Riding the [Bumpy] Rails - Yes in the US!

Friend TG has asked about our Amtrack experience on the Silver Star overnight travelling through the Southeast states, so here goes. It was a 14 hour journey (plus connecting train of 3 hours), the cars were pretty comfortable if old, checked baggage was transferred without incident and the staff pleasant. The baggage was a big deal for mini me travelling inside the bag - as she had been 'mislaid' for 9.5 days on her recent overseas journey!!

There were a few glitches in what I would call a good service: no proper food --only vending machines -- and a limited menu microwaved in cardboard boxes (with many items permanently labelled 'sold out'). Our attendant call button didn't work, defeating much of the value of having an 'on call' service in our sleeper compartment.  Compartment trash bin was full and the ice water faucet didn't work. Oh, and the train was late with a constantly changing arrival time, making it impossible for our kind neighbour to know when to arrive at the station to pick us up.

more legroom than an aircraft!

However, none of this detracted from our experience and it beat driving when we were very tired. In case you are wondering, there is an auto train which runs on the East Coast between Washington DC and Orlando, but there are no 'auto' stops in between - which is what we needed.

So we climbed onto our slightly delayed train just before 10 pm on a Saturday night and into our sleeper compartment. In the US, freight has priority over passenger trains - a consumer society without doubt!

We settled in rapidly and asked the attendant to make up our bunks for a good night's rest.  Hubby found the rickety rails a bit disturbing, but I just imagined I was on the upper deck of a 747 flying between London and South Africa pretending I felt air turbulence - a familiar and oddly soothing feeling.

this is all space there is.

The upper bunk has a 'harness' to make sure you don't fall out - maybe I am a skeptic, but hey, it didn't look too reassuring and fortunately two can fit on the bottom bunk - so hubby was saved from a potential injury!

Awaking after 8 am, first we had to navigate the shower - let's just say it made TG's Casita camper trailer's shower look luxurious!

Then off to the 'dining car' for breakfast - well at least there was free hot coffee on offer from our attendant.

We'd booked too late for the cheaper 'roomettes' which have a toilet and sink, but no shower.  You need to be best buddies with your roomette companion I think . . . spot the toilet location; the sink pulls down from above the toilet.

roomette

We returned home to find dinner in our fridge left for us by our thoughtful friend DB. Back on dry land or I guess you would say 'off the rails' we had a day trip to Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island just south of us - highly recommended - to visit with cousins.  Anna Maria Island is the one with lights we can see from our home at night, so great fun to actually be there. It is definitely a beach community as you can see from this picture - just imagine this fish head has a twin who is stuck up on the side of a building at second floor level.

He's just too ugly for a larger photo - LOL!








We saw great wildlife, including this Anhinga drying his wings on a sinking wooden sailing ship, and ate great seafood.





Below, another new sight from our window on the beach . . . what a great idea to dig a table in the sand!