Oh the best laid plans.....Fast forward to the next morning:
I wake up......stretch, look around the room, lean over and check the time. ACK it's 11am and I have to be at the train station in Virginia by 2:30 -- PM -- today!!!!! Leap out of bed, jump in the shower and get ready in record time. Thankfully, just about everything was packed and ready to go last night. I fly out the door with the remaining bags by 11:20 and make a quick stop at the Smoothie Cafe for a late breakfast.
If you haven't tried the Smoothie Cafe, you have no idea what you are missing. I finally had to buy my own smoothie maker because I was spending so much money at this place! They have a new seasonal flavor that's green apple and peanut butter and that is what I got this morning. Such yumminess should be illegal! But I digress........
I hop on 11/15 towards Maryland. Then hit 270 to Washington. I made really good time until this point...then the DC area traffic hit. I haven't been down this way in years and my how it's changed. I noticed they have express lanes completed where I'm guessing you pay for the privilege to drive on them using your EZ pass--no cash accepted. I opted not to use this method as I wasn't sure where they joined the rest of the peons in the non-paying lanes.
I eventually picked up 95 and from there Lorton was just a short way. Whew! I pulled up to the gate at 1:50. I'm not sure if I mentioned this, but I paid extra for 2 things----business class seat and priority offloading. Trust me on this when I tell you that it is worth every penny. I was told to pull my car
forward in the 'priority lane'. You are asked to leave the driver's side window down and the keys in the car. After you collect your personal belongings (they do have free luggage carts for your use, if needed), they use a hand held camera and video the exterior of your car. I'm sure over the years people have tried to accuse them of causing damage to their vehicle and I totally understand.
Area to pull your car up
Videoing your car:
Car Carriers:
This was confirmed when I checked in and asked for a seat in a row by myself, if possible. The woman said, Honey there are only 9 people in business class today, you are all going to have your own row! Great news!! As I waited for boarding to start, looking around the room, I saw tons of kids, tiny babies and just generally most seemed to families en route to Disney.
Business class also boards first with the Sleeper Car passagers.--nice! You enter on the lower level of the car and climb a very narrow set of twisting stairs to the second floor. I was given the option of having a seat in business on the first floor--and I would have been the only passenger in the car. I thought about it but then decided that it would be too creepy at night trying to sleep. So, I am in seat 49, window, and the aisle seat has my stuff! The seat has a great recline and another piece can be raised--kind of like a recliner chair.
We had a porter come through, put our train tickets up above the seats and told us everyone that paid for business will have a ticket and if we see anyone in our car without one, to let him know. He told us where everything was located, where our dinner would be served--again we dine with Sleeper Car
passengers. Dining was at either 5 or 7. There is also a private lounge car as well as a beverage station serving coffee and hot chocolate all night. Also, an ice machine as well as snacks and booze for sale.
A little while later he came by again, this time with 2 bottles of water for each person. The third visit he dropped off a nice little blanket kit in a drawstring bag. (Just like the ones you used to be able to buy on US Air) The bag contained a blanket, ear plugs, a blow up neck pillow and an eye mask!
Each row of 2 seats has 2 outlets for charging your various devices--and it's a real outlet, not a USB port. The train also has free wifi. Now, it's not reliable in certain areas of the country, but it's free! Amtrak provides a home page of sorts that shows a map of where you are, news, the dinner menu
There are 4 entree choices. Formally dressed waitstaff escorted you to a linen covered table where a tossed salad and dinner roll awaited. There was also ice water and iced tea on the table.
The Dining Car:
Tonight there was: Beef Tenderloin with Baked Potato and vegetables, Salmon and Risotto, a chicken dish and a vegetarian lasagna. In addition, there was a chef's sepecial which was a pork chop. For children under 12, chicken nuggets.
The dessert menu had your choice of tiramisu, cheesecake, sugar free jello and ice cream with your choice of topping.
Bar service was available as well.
I was seated with an older couple and a young man. We had some very pleasant conversation during dinner. It's so funny, this couple looked like a typical retired snow bird pair. It turns out the woman designs websites for a living. They are computer experts and they hold seminars on internet security. HA Very interesting to talk to. We found common ground talking about travel and passed the time very pleasantly!
It is now 6:28pm and I am finished with dinner. What to do? I have an e-book to finish. Perhaps that will be next. I'll check in later or maybe not until tomorrow. Who knows?
We are somewhere near North Carolina I think. The Amtrak web is not working at the moment. It's rainy outside. We are moving at a decent speed right now. There were several starts and stops so far. Not at stations but maybe for another train to pass. Our only scheduled stop around midnight will be in South Carolina where they will change crews.
You do make other stops along the way. Seems the passenger trains do not have as much importance as the cargo trains. Twice that I know of, we stopped on the tracks to allow other trains to pass. I guess trains have certain areas where the tracks cross?
AT any rate, after dinner I read the rest of a book and at 9pm they turned out the lights in the cabins. Much like an airplane, there is safety lighting and a light above your seat. I read some more and then tried to get comfy and sleep. Yeah, not so much. I did sleep for about 3 hours and then off and on
until they made an announcement over the PA that a continental breakfast was being served in the dining room. Then the lights came back on.
It's now about 7:40 and they tell us we will be in early. We shall see!
PS: We did arrive early however, they had to uncouple the cars and get the car carriers in place then we had to be towed to the terminal area. We got off the train about 8:30.
Here again is where your extra money spent is really going to pay for itself. I paid $50 each way to have my car one of the 1st 30 cars to come off the train. Considering the train was considered lightly occupied, there were 190 cars and 398 passengers on board. My car was number 26. They drive it over to a small parking area, you load your stuff you brought on the train and off you go!
Interesting experience--I would do it again if I had a lot of stuff to bring down to FL.
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