September 16-17, 2013

The journey home

 

I set my alarm to wake me up at 7 am.  I figure that would give me enough time to shower and get ready. I would have breakfast around 8 or so to beat the breakfast crowd. 

 

I woke up about 6.  I reset my alarm for 9.  When my alarm went off at 9, I got up and just threw all my stuff into the suitcase.  Packing is finished as long as the suitcase closes and it does J.  During my stay I placed the do not disturb sign on my day,  so they leave new towels, soaps, and such in a large pull string close plastic bag.  I place all my dirty clothes in it, but I can hardly close it.  I guess because of the extra days, I have more dirty clothes then expected.  So I used one of the extra bags from souvenirs for dirty laundry too.

 

I check the outside of my door and I find the room charge receipt.  Right away I notice something wrong.  I have two charges for ‘Ohana the same night.  One is my tip, then a second charge of $56.  Remember my problem of the missing two meal credits?  Well, there is more to the story.  I called the front desk and asked about the second charge.  That second charge was a meal for a child and a $20 tip.  Long story short, without any complaints, after assuring her that I was by myself, she reversed the charge.  I almost paid for another family to eat at ‘Ohana.

 

I also made my bounceback package reservations for next year.  But I won’t even think about that anymore till March.

 

I called the ECV company with the same number they called me on, a cell phone of the delivery person.  He said he was just about to call me.  I told him to drive to the 50’s parking lot and I will meet him there.  He calls me back and I find it. I hand over the ECV and that’s it.  He picked it up around 10 am.

 

I walked to the food court, got a breakfast (I will have one unused QS credit leftover) and used my last snack.  I brought the food back to my room.  As I was approaching my room I see housekeeping knocking on my door to see if I left the room.  It was 10:30 at this point, so I had till 11.  I told her I still was using the room.  Strange thing, she let me into the room without seeing any id or using my own access to get in.

 

I ate my breakfast, looked over the room for the last time, finished my last yoo hoo, and headed out.

 

I pass by luggage services and I see the scale there.  For years I wanted to know how heavy my backpack of electronics is?  32 pounds J  I wait with my luggage by the main entrance of the resort.  I try and text message back to my car service, but there is a problem with the text messaging service. I start to get nervous, maybe he is trying to contact me and it isn’t working?  I try and call, but just get voice mail.  But before noon, John calls me, he is by the entrance.

 

The ride back to the train station is uneventful.

 

artwork hanging in station

 

 

 I check in at the station’s ticket window and I explain that the paper I have my e-ticket on was wet, but dried now. I explain that I hope it is still good.  Once on the train, they scan a dot code to make sure I paid for the trip.  The attendant tells me not to worry.

 

My train is running late, should arrive at 2 pm.

 

I wonder with the train running late, if they will still be serving lunch or not??

 

The train arrives 2:13 pm

 

 

Having a wait to service the engine, loading luggage and such, we leave Orlando Station close to 3 pm.  They allow passengers to enter the dining car for lunch.  I get my usual cheeseburger…

 

 

And for dessert, cheesecake.

 

 

We are going very slow and stopping for periods of time.  This doesn’t look good for getting back into New York anywhere on time.

 

This is the south terminal of the Auto Train, Sanford, Florida.

 

 

Those ramps are used to drive the cars off the car carriers.  We pass it around 5:15 pm.  I understand it’s a 45 minute drive from here to Disney property.  We passed it 2 hours into my trip. We are going very slow.  According to the Glympse I set up, we were barely doing 20 mph till now.  Shortly after passing Sanford, we are now doing 60.  I am guessing this is all due to Sunrail construction.  Oh well, still better then sitting on a bus from Orlando to Jacksonville.

 

There is an unexpected consequence of going so slow and running so late.  The train crew, the personal that operate the train, not the ones that serve the passengers, they are only allowed to work x amount of hours before resting for x amount of hours, before returning to work. The same with flight crews.  Normally we switch crews in Jacksonville, but due to delays in South Florida, the crew’s time ran out before Jacksonville, so we had to sit and wait, not moving, for a crew around Palakta.  This just added more time to our journey, frustrating some fellow passengers.  Didn’t bother me.

A passenger at dinner is disembarking at
Savannah, he will be close to three hours late.  They are still forecasting about 1/2 hr late into New York.  After Richmond, VA, we only drop people off, don’t pick up new passengers, so we can make time up on that stretch, not having to wait if we are early, but we wont be.

 

I have dinner just after leaving Palatka, Florida.  I get my usual steak.

 

 

After dinner and a new train crew, we are going zooming our way up north.

 

Nothing to report except, I sleep, watch dvd movies and such.

 

I get my usual breakfast of cheese omelet, bacon, and Apple Juice.

 

We make it into Washington DC the next morning at 10:30, about 2 hours late.  Because we are running so late, they will serve the passengers lunch.  Normally they close down the dining car after breakfast.  They tell us the few selections they will offer. I get my usual cheeseburger meal again.

 

We pull into Penn Station before 2.  We should have arrived just after 11.

 

I was on train 98- Silver Meteor

 

Next stop Coney Island.

 

 

and home.