Early, no less.would have been earlier but somewhat set their couch on fire about 15 min from or final stop. Boo!
WaitEd a bit for bags to unload, then met strawberry limo (courtesy of Kate) and we are off to Kentfield. Jp and Caroline are delayed a bit...expected to land in 20 min.
It's nor 52 hours it's only 50. WE are in trukee, ca. Breakfast took forever but was decent. Had a nice long sit in the observation car thru the Nevada desert.
Trukee looks like Telluride a bit, at least a lot like Colorado. There's a river on one side and a mix of Victorians and 1970s style homes. And hills. I love hills!!!
How do you feel?
Liv: I want to go horseback riding. The train is ok, you know. I haven't breathed any fresh air. only two times of fresh air since Monday. I'm happy that it's almost over but it's not almost over bc we still have six hours. and I want to see Caroline and Daddy.
Katie: I have loved every bit of the trip.still it will be v nice to arrive and be on the coast BC it is so lovely there. Arriving is just the cherry on top. Fresh air will def be great. And exercise. I'm totally going for a run this eve.
What a beautiful sunrise. I would have liked to have slept more but this is worth being awake. Liv is still sleeping. :)
We plan on showering today after breakfast. That should be an adventure. There are one or two showers downstairs in this car. A lot of the people who arrived yesterday are gone. Not sure where they went but glad for the quite in the car. Our neighbors with the girls are still here, they are going to California, too, and they are nice to have around. Pete, the grandpa loves to sing and is moved to song very easily.
Pulling into a station...winnemucca, nv. I think I used to work with someone from here.
I'm looking forward to being in CA and WA after this and having lots of fresh air.
Out little room is so perfectly cosy, I just love it.
Happy air travels today!!
Hoping to sleep for about 10 of them. Liv said she'd be willing to do the trip again, which surprised me but I was v happy to hear it.
Tired. Enjoyed the day. We weren't hungry at all for dinner. I ordered chicken and we shared it, and Liv had two salads.
Sunset was gorgeous, pics do not justify.
Sleepy. Xx
We will go thru 47 tunnels today and have already been thru 27. The longest was the Moffat tunnel and it was 6.2 miles long. Or next stop is in 20 min in Granby, CO, then grand junction is 3 hours away.
Breakfast took awhile but was good. We were parked in Denver most of or time in the dining car. We sat with a couple from st Louis who are on their way to a cake convention in Reno. She is an amateur cake decorator. They just bought they daughter a house for $20,500 be cause it was cheaper than putting hey in a storm for college. I think she is older and returning to college. They were nice but had very different ideas about what is good for breakfast (she asked for a Pepsi and tried to order 2 orders of bacon but was told she could only have one).
Came back to or car to find new neighbors. Pete is the grampa, Jeanne ? is the mom, Carly is 15 and Celine is 12. Pete lives on long island and the others are in Washington DC. The girls are spunky and fun (they made up a tunnel dance) and Celine lent Julia her iphone charger. They are at breakfast now and Julia want to explore the train with them when they get back.
We jumped off the train at winter park. The air was so fresh and awesome. I'm going to stick my head out in granby, too. The train is a bit ripe.
Our car is filling up! A whole new family just came on. I think maybe they upgraded from coach for the second night. Pete is singing "a song of the road." He might be making it up as he goes along.
Denver is in sight!!
Liv: hungry (did not really have dinner). Woke up at 6:18 MOUNTAIN TIME, sleep really nicely it was really fun. I woke up in the middle of the night when someone would open their door but I just went back to bed. I was comfortable. I am well rested but bored of reading and my phone is out if battery and I'm hungry and I could really use a hot chocolate.
Katie: slept well too. A little stuff this morning but nothing a good stretch won't iron out. We are stationed in the observation car waiting for a table in the dining room. Obs car is sweet and its awesome to be in Colorado.
also we LOVED cubs pix! You guys had great seats!! What was the final score. Can't wait to hear all about it. Xoxo
Liv went and got Brian to come set up our beds since we could not. We've brushed or teeth and washed it faces and put of PS and locked the door. Feeling very sleepy! Goodnight Chicago! Hope you had a fun night.
Can't see stars from the train but sunset was awesome.
How do you feel...8/52
Liv: I feel really soothing and its so cool on the top bunk it feels like I'm on arocking chair and I've got the harness on the side and the rocking feels like being onvery small gentle roller coaster. I think I will sleep well but I might wake up.
Katie: bed feels comfy which is good and I'm very glad I brought my own pillow. Sleeping head first but there's a lot of motion anyway so it doesn't feel weird to go backward. Hopeful but not expecting a good night sleep.
The reason why we're in the first car is BC its the last car to be filled with reservations. The first sleeper cars are in the back of the train, and they boarded a lot closer to the exit from the station. We had to walk ask the way to the front. There's only 10 cars total, so it wasn't that long. What's cool about our car is that there's a sign on the door into the car from the coach car that days DO NOT ENTER - RESERVED FOR CREW. So no one is going to come in and slurp our coffee or use the shower or toilet and there's just a few if us in here. So we kinda lucked out.
Heading into Des Moines now, 25 min off schedule. Maybe we will make up time in NE? Unlikely, right?
Also, not a lot of 3 or 4 G in these environs.
We just pulled down the to berth so Julia could stretch out. She's chipper and feeling much better but needing to lay down.
More on dinner/exploration: the observation car is awesome but crowded. We crossed the Mississippi in the middle of dinner, around 6pm. We are about 20 min behind schedule.
There are a ton of Amish people aboard. Not sure how train travel is ok with them. Or last stop was a ten minute engineer switch and we were given permission to step of the train for a cigarette. We declined (both), as did the Amish.
Sun is getting lower in the sky. Liv had no window in her berth but she does have two mattresses (mine was stowed up there and Brian will fix it all up later).
So...the answer to the hourly question:
Katie: stoked for sunset and the train at nighttime. I would like to see stars from the observation car. Wonder if we will see stars from train at all. really enjoying the ride and very glad Liv is feeling better. We will be in Des moines, ia, shortly. We will travel the length of Nebraska in our sleep which is awesome.
Liv: "I just want to go to bed. I feel really really really really really really tired. I feel like I felt during the olympic opening ceremonies. Just tired!"
This was written by livie. 46.5 more hours
Its nearly 7pm. we left our room at 5:10 to explore the rest of the train. There are two engines and a baggage car ahead of us. We should not have checked our bags, there's plenty of bag storage in the car. Oh well. The coach seats look way better than expected but people there do not seem to be enjoying themselves. Maybe its BC they are eating hotdogs.
Liv: "sick. My stomach doesn't hurt but it feels full. And I feel tired and I want to go to bed."
Katie: enjoying the tooting horn and surprised by how shakey the ride is. I wonder if its smoother down below?
Liv has a bit of motion sickness, but is improving steadily. She ordered a pizza and when it came she knew she could NT eat it. The wrapped it for her. I had tilapia and its wasnt wonderful but or wasn't bad. wild rice on the side and some watery, inedible veg. Starter Salad was wee but decent(individual servings of paul newmans balsamic vinaigrette in a basket on or table) and Julia wasn't ill yet so she ate her salad and a dinner roll. She is reclined note in our room, reading.
Meet our foreign neighbors, John and Richie (just realized those are my cousins names) from north England. We were assigned to a dinner table with them. They are bound for Denver to do some fishing in CO & WY.
Its nearly 5 pm and I just woke up from a very nice cat nap. We are at the station stop at galesburg, our last stop in Illinois. Next stop well be in Iowa.
Kitty came by and our only dining option was at 530. Doh! But we can have our table until 715 so maybe we can draw it out. Dining should be interesting. We've not yet left our car and I'm looking fwd to checking or the observation car and long and café car. The dining car is three or four cars back and we can only cross cars from the top level.
Liv: "hungry for some real food. Hoping door pizza for dinner and I really want to go walk around and explore." Finished first book, surviving the applewhites, and now onto new girl in town.
It is 3 pm and we have been moving for one hour. We decided to do as many of these as we can.
Liv: "Its still fun. Comfortable and relaxed like when I wake up in the morning. I have good snacks."
Katie: a little sleepy but still giddy and totally psyched to behere doing this trip. Passing farms outside and its just gorgeous. And the coffee is pretty good!
This is cool. Not the part where we are in naperville. The part where we are in the first car behind the engines. I think there are two engines in front and one in the back. I'll verify that later. Here's the view out of or room looking forward.
We meet Brian, our Brian for the trip. (attendant! I heard him introduce himself to the next passengers!) He showed us How to use our light and call button. There are 10 rooms on the top level of the car and only four are occupied. We also have a restroom up here and a beverage center with coffee and bottled water and juice. The showers are downstairs in the same car. One empty room is being used to store a cooler full of ice. I wonder how long before the coach people in the next car migrate over to car 540 to slurp our coffee. :) that was for you, jp. ;)
Kimmy is our dining cart reservationist. we have to make dinner reservations, but she is starting at the back of the train and won't get to us for awhile. She talked for a long time so we turned down our announcer volume.
I think I might take a little cat nap. Yawn.
We are scheduled to depart in 10 minutes. We have already switched seats, twice, and have tabled the discussion on who has first dibs on the outlet. First thing we did when we got to our cozy room (#4, top deck!!) Was smile at our foreign neighbor across the aisle then close and lock our door and slam the curtain shut. Then we peeled it back and smiled just so he knew we were NT rude. Then we laughed for a few minutes. Julia is muttering about snacks and having to charge her equipment.
That was easy! The barcode scan took 15 seconds, a conductor shouted us to the short line for checking our bags and then we checked into the "fancy" Metropolitan lounge (just for people in sleeping cars, tho is pretty big and there's no empty seats). We are having complimentary pretzels and fountain drinks. Missimg you already, but v smiley about our trip. Also, Julia d does not want me sneaking of her. So maybe you'll get some of me. Xoxo
We are supposed to check in 30 min prior but still need to print tix. Thinking we should leave home around 1245.
Still looking for a bag. But the girls will be happy about breakfast: French toast on sourdough and cantamelon.
I have GOT to start packing!
There are a few questions I have.
1. how warm/cold is the train? do i need a hoodie? I do not like being cold. I will pack something just in case
2. What happens if you misbehave in the Quiet Car?
Cool things to check out:
1. Our roomette!
2. Sample Menu (our meals are included and I'm not sure what they will serve us.)
3. Our route (timetable, too) The best news is that we will wake up in Colorado. We should be opening our eyes around 7am in Denver. Wahoo! We will get to see all of the Rockies in their sunny splendor!
I am super excited to take this trip. Being smushed on a train for 52 hours is going to be so fun!!! And the views are going to be epic!!!
