# Crescent - NYP - NOL & Trip Report 6/28-7/5



## lenox (Jul 11, 2013)

So I had to look up my ID in my roledex (yes I do keep one at home, just in case the smart phone fails) & realized that I've posted most of my questions/reports on this site as guest/sweetlenox. Sorry to digress, let me get straight to the facts:

So I needed a little bit of a decompression trip after the school year ended here in NYC (I'm a crisis counselor, faciltating groups for kids recovering from Hurricane Sandy) and I decided what better way but to this...head to Nawlins.

I orginally tried to book this trip for departure on Sat 6/29 online, but it showed portions of the trip sold out. I called the 800 number and a CSR rep, confirmed the sold out status, but was able to put a one way sleeper reservation (for 6/28) on hold for me for a week. I ended up purchasing the ticket a week later and was pretty happy (as I didn't know Amtrak put reservations on "hold" with the option to buy it or lose it after a week, and in this case it was the lowest bucket fare for a roomette at about 30 days "out" from my departure)! I learn something new each time I call Amtrak.

Departure 6/28 Crescent - Car 1911 - odd # roomette - Friday

So I jump in a cab from my home in upper Manhattan and head to Penn Station in Friday traffic. Cab driver takes the West Side Highway and has me in on 32 & 8th by 1:30pm (good for my 2:15pm departure). Check into the Acela Lounge and the rep tells me I don't have to worry about a print out because, I have the ticket on my smart phone (although I have the Amtrak App, I didn't use it because the reservation was made over the phone).

The lounge is crowded with travelers and I have a seat. The rep asked if I will be needing Red Cap service, and although I can swing it by myself, I decide to get a little help boarding the train. A setlle in for a light refreshment (ginger ale) and a quiet scan of the smart phone. Shortly after, my name is called and I'm greeted by a familiar face, the very same Red Cap I used on my first long distance trip last Aug 2012. He grabs my bags and while walking towards the Crescent we catch up on each other's lives. His daughter has graduated with a Masters, we determine my life has been good and after I tip him we part ways (after he make one last quick assessment, "You must hate to fly").

I settle into my sleeper and exhale. I notice that the large seat is facing in the direction that the train is traveling and I'm pleased. I give my little roomette a light cleansing, put my bags in the overhead storage cubby and settle back. My SCA is Charles and he introduces himself and rushes off to prepare for the long haul. The weather in NYC is sunny and hot and I'm glad the air is working. My better half calls to inquire what the status is and I give him the all good, I safely aboard.

We depart on time and make our way thru NJ. The so far the ride is smooth and eventually someone comes to take my dinner reservation. I pick either 5 or 5:30 (my mind is a tad foggy, but I know it was not a 6:00pm res) and continue to observe the passing scenery. I notice the weather has changed and it has begun to rain hard, very hard. We've passed Phili now and as we make our way to Delaware the rain stops and starts again. As we pass over the many creeks and rivers I notice that they are swollen, brown and the water is moving swiftly, the quickest I've ever observed outside of maybe Niagara Falls when suddenly the train stops. We are in Maryland, not too far from D.C.

I'm mildly concerned and I know my dinner reservation is coming up. I leave my roomette, round the corner and see a woman outside of one the bedrooms looking out of the hallway window. I stop and bend down to lookout with her. She says that someone has reported hearing warning sirens. It's not raining, but large, green low clouds hang in the distance. The woman says she has checked the weather and a Tornado Alert has been issued for the area. "Mmmmm", I comment with a low voice. "I guess this would be good time to charge your electronic devices". "That's a good idea" she say's and turns into her bedroom and suggests her husband begin charging "things". I take one last look out the window before moving on to the dining car and observe someone walking along the tracks, checking the train (I can only assume it's an engineer).

I arrive at the dining car on time and am seated quickly and for the first time (to my surprise) I have the table to myself. I count about 5 other diners already seated and eating (2 by 2 and 1 other single). I'm so precoccupied with the low hanging greenish clouds that I fail to make a timely once over of the menu. I order the tilapia and dig into my salad. The dining services is prompt and the staff is very calm, not one of them showing a hint of anxiety. The Tilapia is brought to me and the server eventually remembers this orange Mushroom Sauce (which is ghastly, and needs to be retired).

I ate my rice pilaf & veggies and give the fish a try, but it didn't taste to well at all. Now the blood orange sorbet was good and the professionalism of the servers in the dining car made up for the bad fish. We started to move again and I ordered a small bottle of Coppola Merlot and relaxed a little (this small bottle would last me until we pulled into NO). After a short distance, we stopped again. It was raining pretty hard, and suddenly I felt a tinge of anxiety. I topped my wine and tipped my server and headed back to my roomette. Eventually we were able to get started up again and slowly made our way into D.C.'s Union Station. The Crescent is now 3 hours behind schedule.

I went to look Charles at about 10:00pm and had him put my bed down. I closed off the air vents as best I could (as it was getting pretty cold), changed into nightclothes, washed up and went to bed.

Day 2 - Saturday 6/30

After a pretty descent sleep I awoke at 6:30am to get to the breakfast call at 7:00am. Again I was seated by myself and enjoyed a breakfast of crab on a biscuit with tomato and lettuce and hollandaise sauce and glass of OJ. Service was great and the staff greeted me warmly and with big smiles. I went back to my roomette and informed Charles that I would be sleeping until lunch time. He agreed not to bother me and I proceeded to take a long, much needed nap.

I had lunch after we pulled out of Atlanta, still running 3 hours late. I had the pleasure of meeting a "southern lawyer" (yes I google folk to confirm everything) and we chatted with each other on the history of train travel in the south, his love for the Mets (poor baby) and good spots to eat in NY's Chinatown. My meal consisted of the black bean veggie burger (very good) with chips and a cranberry juice.

I returned back to my roomette, took in the sights of the south and sadly came to the realization that I would not be able to see the crossing over Lake Pontchartrain, because the Crescent would be arriving after sunset. I took a shower (nothing like scrubbing up on a moving train), settled in with my Merlot and relaxed and journaled. Eventually an announcement/apology was made in regards to the delay and the guests were given a snack. Later, Charles came down the car to let everyone know that they would be serving a full dinner to sleeping car passengers in the diner.

My last meal on the Crescent was the veggie pasta with spicy tomato sauce. It was good. For dessert I had the cheesecake with fruit (strawberry's) on the side. My dinner companions were a couple who were traveling cross country to Washington State. They commented that this segment (aboard the Crescent) was the worst (East Coast train compared to West Coast) and went on to tell me the tale's of the Starlight and the double decker cars, wine & cheese and views they would be experiencing on their way to the coast. I kinda liked the Crescent, but they were looking for more of a seperation of the "first class" experience, which they felt they weren't getting aboard this train. The wife commented on the stuff people were carrying in coach, and I said "Well, this probably saves them tons of money, having extra is great for sharing and builds a sense of community when traveling long distance". I think she got it when I broke it down that way. The other companion was some guy who worked for BP hooking up those who had suffered thru the spill with lawyers. He ranted on about my beloved President, healthcare, immigrants, shotguns...yada..yada.. Once he left the table, the couple and I had a pretty descent discussion about travel....period.

So we arrived in NO three hours late and just a about half past 10. I tipped Charles, wished him well and trotted out the station and into a cab under 4 minutes flat!!!! The Loyola Streetcar stops outside the station, but I was tired and just took a cab into the CBD on Carrondelet St (turns into Bourbon on the other side of Canal).

I had a great time in New Orleans doing:

-A bike tour thru the Lower Ninth Ward

-Meeting some Google Execs on the bike tour and doing dinner at GW Fins

-Checking out the Lousianna Supreme Court & exhibition inside their onsite museum

-Touring the Old US Mint

-Checking out the French Market and eating snowballs, shopping, listening to random music and eating at the cooking demonstrations

-Eating almost daily at my "second home: Meals from The Heart Cafe" in the French Mkt

-Checking out St. Louis Cathedral and the Cabildo exhibit at the Louisanna State Museum

-Loving the random brass band encounters in Jackson Square and on the riverfront

-Walking along Royal St. & looking in the galleries.

-Taking the St. Charles Streetcar into the Garden District

-And last but not least taking in the Family Renunion Day at Woldenberg Riverfront Park at the Essence Music Fest 2013 and crashing (by accident) the VIP tents (and getting up close to some of the acts & eating for free ;o) !!!!!!

-*Lastly arriving home safe to my family on Jet Blue <3

Had a blast in New Orleans.


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## bobnjulie (Jul 11, 2013)

Sounds wonderful! We'll be on the Cresent going north in August so I love hearing anything I can about the east coast trains.


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## Railroad Bill (Jul 12, 2013)

Enjoyed your trip report. We had Charles on our last trip on the Crescent. He is a gem and a credit to Amtrak. Love New Orleans. Can't wait to go back again.


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## MrEd (Jul 12, 2013)

thanks for the trip report.


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## ScottRu (Aug 18, 2013)

Nice report. Reminded me of the wonderful trip I had from NYC to NO on the Crescent last February. (We, too, crossed the great lake in the dark. Alas.)


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