Washington State, Feb. 10th to Feb. 27th
Linda called me out of the blue and said her mother and brother had offered to pay for a train ticket up there. I talked it over with mom. She was very unsure and I was sure it was an offer I couldn't refuse.
I was very nervous because I'd never been on a train and I was going to be on the train for days. Being on a train for days was actually a good thing though as it gave me time to relax, then explore at my leisure. It also meant that there wasn't much to do but read, and I love to read so...
The biggest negatives on the way there:
1). having to catch the first train at 3am;
2). getting hit on by the guy on the first train and not knowing how to handle it though he wasn't aggressive and I did handle it fine;
3). getting off the train in Chicago and having no idea where to go, what the station was like, what to expect;
4). the train station was so noisy!;
5). having a 5 hour layover in Chicago (though having such a long layover gave me plenty of time to explore and relax, it was a little too long);
6). the dining car sits you with people you don't know, that was stressful;
7). the scenery was disappointing, lots of depressed areas, train yards, industrial, junk yards, view of junky cars, busses, RVs, trucks, rusted farm equipment;
8). the bathrooms were tiny and though I could manage, brushing my teeth, using the toilet was not pleasant. the bathrooms gave me cootie anxiety;
9). the layover in Everett waiting for the bus, it was delayed by about an hour and a half at least.
The biggest positives on the way to WA state:
1). the train station in Chicago was huge with plenty of options for a bite to eat (like Dunkin Donuts, cafes, Auntie Anne's, restaurants, a nut and popcorn shop) and two stores to buy travel and souvenir stuff. I bought a Jonathan Kellerman book and Orange Is the New Black, both ended up being perfect for the trip. Not only was reading the perfect passtime on train where there isn't much to do but both books were really good;
2). I loved the long train ride from Chicago to WA state. I could read, sleep, enjoy the observation car, get a snack or water in the lounge, talk to other passengers and eat in the dining car.
3). It was fun to eat in the dining car though I didn't do it all the time because it was so expensive, but it was nice to have a warm meal that was not fast food and I liked trying what they had to offer. I had french toast for breakfast (hit the spot), lobster ravioli which was okay but you didn't get much, and some healthy stuff that was not worth it;
4). The scenery in WA state was the best, what I like so much about WA state.
Linda and her mom and Nigel met me at the station and Linda gave me flowers, says it's a tradition that when a friend visits they get flowers.
We settled into a very casual, comfortable routine of sleeping in, walking Nigel sometimes to the park about half a mile away, taking him to various parks to let him play with his ball using a Chuck It. I loved doing that! You could throw non stop for half an hour and he'd be ready to drop but still would want to play.
We sometimes didn't much at all but go to the drugstore or the library. Things we did included going to one casino to check it out since there are tons of casinos in the area and I'd ever only been to one, going to the Tulalip casino to see a favorite band of Linda's called Afrodisiacs. It was a lot of fun. It was free, with free water, and there was a dance floor and I danced as much as I could stand to. The music was mosly 70's disco and a few 70's rock. They played one song that was out of the ordinary, they played Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy. They did the song really well. Linda didn't know it but kind of got into it because of the lyrics.
I walked Nigel on my own a few times since Linda was sick now and then, even throwing up overnight and once throwing up in the parking lot of a thrift store. I had to drive her home in her mother's car (her's broke down in the drive thru at McDonald's and had to be towed.
We went to Chuckanut Drive, went to a park on the coast, got great ice cream. I think mine was something like maple bacon. Yum!
I got souvenir shirts for myself and Doug.
We watched lots of movies in the evening that Linda had or we got from her brother Bill. I met him, very quiet, and we walked from Linda's apartment to his to pick throug his video collection.
We spent time with Evelyn, Linda's mom. I saw inside her apartment, she dogsat when Linda and I went to see Afrodisiacs, we dropped off Nigel when we went nearby.
I walked to the library a quarter of a mile away at least 3 or 4 times for about an hour so I could play Texas Hold Em. Loved it.
There was a Schintzel House across from Linda and it was expensive but fantastic.
Went to two estate sale stores, one had a very cute little dog hanging out there. Went to two junk stores (I think one was called the Stuff Store, a quarter of a mile from Linda) and a brand name label store. I think it might be called Labels.
We went to see the last Hobbit movie.
We went to Amtrak to change my return date so I could stay longer. Great idea! I wish I could have stayed even longer really, but I didn't want to impose.
Still amazed at how well Linda and I still get along, and her mom too. Loved Nigel. Now I'm dreaming of moving to WA state and having Linda as a roommate.
I kept a list of things we did each day and am working on a scrapbook of my adventure.
The biggest negatives on the way back:
1). The train to Seattle was late a little;
2). The Seattle train station had only a drink machine and a snack machine. I had been hoping to pick up a souvener tee for dad but there was nothing at the train station;
3). I had to explore Seattle carrying one of my bags on a warm day. Wore me out. And still there were no great places to eat that weren't yuppish or just glorified and overpriced sandwich shops;
4). had a very long layover in Chicago to get back to Cleveland;
5). the earlier train I was supposed to catch from Chicago to Cleveland was delayed. An hour and a half I think I think so the earlier train wasn't as early as I'd hoped.
The biggest positives on the way back:
1). The view on the train from Bellingham to Seattle. It was all along the coast.;
2). Saw a nice park in Seattle, saw lots of cool stores featuring things like hand made glass. Lots of arty stuff;
3). Was able to pay extra to get an earlier train to Cleveland.
I was very nervous because I'd never been on a train and I was going to be on the train for days. Being on a train for days was actually a good thing though as it gave me time to relax, then explore at my leisure. It also meant that there wasn't much to do but read, and I love to read so...
The biggest negatives on the way there:
1). having to catch the first train at 3am;
2). getting hit on by the guy on the first train and not knowing how to handle it though he wasn't aggressive and I did handle it fine;
3). getting off the train in Chicago and having no idea where to go, what the station was like, what to expect;
4). the train station was so noisy!;
5). having a 5 hour layover in Chicago (though having such a long layover gave me plenty of time to explore and relax, it was a little too long);
6). the dining car sits you with people you don't know, that was stressful;
7). the scenery was disappointing, lots of depressed areas, train yards, industrial, junk yards, view of junky cars, busses, RVs, trucks, rusted farm equipment;
8). the bathrooms were tiny and though I could manage, brushing my teeth, using the toilet was not pleasant. the bathrooms gave me cootie anxiety;
9). the layover in Everett waiting for the bus, it was delayed by about an hour and a half at least.
The biggest positives on the way to WA state:
1). the train station in Chicago was huge with plenty of options for a bite to eat (like Dunkin Donuts, cafes, Auntie Anne's, restaurants, a nut and popcorn shop) and two stores to buy travel and souvenir stuff. I bought a Jonathan Kellerman book and Orange Is the New Black, both ended up being perfect for the trip. Not only was reading the perfect passtime on train where there isn't much to do but both books were really good;
2). I loved the long train ride from Chicago to WA state. I could read, sleep, enjoy the observation car, get a snack or water in the lounge, talk to other passengers and eat in the dining car.
3). It was fun to eat in the dining car though I didn't do it all the time because it was so expensive, but it was nice to have a warm meal that was not fast food and I liked trying what they had to offer. I had french toast for breakfast (hit the spot), lobster ravioli which was okay but you didn't get much, and some healthy stuff that was not worth it;
4). The scenery in WA state was the best, what I like so much about WA state.
Linda and her mom and Nigel met me at the station and Linda gave me flowers, says it's a tradition that when a friend visits they get flowers.
We settled into a very casual, comfortable routine of sleeping in, walking Nigel sometimes to the park about half a mile away, taking him to various parks to let him play with his ball using a Chuck It. I loved doing that! You could throw non stop for half an hour and he'd be ready to drop but still would want to play.
We sometimes didn't much at all but go to the drugstore or the library. Things we did included going to one casino to check it out since there are tons of casinos in the area and I'd ever only been to one, going to the Tulalip casino to see a favorite band of Linda's called Afrodisiacs. It was a lot of fun. It was free, with free water, and there was a dance floor and I danced as much as I could stand to. The music was mosly 70's disco and a few 70's rock. They played one song that was out of the ordinary, they played Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy. They did the song really well. Linda didn't know it but kind of got into it because of the lyrics.
I walked Nigel on my own a few times since Linda was sick now and then, even throwing up overnight and once throwing up in the parking lot of a thrift store. I had to drive her home in her mother's car (her's broke down in the drive thru at McDonald's and had to be towed.
We went to Chuckanut Drive, went to a park on the coast, got great ice cream. I think mine was something like maple bacon. Yum!
I got souvenir shirts for myself and Doug.
We watched lots of movies in the evening that Linda had or we got from her brother Bill. I met him, very quiet, and we walked from Linda's apartment to his to pick throug his video collection.
We spent time with Evelyn, Linda's mom. I saw inside her apartment, she dogsat when Linda and I went to see Afrodisiacs, we dropped off Nigel when we went nearby.
I walked to the library a quarter of a mile away at least 3 or 4 times for about an hour so I could play Texas Hold Em. Loved it.
There was a Schintzel House across from Linda and it was expensive but fantastic.
Went to two estate sale stores, one had a very cute little dog hanging out there. Went to two junk stores (I think one was called the Stuff Store, a quarter of a mile from Linda) and a brand name label store. I think it might be called Labels.
We went to see the last Hobbit movie.
We went to Amtrak to change my return date so I could stay longer. Great idea! I wish I could have stayed even longer really, but I didn't want to impose.
Still amazed at how well Linda and I still get along, and her mom too. Loved Nigel. Now I'm dreaming of moving to WA state and having Linda as a roommate.
I kept a list of things we did each day and am working on a scrapbook of my adventure.
The biggest negatives on the way back:
1). The train to Seattle was late a little;
2). The Seattle train station had only a drink machine and a snack machine. I had been hoping to pick up a souvener tee for dad but there was nothing at the train station;
3). I had to explore Seattle carrying one of my bags on a warm day. Wore me out. And still there were no great places to eat that weren't yuppish or just glorified and overpriced sandwich shops;
4). had a very long layover in Chicago to get back to Cleveland;
5). the earlier train I was supposed to catch from Chicago to Cleveland was delayed. An hour and a half I think I think so the earlier train wasn't as early as I'd hoped.
The biggest positives on the way back:
1). The view on the train from Bellingham to Seattle. It was all along the coast.;
2). Saw a nice park in Seattle, saw lots of cool stores featuring things like hand made glass. Lots of arty stuff;
3). Was able to pay extra to get an earlier train to Cleveland.