and private, and we really loved it. 

1. Always wear your glasses when visiting the little bathroom down at the end of the train car for the first time. If you don't, as I didn't, you will see several buttons to push, each with a little blurry sign next to it. I pushed the first and largest black one, expecting to hear the toilet flush. Nothing happened right away, so I poked at a few other buttons, one of which just happened to be red.

When I emerged victorious from the tiny cubicle, I almost ran over Rene, our kind and most solicitous car attendant, who politely inquired if he could be of service. I thought--oh, my, this traveling first class business is really something else--you get such wonderful service (while wondering how on earth he might assist me with the business at hand).

It was only on my second visit to the necessary room--this time wearing my glasses--that I could read the sign next to that little red button, which said, Press for emergency assistance.


Ah, well, I can only assume that Rene, used as he is to older, near-sighted passengers, has run into this situation many times before, which would explain his air of calmness and general lack of anxiety.

The first train: Cameras were at the ready!

2. This riding on the train is a special experience. We discovered through chats with our table mates in the dining car, people were on the train for a variety of reasons--because they could no longer stand the indignities of post 9/11 air travel, because they wanted to see where they were going, or because they just wanted to experience the nostalgia of old-fashioned rail travel.

We were trying hard to act like grown-ups, but were so excited when our train arrived in Albuquerque and we were to board for the first leg of our journey. But then I saw that others around us were a bit giddy, too, when I observed the cameras coming out to document both the train and the travelers. That somehow made the fact that we were so thrilled okay, and we all gaily took pictures of every part of this wonderful travel experience.

3. Now that we have traveled by train, we have somehow become true Travelers. Going places by plane never had this effect on either of us, but now we want to experience travel throughout the world, mile by mile. Maybe we'll try freighters or the Queen Mary to get ourselves across the ocean; once there, we might try trains and canal boats to travel through England, Italy, and France--and maybe we'll even go to China or to Russia. That's as far as we've gotten with our plans and fantasies, but henceforth we will consider ourselves Travelers, with a capital T.

Along the Mississippi River by Train, for Skywatch

The Sun shines not on us but in us.

The Rivers flow not past, 
But through us.

~John Muir

A river sings a holy song conveying the mysterious truth that we are a river, 

and if we are ignorant of this natural law, we are lost.

~Thomas Moore - From The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life

Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day. 

~A. A. Milne, Pooh's Little Instruction Book

For skies everywhere, be sure to visit Skywatch Friday. 

Dark Skies Over the Night Train, for Skywatch

On our recent train trip from New Mexico to Boston and back again, I was fascinated by the night scenes I could observe from the lower berth. I awoke one night when the train stopped for fuel in Kansas City, Missouri.

Mmm, mmm, it doesn't get any better than a night train. A night train in Kansas City. I know there's a song there, somewhere...

I loved the angles and the light and the sight of the empty night train. And the dark skies, of course, for Skywatch.

I think I just like that phrase: Night train. It conjures up the memory of train sounds, and that slightly swaying train feeling, and the darkness sliding by, and the moon on the river, and the clackety sound of going over the bridges. Night train.

And I really, really loved the effects I could get of the night lights in Kansas City, once the train started moving. You can see that it was just a little bumpy, down there in the lower berth. 

For skies in the day and skies in the night, be sure to visit Skywatch Friday. 

Irene's Damage in Upstate New York

A lock along the Erie Canal has been terribly damaged by the flood. It has become a dam, rather than a bridge.

From Chicago to Boston, we traveled on Amtrak's Lakeshore Limited. According to the route guide: 

The Lake Shore Limited follows some of the nation’s most beautiful shorelines, combining scenic beauty with interesting history. Traversing the shores of Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, the Erie Canal, the Mohawk River, the Finger Lakes and the Berkshires, it splits in Albany offering alternate routes to either Boston or New York. The variety of landscapes and waterways that make this trip so beautiful and memorable punctuate the skylines of either city at journey’s end within blocks of the Atlantic Ocean.

[The Lake Shore Limited is the descendent of the former New York Central Railroad’s train of the same name, along with the 20th Century Limited that plied the same route,albeit with all-Pullman (sleeping car) service. Making its first run in 1902 out of New York’s Grand Central Station, the train ran for almost 70 years. So rich and famous were its patrons that Paparazzi would often wait at its terminus with the expectationthat somebody in the public eye would step off of the train – perhaps James Cagney or William Randolph Hearst.

The most famous incarnation of the train was the new streamlined version designed by Henry Dreyfuss that debuted in 1938. However, “cowled” steam locomotives soon gave way to diesel power at the conclusion of World War II. After the failure in 1970 of the merged New York Central and Pennsylvania Railroad, Penn Central, Amtrak was formed to take over passenger service. On October 31, 1975, the Lake Shore Limited returned to the route with service that included both coach and sleeping cars, more closely aligned with its namesake than with the Century.]

After the train split at Albany--our part went on towards Boston and the other part went to New York City--we began to see the effects of Hurricane Irene, which had churned through the region just days before, leaving flooding and extreme damage in its wake. We first saw curiously gray-colored ground cover in the woods along the track, finally realizing that this was due to the recent flooding and that everything was drying out after being covered with mud.

Then we saw a beautiful historical building (Guy Park Manor, built in the Revolutionary War era) that had been torn apart by the raging floodwaters. You can see photos and an article about it in the New York Times of Sept. 1, 2011: Manor That Has Stood For Centuries Teeters in Storm's Wake.

I took these photos along the Erie Canal--as far as I can tell, we were just passing Lock 11 near Amsterdam. You can see a newspaper slide show of the area and the damage in the Albany, NY, Times Union newspaper of Sept. 19, 2011.

The downstream side of the lock

For more information about the Erie Canal, see The Erie Canal for the history and some historical photos; and The Official Site of the New York State Canal System, where you can find updates and press releases about the damage to the Erie Canal from both Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, as well as advisories and anticipated re-opening dates for the canal. This site also includes information about all the canals in the 524-mile New York Canal System.

In spite of the damage we could see, this was beautiful country, much as we both remembered seeing it in The Last of the Mohicans.

Union Station, Chicago

Continuing our rail journey out of Albuquerque: On our second day on the train we came into Chicago's Union Station for a bit of a layover and a change of trains. What an amazing place this is! On our first stop there on the way back east, we pretty much grabbed something to eat, pawed through our suitcases for a change of clothes, and hopped onto the Internet to catch up with the world. On the way back, we took more pictures, shown here. 

From the Union Station website: ... completed in 1925 by the Graham, Anderson, Probst and White Firm, the Great Hall is considered to be one of the greatest indoor spaces in the United States.

Guests are awed as they enter this 20,000 foot classic Beaux Arts style room which boasts 18 soaring Corinthian columns, terracotta walls, a pink Tennessee marble floor and is crowned with a spectacular five-story, barrel-vaulted, atrium ceiling.

While waiting for the train the second time through Union Station (on our way back home) we found the Metro Deli, where I had the best salad ever--Grilled Shrimp and Roasted Pear. I have posted a version of it here on my recipe blog. You can drool over the rest of the Deli's menu here. 

On this leg of our journey, traveling from Chicago to Boston, we had a different type of roomette. I was so looking forward to having my own private bathroom, but once again we were reduced to giggles at the sight of it. If you look carefully to the left of Beez, that is the whole thing. There is a toilet (with a pillow stored on top of it in this photo), sitting right there next to the seat, with a little pull-down sink above it. 


I'm telling you, we broke some new ground on this journey! At least there was a nice view from the toilet, and a nice view of the toilet, as well. When you are traveling by rail in the eastern part of the country, only single level trains are allowed, because bridges and overpasses are lower than in the wide-open west, where our double decker train traveled with no restrictions. So our little in-room bathroom was in full view on ground level. 


I was so desperate to wash my hair that this is where I used a rinsed-out wine bottle to pour water over my head and into the tiny sink, while waving merrily to the porters just outside the window in the station as we waited that night for the train to leave on the final leg to Boston.

Second Day: On Board at Last

Just before noon in Albuquerque we boarded the Southwest Chief, Amtrak's train that runs from Los Angeles to Chicago. We had plenty of time before the train left to get adjusted to our tiny upstairs roomette. Although we had spent time on the Amtrak website looking at all kinds of info and pictures of roomettes, the actual size of little room itself gave us the giggles. I had thought that our suitcases would fit in there with us--wrong. They had to stay downstairs in storage for the first two days of our journey. If I had only realized, I would have brought a change of clothes in my carry-on bag. 

However, we learned a lot about train travel during this first leg of the journey. We quickly arranged our possessions, and staked out our little areas, surrounding ourselves with cell phone, books, and magazines (Beez); and knitting, sudoku, and digital reader (me). We made do with the clothes on our backs for the first two days, pulling clean clothes out for the next leg of the journey when we had our stopover in Chicago. I even figured out how to wash my hair in a tiny pull out sink while the train was moving, using an empty wine bottle to get the rinse water to my soapy head. But that was on the second leg of the journey, when we had changed trains and had an in-room bathroom of sorts. More about that later!

Most important, we learned to do the train-walk-jiggle-dance (Beez's name for it) as we walked the length of the train to get to other cars. The important thing is to keep your hands ready to reach out to steady yourself on the back of a seat, the edge of a table, or a solid wall (when available)--this will help you avoid landing in someone's lap or in the middle of their dining table when the train makes sudden and unexpected movements. Walking on a moving train is a lot like walking on ice--you need to keep your weight right over your feet and be ready for anything!

Apache Canyon, New Mexico

 As residents of the sleeper car, we soon found that we were considered to be first class travelers. It was almost embarrassing and really unlike anything I've ever experienced, as my previous travels have been less than luxurious.  My only train experience was two days in coach class with a three year old, long ago; and a trip cross country with my mother when I was three, myself. For this journey, we were called to our meals in the dining car to be waited on and to dine at white tablecloth-covered tables; to get to the dining car we crossed through several coach cars where folks were either trying to sleep in a variety of uncomfortable-looking positions or making do with snacks either brought from home or purchased at the snack bar.

When the dining car attendant ascertained that we were "sleeper," all we had to do was to sign for our supper, as all meals (excepting alcoholic drinks) were included in our fares. We could choose anything off the menu without any concern for cost, and without being bothered with any pesky payment. Lovely!

Another nice thing about the dining car is that you sit side-by-side with your traveling companion, which means that you are seated across from someone new at each meal. We ate and chatted with people from Australia, New Mexico, Massachusetts, Florida, New York, and from other places, as well. There were a lot of Amish folks traveling by train, but we didn't get to meet any of them, to my disappointment.

On the Amtrak site, you can download a copy of the Southwest Chief's menu, if you wish. The veggie burgers were delicious.

Near Glorieta Pass, New Mexico

When traveling by train you can wander around to the sightseer lounge car or down to the snack bar to bring back a bottle of wine. It was so relaxing, with someone else doing the driving.

Near Pecos, New Mexico

Near Pecos, New Mexico

At first, I was shocked at how close trains were to us when they passed on the next track, but I got used to it

The remains of Fred Harvey's Hotel Castaneda at the Las Vegas, New Mexico train station

Late afternoon in the Sunflower Valley of Colorado

As it got dark, we tried to re-arrange our seats into berths, but needed a little help. The porter chided us for even trying, and set the whole business up in a moment or two. Sleeping in a train berth took some getting used to, and my first night was a bit restless. However, I loved waking up as we passed through little train stations and farmland, and I saw a whole batch of very wide-awake looking people board at 4 AM in Newton, Kansas. Beez, on the other hand, spent his first night in the upper berth worrying that he might fall out as the train swayed and chugged along. We got better at train-sleeping as we went along.

We traveled through much of Colorado and Kansas in the dark, waking to see Kansas City, Missouri
in the early morning light

Crossing the Missouri River

Train shadow on a trestle

The farms in Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois were the tidiest that I had ever seen. This one is near Mendota, Illinois. The sky had a smoggy look at we approached Chicago, and the weather outside was hot and humid. 

Next Monday's post: Chicago, a layover, and a new train to Boston

By Rail Across the Country

Our first train pulls into the station in Albuquerque, ready for us to climb aboard. We were so excited!

A week or so ago I took a little break from blogging, ostensibly  to work on some fiber projects. While I was knitting, Beez and I took a train trip across the country. We had many adventures: We visited America's most beloved ballpark, we ate (always with the eating, I know, I know!) at America's "oldest restaurant in continuous service," we met up with friends and family, and we met people from all over the U.S.--we even dined (eating again!) on the train with a couple from Australia.

At our destination, we stayed in a historic and elegant hotel ("one of the five greenest luxury hotels" in America). If you know us at all, you will notice that the luxury hotel part is very out of character. We are way more Motel Six kind of people, because we often travel with our dogs and we have to choose places where we are all welcome. However, this trip was in celebration of our 30th wedding anniversary and that called for something special. My good husband, Beez, put the whole thing together and I am still thanking him for planning such an amazing and special trip, where the journey was as much fun as the destination. 

Our sweet Auntie Bucksnort stayed home with our animals and hers all mashed up into one great big dog/cat/chicken pack-flock. We couldn't have done it without her! Here is one of her emails to us while we were gadding about:

This is a full time job with all these digestive systems churning away. There's always something going in one end and coming out the other, every minute of the day. It's like a factory around here. Cody is still being a great big little piglet. He never touches his special dry food. Skimpy spent the night outside last night. I couldn't find her anywhere. She finally showed up this morning. Chickens are fat and happy, getting lots of scraps and scratch. Petey is everyone's favorite toy, he just rolls around on his back waving his arms in the air while the wild bunch snarls and puts his head in one mouth or another and fights over their squiggly little toy. He just lies there grinning. The mosquitoes are REALLY really really bad, inside and out. I have to put on repellant before I go to sleep! And that's the news from Lake Poop-Be-Gone.

In the next few days, I'll share the details of the trip with you. Just think, it will be like watching some friend's never-ending vacation slideshow, only you can opt out with the click of a button.

Going East on the Union Pacific

I was born in Maine. When I was just three months old, my adventurous parents put my bassinet between them on the front seat of the car and headed west to a promised postwar job in the shipyard at San Francisco. Three and a half years later, in 1948, my mother took me on a train trip back to Maine to visit the relatives. Many years later, when I had a three-year old of my own, I took him on a train trip from Washington state to northern California, a total of 18 hours. We had lots of fun, but I can only admire my own mother's fortitude in taking me on a multi-day train trip across the entire country.

All I can remember about my train trip with my mother was the new brown and pink plaid dress she had sewn for me to wear. It had a little "built-in" pink apron, and my mom and I decided that the apron would be perfect for gathering eggs when we got to Uncle Murray's farm.

Reality was quite different from my imaginings. Yes, I wore that little dress out to the hen house but, as a shy and urban child, I could not make my peace with those fierce hens. I do remember feeling extremely offended when Uncle Murray offered me some fresh milk out in the barn. I agreed that a serving of milk would be a good thing, but was shocked when he delivered it by aiming at me with the cow's teat. It was a little too fresh for my citified taste!

Luckily for me, my mother saved the children's menus from the train trip. A little research on the Internet has helped me to piece together a few facts. Two of my menus are marked with the date and I found the same menus on eBay, so now I know that we traveled part of the way on the Union Pacific Railroad. From what I can tell by looking at old railroad route maps, I am assuming that we went to Omaha, and then to Chicago, and then on to New England.

Here are the breakfast, luncheon, and dinner menus for the well-traveled child in the postwar United States. They are an interesting glimpse into our past.