Day 2 - Choo Choo
April 23rd - Day 2
Today started out with me waking up to the sound of Dad's voice booming in my ear. “What time were you planning to wake up?” I roll over and look at the clock.
“8:45,” I mutter. The clocks says 8:40.
I don't know what it is about those last five minutes. If you lose them its like your day is shot. Exhaustion follows you around like a lost puppy.
We made it downstairs for the hotel's free continental breakfast by 9:30. I hate Corn Flakes with Banana. Not terrific, but free.
After breakfast we checked out and drifted out to the car. We hooked up the GPS and headed to the Amtrak station. We'd found it the night before. It was so close we got there practically before the GPS found the satellites. Note to future Amtrak travelers. If you're leaving out of Tacoma (much better than Seattle due to free, although unattended and ultimately at-your-own-risk, parking) then stay at the La Quinta. You can spit out your room window and pretty much hit the tracks. Its the closest hotel to the Amtrak station. And no I didn't plan that. I Hotwired* my way to success.
The train left at 10:31am sharp. We loaded in and found our sleeper cars. Tiny little two seater compartments that are just big enough for two people to sit in and just miss knocking knees.
Along with the sleeper cars, we get access to the Parlour Car. A sort of lounch with swively arm chairs by the window, plush couches, and several booths. There's a movie theatre downstairs, at a private bar at the far end.
We spent most of the morning tucked into one of the couches listening to an old man with a handlebar mustache and booming voice prattle on about his GPS and Knotsberry Farm (back in the day his family much preferred it to Disneyland).
We had lunch at 11:45am. A bit early I had thought when we got the reservation, but by the time 11:30 had rolled around my stomach had long forgotten the cornflakes. The three of us all got the same thing, a garlic chicken and provolone grilled sandwich with garden salad. It was actually very good. And for dessert I had a peanut butter caramel chocolate torte. It was amazing. Tabi had it too. Dad had rasberry cheesecake.
One thing about eating on the train is that dining car seating is limited so the three of us had a single passenger sitting with us.
After lunch we lounged about. Sometimes in the Parlour Car, sometimes in our sleepers. I spent a great deal of time getting addicted to Super Mario Bros...then Tabi got addicted when I gave up. We both spent much time fighting off sleep, seemingly nodding off in turn as we sat in the comfy armchairs in the lounge.
We had our dinner reservations for 6:45pm. This time we all had steak. It was quite good. Unfortunately we got stuck with rice pilaf instead of the baked potato the menu had led us to believe we'd be getting.
I had the same dessert again. Tabi had the cheesecake. Dad got the Torte.
After dinner we lounged more. By this time we were high up in the mountains. Over dinner we'd be traversing through snowy passages. We went hours without sighting any civilizations. I think around 9 they showed Casino Royale down in the theatre. Tabi and I went down. It was a good movie, went on a bit long, though, and I had some issues in which I couldn't, actually still can't, figure out exactly what happened.
After the movie we returned to our sleeper to find out beds made. We both put on our jammies. And yes, without shame, I will admit I was wearing Hannah Montana PJ bottoms. Lets be clear about this, I wore them solely to embarrass Tabitha. I'm not sure it worked.
“Oh those are cute Bryn,” she said when I showed her. Miley Cyrus's face embossed on my thigh clearly not visible enough to her eye.
It was a great day. I'm looking forward to tomorrow. And the next. And the next. You catch my drift.
*In this instance hotwire is not referring to stealing and rewiring a car, but using www.hotwire.com to book my hotel room. So to those assuming me a delinquent. Think again.