# Winter 2016-17 trip (work in progress)



## bmjhagen9426 (Dec 9, 2016)

As some of you may have heard from AU or Facebook, I was planning a trip to Chicago. The groundwork for this trip was laid since the end of April 2016, almost eight months ago, when I reserved a round-trip from Klamath Falls to Chicago by way of the CS and EB on my outbound trip, and by way of SWC and CS on my return trip. I booked a coachclass for all four legs, with three of them on the Saver fare, and the SWC leg was on NARP discount as there were no Saver fares left on that one. Few months later, I decided to modify the trip, so that I will have next-day connection instead of same-day connection, and booked hotels in LA and Portland for my overnight layovers. When October rolled by, I decided to upgrade to a roomette (including the trip from KFS to PDX), using the money mainly from my September paycheck. Shortly before Thanksgiving, my already big trip got even bigger with a Chicago-Indy round trip on the Hoosier State's business class. Shortly after Thanksgiving, I canceled my Portland hotel, after accepting an offer from one of my family friend who invited me to spend the night at. After all of my class finals and my job ended for the winter, the trip finally materialized, as I packed up and started my grandiose trip.

Day one Outbound to Chicago: I moved my luggage, with assistance of my college friends (I had six pieces of baggage, which meant that I maxed out on free baggage limits; two large suitcases are checked, a small suitcase and my backpack are carry-on, and a briefcase and a small cooler are personal items. When I got to the station, it was crowded, as some of my fellow students were also taking the same train. Shortly after I got into the station, I had my two large suitcases checked to Portland. The train ended up arriving an hour and a half late, but I eventually boarded. As the train arrived, we walked to the platform. While everyone at the station walked to the coachclass or business class section, I alone walked to the sleeper section, where the sleeper attendant greeted me and then directed me upstairs, and told that I should immediately head to the diner if I want breakfast, which I did. I had scrambled eggs with potatoes and biscuit, with a side of two sausage patties and a drink of coffee and orange juice for breakfast. For lunch, I had bacon cheeseburger with Pepsi and a dessert of chocolate lava cake. Throughout the trip, I mainly stayed within my roomette and the Parlour Car, but had meals in the diner and made occasional trips to the sightseer lounge and coach, to chat with some of my friends and scenery narrators who rode between KFS and EUG. While in the Parlour car, chatted with other sleeper passengers and a crew member, and had two cocktails (Moscow Mule and the cherry cocktail) in a copper mug. While in the roomette, I watched an episode of "Pan Am" TV series and the Spongebob Squarepants Christmas Special episode that I had on my laptop, and listened to two songs ("Let There Be Love" by Nat King Cole and "Take Me Home, Country Road" by John Denver). The train ended up arriving in Portland about an hour late, and I headed on to pick up my two suitcases at the baggage claim, and waited for my family friend who later picked me up in front of the station. I am now staying at the home of a family friend until tomorrow afternoon, in which at that time I will be headed to Portland Union Station to catch #28 (10) to Chicago, and I plan on using the metro lounge, as I am on a sleeper on that train as well. This is a work in progress, and I will produce updates as my journey progresses. Stay tuned for future updates.


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## Mystic River Dragon (Dec 10, 2016)

Nice start to your trip, and looking forward to reading your updates! 

Did your fellow students traveling coach give you dirty looks as you boarded the sleeper? 

Also, what did you think of the lava cake? (Seems to be a hot topic of conversation on here lately, with differing views!)


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## bmjhagen9426 (Dec 10, 2016)

My fellow students awed at me (They'd think me as the lucky guy, but in reality it is a result of hard-earned money from my summer job), but they did not seem to care giving a dirty look when I boarded. Later, when I talked with them onboard in their coaches or in the Sightseer Lounge, they were quite amazed (told them the perks of being in a sleeper). As for the lava cake, I enjoyed it, despite burning my tongue a bit. And yes, stay tuned for updates. The next update should be in once I get to Chicago, which is in three days.


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## Ronbo (Dec 10, 2016)

So, how was the weather during your journey from KFS-PDX? I live in the Seattle area and it snowed quite a bit on Thursday the 8th , from Oregon to Washington, when you would have been traveling. Did you see much snow?


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## bmjhagen9426 (Dec 10, 2016)

There was some snow on and around my college's property. However, some of the snow already melted and it did not snow that day by the time I got on my sleeper. There were some snow in the mountains and in the Portland area, but then again they were going away too. I did not see the snow fall yesterday, but I am certain I will encounter snowfall as I travel on the Empire Builder to Chicago later today.


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## Ronbo (Dec 10, 2016)

bmjhagen9426 said:


> There was some snow on and around my college's property. However, some of the snow already melted and it did not snow that day by the time I got on my sleeper. There were some snow in the mountains and in the Portland area, but then again they were going away too. I did not see the snow fall yesterday, but I am certain I will encounter snowfall as I travel on the Empire Builder to Chicago later today.


I just realized that the snowy day was the day before your start. For some reason I was thinking overnight when you mentioned getting a roomete, then it dawned on me that it is only about a 7 hour same day trip. So like you said, by Friday most of the snow had turned to rain and was pretty much gone. I bet that you will see snow on the next leg of your journey, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota!

Enjoy your trip , anxious to hear about your experience on the Hoosier State.

PS...Havre ,MT right now...highs 8 to 10 degrees, lows -5 degrees, stay warm!!!


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## oregon pioneer (Dec 10, 2016)

Ooh, sounds like a wonderful trip! I look forward to your continued updates (hope they will be on this same thread, so I will receive notifications).


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## bmjhagen9426 (Dec 13, 2016)

oregon pioneer said:


> Ooh, sounds like a wonderful trip! I look forward to your continued updates (hope they will be on this same thread, so I will receive notifications).



Oregon Pioneer, It is on the same thread.

As for my updates, I have reached my destination safely yesterday, and many things have happened since I left Portland on Saturday. Here's what happened over the last few days.

Saturday: A family friend of mine dropped me off at Portland Union Station, where I would check my bags to Chicago. After checking my bags and buying "The Oregonian" newspaper, I went to the Metropolitan Lounge to wait for my train, #28 (10). Most of the passengers in the metro lounge were elderly people, but one passenger was an 18-year old boy who is a college student at Portland State University. All of them as far as I know were going to Chicago. Soon after boarding, my SCA came over and explained about traveling in a sleeper. I got Room 3, which happens to be the room just behind the SCA. After departure, she (my SCA) came over and offered me a boxed dinner that all Portland sleeper passengers can get, and I chose the beef entree, which was a beef taco salad. As my train raced through the northern Columbia River Gorge, I saw a lot of snow. Also during this time, I chatted with a BNSF employee. I fell asleep shortly after departing Pasco (after I had my fresh air break)

Sunday: I slept through the joining of the branches of Spokane and woke up somewhere after Libby. For breakfast, I had scrambled eggs with sausage patties, along with coffee and orange juice. I hung out in the Sightseer lounge until lunch, getting a chance to see some of the most breathtaking views of mountains and canyons as my train cut through the Rockies by way of Marias Pass. Shortly before lunch, I had some Jack Daniel's with some Pepsi on my copper mug (na zdrowie). For the most of the day, my train was running, on average, two and a half hours late. For lunch, I had bacon cheeseburger with chips, with a side of Pepsi without the booze, and had the warm date pudding for lunch. For dinner, I had the steak with dinner roll and a glass of Woodbridge Merlot red wine (na zdrowie), with a dessert of a cheese cake. Took shower just before my dinner reservation time successfully. Spent most of the day watching scenery of the wilderness roll by as the train races along the tracks while reading and listening to music. Stepped off the train at Shelby, Havre, and Minot for fresh air. When it got dark I watched some episodes of "Thomas and Friends" to pass the time, and I started to sleep past Rugby. It was very cold, dark, and snowy in Minot (I heard that it was four below zero in Minot).

Monday: The train has made up some time, thanks to schedule padding. I woke up shortly before St. Cloud, and went to grab a breakfast, when I had my usual, minus the orange juice. Watched the scenery roll by, and listened to some more music and completed the first season of "Thomas and Friends". For lunch, I had bacon cheeseburger with a side of chips and a can of Pepsi. Got some fresh air at St. Paul and Milwaukee. Also, I met a trio of Amish boys, which added to the group of interesting people I conversed with. Sometime after St. Paul, the conductor announced that the crew will observe a moment of silence, due to some crew members coming from Seattle and that the Seahawks lost badly against the Packers, in which I found out about it from my SCA. The train ended up arriving about three-quarter hours late into Chicago. Shortly after arrival, I purchased a Metra ticket for the Milwaukee North line, then picked up my bags from baggage claim area and rented a baggage cart. Soon after, I boarded the Metra Milwaukee North service towards Lake County, where I will be staying. The Metra conductor, when he looked at my bag, thought that I was running away from home, but I told him that I was on a vacation.

On a bottom line, the trip had many firsts, which include traveling over 2000 miles on a single train, traveling for more than one night on a single train, traveling through more than two states on a single train. using the Metropolitan Lounge, and riding a commuter train. Besides having many firsts, I got the chance to see some of the most beautiful sights, eat good enough food (better than airlines), and meet some interesting people with interesting stories. My SCA was quite friendly and helpful, and we chatted on a few occasion. The sleeper was worth the upgrade, since the Portland sleeper was the last car on the train, which meant only sleeper passengers were able to look out from the back window. The train was not full as there were lot of empty seats on the coaches and several vacant rooms on the sleepers (at least on the Portland Sleeper). The MSP-CHI coach was not added at St. Paul, which meant I did not have to walk to another car to see the view from the back window even after leaving SPUD.

I am on hiatus from Amtrak for a week, until Monday night, at which point I will take the Hoosier State business class down to Indianapolis and back to Chicago, round trip, with possibly a Metra trip before and after riding the Hoosier State. Stay tuned for more updates.


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## oregon pioneer (Dec 14, 2016)

Looking forward to more updates.

You must be Polish.


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## Mystic River Dragon (Dec 14, 2016)

Sounds like a very enjoyable trip--I, too, am looking forward to hearing about the rest of your journey. (And it is so nice to know that other grownups watch "Thomas and Friends"--I've never dared admit it, but now I will!  )


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## bmjhagen9426 (Dec 14, 2016)

oregon pioneer said:


> Looking forward to more updates.
> 
> You must be Polish.


I am not Polish, but that is the Polish phrase that I learned.


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## oregon pioneer (Dec 15, 2016)

bmjhagen9426 said:


> oregon pioneer said:
> 
> 
> > Looking forward to more updates.
> ...


Well, then, skål!

(and I am not Norwegian)


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## v v (Dec 18, 2016)

Enjoyed this too and your style

Merci


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## bmjhagen9426 (Dec 19, 2016)

v v said:


> Enjoyed this too and your style
> 
> Merci


Stay tuned. My trip's not over.


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## bmjhagen9426 (Dec 26, 2016)

It's time for some updates. Over the last couple of weeks, I had some things going on with the family friends that I am staying with. Last week, had a K-BBQ for a family dinner, and had Christmas parties with the same family friends, along with their relatives. And tomorrow (the 26th), I will be traveling to Indianapolis on the Hoosier State and back the day after. Stay tuned for future updates concerning my Hoosier State trip.


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## bmjhagen9426 (Dec 28, 2016)

Now that I am back from Indianapolis, here are some updates.

December 26: Packed up and left for Libertyville Metra station (Libertyville is the town that I am staying at until January 2), headed for CUS. The ride itself took just over an hour. After alighting the Metra at CUS, went to the Metropolitan Lounge after picking up my tickets from the service rep (I forgot to reprint my tickets after pushing my trip back by a week. Hung out at the Met Lounge until about 20 after 5pm, eating some trail mix and Pepsi, and watching some news and reading some magazines. Some of the television screens listed Amtrak arrivals and departures. To no surprise, both the #4 (24) and #8/28 (24), which were supposed to pull into CUS just before Metra MD/N #2614 (26), which is the Metra train that I rode into CUS, was to pull in, were delayed. #4 (24) was delayed by almost three hours and was due to arrive at 6pm that day, while #8/28 (24) was delayed by just over 15 hours and was not due to arrive until 7am the next day. At about 5:20pm, the people at the front desk of the Met Lounge made a boarding call for #850 (26), which was the train I would eventually board. Soon after this announcement, I quickly headed for the platform to board the train. Since I was ticketed in Business Class, the conductor directed me to the upper level of the Iowa Pacific's dome car. Soon after having my ticket scanned, I had dinner on board. The train was not quite full. For dinner, I had the Chicago-style hot dog (sans ketchup) with a side of chips, and had a drink of a 16-ounce Margarita on the rocks (na zdrowie). For dessert, I had a slice of cake topped with a few blueberries. I had a second drink of Scotch and Club Soda on the rocks (na zdrowie). My train pulled into Indianapolis Union Station on time. The on board crew on my train was quite nice, and even had a bit of a chat, as well as chatting with other travelers in Business Class. Since I did not have a hotel reservation, I spent the night at the waiting room of the station.

December 27: After spending the night, I was once ready to board #851 (27). The boarding call was made at about 5:15am. I was about to take some photos of the waiting room area, but a security man came by and told me that I was not supposed to take photos of the area and gave me a warning by telling me I should erase the photos, or risk seizure of the device used. To avoid hassles, I quickly complied to his requests, and he responded by letting me off the hook. When he demanded me to stop photographing and then erase the photos (which I did as soon as he gave me that demand), he explained the reason behind his request by saying that only reporters were supposed to take pictures. He did not seem to care about my counter-statement in which I explained about Amtrak policy on photography. This demand made by that security man does not sound acceptable, as I have taken several photos of station waiting rooms, outsides of stations, platforms, inside of the train, and Met Lounges without being approached by security. I am guessing that security man was not fully aware of Amtrak policy of taking pictures. I wonder what I can do in the wake of this near-miss. Anyways, I boarded the train on time. The train was a full house, as the train was sold out, and the train left Indianapolis on time. Soon after departure, I had breakfast by starting out with a cup of coffee (I had two cups of coffee total), then ordering scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, potatoes, and a wedge of orange. After breakfast, I had the Screwdriver on the rocks as my morning cocktail (na zdrowie). I eventually had a second helping to my morning cocktail by ordering Gin and Tonic on the rocks (na zdrowie). After downing my second helping of the cocktail, I ate a chocolate bar to neuter the bitter taste of the gin. Since I was sleep deprived, I also had a shot of Five Hour Energy, but that did not prevent me from falling asleep. My seatmates were a middle-aged woman and her six year old daughter. The two seatmates were nice people, and them and I have chatted throughout the trip. The train ended up arriving into CUS about a half hour early. As soon as I alighted, I headed to the Met Lounge to wind down for a few minutes, and to no surprise, the LSL, EB, and CZ that are due this day were delayed by a few hours. After watching a bit of news and checking the Metra schedule, I proceeded to board Metra MD/N #2113 (27) to Libertyville. The Metra train was late to arrive, but left CUS on time, and I proceeded to take a seat in the upper level of the Nippon Sharyo bilevel. During the ride, I read the Chicago Tribune that I bought just prior to boarding the Metra train. The ride on the Metra took just over an hour. At Libertyville Metra station, I was picked up by one of my family friend of whom I will be staying with until Monday January 2nd. Stay tuned for future updates, which include the trip on the Chief, my stay in LA, and my trip on the Starlight.

Here are some interesting facts on my trip. First off, this recent trip was the first time to travel on Amtrak route that uses a non-Amtrak equipment. Also, this is also a first time being on a dome car, business class, and single-level equipment. Also happened on this trip was the first time to spend the night at any given Amtrak station (quite a feat), and first time to get confronted by security guard for taking pictures (no bueno). On this trip, three milestones have met: Exceeding 10 Amtrak trips in a single year, exceeding 30 total Amtrak trips, and exceeding 5000 miles on Amtrak in a single year.


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## MikefromCrete (Dec 28, 2016)

Sounds like the security guard was an over-zealous type who likes to exercise his "authority." He's probably not an Amtrak employee. He no doubt works for whoever actually owns the station (since its also a Greyhound station) and has no idea of what are actually Amtrak's rules and regulations. You have two options with these types of security guards --- argue with them, which will probably result in some in time-consuming unpleasantries for you or delate the photos and retake them when he leaves the property.


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## Railroad Bill (Dec 29, 2016)

Always a good idea to have Amtrak policy stored away on your device in case of disputes. The photography policy has been discussed many times on
AU and it would seem that the agent at Indianapolis might have clarified that policy for the guard. I like taking photos of train and station events and have never had a problem with security about it. But as others have said, sometimes discretion is the better part of valor. 

Enjoying your trip reports and look forward to reading about your return trip next week.


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## bmjhagen9426 (Jan 7, 2017)

Okay, now that my trip was over, and having been without the internet for the past five days, this update will be quite long, so I appreciate your patience reading through this update.

December 27 to January 1: Enjoyed some nice days being in Libertyville (a village in Lake County), Illinois, being mostly quiet and relaxed. Because the family friends that I was staying was taking care of three young girls in foster care as arranged by IL DCFS (have responsibilities similar to Oregon's Department of Human Services), things were busy and frantic at times, and I was effectively somewhat a seasonal live-in nanny for the kids (don't get me wrong, I have passed the background check for this reason). However, we went out to some interesting places. One day, me and the family friends plus the three girls that they were taking care of, went to the Brookefield Zoo to see some animals and the holiday zoolights. After that, grabbed a dinner at a nearby Portillo's, and I had a polish hot dog, two helpings of small Coke, and two and a half helpings of fries. When New Year's Day rolled by, started the first day of 2017 at a church, followed by an afternoon shopping at Hawthorne Mall at Vernon Hills (another village in Lake County, adjacent to Libertyville), then the parents of one of my family friends came over, and had a Korean style New Year's Day celebration (these parents are Korean immigrants). Later that evening, I started packing up for a five-day trip back to Oregon, and slept shortly thereafter.

January 2: After packing up the last few things and having breakfast and then showered, my party of family friends headed off to Chicago. My family friend dropped off his parents at their retirement home in one of Chicago's neighborhoods, then me and my family friends plus the little girls went to downtown Chicago to drop me off at Chicago Union Station. After saying farewell to my family friends, I went ahead to check my bags at CUS. After checking my bags, I went to the CUS Met Lounge to wait for my train, the Southwest Chief #3 to Los Angeles. I had a wine tasting while in the lounge, after stowing my small suitcase in the storage room next to the Met Lounge. Soon after the wine tasting, I went up to the Pennsylvania Room (aka the Red Carpet room) for extra comfort. Watched some television news and read some magazines, including the National magazine. While in the lounge, announcements were going off regarding departures. Three overnight trains were scheduled for departure prior to mine: Texas Eagle #21/321 at 1:45pm, California Zephyr #5 at 2:00pm, and Empire Builder #7/27 at 2:15pm. Shortly after the Empire Builder departed, a boarding call for Southwest Chief #3 was made, at which point I picked up my smaller suitcase and gathered my belongings, then headed for the platform to board my train. My sleeper car was right behind the transitional sleeper, and I had a female SCA for a third consecutive sleeper trip. The train departed on time and we were off to Los Angeles. For the first 30 miles until reaching Naperville, my train traveled on the same tracks that the Metra BNSF Line uses. Shortly after departing Naperville, the Metra line diverged from my route but was close-by until Aurora, which was the end of the line for the Metra BNSF Line. For dinner, I had steak with a glass of Cabernet (na zdrowie) and had a dessert of Lava Cake. For my after-dinner snack, I had the beef hot dog with the works (ketchup, mustard, and mayonaisse; since I was no longer in Chicago by then, I felt no shame to put ketchup on my hot dog) and a Jack and Coke in my copper mug (na zdrowie). Split my time in the diner, in the observation car chatting with fellow travelers, and in my compartment watching movies and listening to music. Shortly before arriving in Kansas City I called my SCA, and shortly after that she came over to convert the two facing seat into a bed. When the train pulled into Kansas City, I decided to step off for a few minutes for some fresh air. It was raining slightly in Kansas City, but not too bad. Across from my train was the Missouri River Runner that just finished its evening run from St. Louis. While on the platform, chatted with my SCA, another SCA (who was a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, told her that I am from Oregon and that I was a Seahawks fan), and fellow travelers. Shortly after departure, I went to sleep.

January 3: Woke up around Garden City, Kansas, and went to breakfast. Had my usual breakfast (scrambled eggs, potatoes, biscuit, and sausage patties) with coffee and orange juice, and my bed was set off for daytime configuration. Again I split my time in my compartment, diner, and the observation car, but I showered as well. Stepped off for a few minutes in La Junta, for some fresh air and chatting with others. While in my compartment, listened to some music and took pictures of the scenery, including those of Raton Pass and Glorieta Sub, at times going to the back window to take those photos, which was rather a long walk from my comaprtment (starting from my sleeper car, through another sleeper car, dining car, observation car, and three coaches). For lunch, I had my usual: Angus Burger with the works (chedder cheese and bacon). Along with it, I had some Corona (na zdrowie) and a dessert of warm date pudding. The scenery between La Junta and Albuquerque is quite outstanding, especially on the Raton Pass and the Glorieta Sub. Stepped off the train at Albuquerque, checking out with the surroundings such as the station building, the Rail Runner commuter train, platform vendors, and the like, and chatted with other travelers, some of the train staff, and my SCA. We were stopped for over half an hour, then departed on time. It was dark soon after we departed Albuquerque. For dinner, I had steak, and for a drink, I had a glass of Merlot (na zdrowie). A cup of water also accompanied my dinner, and for dessert I had sugar-free vanilla pudding. Shortly before Flagstaff, my SCA converted my compartment to nighttime configuration. I again stepped off at Flagstaff for some fresh air, and have chatted with others, and after departure I went off to sleep.

January 4: I woke up very early, and headed to the diner sometime after Victorville. For breakfast, I had the continental breakfast of oatmeal, croissant, grapefruit, yogurt, and oranges, and I had a cup of coffee to go with the breakfast. The diner closed when the train reached San Bernandino. The train made its way towards LA as it raced eastward through the Inland Empire and Orange County. The train ended up arriving half an hour early into LAUS. I made my way to the baggage claim area and waited half an hour for my baggage. I also grabbed some spare cash from the ATM just before picking up my bags. After getting my bags, I went to hail a taxicab to my hotel in East LA. Upon arriving at my hotel, I sat in the lobby for a while. The check in time is usually at 2pm, but the hotel manager said that I can check in at 11am if I wished, which I did. After paying for my stay and registering with my hotel, I went into my hotel room and dropped my bags off. I watched some television for a bit then headed my way to downtown LA. I took the LA Metro's Gold Line to LAUS, then changed to the Purple Line to Wilshire and Vermont. Upon getting off at Wilshire and Vermont, I went up to the surface to Wilshire Boulevard, and walked on it and the nearby streets. Sure enough, the Wilshire neighborhood was essentially a Korean enclave within LA, and one of the largest in this country, as many businesses in the area were owned or operated by Korean Americans, and there were two prominent such establishments: The South Korean Consulate and MBC America (MBC is one of the South Korea-based television and radio broadcasters). I eventually had lunch at a grill restaurant owned and operated by Koreans, known as the Kanghodong Baekjeong. I got the pork combo, which comprised of marinated pork collar (essentially a pork equivalent of ribeye), pork neck, and pork belly, and a choice of spiced soup. For drinks, I had a bottle of Soju (a rice-based distilled liquor, essentially a vodka, but much less percentage of alcohol compared to Polish vodka. na zdrowie), and a kettle of ice-cold water. Also had some of the side dishes and a pre-cooked thin pork belly marinated with hot sauce. After paying for my lunch all in cash (It was $100 with the food itself, sales tax, and tip). I carefully made my way to the Wilshire and Vermont Metro station, as I had consumed eight shots of the 36-proof liquor over the course of two hours of dining. I took the Purple Line back to LAUS and then grabbed a cup of iced Peppermint Mocha and the LA Times newspaper, and had a short chat with a LA Metro employee. I also went to a mini-grocery store to pick up a few drinks. I then made it to the Gold Line platform to head back to my hotel in East LA. It was dark by the time I came back up to the surface streets, and since the East LA looked quite sketchy, I promptly headed back to my hotel. Once back in the hotel room, watched some more television and had a warm shower, and slept afterwards.

January 5: I packed up, gathered up my belongings and checked out from my hotel. I asked the hotel manager to hail a taxi for me, and told me that it will be there shortly. When I got to the LAUS, I was directed to the Metropolitan Lounge, where the agent verified my tickets and had my baggage checked. I had a muffin and orange juice for breakfast and read magazines and newspapers, and chatted with fellow travelers. The boarding call was made soon after, and we headed to the platform to board the train. My SCA went over the features of a sleeper, and we soon departed. During the trip, split my time between being in my compartment, parlor car, and the diner. For lunch, I had my usual burger with Pepsi, and had the dessert of lava cake. I stepped off the train in San Luis Obispo. In the compartment I passed time by listening to some music. Inside the Parlor car I chatted with fellow travelers. Shortly after leaving San Luis Obispo, I had the wine tasting with cheese and crackers. We had a white wine, an American red wine, and an Argentinian red wine (na zdrowie). After the wine tasting, I had the Mojito served in my copper mug. For dinner, I had my usual steak, but I had Pepsi instead of wine. While at dinner my SCA converted my roomette for nighttime configuration. I hung out in the Parlor car until the train reached Emeryville, at which point I slept shortly thereafter.

January 6: I woke up shortly after Dunsmuir, and went to have breakfast, and had pancakes and sausage patties with coffee and orange juice. I was informed that my train would be 13 minutes, and my compartment was converted to daytime configuration. When the train was closing in on the California, the train suddenly stopped due to reports of cracked rails. The Union Pacific inspectors soon came and the train again was on the move, but a slow order was issued until the next signal. I spent time in the Parlor car chatting with other travelers. The train ended up arriving in Klamath Falls two hours late, and headed back to my compartment in the last few minutes, and gathered my belongings and detrained when the train came to a stop at the depot. I picked up my checked baggage and was picked up by one of my coworkers, and made back safely back to my university apartment. I was surprised at the amount of the snow and ice that was on the ground.

On a bottom line, this whole trip was great, and I have managed to travel over 6000 miles in a month, and it was interesting to note that all of my four SCA's during my four-week vacation were female. I did what the majority of my fellow college students did not do. The SCA's and other staff members that I came across as well as other travelers were quite friendly. This trip was very remarkable, and I felt very lucky to have such a grandiose trip, and I plan to have another great train travels in the near future. As for now, I have now returned to my college grind, and my classes and my work schedules begin on Monday. Trips coming up next: Sacramento (MLK weekend and then again on Memorial Day weekend), LA/Phoenix (March-April), Portland/Seattle/LA/Korea (August-September), Portland (Thanksgiving), LA/New Orleans/New York/Chicago/Bay Area (December). Stay tuned for future trip reports as they are taken. Feel free to comment on my recent return trip back from Chicago, or for my whole winter trip if you wish.


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## Bob Dylan (Jan 7, 2017)

Nice trip, thanks for sharing!

That Korean place in LA must be upscale if your bill was $100!( or was it the alcohol which is the way most food places make a profit???)


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## hermit (Jan 7, 2017)

Sounded like you had a good time,thanks for sharing!


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## EmCee Al (Jan 7, 2017)

Wondering if the "Pennsylvania Room" you mentioned is the area upstairs where that wonderful photo of the Pennsylvania RR T1 locomotive is displayed? I absolutely love that photo. On one hand, it is just a new locomotive with the "Brass" posing in front. On the other, it shows the hope and pride of an innovative steam locomotive, the dress and attitude of the men involved, and the epitome of art-deco locomotive design!


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## bmjhagen9426 (Jan 7, 2017)

Bob Dylan said:


> Nice trip, thanks for sharing!
> 
> That Korean place in LA must be upscale if your bill was $100!( or was it the alcohol which is the way most food places make a profit???)


The liquor was $13, but a single order of pork was $25. The meat combo that comprises of two to three orders of meat was on the $50 range. And the rest were taxes and tips.


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## oregon pioneer (Jan 7, 2017)

Satisfying end to a nice trip. Thanks for the report!

Keep warm and dry.


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## Madzoo (Jan 7, 2017)

This trip sounds amazing. Thanks for sharing it.


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