Em and I eagerly rose this morning to start our vacation. Alex and Kathy were at our place by 5. We were on the train by 6. Just like that at 6:10 the train started rolling. We toured scenic early morning San Diego, winding through canyons and getting a slightly different view of the drive north. Note to self: Leave the ticket thing at your seat and then go get breakfast.
Soon we were at the famous Union Station in LA. We headed to the main lobby and were welcomed to the Amtrak lounge/bar area. Still a bit too early to drink, but it was a nice place to hang out. Soon it was time to board our sleeping car. We were surprised with its comfort, and while not the size of a hotel room, it was considerably more comfortable than the seats on the first train. After we started rolling, our concierge attendant, Andre, gave us two complimentary bottles of champagne. It was promptly consumed.
How can you describe our train trip? It is kind of like a mix between an intercontinental flight and a cruise. The areas are small, its a bit bumpy, kinda noisy but has great views, free food and entertainment, and you can walk about. We grabbed lunch, played games, read some of the Last Harry Potter book (Thanks Casey), and drank some of our smuggled box margarita. Overall we have been very impressed with the train.
We have seen some amazing beaches/mountains/plains... pretty much all the great parts of California , from our window. We had a good dinner of Lamb and Duck. And now we are rolling along until we get tired enough to turn our two big seats into two small beds. Tomorrow we will awaken still on the road headed toward Portland. The trip is off to a good start.
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