Family BR is our favorite!End of May my wife and I are returning home from DC to Austin by Capitol Limited [fam BR] and Eaglette [2 roomettes]. We will pack some food out of Union Station DC and from the Jersey Mike's in Chicago if the connection is timely.
We have tentatively decided to rely on the cafe rather than the flex meals, except for our complementary wine, and we have two questions for recent travelers on each train:
1] Which cafe food? and
2] Have you had any luck getting the attendant to sub cafe choices for flex?
You will likely not be allowed to sit or eat in the snack bar. Depends on the FSA. Sometimes it closes while the FSA slings the FLEX at mealtimes. YMMV.
Attendant has always subbed a hot dog (sometimes 2) or pizza for the FLEX garbage. At least you can sit at the table.
The hot dogs are the best, you can ask the attendant to nuke just the dog, as sometimes the buns get very tough. Still the best dog anywhere, Hebrew National.
Pizza is - meh -. Edible, but be careful the cheese gets super hot and can fool you! Ak me how I know...
ISTR premade sandiwiches? Always a roll of the dice...
---> The FLEX omelette and sausage is pretty good, pancakes are sticky and mushy.
Beef tips range from inedible chunks of gristle to fairly tasty mystery meat chunks slopped in a mystery sauce and instant potatoes
Pasta ranges from school cafeteria to almost Chef Boy Ar Dee, depending on how long heated.
Daughter likes the salmon, At least it doesn't stink up the place.
"Salads" are a joke. I once actually got some green letuce. Thought it was a Sign from God. Paul Newman dressings are a joy.
Freeze bottles of water, use them as icepacks, and take some snacks. We take chips (even Pringles will do), dip, cheese (Tillamook singles are hardy), Star Kist tuna and their Chicken packets are a must. SPAM singles, too! Lunchables, sometimes pepperoni or beef sticks, individual JELL-O snacks. Hostess Donettes, even Peanut Butter, Jelly (Packets from convenience stores - also relish, mustard, onion) and Hamburger Buns (They stand up better to the rigors of transport.
I carry a Keurig Single Cup brewer with coffee, tea, and hot chocolate K-Cups. Individual OJs, and a small bottle of Meyer's Rum. (Mai-Tais in the afternoon...)
I never go anywhere wihout my little bottle of Cholula
Daughter takes wine, I take my flask of Jack Daniel's.
As bottles melt, you get fresh cold water. A little work and you get crushed ice. Make sure you carry a small pocket knife/screwdriver/corkscrew.
Take a clip on reading light if you are old like me. (Amazon has cool battery/USB clip on piano lights).
Soled MocSocs from AMAZON keep your feets warm and are legal for walk to the <ahem> porcelain convenience.
--- >Make sure you have a power adapter/extension cord< --- AC outlets are inconvenient. Mine is about 6 feet long, has two USB-C outlets and 3 AC outlets (From Amazon). We have a small electric cooler bag (Amazon, natch!).
A small can of Lysol spray, hand sanitizer, and a small roll of duct tape for those annoying rattles, quieting the PA, even regulating cold air. A Baofeng or Wouxon scanner or W/T from Amazon, and the frequency list from ontrack-online.com if you want to stay informed. (They also can receive FM stations along the way. And when you are not on a train you can hear aircraft, some police/fire. Less than $40. Fun. They are Chinesium, but they work amazingly well. If you are a Ham Radio Operator, you can use repeaters along the way.
Most of all, relax and enjoy! Let us know how your trip went.
--- >This just in! Taking my long suffering wife of 53 years on her first AMTRAk ride May 8-11. Finally!
-- 73s, Doc W5VD