Adventures on Amtrak

Part 1: The Arrival

As I boarded the Lakeshore Limited train in Buffalo, NY I was quite tentative. It was essentially midnight and I had quite a bit of trouble falling asleep-not to mention just getting all my bags on the train. I'll be quite honest when I say I wasn't loving the experience as I woke in coach. I killed a couple hours on the train by listening to music and playing on my Nintendo Switch. As we pulled into Chicago, I was really indifferent to everything. I would liken my experience on the Lakeshore Limited to traveling by air. Although the seats were bigger, it just felt like a longer plane ride. I was a little worried that after three days, the train would get old.

Waking up on the Lakeshore Limited

However, as I got off in Chicago's Union Station, I had to focus on other things, like getting caffeinated and finding something to do while I waited for my next train to arrive in five hours. After familiarizing myself with all the different platforms and the great hall, I decided I had earned some Starbucks, so I found my way to the food court and ordered a very guilty pleasure-a triple mocha Frapuccino. Coffee snobs will say it's not even really coffee-to which I will agree-but I really enjoyed it, nonetheless.

Getting caffeinated while I wait for my next train

As I sipped my coffee, an older gentleman started a light conversation with me. I was enjoying the social interaction and it was a great way to keep me entertained while I drank. However, I started to notice that he would often interrupt me whenever I tried to add to a point or make a remark. It started to feel like I was being talked at rather than to, and pretty soon I noticed that he was telling me a sort of sob story. He claimed that he had been at a family party the other night and had some falling out with his daughter and wife. During the fall out, he had accidentally left behind some very important medicine and boarded a train. He then expressed a need to call his family so he could ask them to bring it to him. What I found strange is that he didn't directly ask me if I would help him, but he almost implied through conversation that I had already agreed to let him call on my phone. At one point he asked me "Should I call them now or around noon?" I responded with "I don't know man, it's up to you." To which he said "But it's your phone I'm gonna call them on" despite the fact that I had never agreed to let him use my phone. I was a little suspicious of the guy, because parts of his story weren't lining up and it really annoys me when people interrupt me in the middle of my turn to speak, so I told him I wouldn't help him. He started to emphasize how important the medicine was and even said "This is a dire situation!" Luckily, I noticed two security guards walking by and asked them if they had a moment to help us out. They gave him one call to sort thing out, but they did have things to do, so they left. At that point, he claimed that he had just called his wife and now needed to call his daughter. I was finished with my coffee and was getting ready to leave, but decided I would give him one call. I would hold the phone and it would be on speaker phone, to ensure no funny business was going on. Unfortunately, the number he called didn't pick up and at that point I was ready to get on with my trip, so I left the food court. The number he called never did call back and I do think he was telling the truth. That said, I don't really feel bad about leaving when I did, especially considering all the help I did give him.

Getting my Christmas cheer in by the giant Christmas tree in Chicago Union Station

I still had a few hours to kill until my next train, so I spent it watching "Deadwood", talking to a person or two, and exploring the station. I could have left it and walked around downtown Chicago, but I had three bags and everyone was remarking at how cold it was, so I decided against it. Eventually my train to Wenatchee, WA did arrive, and although my time at the station wasn't amazing, my spirits were beginning to lighten up. Little did I know, they were about to really shine...

As I boarded the Empire Builder and started to look around, I was really impressed. The design of the Lakeshore Limited was not very friendly. There was nothing inherently bad about it, but it didn't have a viewing car and the staff were pretty adamant that you stay in your seat unless you needed to use the bathroom or get food. On the other hand, the Empire Builder just seemed to invite travel. The bathrooms were on the downstairs level, so your natural needs encouraged you to get up and walk around every once in a while. Additionally, the Empire Builder had a really neat viewing car, with the train equivalent of sofas. There were plenty of seats in the car and they were all within a central area, so they encouraged socialization, which was a great breath of fresh air after the Lakeshore Limited. My biggest takeaway as I entered the Empire Builder was that the train you are on significantly impacts the quality of your travel.

Enjoying my first smoke break on the train

Keeping things smoke-free on my second smoke break

Feeling pretty tired in Shelby, MT during another smoke break

I really enjoyed my time on the Empire Builder and ultimately decided that I would take the train to get back. I spent the majority of my time enjoying the views, listening to music, playing my Switch, and working on my blog. Whenever a smoke break rolled around, I would have small talk with the other passengers. Unfortunately, I never really made a lasting bond on the ride, but I did have nice banter with a couple individuals.

Part 2: The Return

At face value, the return portion of my Amtrak Adventures were very similar to the arrival portion. One might even say they were nearly identical. However, there were two main factors that put the return trip in a diffent light.

First smoke break in Whitefish, MT

One of the good views I saw on my trip back

The first was more of a material difference-I got to see Glacier National Park in all it's splendor. Unfortunately, on my trip to Twisp, we went through Glacier at night and I didn't get to see any of it. Luckily, though, my trip back to Buffalo brought us through Glacier during the day and we even had one of the train attendants pointing things out in the observation car. It was easily the highlight of my entire Amtrak Adventure.

Look at that-I'm back in Shelby

The second factor that differed my trips was my mental state. I want to be clear that both parts of my time riding Amtrak were fun experiences. I got to be social, lazy, and see new things all in one package. However, the return trip with tinted with a little sadness. My trip to Twisp was tinted with a sense of optimism and possibilities, because I didn't know what to expect-both for the train ride and for my Christmas in Twisp-and because I was going to see my mom and aunt. In direct contrast, my trip back to Buffalo was a little sad, because I knew exactly what to expect and I was leaving family behind. I was certainly excited to get back to my car, but those feelings were mostly overshadowed by a twinge of sorrow. Again, I wasn't crying on the train or thinking about my mom 24/7, but there was a little twange in my heart as I neared the end of the ride.

Last smoke break before bed

Getting some fresh air in Winona...Hey, I've been here before!

As I stepped off the train in Buffalo, NY, I looked back fondly on my train experience. While I didn't make any friends on my travels-or any specific memorable moments-I did have quite a few social interactions. I was quite sedentary on the train, but after doing so much active traveling lately, it was a nice change of pace. I will certainly ride the train in the future, but I will definitely consider it part of the trip rather than just a means of transportation. I'm certainly not a train person, but I am an individual who appreciates such a unique form of travel.