September 15-16 2023
Amtrak Trip south
As I
prepared for this trip, the excitement… the adventure is missing. I compared trip planning to that of flying a
man to the moon. At some point, everything
is planned, you just watch the countdown to zero. Well, today is zero, liftoff.
I did sleep
well, packed up the few remaining things.
There is that nagging feeling of forgetting something.
Well, I cant
find my cell phone… Alexa find my phone, found it 😊
My traveling
shirt. I have two of these that are very
similar. Think this is one given to my
from my friend Virginia, who I will be seeing tomorrow. She is picking me up from the train station
in Orlando, driving me to Bay Lake Tower.
Kind of says it all
I enter my
elevator, pat myself down, I don’t find my camera, the one I carry on my
belt. Too late now to look for it. I found out later, I accidently packed it. I figure to sit in my car, and wait for
Lyft. Also planned on taking my
sunglasses from the car. Well… another
problem, I tried to use the app on my phone to unlock the car doors. The app wasn’t working. Not going to run up to get me car keys. Forgot about getting my sunglasses. I got used to taking Lyft. A lot less to worry about, I guess. Car was pretty quick to arrive.
Lift trip
was uneventful. Even though once in
Midtown, took a odd way to Penn Station entrance. There was someone directing cars parking and
such. Told the driver I tipped him on
the app, he said thank you and was off.
The gentleman directing cars, asked if I knew where I needed to go. I told him yes. I just needed a moment to gather myself 😊 I took the escalator down, walked
the long way to the other end of the block, entered Moynihan Station, looked
and found the first class lounge. I placed my bags down,
Want to guess which is the lightest?
The largest piece is
and went to
get some breakfast.
Watching… what
else…. The Warriors while waiting.
Then got a
snack.
Problem. The straw they give out, is smaller then then
the bottle. I tried drinking from the
bottle, it was very hard, but after the straw went to the bottom, it raised out
of the bottle.
They show
the Silver Star on the board.
Its 10:30
am, they just made a announcement that passengers for the Silver Star should
gather at the escalator to the lounge.
The train is already in the station.
I am the first to get to the escalator.
Behind me, Grandparents with their grandson. Their parents are flying, I guess they figure
he is too young to fly. They are in a
rommette. A woman just entered the
lounge, only to be told that we are leaving the lounge. She was told a couple of times to get in
line, but she hovers by me, like she wants to get there to have her choice, but
we have assigned seating in the roomettes.
We take the escalator down to the main floor, make our way to a
elevator, take the elevator down to the train platform. Walking to my train car, someone asks me my
name, so I am now checked in, I guess.
Once I find my room, I ask which way the train will move, so I will face
forward in the trains movement. I place
my luggage on the opposite seat. My
sleeping car attendant talks to me, tell her I’ve been here on the train
before.
360 photo of
my home for the next 23 hours.
They come
around and ask what time I want to eat lunch, 12:30 or 1:30, I go for 12:30, as
everyone who is watching my live feed hears.
Here is a video of the train leaving Penn Station, and some other
footage along the way. 60 minutes shrunk
down to 6 minutes, with music added.
Half the fun, if not all the fun is looking out the window. Ignore the 10/02/23 date on the video. It’s a long process to create this
video. I don’t know at what point the
wrong date was added. This was recorded
on 9/15/2023
I head to
the dining car, which is the next car.
We are arriving Philly. Sorry..
no photos of lunch, Cheeseburger with potato chips and chocolate brownie for
dessert. The train seems empty. Just me
and two other people in the dining car.
I do see the sleeping car attendant walking back with peoples lunches I
guess, they prefer to eat in their room.
After lunch, I head back to my room after, take out my dvd player and
start watching Emergency. I have a
couple of hours till dinner, I like a early dinner, 5 pm.
Some more
low lights. I am missing a second
rechargeable USB charger. Maybe it is
packed in the backpack I use for the parks??
I am also missing the clip for a portable rechargeable fan. Things could be worst. Well.. some good news. I found the missing USB rechargeable battery
and the fan clip. But where is the
fan?? 😊 I do have a around the neck fan,
so its ok.
Arriving Baltimore
1:48 pm
Arriving
Alexandria 3:33 pm
George Washington Masonic National
Memorial
Alexandria Virginia
Scenses
along the way
Dinner time 😊 Took photos.
Not that it
makes a difference to me, they now have real flowers to decorate the dining
room tables.
The meal
starts with a salad and a roll. As long
as you like balsamic vinegar dressing, you will enjoy the salad dressing they
provide. Next time will ask for a
package of mayo and ketchup.
Entrée….. do
I need to say it? 😊
Flat Iron Steak. Very good 😊
And for
dessert Chocolate Mouse cake.
Leaving the dining
car, one of the attendents she remembers me.
From my previous trip in April? I
don’t know if good or bad?? Reason for a
memory?? I always try to tip well??
8:29 pm, always a favorite town to pass through, Rocky Mount, NC. I take a short video of us going down the
center of town. All the stores are
closed.
Raleigh,
North Carolina 8:54 pm
I had my bed made up after dinner. I
climb up to the upper bunk and try to get some sleep. I nod off and on.
Columbia,
South Carolina 2:08 am I am awake when
we pass through.
At 6 am, I
get dressed for breakfast, figure I would be the first person in for breakfast,
but second. I get my usually cheese
omelet.
Ok.. should
mention, I carry my backpacks of electronics to the dining car and leave it
within eye distance.
See those
horizontal pieces in the middle?
Security combo lock.
After breakfast, and layed down a little, we stop at Jacksonville, 7:30
am. Getting close, so starts the
countdown to Orlando.
I get out to
stretch my legs, take photos of my sleeping can dining cars.
I remembered there is a stretch of track where we go along a
curve, which allows me to see the front of the train. I am told you pass it a couple of minutes
after leaving Jacksonville, so I am ready to record.
Maybe should have used my camcorder instead of me phone. Interesting anyway. This sort of reminds me, on the old backstage
tour ride at the studios, on the tram, at one point the operator goes hello to
the rear of the tram as he makes a turn.
😊
Palatka 8:54 am
Deland 9:51 am
Winterpark 10:36 am
Next stop Orlando.
I look over and pack everything. I use a flashlight to look under the
seats, I look for and find my Magic
Band, I keep it handy. Even as I type
this….. I feel excited.
Short video of the train arriving courtesy of Alan, 3 photos,
added soundtrack.
Hel-lo-or-lan-do 😊
I see the
same woman from the dining car, since the car next is the dining car. She even remembers my first name. Creepy
My large (not heaviest piece) is by the door to the car, I carry my
other bag and back pack down to the platform, get my luggage. Virginia and her husband Alan have met me at
the station, and they will drive me to my resort, Bay Lake Tower, referred to
in my blog…. BLT.
I see them at the end of the platform. I
head towards them. One adventure ends,
another begins.