# I got engaged on the train



## DowneasterPassenger (Aug 11, 2010)

A few months ago I got in touch with a old friend of the family in Maine through Facebook. We began chatting and hit it off really well online and in phone calls. Finally when it came time for my periodic rail trip back east, we planned a rendezvous in Boston.

The last few times I did a cross country trip, I had good luck with my connections in Chicago. My friend had to take time off from work and I didn't prepare her for the possibility that I might arrive to meet her in Boston a day later than planned. The California Zephyr was on time all the way to Omaha, when we halted for several hours to deal with flooding in Iowa.

The details of that story are posted in another thread, but in summary the CZ took a detour to Chicago and finally arrived at 10pm. Meanwhile the crew first announced that we would miss all connections, including the Lake Shore, but then later announced that the LSL would be held and we would make the connection. Needless to say it was a real nail biter, especially for my friend who was not familiar with the details of Amtrak delays and missed connections. We were texting the whole time of course.

Eventually got to Boston about 2 hours late, still enough time for a meeting and [details cut out here kids, but suffice it to say it went really well]. We spent a wonderful couple of weeks together in Maine and then it came time for me to head back to California. We made tentative plans to meet up in New York next month.

I departed the east coast from Philadelphia and had a brief layover in Pittsburgh to catch the Capitol Limited. Sometime in the middle of the night around the Ohio-PA border, my friend and I were texting and I proposed marriage. Earlier we had joked about eloping to Vegas and I said, "Forget New York, let's go to Vegas." She said "OK". I texted back "I think I just proposed marriage by text and I think you just said yes". Her reply was in the affirmative.

My return route was the Southwest Chief and I traveled in a roomette courtesy of Amtrak Guest Rewards. I pretty much spent the entire time holed up in the cabin catching up on all the sleep I hadn't gotten on my trip, and texting my new fiancée and making plans.

The need for a ring led me to the Indians in Albuquerque who sell souvenirs on the platform. I took pics of the rings for sale and sent them to her to help me pick one out.

The best Amtrak trip ever! SanJoaquinRider is soon to become DowneasterRider.


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## rrdude (Aug 11, 2010)

SanJoaquinRider said:


> A few months ago I got in touch with a old friend of the family in Maine through Facebook. We began chatting and hit it off really well online and in phone calls. Finally when it came time for my periodic rail trip back east, we planned a rendezvous in Boston.
> 
> The last few times I did a cross country trip, I had good luck with my connections in Chicago. My friend had to take time off from work and I didn't prepare her for the possibility that I might arrive to meet her in Boston a day later than planned. The California Zephyr was on time all the way to Omaha, when we halted for several hours to deal with flooding in Iowa.
> 
> ...


Well then, congratulations! I hope your bride-to-be soon shares your enthusiasm for rail travel.

I met my first wife on a plane. My second wife on a train. (and actually got married on private car) Needless to say, my wife doesn't want me to go on a cruise alone!


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## Ryan (Aug 11, 2010)

Congrats, that's a great story!


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## JayPea (Aug 11, 2010)

Congratulations!


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## Guest (Aug 11, 2010)

:hi: Great story, congrats!  Perhaps yall can consider getting married in New England,lots of beautiful places there rather than Vegas! (Elvis has left the building!)


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## Railroad Bill (Aug 11, 2010)

A big congratulations to you and your fiancee'. May you have 30+ years of happiness as we have and ride lots of trains :lol:


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## the_traveler (Aug 12, 2010)

Congratulations on the proposal




- and also keeping a signal on your cell phone!







rrdude said:


> I met my first wife on a plane. My second wife on a train. (and actually got married on private car) Needless to say, my wife doesn't want me to go on a cruise alone!


Does she let you drive a car?


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## pennyk (Aug 12, 2010)

What a nice story. Congratulations!


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## John Bobinyec (Aug 13, 2010)

Congratulations! Great story!

How did you manage to have enough phone connectivity in order to carry on an extended conversation? We always run into dead spots.

Thanks,

John Bobinyec


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## DowneasterPassenger (Aug 14, 2010)

John Bobinyec said:


> Congratulations! Great story!
> 
> How did you manage to have enough phone connectivity in order to carry on an extended conversation? We always run into dead spots.
> 
> ...




Hi John, thank you!

You know, I didn't think about it at the time, but it was just luck. I could very well have lost cell phone signal at a crucial moment, and things may have turned out quite differently!

Riding Amtrak cross country for the past 8 years or so, I've noticed that cell phone reception has steadily improved. At first you had to be near a town or city, now pretty much anywhere the train runs near a highway, there is cell phone service. The bigger gaps in service are west of Chicago.


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## frugalist (Aug 14, 2010)

I'm sure that's one trip you'll always remember. Congratulations.


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