Walt on the Southwest Chief

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By WALT BARANGER

SOMEWHERE EAST OF LOS ANGELES — I’ve been trying to coax Greg onto a long-distance Amtrak train, but in the meantime, I’m heading back to Connecticut from Los Angeles by train.

Just sick of air travel.

A roomette — all meal included — is $601 with the AAA discount and advance purchase. When I figured in the cost of the flight home, the extra night in a hotel to get a flight to the East Coast and the meals, the marginal cost of the trip drops to around $250 or $300.

I’m on day two of a four-day route: L.A. – Chicago – Washington – Connecticut.

I’ve already caught some steam-train action and woke up yesterday to snow in New Mexico.

Today we’re just approaching Kansas City (Missouri or Kansas, take your pick) and breakfasted on grits, a decent veggie omelet and cranberry juice. Amtrak’s food ain’t what it was 20 years ago!

More as we approach Chicago this afternoon…

5 thoughts on “Walt on the Southwest Chief”

  1. I am intrigued by this post and can’t wait to take a long distance trip again on the train. Thanks, Walt! And Greg!

  2. I’m interested to hear what you have to say about your cross country trip. Will be following it!

  3. It’s been great so far. We just crossed into Illinois; earlier we crossed the Missouri (http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1419940388126).

    Earlier, while we were crossing New Mexico we saw a reminder of times past that are probably best left in the past(http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1419381934165)

    Henry, our sleeping car attendant and resident philosopher, has done a terrific job. He’s retiring in three years, and he’s a link to the days when Pullman porters were invariably of African decent and refer to ladies in the southern style (Miss Julie, etc.).

    The sleeping car attendants are now a diversified lot (Henry actually started in food service) and are treated as integral parts of the train crew. It’s hard work running a train for 48 hours and then returning the next day.

    We’re running 30 minutes late, having left L.A. nearly two hours behind schedule because of mechanical problems with a car. Amtrak has virtually no spare cars or engines, so broken equipment usually means waiting for a fix.

    In any case, we should be at Chicago union Station just before 4 p.m.; my overnight train to D.C. leaves at 6:30.

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