Blown by the California Zephyr

Okay, so I'm going to talk about the latest trip I took across the country using the magic of the railroads. Yes, we still have them in America. And yes, you can go transcontinental the whole way. As long time readers (all three of you) of this blog know, I previously took Amtrak trains to Seattle and Los Angeles in two separate trips. This time, I am going to recount my experience differently. The engine will not be moving forward in time. No, the engineer has gone crazy folks! We're going in reverse, backing up all the way to Emeryville, California! Which means starting with my time on the Lake Shore Limited. It dropped me off in Penn Station, after passing through Albany and Chicago. Before then, I had lunch all aboard.

Vegetarian Kofta with Basmati Rice and Curried Cauliflower

I ate it here in this dining car

My Roomette came with in-built toilet and fold-out sink. It was like being an astronaut in low, low orbit

Working on the train

Even though we left late (9:30 PM), they were kind enough in the dining car
to give us cheese, crackers, and in my case, champagne

Unlimited taste on the Lake Shore Limited!!!

I took he train the whole way, from Chicago to New York City. Here you can see the view I had from the Willis Tower. Yes, the very top of the Willis Tower. No better view of Chicago, no sir. But how did I get there? By riding another train, the California Zephyr! It was my means of conveyance across the Mighty Mississippi River. No more fording with oxen for me.

Now since the trip on the Zephyr was about twice as long as the Lake Shore Limited, I got to enjoy more meals aboard. Here is an omelet I ate during my last morning on the train. It had sundried tomatoes on it, a la 1997. It came with a flaky croissant and some pretty good roast potatoes. They had a kind of creamy consistency to them.

We stopped in Denver the previous evening. The Zephyr stood still for about an hour. During that time, I took in Union Station, the State Capitol, a game at Coors Field, and the Denver International Airport.

Or maybe just Union Station

We pulled in there after dinner. That night I had the blueberry strudel cheesecake, the steak, and the shrimp tempura appetizer. A complimentary glass of white wine was involved. During this time the train had to go backwards into the station. 

High above the mile-high city

First time being awake for the Rockies!

The secret of Coors

Boot-shaped rock

The Zephyr took me over several ranges of the Rocky Mountains, past various rivers and creeks, through dry basins, and along canyons. There were tall trees, precarious boulders, and rapids that were, um, rapid. All of which I could observe during an afternoon in the observation car.

The breakfast quesadilla. Also came with a croissant and potatoes. A NAFTA meal.

After my first night on the train, I woke up to see Utah towering over me. It was a welcome sight following an evening spent swaying back and forth in Club Amtrak.

But I could sleep with a full stomach at least. There was rice, and beans, and salmon that was oddly covered in a lobster sauce. A glass of wine too and a salad with bits of brie to compliment it all.

A little taste of the Zephyr

Another taste

Speaking of taste, Donner Lake, California

Though my conditions were cramped, I had my privacy, courtesy of curtains. They remained drawn most of the time I was on board. This fabric covered up my window, my door, and the window in my door. Good sturdy Velcro kept it in place. Not that I was completely shut out from the world. When I sensed I was near something worthwhile to look at, I ripped the curtains away from their holdings and looked out my window. 

I saw where all the air fresheners come from

Lunch options were limited. Pictured: hamburger

I was on the second floor

The golden west of California

San Pedro Bay, one of the few views that didn't involve going by a refinery

1980s problems require 1980s solutions

No WiFi

We set off from Emeryville, California in the morning. Unfortunately we were delayed by an hour and a half. I got to the station by flying from LaGuardia to San Francisco. No pictures of that trip survive because I dropped my phone from the plane. Since it landed on the western side of the Continental Divide, I caught it bobbing up and down in the bay. Here is me waiting to board the train. A hulking behemoth that managed to swallow me whole like Jonah. Didn't give me too much trouble until we hit Nebraska of all places. Then the thing buckled and shook like a sandworm, as if it was angry at being forced to enter the Cornhusker State. 

Art?

Nardo Goes West, Part Two

I spent most of my time on the Capitol Limited sleeping. I went to sleep outside of Pittsburgh and woke up around Elkhart, Indiana. Along the way I woke up briefly in Toledo, then went back to bed. It wasn't the most comfortable sleep, and I think I would've slept better if I took the upper bunk instead of stretching out on the lower bed they made from the seats. The advantage of this one is that I could get up and use the bathroom without breaking my neck. There was also less of a risk of rolling out and also breaking my neck. 

Unbeknownst to me, there were three settings for the light in my roomette. There was complete darkness, complete light, and a third that I left on by mistake. It was the "night light" setting. This left a blue light on. I guess it's supposed to help you find your things before going out to use the bathroom, or meeting someone for a clandestine roomette rendez-vous. I didn't have to do either of those things. I just needed to sleep and rest my body after doing so much walking in Pittsburgh. The blue light made it difficult. I tossed and turned, and not just because of the gyrations of the train.

I got enough sleep to function in the morning. I explored the train as much as I could, and watched as my phone switched from Eastern to Central Time. Walking though the empty corridors of the sleeper car made me feel like I was in a murder mystery. Was I the perpetrator or the detective, or both? All I knew was that I was thirsty, so I went to get myself a drink. They have water on the trains, with little cut to put it in. However, it's difficult to get a hold or them and pull them out of the hole they hang down from. You end up crumpling them and they look like Garth's cup from Wayne's World.

Hey Mr. Spigot, if you're gonna spew, spew into this

One difference between the trains out West and those back East, is that they honk so much more. It doesn't matter if you're in the city, a town, or out in the countryside. The train sounds the alarm more often than I ever heard it on the line between New York and DC. I think it's because the railroad out here is more integrated into the community it goes through. The railroad wasn't built off to the side from places that were already developed, cities and towns grew up around the rails. This means there's more streets crossing the tracks, with cars that have to be alerted. It also means the train runs right by places with kids, such as parks, playgrounds, and backyards. There are times you feel so close to the houses out here, you expect the families inside to invite you in for dinner.

That morning I also made use of the showers. It's not as hard as you might think. You just have to keep pressing this little metal cylinder on the wall to get water. But they give you towels and the supply of hot water is plentiful. If the train banks ones way or another too hard, there's a sturdy metal bar to hold onto. Remember to use your used towels, and the used towels of other people to clean the excess water on the floor in front of the shower. This way people won't slip on what's dripped off your body.

I guess the shower symbol is supposed to be someone either washing their armpits
or singing. I kinda see a guy giving a Nazi salute, which is not
exactly the best look for the door to a shower on a train. Or any shower for that matter.

This is the real Amber Alert. It lets you know
When you've locked the door
to the bathroom or the shower (showers and bathrooms are separate)

Breakfast was simple. The Capitol Limited doesn't have the most advanced facilities compared to the Empire Builder, but it makes up for it with this box. Inside, there was a blueberry muffin, a Kashi bar, a cup of yogurt with fruit on the bottom and granola on the top, and, AND a fruit plate that had pineapple on it. There was also a moisty napkin, to wipe your hands of all the Fructose off your hands. The coffee was basic, but it was complimentary. 

Okay, I didn't take a picture of what's inside, but take my word for it

There's no wifi on the train, unlike the ones that run on the East Coast, including the Pennsylvanian. The Empire Builder doesn't have internet either. At least I could still use the signal on my phone. There were times I couldn't get a signal for that on the Empire Builder. Pretty much from Fargo to Spokane, I couldn't send texts, receive calls, or access my emails. I managed to keep myself busy other ways, namely by writing, editing, and reading Kafka on the Shore.  I also looked at the countryside passing by. It was flat and filled with small towns that drew their sustenance from the nearby fields of corn. The countryside was green and it was a welcome sight for my eyes after so many months of staring at concrete, brick, and steel in Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Alas, the respite did not last for long. We pulled into Chicago, city of windy shoulders.

The Willis Tower looking like one of the knights from Bedknobs and Broomsticks

I didn't have any time to explore Chicago while waiting to switch trains. However, Amtrak is generous with us Empire Builders. They set up a lounge for us in the train station. Other long-distance passages can wait there as well. It's called the Metropolitan Lounge. They offered us complimentary champagne, cheese, and crudites. Most importantly, they have a free place to store luggage, in case you do have enough time to wander off.

The Metropolitan Lounge has two, two levels!

They have a CANDY BUFFET (caveat, it's mostly old people candy)

When the Empire Builder pulled in, they separated the people in the sleeper cars from those in coach. Yes, you can buy a seat in coach and sit there during the whole ride. They seem to have more leg room than the average train car. I saw people sleeping in the seats, so it's possible. You don't have any privacy though. Plus, you have to pay for all your meals on train. The sleepers get to board first, leaving the waiting area where feminine voices play over speakers announcing the track numbers ad nauseam. I had to listen to #13 repeat her number in the face of #15, who spoke hers back.

After boarding I met our attendants, Carl and Carlo (no joke, and I presume, no relation). Carl was responsible for setting up the beds at night and Carlo helped collect our dinner reservations. Breakfast and lunch are first come, first serve, but dinner requires a specific time. Carlo was adamant about the value of the dinner. He kept telling everyone it was a "real meal, with real people." But if we wanted a box with some chicken and a cookie in it, we could place an order for one to eat in the roomettes by ourselves.

Hello, it's me.

The Empire Builder doesn't have any sundries. I should've taken my bag from the Capitol Limited. Keep that in mind if you try and follow my route. That said, the Empire Builder also has towels and sheets, plus free bars of something called "deodorant soap."

This is where my traveling companion would sit, IF I HAD ONE

Nardo Goes West, Part One

Friends and readers, this summer I’m embarking on a journey out west. It’ll take me from Brooklyn, New York, to Seattle, Washington. It’ll only last couple of days but I’ll be going through much of the country and seeing the sights and cities pass me along on the way. I won’t by going on the road. No, I’ll be going by rail. Yes, America still allows that. Most of my journey will be on the Empire Builder. It spans the West from Chicago to Seattle. On my way there, I’ll be utilizing the Pennsylvanian from New York to Pittsburgh, and then the Capitol Limited to get to Chicago.

***

Is that the Empire Builder? No, it's the Q Local to 96th Street

My trip began in Brooklyn, more specifically the Ditmas Park neighborhood where I live. Saturday morning, I gathered my things and took the first of my trains: the Q. While it may not have the cushioned seats, bathrooms, or café cars that Amtrak trains have, it does have more reliable internet and free entertainment that you can’t shut off! 

I was heading to Penn Station. Thankfully the 2 and 3 are now running between Manhattan and Brooklyn on weekends. This way I could just transfer to the 2 from the Q in Brooklyn and take that to Penn Station at 34th Street. The Q doesn't go there directly, you have to get off near the Empire State Building and walk two long blocks over. Since it was hot and humid, I refused to do that. It was worth it go the extra stops before reaching the first of many destinations.

Every time I have to walk through this corridor in Penn Station,
I expect to see Fred Leuchter taking samples off the tiles here

Once I was at Penn Station, I had time to kill, so I walked around the area. One I reached 1 West 34th Street, I decided to stop. This would be the farthest East I would go. This trip is about going west, WEST like a real pioneer.

I waited by the disco stairs for my train, the Pennsylvanian, which would take me to Pittsburgh

I also used the new men's room. I guess "new" is relative. They fixed the sinks mostly. I didn't see any changes to the urinals or the stalls. Maybe they washed them for the first time since Ford told the city to drop dead. For a while, any men looking to relieve themselves had to follow a series of confusing signs to use a facility outside near Madison Square Garden. It wasn't an outhouse or a Port-a-John. It's wasn't a Sublime Porte either. It was a decent place to go that was exposed to the traffic, wind, and passersby. It's probably how Cornelius Vanderbilt went to the bathroom back when he owned the railroads. Everyone else had to use a chamber pot, or an empty jug from Primo Cappuccino.

The sinks are state of the art, and by "state" I mean horribly inept because they are supposed
to dispense soap, water, and hot air from a single device.

I originally sat in Coach by mistake, but was moved to business class. One good thing about heading west is that the trains have more legroom. Coach or business it doesn't matter. 

Coach class legroom

Business class legroom

The train, like Penn Station was warm. The WiFi was decent. We went through New Jersey to Philadelphia, and from Philadelphia through Pennsylvania to Pittsburgh. I guess you could call it model train country. Everything looks like it was built by enthusiasts of miniature trains. The mountains, the forests, the towns sloping up the sides of valleys, plus the antique stations and industry. Of course, to get there, we had to go through Industrial, and then Zen Nowhere New Jersey. I'm not complaining. I got to see where they assemble Blue Apron meals, plus a large pharmaceutical plant. They were next to one another.

Pictured: the Protein Pack

Pictured: Islands in the Stream

Pictured: Johnstown (not to be confused with the picture above)

There was no need to transfer in Philadelphia. I was able to ride on through. One guy in front of me was supposed to be traveling with a friend of his. Unfortunately he was unable to make it. A snippet of conversation between the Conductor and him:

"He won't be coming, he had a heart attack three days ago."

"Sorry to hear that"

"He was too."

We passed by Paoli, named for a Corsican revolutionary. How strange it is that we used to name things in this country about revolutionaries. Pulaski, Kossuth, Paoli, Kosciusko, etc. The train went by Three Mile Island, and I didn't see any three-headed birds or squirrels with laser vision. I assume that means things are fine. We stopped in Harrisburg, 

Trains of Railroads past haunted this part of the journey

Another one in Altoona, PA

Near the Juniata River, the comments from the conductor over the intercom were interesting, compared to the forceful reading of regulations I hear on the rails between New York City and Washington, D.C. He said we couldn't go barefoot between the cars and that smoking wasn't allowed. Also there would be no chance to take a smoking break because the stops at the stations were short. It was the first time I ever heard a conductor not only making this kind of announcement, but also apologizing to the smokers for the inconvenience. I guess this is what happens when you go west, young man!

More of Altoona, PA

More Altoona, in honor of my Great-Grandfather Norwood. Get it? Nor-wood!

Pittsburgh was a mix of disappointments and pleasant surprises. It has one of the most poorly laid out stations in the Amtrak system. It's small but you still have to go from the street and the waiting room up the stairs or an elevator to a platform. There's also nothing to do there while you wait. I went out and lugged my luggage through the Downtown, worried about what I would do. Luckily the Pirates were playing and they won. This way I was treated to a show of fireworks. it was pretty impressive and long. it was like celebrating the Fourth of July all over again. At midnight, I boarded the second train to complete the next leg of my journey to Chicago: the Capitol Limited. 

This time, I got a roomette to sleep in. 

Said Roomette, with complimentary water bottles

It came came with the amenities of a hotel room and the wild sense of possibilities that come from camping. It also had the space of travel by sea, along with swaying side to side. Still, it was a civilized experience, complete with coat hangers and a closet.

Coat hangers (not wire)

Closet space

There were sheets, pillows, shampoo, soaps, towels, conditioner, beauty kits, tweezers, shower caps, mending kits, and water bottles all offered to me as a traveler.

Sundries

Unfortunately I was traveling at night so there wasn't much to see. I was also too tired to stay awake and look for it. However, if I was traveling at the time, I could've used the swanky chairs of the observation car to watch the Great Lakes fly on by, plus the wonders of the Rust Belt: Cleveland, Toledo, and the time difference between Central and Eastern Standard Time.

You can pretend to be Captain Kirk