# Chicago Gathering



## SarahZ (Oct 24, 2013)

*Day One:*

Unlike most of the people I met, I didn't have a very long trip to/from the Gathering. I was still really, really excited, though.

I dropped my car off at the shop Wednesday night so they could check out a noise. I took Thursday off but had an exam in my Forensic Psychology class that morning. WMU students can ride Kalamazoo's bus system for free, so I enjoyed a nice walk to/from the various bus stops. After my exam, which I aced, I got a call from the shop - the repairs were only $200. While waiting for the bus home, I realized I had voice mail from my boss - she had called to tell me my request to move to part-time had been approved. I'll now be working three days per week, and I get to keep all of my benefits. I can also move back to full-time whenever I want. (This is a very long story, which I might expand upon on Facebook.) So, all in all, the weekend was off to a great start.

I got home, packed up the last few things, and then started to walk to KAL. I live a half-mile from the train station, so I get to enjoy the sound of the Blue Water and Wolverine several times per day. I was pretty early, but I didn't want to sit around at home anymore. It started to pour, so I stopped at the ghetto McDonald's next to the train station and had some coffee until the weather cleared. Then I hung out at the train station, figuring I'd just read a book and relax.

Haha, no.

While walking there, I saw the train parked near my house. There's a bustitution between Jackson (?) and Kalamazoo due to the track work between Kalamazoo and Dearborn. From what I imagine, the train runs east to KAL and then moves back into my neighborhood and parks until it's time to head west back to CHI. It's really cool to see it sitting there, and I thought about walking up to take pictures of it. It sits there for about an hour before backing into the station to do the KAL to CHI run.

Anyway, I should have realized that the quiet station was about to turn into a madhouse. Sure enough, the bus carrying everyone from the east side of the state showed up, and it. was. insane. I have never seen that many people inside the station. It was noisy and awful, and it had started pouring again, so we were all stuck inside.

Most of the passengers were a group of what I imagine were foreign college students on some kind of trip to Chicago. They all had their passports out and were trying to figure out how to board the train and such. The ticket agent was very nice and patient, but she was starting to get that glassy look to her eyes. I tried to figure out which language they were speaking, but I didn't recognize it. I love foreign languages and usually try to listen to them to see if I can pick up words, but this was completely unfamiliar.

The Wolverine backed into the station at 2:10, and we were scheduled to depart at 2:25. They opened one door for boarding, and it was like Black Friday at Wal-Mart. All of those students starting pushing, shoving, and blocking the path of pretty much anyone, including senior citizens. It was a crazy mob scene. I ended up grabbing a lady who started wobbling and almost went down with her cane and suitcase. Another guy tried to hold them back with his umbrella.

To make matters worse, they only had one door open on the train. So now we had those pushy students versus seniors, families, and us thirtysomethings who were standing back, staring, trying to figure out what on earth had happened to our nice, peaceful station.

Finally, a second conductor yelled, "If you're going to Chicago, come down to this door." Since the mob didn't speak English, they didn't catch on right away, so a few of us were able to get down there and claim some seats before it turned into the Party Train.

Now, there's the Party Train our AU members took, but I doubt it was like this. Once everyone got on, the girls started throwing their sunglasses around to try them on and model for selfies. One girl started throwing Fritos at another. Another girl was giving her boyfriend a lap dance while they shared earbuds. The other pax looked horrified and annoyed. One conductor started yelling at everyone to sit down and shut up so she could take their tickets, and the other conductor came through to help speed the process along.

Eventually, the conductors realized the Quiet Car was empty, save for a few students making out, so they kicked the lovers into our car and moved the five of us not in that group back into the Quiet Car. We spread waaaaaaaaay out, so it was like I had my own, private car. 







It was wonderful. Nobody spoke. Everyone settled in with their book or knitting or what-have-you and enjoyed the fall colors all the way into CHI.






(Crossing the Dan Ryan)

We got to CHI a few minutes early, and I went to the Metra area to get my Ventra 3-day pass and my weekend Metra pass. It only took a few minutes. The Metra counter agents were really efficient, and the Ventra machines were easy to use. I was charged the $5 fee for my 3-day pass, but I had the option of registering the card and using it as a regular transit card (in which case, the $5 becomes fare credit - you can also use the card as a debit card). I opted not to register it, as the site is still having mega issues. I also used it enough times over the weekend that the $5 isn't a big deal. I used much, much more than $25 worth of transit fare.

After I got all of my cards, I took the bus to the Holiday Inn next to the Merchandise Mart. I get a discount through work, and I love staying there. It has nice views of the skyline and river; plus, you can see the Brown/Purple Line and sometimes the Pink/Green line, depending on which corner you're near. It also has a pedestrian walkway into the Merch Mart, so you can walk through the building to get to the Brown/Purple L stop.











I dropped my stuff off and then took the Brown Line to Adams/Wabash, where I walked a block to The Berghoff. This German restaurant has been around since 1898 and has been featured on the Food Network. I was not disappointed. I felt like I was eating in my grandmother's kitchen, and the decor was traditional dark German without looking like a tourist stop. It was classy but not stuffy. It's a great place for a family meal or meeting with friends.

After I ate, I went back to my hotel to work on homework, but I ended up being too jittery to concentrate. I put on "Law & Order: SVU", typed up a few notes for a paper, and then decided to go to bed and just stare out the window at the view of the city at night. I didn't fall asleep until nearly 2:00 AM. I was too nervous/excited about meeting everyone.


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## SarahZ (Oct 25, 2013)

*Day Two:*

On Friday morning, I took the Brown Line to Washington/Wells and ended up arriving at 8:00. We weren't meeting until 8:45, but I'd awakened early and couldn't get back to sleep because of nerves. I decided to just hang out at the stop and take some photos. As I was standing there, the two Joes (as in Gastronomic Adventures) came up to me and greeted me like they'd known me for years. Before I knew what had happened, they'd taken me under their wings and walked me over to Caribou Coffee so we could get some breakfast and caffeine. I felt really comfortable with them. They told some great stories, and they're so funny. I felt like I was hanging out with my favorite uncles and my dad - they have very similar personalities. I was pretty surprised at how much I talked since I'm usually really awkward and nervous around new people, but I didn't feel that way at all.

When we got back to the L stop, most of our group had arrived. I spotted Alan first, since I recognized him from pictures. Then everyone approached me because they recognized me from _my_ picture (and I'd told them I'd be in a purple coat), so there was a bit of confusion and nervousness as I tried to greet everyone and remember their username, but it was fun. I felt like a celebrity.  This happened all weekend; everyone knew who I was because of my picture, and then I'd feel bad because I had to say, "Who are you?" :wub: I think everyone should use their face as their profile picture so I don't keep wondering who each locomotive is. 

The L trip was a lot of fun. We ended up in two cars due to the size of our group combined with the morning rush. I was hyped-up on espresso beans and a mocha at that point, so I gave an impromptu tour as we passed buildings, Wrigley Field, etc. Nina asked a lot of questions about Chicago, Penny and I talked about the weather, and Jeb and Misty told me about their various rail adventures. I remember noticing TraneMan at this point, but I didn't really know him, so we didn't say much. (While I felt comfortable, I still had touches of social awkwardness all weekend.) This memory is funny to me now since we ended up spending a lot of time together during the rest of the weekend and I guess I had nothing to worry about. 

I started winding down around Howard and then went into fairly silent mode from Linden all the way back to the Quincy stop. I did have some enjoyable conversations with Jim Hudson and diesteldorf, and I got to talk to Alan's mother for a while, but I was mostly quiet. My head was starting to pound, and my stomach was a bit queasy from riding backward most of the way. Also, as an introvert, I can only handle so much conversation before I feel the need to hide in a dark corner with my earbuds and a book. It's nothing personal; it was just a LOT of social activity in one big burst, and I hadn't adjusted yet. Plus, the train was getting super crowded, as this was the Red Line south and we were getting closer and closer to the Loop.

Once we got into the Loop, some people got off at Wash/Wells to take the bus, and then a few of us walked from Quincy to Union Station. The weather was nice all weekend - a bit chilly, but not freezing cold. Even the wind wasn't too bad. We had lunch at Union Station instead of Ogilvie since the L was running behind and we didn't want to miss our train to Milwaukee. I had the best Chinese food EVER (and ended up eating it every day because it was so good). Some people started trickling in while we ate lunch. I got to meet more and more people, which was great. I can't even begin to list everyone. Our group was pretty huge. Again, I wasn't shy, which surprised me, but I think it's because everyone was so nice and made me feel at-ease right away. I can't stress that enough. If you are worried about coming to a Gathering, DON'T.

One of the gate dragons met up with us in the lounge and told us she'd be herding us/escorting us to the gate for our trip to Milwaukee. Charlie snapped this picture while we were waiting for our escort. It took me _forever_ to figure out when this was taken because I never board from the North Concourse. Everything was completely backwards to me, and I kept getting all turned around.






Ryan and Jeb had sat near me during lunch (Ryan wasn't on the L trip), so I got talking to them and sort of stayed near them on the way out to the train. TraneMan ended up with us, and we all sat up near the front of the coach.

This is where we have the phrase that will never, ever die.

I thought the Hiawatha ran pretty close to the lake shore, so I told Ryan we should sit on the right side of the train if he wanted to see Lake Michigan. So we sat there, allllllllll the way up to Milwaukee, and never went near the stupid lake. :angry: Finally, when we got to Milwaukee proper, we were able to see the lake for about .37 seconds. Ryan started shouting, "OMG THERE'S THE LAKE," and a joke was forever born. I will never live that down. Those guys teased me ALL WEEKEND. :angry: ^_^

That trip also gave way to one of my favorite pictures, taken by TraneMan:






I love absolutely everything about this picture, because it sums up the weekend so perfectly - riding trains, goofy moments, laughter, and new friends.

Once we got into Milwaukee, we just chilled in our seats for a bit, and then the conductor had us move back a car. Predictably, Ryan and Jeb said something to the effect of, "So we should sit on the left this time? So we can see the lake?" Har de har har... :angry:

We stopped for dinner in Glenview. I didn't realize it was a Metra stop or an EB stop, so I was treated to many more trains than I'd predicted. I cannot express how much joy I felt when I heard a train approaching, stopped to watch it, and then realized everyone else _was doing the exact same thing_. I can't remember who, but someone else said, "Traaaaaain," in the same joyful tone I use when I'm home and hear and/or see Amtrak around town. (Brent just rolls his eyes.) It was nice to be with people who whip out cameras instead of rolling their eyes.  I finally felt "normal" instead of like some weird geek that nobody understands.

Anyway, dinner was really great. The Joes had coordinated this system for ordering and paying ahead of time, and we all got little cards, like you do at a wedding, to help the wait staff figure out who was eating what. I decided to try a tuna melt, and it was amazing. I've had tuna sandwiches before, but never a tuna melt. Alan was borderline shocked, like he couldn't comprehend someone that had never had a tuna melt. It was pretty hilarious. Someone snapped a picture around that time, but I think we'd moved onto talking about AU website history or Viewliners or something:






(My apologies - I can't remember who took this photo.)

After dinner, we walked back out to the platform and watched some more Metra trains go by. NorthShore wanted to check out the new station, so we went inside, where I found this:






My best friend is a librarian, and I'm applying to grad schools for a Masters in Library & Information Science (MLIS), so we have this thing about taking pictures of all kinds of libraries, book exchanges, etc. I sent this to her as soon as I took it.

We got back on the Hiawatha to head to Chicago, and everything was pretty quiet at this point. Everyone was in a food coma and/or tired from the day. I don't remember what time we got back into Union Station, but I think it was around 7:30. Some people went back to their hotels, but Ryan, Jeb, and I decided to head to Michigan Ave to shop at some tourist stores and walk around. I decided not to buy any souvenirs since our apartment is starting to resemble a souvenir shop as it is, but Ryan and Jeb got some cool stuff.

We decided to head to Ryan's hotel to drop off a bag or switch shoes or something like that, and we ended up taking about six wrong turns. Eventually, we found the elevators, which were right in front of the stupid entrance (which we'd also missed when we zigged instead of zagged). We'd missed them the first time because the carpet was super plush and padded, and Jeb and I were bouncing around talking about how springy and awesome it felt on our feet instead of paying attention to stuff right in front of our faces.

After the hotel misdirection, we walked up Michigan Ave so I could show them Tribune Tower. Tribune Tower has lots of pieces of buildings and monuments from around the world embedded in its masonry.






All of the pieces are labeled, and there's quite a collection from historical, cultural, and religious monuments all over the world, so I suggest taking a walk over there if you're in Chicago. Tribune Tower is gorgeous, as well, so it's worth it.

After Tribune Tower, we started walking north, but most of the stores were closed or closing, as it was shortly after 9:00 at this point. Jeb decided to head over to State St to catch his bus, and Ryan hung out at the bus stop with me until my bus came. I took the bus to the State/Lake L stop, hopped on the Brown Line, and went back to my hotel, where I ended up spending the next two hours talking to Ryan, Jeb, and TraneMan via Facebook comments. Someone made a joke that we'd traveled thousands of miles to just sit in our hotel rooms talking online, so I joked that, next year, we'll all have to stay at the same hotel so we can just buy some liquor and continue the conversation once the day's activities are over. 

That night, I wasn't nervous anymore, but I was super excited for the next day, so once again, I was up until 2:00.


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## AmtrakBlue (Oct 25, 2013)

Great report! AUers are a great bunch - like family.


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## Ryan (Oct 25, 2013)

I wonder how many lakes you can see on the CZ between Chicago and the west coast... h34r:

Great report so far, it was truly awesome to hang out with you guys all weekend.


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## billthebarn (Oct 25, 2013)

Nice writing, Sarah, easy to read. You and Ryan seem to "hit it off" well.


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## SarahZ (Oct 25, 2013)

I had a great time hanging out with everyone. Betty's right - it's like family.

I'll work on Day 3 and Day 4 today. It's so much easier to break it up like that.


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## GG-1 (Oct 25, 2013)

SarahZ said:


> This is where we have the phrase that will never, ever die.
> I thought the Hiawatha ran pretty close to the lake shore, so I told Ryan we should sit on the right side of the train if he wanted to see Lake Michigan. So we sat there, allllllllll the way up to Milwaukee, and never went near the stupid lake. :angry: Finally, when we got to Milwaukee proper, we were able to see the lake for about .37 seconds. Ryan started shouting, "OMG THERE'S THE LAKE," and a joke was forever born. I will never live that down. Those guys teased me ALL WEEKEND. :angry: ^_^


Aloha

Just ask Penny how long it has been since we named her "Wrong Turn Penny" of course we tease her with Love, now you have joined the AU Family Love. Welcome.


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## the_traveler (Oct 25, 2013)

Paperback books? :huh: What are those? :huh:

My iPad doesn't have any paper on it's back! But I read books on it. :giggle:

Good report so far! It's almost like I was there!


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## AmtrakBlue (Oct 25, 2013)

the_traveler said:


> Paperback books? :huh: What are those? :huh:
> 
> My iPad doesn't have any paper on it's back! But I read books on it. :giggle:
> 
> Good report so far! It's almost like I was there!


Tap, tap, tap. Dave, you were there.


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## Railroad Bill (Oct 25, 2013)

Enjoyed the report. Glad you had a good time and now feel comfortable with AU. They truly are a fine group of people. By the way, I was a Reference Librarian for 13 years before I retired a few years ago. Wishing you the best in obtaining your MLIS. See, we Buckeyes are nice people too


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## SarahZ (Oct 25, 2013)

*Day 3:*

Today was... rough. Since I'd only had a few hours of sleep for the past few nights and then it was go-go-go over those two days, I woke up a little less bright-eyed and a lot less bushy-tailed.






Sarah: "Jeb has pancakes and a huge coffee. I want pancakes and a huge coffee. /whine"

Ryan: "Suck it up. I just got on the wrong train. Twice."

So this is how we started our day.

We were heading to Joliet first thing that morning. I figured I'd sleep on the train (yeah, right) but ended up dealing with more lake jokes and shenanigans all the way down. I did take some pictures of everyone this time:






Thank you, TraneMan, for being the only person to acknowledge my existence.

Now, the trip to Joliet was kind of cool because I was all jazzed about "Joliet Jake" and _The Blues Brothers_. I'd driven past Joliet on I-80 many, many times and been stuck in construction along that stretch many, many, MANY times, and experiencing it from the train was much better.

The trip wasn't very long, and when we arrived, someone (JimHudson? Joe?) pointed out the old prison administration building:






We also laughed when we saw the name of their baseball team on the stadium, the Joliet Slammers. 

*Edit:* Mike informed me that is not the prison, rather it is the high school. Ha! Oops. But hey, they're kind of the same thing, eh?

Joliet's station is quite pretty. It's small, but it's used as a ballroom for events. They were setting up for a wedding while we were there, and I got all train-geeked out thinking about how cool it would be to have a wedding at a train station that _wasn't _Union Station (I don't even want to know how expensive the Great Hall is).

The room had half-curtains over the bottom of the windows, so I jumped up a few times until I was able to snap a decent picture. I'm sure I looked completely sane.






After wandering around for a bit, Alan tipped me off that there was a freight train parked down yonder, waiting for clearance. As he put it, "The entertainment is about to begin." So he and Tom (MrFSS) rounded everyone up to get the group shot, and then this HUGE freight train started coming toward us. Three BNSF locos, I believe. I remember counting three, but it could have been 2-4. They were orange and huge and awesome. I could feel the rumbling in my ribs as they passed, and it took everything I had to stand back farther away from the tracks. I liked the rumbling, and my hair was getting blown around even though it wasn't going that fast. I stood as close as I could without risking injury from the ballast (though, if it had derailed I would have been toast) and kind of lost myself in the noise and wind. It was an amazing experience.

I forgot to count the cars, but I counted cars on the next freight (96 cars plus the locos). That one was smaller and not as rumbly, and it was on the outer tracks, so I didn't get near it:


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## SarahZ (Oct 25, 2013)

Railroad Bill said:


> Enjoyed the report. Glad you had a good time and now feel comfortable with AU. They truly are a fine group of people. By the way, I was a Reference Librarian for 13 years before I retired a few years ago. Wishing you the best in obtaining your MLIS. *See, we Buckeyes are nice people too*


You'll never convert me! 

I want to be a reference librarian so badly. We'll have to talk shop the next time we hang out.


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## SarahZ (Oct 25, 2013)

*Day 3 (cont):*

This was a long day, so I'm breaking it up into bits.

After the freight went by, TraneMan snapped this excellent picture of me looking like a super-ticked-off track inspector:






I honestly have no idea why I look annoyed. I think I was mulling over something, because he snapped this shot immediately after that. It's obvious I'm talking about whatever I was just mulling over:






We posed for our group shot, which has been posted everywhere, so I won't link it again. Then, we all hopped on the Amcan Express back to Chicago. Davy Crockett got TOLD by a snippy female conductor because he wasn't in his seat when we started rolling, and it was every bit as hilarious as you can imagine. I really hope that's on the video. 

I sat next to diesteldorf on the way back, and we shared some conversation about Wisconsin, Chicago, trains (duh), and a few other topics. Much like everyone else I met, it was very easy to talk to him. I wish I could run into people like you guys in the dining car on our LD trips. 

Once we got back to Union Station, I had round #2 of the Best Chinese Food Ever. These are the guys who yell, "You try chicken! Yummy yummy!" It's second only to Billy Goat Tavern's, "Cheeseborger cheeseborger! No fries, cheeps! No Pepsi, Coke!" Absolutely fabulous. I love this town.

After lunch, we boarded the Metra train to Manhattan. I'd never been on a Metra train, so I was pretty excited. First of all, they have green windows, which makes photography interesting. Secondly, the upper level is indescribable. Jis helped me figure out how to flip the seat back so I wasn't sitting backward (just an easy punch/pull), and then I noticed the monkey bars (luggage rack) and completely weird design of the upper level. I figured it would be separate, like a Superliner, but we were able to talk to everyone down below us.


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## Ryan (Oct 25, 2013)

I'm not sure what was more fun, watching the freight trains or watching everyone else watching the trains.


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## SarahZ (Oct 25, 2013)

*Day 3:*

(Continued again because the site keeps putting me in picture jail)

More Metra shots (you can see the green tint I mentioned):











(My favorite apartment complex design, second only to Marina Towers, but these are sort of project-ish. I wouldn't want to live there.)

Once we arrived in Manhattan, they let us stay on the train as it sat in the yard, and then they had us all move one car ahead. This car was neat because, instead of those single-row seats, the seats were all turned to form giant couches! We were able to lounge lizard it up and chat like we were in a living room. All we needed was a spread of food and drinks along the luggage rack, coffee table style.






(Railroad Bill took this picture)

I liked that setup much better because it was a lot easier to talk to everyone on the upper level along with some people on the lower level. I got to talk to calwatch and his guest for a while, which was nice because I hadn't had a chance to talk to him much before that day. Yay, couches.

When we rolled into Chicago, some people decided to do the points run to Mendota, while a few of us decided we'd head over to the Sears Tower to watch the sunset and check out the Skydeck/Ledge at night. I'm really glad we decided to get dinner afterward, because when we showed up at 5:00, they told us it would be a 2-hour wait to get to the top. Okay, fine, we can chill.

The Skydeck lady snapped a photo of us shortly after we cleared "security":






(I did a semi-okay job of 'shopping out the watermark)

Then, when we got to the top, I noticed the lines for the Ledges were sooooooo looooooong. I walked past the mob and noticed that one of the Ledges had another photo setup and NO LINE! 

I grabbed the guys (and AmtrakBlue) and told them to head on over so we could loophole our way out of waiting. This way, we got to stand on the Ledge, and we had a professional picture instead of all six of us trying to get iPhone pictures. Again, the watermark was a bit of a pain, so I gave up after a little while:






The reason they have watermarks? A digital copy of each photo is $30. Yeah, no.

While we were there, I ran into one of the ladies who'd been sitting with me in the Quiet Car from KAL to CHI. I had just told people I can't go anywhere in Chicago without running into someone, and there she was. Additionally, when I got on the Brown Line that morning, I ended up in the same car as MARC_Rider, even though he'd come from farther north. There was another time I got on the Blue Line, and I was in the same car as a friend who'd flown into O'Hare for a library conference. HUGE city, and I keep running into people in the weirdest spots. 

After we left Sears Tower, we walked up the street a little bit and had dinner (and drinks) at Giordano's. They got us seated right away, which surprised me, and we were treated to the soothing sounds of a shrieking baby for the entire hour and a half we were there. I felt really bad for the baby - it was obviously past its bedtime and very tired. The parents tried a little bit of rocking, but they mostly ate pizza and tried to deal with the other 3-4 kids at the table while the baby screamed. It took everything I had not to go over there, swaddle it, and take it into a dark, quiet room to rock it to sleep. Poor thing.

The pizza was really good, though!  Davy Crockett showed up right after we ordered, so I was glad we got a couple pies, as we were able to share once they came out. We even had leftovers. Out of all the places I've tried, I love them the best, but I haven't been to Lou Malnati's yet. So we'll see.

We all kind of split up at that point. Ryan mentioned a friend was on his way into town and staying at the swanky Marriott on the river, so MARC_Rider and I walked north with him to have a drink at Swankhotel, and everyone else headed back to their hotels (or wherever). Ryan's friend hadn't arrived yet, so we hung out in the lobby of Swankville, _totally_ blending in with all of the guests who'd been attending some type of semi-formal affair. We didn't look sketchy at all, sitting there in our military boots with leftover pizza and a couple of backpacks. Not one bit.

Eventually, I realized it was getting late, and Friend hadn't shown up yet, so I decided to bail. I walked to the L stop with MARC_Rider, and then I stopped into Walgreens to get some wine and cookies, as all I really wanted was a long shower and some serious alone time with a mystery book I'd brought with me. I ended up texting Ryan to tell him I'd be skipping the shop tour because, as much as I wanted to see trains up close and personal, I really needed some sleep. So, of course, I was up until 2:30 again.


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## SarahZ (Oct 25, 2013)

RyanS said:


> I'm not sure what was more fun, watching the freight trains or watching everyone else watching the trains.


It was a little of both for me. I'd watch the train and then look at everyone else and smile. Every time a train passed this weekend, everyone reverted back to childhood for a few minutes, and it was wonderful to watch that joyful abandon on everyone's faces.


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## SarahZ (Oct 26, 2013)

*Day 4:*

Despite my plan to sleep in, I awakened at 8:00. This was my own, stupid fault, though. I'd been enjoying falling asleep with my curtains open, as I love seeing the skyline at night. I always feel like I have a cool, high-rise apartment when I do this. Plus, I feel more relaxed when I'm in a big, open space. My bed at home is pushed right up against the windows (which are nearly floor-length) for the same reason.

Anyway, the hotel had left a note under everyone's door explaining that the window washing team would be washing the windows Sunday morning, so if we wanted some privacy, we should shut our curtains. I didn't want to give up my view, so I closed the sheers, which meant I could see the lights, but they couldn't see in.

What I _hadn't_ planned on was the laser-precision beam of sunlight that would bore into my face at 8:00 on the dot. I'd been getting up much earlier all week, so I always saw this:






Instead of that beautiful, peaceful sunrise view, though, I got this:






I was fairly displeased and faced with a quandary. I could rush out the door, drop my bags at the desk, and still make it to the Roosevelt stop in time to meet everyone for the shop tour; or, I could give my feet a rest, take my time, and enjoy some breakfast before meeting up with everyone when they got back to Roosevelt. I opted for Option B. I knew Ryan, Traneman, Jeb, and others would take some good shots of the train shop. I thought it would be an interesting tour, but given how badly my feet hurt (I'd forgotten my running shoes and had been in boots all weekend), I figured I'd just relax and not take a chance on being cranky the whole time.

I went to Union Station to drop my bags off in the Metropolitan Lounge and then snapped some pictures of the Quincy and Roosevelt L stops. I also took a few of Halsted since I was distracted when the Orange Line stopped at Roosevelt and ended up going one stop too far. Oops.  To my credit, I used to date a guy who lived near the Halsted stop, so it was habit to get off there. I blame my sleepy brain.











(I really need to put this in Photoshop and fix the angle)


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## SarahZ (Oct 26, 2013)

*Day 4 (cont):*

The shop tour ran long, so some people dashed for Union Station while others headed back various ways. I met up with Misty, Jis, MARC_Rider, and Ryan at Roosevelt, and we took the Red Line up to the Loop. Ryan, Misty, and I got off at State/Lake, and then Misty took off to Ogilvie, I believe. Ryan and I went to his hotel to grab his bags and ended up sitting by their really amazing bar with a huge row of TVs (the Bears/Redskins game was on, and we were committed).






After that, we went to Union Station to meet up with everyone else in the Lounge and finish watching the game. We mostly just sat around, drinking free drinks and eating snacks. More and more people showed up, and I got to talk to everyone for another hour or so while waiting for the Wolverine to board. I also got to learn why everyone mentions Alan when someone makes a pun or play on words. He's truly awful. 

They announced my train at 5:30, and even though I was really excited about being in business class on my way home, I was also sad to leave. Ryan got up and hugged me, and I thought about hugging everyone else, but I could feel tears coming, so I decided to just wave and say goodbye and make some silly joke about seeing everyone online in five minutes before turning and walking away. I got all the way to the train before I could feel my chest getting tight, and then I cried a little as I sat in my seat waiting to leave.

I felt like an idiot, but the bonus to sitting there with tears running down your face is that nobody wants to sit next to you.  There was ONE seat left in BC, and it was right next to me. ^_^

We pulled out of the station and had nearly cleared the south concourse when the train stopped. I had just texted Ryan to say we'd pulled out at 6:00 exactly, and then boom. Stopped. I almost started laughing because it was just so... Amtrak.  We sat there for 15 minutes. The conductor told us they were doing some kind of engine check (I really don't remember specifics) and then waiting for clearance from the yard. Since everyone had shown me photos of the control tower when they got back to the Lounge, I knew where the people in charge were. That was one part of the tour I regret missing; the view was spectacular! I'd love to work up there.

Anyway, we started moving again, and I realized the door between BC and the loco was open. Not the door with the handle that only the conductor is allowed through, but the sliding door with the push button. That meant I could hear the engines getting louder and powering up, and the horn was super loud. It was incredible. I couldn't wait for the 110 mph stretch.

I stayed on Facebook most of the time. It was fun to see TraneMan checking into all the EB stops, and I started tracking the CL after the party train departed. Then, at the stop in Niles, MI, the train suddenly powered down. All of the lights went off and the emergency lights came on. It was dark, quiet, and really cool. Some young ladies in the cafe car were freaking out about zombies (their dates were _not_ helping matters), and I kind of laughed when I heard the cafe attendant trying to calm them down while their dates kept telling them more and more horror stories. The BC passengers were pretty amused too.

The conductor came by to tell us the loco "had decided it didn't want to pull us anymore", so they had to shut power down so they could "reboot the train". I had this great image of someone sitting up front hitting ctrl-alt-delete and swearing at a Windows box, and that made me laugh harder.

After 15 minutes or so, the train decided to work again, and a lady near me started saying, "I think I can... I think I can... I think I can..." from _The Little Engine That Could_. I started grinning like a fool because it reminded me that that was one of my absolute favorite books when I was a little girl; no wonder I like trains! 

We were about an hour late coming into KAL, and the WB Wolverine was running late too. The WB Wolverine was, apparently, at the station when we were coming into town, so my boyfriend texted me from the station to let me know we'd be passing each other at some point. Sure enough, we were about 3/4-mile from the station when the other Wolverine passed us.

After Brent picked me up, he took me to get my car, but then we realized it was being held hostage. The mechanics had locked it in the garage, which was nice, but it meant I had to get up really early on Monday to catch a cab to the garage, free my car, and get to work. I had 10-hour days all week, plus class, so I'm beyond happy to be snuggled down in bed right now, knowing I don't have to set an alarm for the first time in two weeks. -_-


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## SarahZ (Oct 26, 2013)

*Epilogue:*

I really cannot say, enough, just how kind, intelligent, funny, generous, and welcoming this group is. I made umpteen new friends in addition to the people I already knew online, and as for those I already knew online, it was amazing being able to see their faces and hear their voices.

It's hard to believe it's only been a week. I feel so blessed to be acquainted with such a wonderful group of people, and I'm already making plans to attend next year's Gathering. I miss everyone so much already, even though we keep in touch here and on Facebook. Hopefully, I can meet up with people in Chicago in the meantime. If you ever have layovers or are coming for the weekend, I'd be happy to meet up for lunch or some point runs.


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## AmtrakBlue (Oct 26, 2013)




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## MikefromCrete (Oct 26, 2013)

the picture of the Joliet "prison administration building" is actually Joliet Central High School. The old Joliet prison is along the CHI-STL route, but is north of town.


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## SarahZ (Oct 26, 2013)

Ugh! Thanks. How embarrassing.

I fixed it.


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## Bob Dylan (Oct 26, 2013)

This goof is on me/Im the one who.told her bad info! Lo siento! Sorry Sarah!


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## SarahZ (Oct 26, 2013)

No hay de que! I told Ryan he could see the lake, so we're even.


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## the_traveler (Oct 26, 2013)

"Sears Tower"? :giggle:

No comment!


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## CHamilton (Oct 26, 2013)

the_traveler said:


> "Sears Tower"? :giggle:
> 
> No comment!


Well, looking down from that ledge, you can view a lot, so maybe it's "Seer's Tower." Or, given that Sarah has already posted the Eye, maybe she's thinking of Barad-dur.


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## caravanman (Oct 26, 2013)

Very nice report on the AU gathering. For myself, being a person who is not too interested in the technical side of trains, it was excellent to read about your emotions on the journey. You write very well, and the black and white pics look cool too.

Ed


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## SarahZ (Oct 26, 2013)

Thanks, Ed! I don't know anything about trains, other than how to ride Amtrak, so it was definitely a fun trip. I learned a lot from Alan, Jis, Ryan, and some of the other "regulars".


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## pennyk (Oct 27, 2013)

Excellent report Sarah. I liked you in person as much as I "liked" you on line. You are a treasure.


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## AmtrakBlue (Oct 27, 2013)

pennyk said:


> Excellent report Sarah. I liked you in person as much as I "liked" you on line. You are a treasure.


Agree.


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## Bob Dylan (Oct 27, 2013)

:hi: The Pleasure was ours Sarah!


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## SarahZ (Oct 27, 2013)

:wub:


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## Notelvis (Nov 1, 2013)

Your report reminds me of an old story -

Back in the mid-1990's the National Association of Railroad Passengers held their annual 'Region 5' meeting in Fayetteville, NC where I was living at the time. I volunteered to help producing name tags and working the registration table for the event which was held in the Prince Charles Hotel, a recently renovated classic railroad hotel located across the parking lot from the Amtrak Station.

The Saturday evening meetings were being held in the 8th floor ballroom complete with an outdoor balcony overlooking the former ACL line through downtown. The meetings went on, presenters presented, questions were asked, questions were answered....... and then about 9:40pm we heard a train blowing for a crossing a few blocks north of the hotel.

The local organizer of the meeting stood and said "That would be the southbound Auto-Train." Everyone in the room stood up, walked out to the balcony, and watched the Auto-Train pass. Once the last auto carrier was out of sight headed towards Florida, the attendees returned to their seats without a word and the speaker picked up again as if nothing had happened.

Absolutely surreal.


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## jis (Nov 1, 2013)

We did something similar at a recent ESPA meeting in Utica NY at the Station Restaurant. Indeed, the arrival of the eastbound Lake Shore Limited was penciled into the agenda, and a break was scheduled around it so everyone could go out and take pictures. Once it departed the folks got back to business


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## SarahZ (Nov 1, 2013)

Trains still hold an air of romance and mystery. They've been around for so long and are mentioned in so many historic novels that it's hard not to get caught up in it.


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