Beltane Waning Flower Moon 9a.m.
Made it to the station at 7:30 a.m. this morning. Kate pulled away in the tundra while I checked my bag through to Savannah. The ticket agent put SAV on my bag and stapled a tag with SAV onto my ticket. I asked about a roomette to Chicago, $196, I said no thank you.
After 5 minutes of waiting, the conductor called Chicago. I went to the small makeshift wooden cart, Amtrak blue, handed my multi-ticket folder to a man with a real conductor’s hat. He looked at it and said,. “Chi.” The man next to him in a red vest handed me a peach colored piece of paper about 2 inches wide and 8 inches long. On it in block letters is CHI.
“Second car to your left,” he said and pointed out toward the platform.
There was a man in all blue standing beside an open door on a train with several cars. “Put the chit over your seat, please. This is very important. Up the steps to your left and take a seat up above.”
I found a seat, dutifully put my CHI above a window seat on the east side of the train and sat down. I knew from the past that this would put the Mississippi River outside my window.
Until the train started I read World Without End on my Kindle 2. After we began the slow roll away from the station,.I put the Kindle away to enjoy the trip through St. Paul from an unusual perspective. We rolled past the new High Bridge, then passed under the bluffs on Irvine Park, my old home.
The call to breakfast came as we left St. Paul. I shared breakfast with a gap toothed retired farmer from Alberta who kept alerting me to the fact that we don’t know what hardship really is. Our other table mates joined us in a round of why we don’t like to fly anymore and why we were all so wise as to choose the train. The food was good and the menu had all the items available, unusual in my recent experience, but welcome.
Since breakfast I have sat here in my window seat watching the unglaciated Mississippi River valley, its limestone cliffs and wide waters a visual treat. I look forward to this part of the trip each time.
4:15 p.m. Metropolitan lounge Chicago Union Station
Got in early. I discovered the first class lounges when I went to NYC a year and a half ago. This lounge has wi-fi, great cell phone reception, drinks, temporary bag storage, plug-ins, free drinks and comfortable chairs scattered around a pleasant room. It has dark wood railings on the walls, dark wood pillars, subdued but adequate lighting and comfortable chairs and couches.
When I checked in, the woman behind the desk took my reservation for dinner on the D.C. train. It leaves at 6:50. The lounge provides a porter and a guide to the train. All these services reduce the hassle of lay-overs and make the experience more enjoyable.
After I checked my bag, I went upstairs and out into a chill, wet Chicago Friday. People hurried past on the sidewalk, umbrellas tilted against the slant of the incoming rain. The rain fell on my bald head and ran down my neck. It felt great after 6+ hours on the train.
The next two segments of the trip, Chicago to D.C. and D.C. to Savannah, I have a roomette. I prefer the privacy and the opportunity to spread out.
