# Auntie C, Amtrak princess



## Auntie_C (Jun 16, 2015)

Orlando, Florida, is known for its nearby tourist attractions and theme parks (although, technically, some of those are in Kissimmee or Lake Buena Vista).

The cast members, as employees are called at one large resort, are trained to provide excellent customer service even when dealing with sunburned dolts. A standard response they are permitted: "Have a magical day." (This adjective, I suspect, means different things to the listener than to the speaker, sometimes.)

Especially when dressed up as such, many cast members greet little girls as "princess." This delights the child.

Having now returned to Orlando upon completion of my first Amtrak adventure, I feel like a princess. The train crews and station staff were all friendly and helpful. My fellow travelers had fascinating stories and destinations of their own. If someone was not at their best, I didn't really notice -- I had no basis of camparison, so every interaction was novel. If I could find a tiara with a rhinestone-spangled train running around its sparkly track, I would wear it with pride.

I thank all the Amtrak personnel and passengers I encountered for adding kindness, novelty and knowledge to my travels.

Thanks, too, to all the Amtrak Unlimited forum readers who looked at and/or commented on my trip reports. As I stated in the first, I'm writing these more for myself and my family than for others, but I was pleased and humbled by the positive feedback and additional details you provided.

I'll drop back in to read the travelogues of others any time I seek a mental vacation.

There's a song from the Christopher Guest mockumentary, "A Mighty Wind," performed by two of the folk-music groups: "Never Did No Wanderin'." Now, I suspect, I won't listen to it as often as I did preparing for this trip.

AUNTIE C's ADVENTURE JUNE 2015

(these first bits will appear in each post -- scoll down to get to the new stuff)

ORL to WAS = Orlando, Fla., to Washington, D.C., on Silver Meteor 98; sleeper car roomette -- "Auntie C begins her grand tour"

WAS to CHI = Washington to Chicago, Ill., on Capitol Limited 29; sleeper car roomette -- "Auntie C gains perspective"

CHI to PDX = Chicago to Portland, Ore., on Empire Builder 27; sleeper car roomette -- "Auntie C beholds the Empire"

PDX to EUG = Portland to Eugene, Ore, on Coast Starlight 11 coach seat -- "Auntie C arrives at her destination"

return trip

EUG to SAC = Eugene to Sacramento, Calif., on Coast Starlight 11; sleeper car roomettte -- "Auntie C goes to California"

SAC to CHI = Sacramento to Chicago on California Zephyr 6; sleeper car roomette -- "Auntie C cuts through the middle"

Special edition: "Auntie C takes a detour"

CHI to WAS = Chicago to Washington on Capitol Limited 30; sleeper car /b/e/d/r/o/o/m/ now roomette -- "Auntie C roughs it"

WAS to ORL = Washington to Orlando on Silver Meteor 97; sleeper car roomette -- "Auntie C, Amtrak princess"

I'll not mention cars or rooms until after I've completed that leg of the trip. Nor do I intend to give the full names of Amtrak crew members -- the nametags state first initial and last name, but they tend to introduce themselves by first name.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

I picked these up from other trip reports, and will post atop each of mine to remind myself what terms I should use, adding as I learn more. (Then I'll forget and fail to use them.)

LSA-D lead service attendant - diner

TA-SC train attendant - sleeper car

TA-C train atendant - coach

waiter - other service attendants in diner car, as I'm not sure what the official name might be (I will probably end up calling most all diner staff something else, as I did not notice nametags on either attendant during the first leg of my trip -- likely under the aprons.) Non-gender specific.

Red Cap staff member at stations who helps travelers get to and from trains, the club lounges and, I assume, the outside world. Non-gender specific.

INTRODUCTION

I am a 45-year-old Floridian visiting relatives in Oregon after about five years with little contact and no other big vacations. I'm introverted, so comments about struggling to chat with other passengers should be viewed as my own hangup, not any character flaws on their parts.

I've taken two-plus weeks off work for this, my first Amtrak rail journey, to attend a life event for my niece -- hence my chosen moniker for this forum.

I trust the more knowledgeable members of Amtrak Unlimited will correct any errors I make in describing particuars of the trains, stations or other aspects of rail travel. Thanks in advance, and while I won't take such corrections personally, I also won't likely thank you individually.

My primary audience for this are my parents. Dad's a steam train enthusiast in theory, but as Mom doesn't travel well, they don't take vacations, either. I hope my descriptions help them travel vicariously with me to visit their only grandchild a continent away.

I do not intend to post photos, mostly as I can't figure out how to downsize the images my iPad takes with its cracked screen.

I'll slug all my posts with "Auntie C" this or that, for ease of finding (or avoiding) them.

FORMAT

I'm compiling these trip reports from emails I send to a handful of kith and kin, taking out the duller bits (I hope). For the first leg, I started typing while on the Silver Meteor, so real-time intrusions into the narrative are separated by ellipses and perhaps time signatures. If I continue to type as I go, this format might persist. It makes sense to me, an you are welcome to stop reading if it does not appeal to you.

My Bluetooth keyboard, as I discovered in my first email, tends to double some characters. I doubt I'll be diligent in proofing, so please forgive typos.

HOMEWARD BOUND

Waiting in Club Acela until boarding, I started watching the second season of the "Treasure Island" prequel, "Black Sails," I downloaded before I began the ttrip. I'll want to read the book after I finish the TV series, to see what references I catch.

The train was delayed a few minutes arriving, but the staff in the club kept us informed. Now I've experienced both twice, I find Club Acela swankier but more aloof than the friendly bustle of Chicago's Metropolitan Lounge. I heard the staff laughing and joking with each other in Chicago -- in D.C., they're removed from the waiting area by hallways, so they interact with travelers less. Perhaps, as the club is more for first-class Acela passengers than sleepers, the regulars prefer the distance.

return LEG 4: WAS to ORL, Silver Meteor 97, car 9712, roomette 9

7;39 p.m. Eastern time Monday, June 15, 2015, on board train in Washington, D.C., station. This is a Viewliner, not a Superliner -- something I forgot when boarding, as I kept wondering where the steps to the upper level were.

My roomette is on the left/east side of the train as it moves south. I like the Viewliner cupholders better: they are deeper, allowing me to stash lip balm, naail clippers and other pocket detritus without fear of it all spilling onto me in ssleep.

I discovered as I disembarked my prior train that the carry case for my travel pillow has torn at the handle. I probably shoved it too forcefully into the closet space. I considered judicious application of duct tape, but this is the last leg of my trip -- I'll do something with it or recycle the plastic case when I get home, adding the pillow to a bed.

7:46 p.m., the train attendant - sleeper car is going room to room, telling us dinner will begin as soon as the train gets moving. Luther went over the basics of the room with me, reminding me where everything is. He brought me a bottle of water, too.

9:03 p.m. a newer diner car than the one I first encountered, this one still had the two-seater benches, but with individual pads and backrests so I can tell exactly how far my hip intrudes into my neighbor's space. There's more room between seat and table, too. I noticed drawers set into the space under each back-to-back bench -- linen storage? I itched to investigate.

Fortunately, I had no tablemate on my side. One of the attendants (perhaps both) were on my other Silver Meteor trip nearly two weeks ago -- and I still didn't catch his name.

The setting sun bore straight into the car as we came up from the underground warren of racks. I pulled the curtain closed on my side, then peeked around it to spot the top of the Washington Monument, then the Jefferson Memorial through trees.

9:35 p.m. teeth brushed in the spitty-tap fold-down sink, I'm ready to turn in. The special sizing of seats around the in-room toilet/bunk step means my head faces the front of the train, as that's the wider seat and thus wider part of the mattress.

I wedged a face cloth into the gap of the upper bunk on one rattling side. Earplugs should take care of other noise. Learning from my first trip, I stashed the empty hangers under the seats rather than hang them to clatter all ngiht.

I thought I was clever, stashing my purse and suitcase in the ceiling rack. Now I realize I must clamber up to fetch my wifi gadget.

(I also had to stop myself from setting my watch forward one hour again.)

ROCKIN' AND ROLLIN'

6:49 a.m. Tuesday, June 15, 2015

There is a trick to side-sleeping on a train moving rapidly over many switch points and other bumps: multiple anchor points.

The problem is my hips.

If I settle on my side with legs straight, as there's not much room for anything else, the main pivot point becomes my hip bone, cushioned by a substantial, jiggly layer of fat. On a steady bed, this would not be a problem. On a train, the rocking and jolting of the car causes me to shimmy like a salsa dancer.

Not conducive to sleep.

I snore more if I try to sleep on my back. On stomach, other lumpy bits get in the way. Thus, I've discovered if I scooch all the way over against the none-too-warm window rail, or flip so my bum might actually hang off the door-side of the bed, I can hike up a knee to provide another anchor point, reducing the shimmy.

The moral of this story: Skinny people probably sleep better on trains, even if they don't realize it.

I can tell by the Spanish moss and grape vines covering other greenery that we're in the South. Time to find breakfast.

7:46 a.m. the fold-down sink is fine, but that tap design is not. I cannnot find a way to not cover my shirt or anything on that adjacent seat with water. I could run water into the basin and rinse my hands there, but they would still be coated in soap.

Unlike the other lines, there is no Silver Meteor time schedule placed in the roomette. We stopped in Savannah, Georgia, during breakfast, but I don't know if that makes us on time. Also, the menus state "Silver Star" -- are the trains interchangeable?

7:58 a.m. TA-SC Luther stopped by and reset the chairs, then I checked the train's status online -- running abut 27 minutes late. (Note, however, that I did not think to look at the arrival time -- this is relevant later.) We seem to be moving at top speed, so we might make up some of that time.

FINAL SHOW(er)

9:34 a.m. so that counter I thought was only for stacking up the bags of clean towels is actually a lidded bin for used towels -- smart. And those cabinets above it I thought were for storing clothes don't have any handles, so they must be for clean-towel storage or other supplies. (The one I first encountered heading north had those cabinets flapping open, with nothing inside.)

From the depleted state of the liquid hand soap bottle in the shower, I tink many people forget to bring the bar of soap from their room. I remembered mine, and pondered leaving it on the shelf for the next person, but tossed it in the trash as I cleaned up. Is the water on trains softenned? It takes a long time to wash off the feel of soap. I think I have slightly hard water at home, so I might be biased.

SHOULD HAVE CHECKED THE TIMETABLE

1:32 p.m., inside Orlando station.

A schedule would have come in handy -- or half a brain more than I seem to have today. I got it in my head the train did not arrive in Orlando until after 5 p.m., so I was surprised to learn at lunch that we were due within the hour. I had just enough time to scoot back to my roomette, brush my teeth and pack up my gear before TA-SC Luther was knocking on my door.

The No. 98 northbound arrived just after the slightly late No. 97 departed for parts south.

With sleeper cars up near the engine and baggage claim waaay down at the other end of the platformm near the bus area, I dug out my sunglasses and greeted the Florida sunshine.

Then I called my ride to say I was in 5 hours earlier than plannned. I should get to my rural home about the time I thought I was arriving in Orlando, then have the whole evening to sort out laundry.

And maybe pick up a large pizza.

Thanks for riding with me.


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## Bob Dylan (Jun 16, 2015)

No,Thank you for sharing your "magical" adventure with us!

We look forward to your contributions to this forum and feel safe in saying that you probably already are starting to think about your next train adventure like most of us do!!


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## Ryan (Jun 16, 2015)

I'm nearly as disappointed as you are that the trip is over (perhaps more so).


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## Cma (Jun 16, 2015)

What a great trip report. I'm sorry your trip is over because I'll miss reading you entertaining reports.


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## FormerOBS (Jun 16, 2015)

Thanks for sharing your experiences and your humor. Hope to see you onboard some time. You're a great travel companion, whether in person or from the other end of a computer.

Tom


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## OBS (Jun 16, 2015)

I absolutely love your unbiased, observant style of writing. What a pleasure, as others have indicated, to read and "travel along"...


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## shelzp (Jun 17, 2015)

I hope you hang around on this forum and make regular witty observations and comments as I have so enjoyed your reports. Simply the best and it has been fun 'traveling with you'!


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## mediaman (Jun 17, 2015)

Thanks for taking the time to document your trip and share it with us. I enjoyed reading each entry!


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## bobnjulie (Jun 17, 2015)

Well, I tried to comment this morning...not sure where it went.

Really enjoyed your journey! Thanks for sharing!


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## Auntie_C (Jun 19, 2015)

Well, now I'm blushing. Knowing me (as I tend to do), I would have written about the trip even if I were not sending it to others. To get such positive feedback here is appreciated.

That said, I'll share an epilogue:

Arriving Tuesday, June 16, 2015, at my home down a rutted dirt road in the woods (turkey oak, live oak, longleaf pine and mosquitoes), I thank my driver and haul my suitcases over the porch, closer to the front door. Just before I try the lock, I realize something I should have thought about two days ago: I left my keys inside when I left.

And I forgot to ask Best Beloved to leave a door unlocked when we knew I would arrive a day late, on a workday for BB.

Now, many people hide spare keys somewhere they think is safe. I did this, too.

Unknown to me, BB had moved the key. BB cannot carry a cellphone at work. Thus, BB had no clue of my predicament.

Sigh.

I got into my house perhaps two hours later, after asking my parents to drive the 20-ish miles from thier home to bring me their key -- rather than wait until BB's shift ended at midnight. It was nice to see them, and I was able to give them a USB drive withh photos of the relatives I visited in Oregon. I should have offered them dinner to show my gratitude, but I had nothing in the house after that much time away. They understood.

I slept in Wednesday (luxury!) and sorted laundry, preparing to return to work and hoping I remembered all my passwords to log in to various programs.

The moral of this story: Just throw the keys into your travel gear, as you never know what might happen.


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## AmtrakBlue (Jun 19, 2015)

I always take a spare house key with me and leave my keychain at home...if I'm getting a ride to the train.


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## Chey (Jun 20, 2015)

Add me to the list who have delighted in your stories. I hope you travel again, and soon!

I even loved your homecoming.When you spoke of your home "down a rutted dirt road in the woods" it reminded me of a place where my in-laws once lived, although a lot further away from Orlando than you seem to be. A little piece of rural Florida between Citra and Ft. McCoy, which was fishing heaven and very beautiful to my western eyes. Looking at Google Earth a few years ago it appeared to have been paved and developed. Hold on to what you have!


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## oregon pioneer (Jun 20, 2015)

I also live down a rutted dirt road, and we have pine trees (Ponderosa, in our case). I do take keys with me when I travel. The only problem is remembering where in my luggage I stashed the darn things, knowing only that I wanted them out of the way for the duration!

I am truly looking forward to your next trip (and reports...).

Your BB is a very lucky person.


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## AmtrakBlue (Jun 20, 2015)

Re the key. I use a safety pin and pin the house key and spare luggage key(s) to my fanny pack's inside pocket.


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## stageman12 (Jun 27, 2015)

Great stories, thanks for sharing! Even though I've been out of FL for 3 years now, Spanish moss and pine trees still conjure images of rural Poinciana where we spent a few years. i enjoyed following along with your journey!


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