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Well, this is a great factoid! I will be starting my first LD cross-country train journey (a bucket-list item for me for decades) on May 1st here in Pittsburgh!! I chose the dates for my trip semi-randomly, so it's a good sign that I chose a great date in Amtrak history. :)

Okay, I am taking this same train (SWC #3) next month, with a 2-hour layover in LA before boarding the CS #14 headed to Seattle. How do I know if I have a "guaranteed" connection? I made this reservation all at once as part of a cross-country roundtrip journey, so it's all on the same...

Nor would I... but as a woman traveling alone, I'm sure I'll see it a bit differently at midnight on a weeknight. :) But yes, right near a swanky hotel and convention venue. The old Pennsylvania station is gorgeous and is now a popular wedding venue. But yikes, where you go to drop off and...

I live in the Pittsburgh area, and I have no choice but to be in the PGH small station at night because my train leaves at 11:59 PM headed for Chicago. :) I've talked to a friend who's taken the same train many times and she didn't feel unsafe there. Sure, it's in an ugly area of downtown...

Thanks, Bob Dylan and BCL. Sounds like I'll have enough time that morning for a leisurely coffee and breakfast and some leg-stretching before heading out on the big stretch on the CZ. Glad to hear there are options right nearby. :)

I just looked at my receipt. Thruway bus 4785 gets in to Emeryville approximately 5:55 AM and then I get on the CZ there around 9:10 AM. :) Probably not going to bother to change anything at this point, though. I'm fine with what I have now, with just enough switches and changes to experience...

Tickets bought and paid for nearly a month ago now, tomfuller. Yes, it is a thruway bus from Santa Barbara to Emeryville, where I will get the CZ. Probably couldn't easily change it now without possibly messing up other things before or after it, right? Or having it cost more? I don't mind...

I'm traveling for two weeks (PGH to SEA to LA and back) in early May and decided to make do with a 50L backpack and a large messenger-type bag, and that's it. One hotel I'm staying in out west has coin-op laundry so I'll get out there, wash everything, and then head back with the same clothes. I...

I love this! My very first long-distance trip this spring (!!) is not only to fulfill a bucket list item for me, but also so I can write a book of humorous essays about the trip. I'm a total train newbie and am excited to see what kind of adventures I can have! Glad to see some confirmation...

It's a cross-country trip with mostly roomettes... actually I'll hit almost every type except family bedroom: some coach, some roomette, some bedroom, a thruway bus... It took me a while to get the itinerary and price just where I wanted them, so I think I will call this a lesson learned and...

If it starts getting close to August and I still haven't found another natural use for it, I'll just have to go visit a friend in Michigan or something and pay for the difference! :) Another train trip? Blessing in disguise? ;)

I was going to mention Silver Streak (see my avatar ... a pic of me and Mel Brooks!), but I'm still mourning over the loss of Gene back in August. I may have to rewatch it soon, though... if only to see how much bigger and nicer the sleepers are in the movie than they are in real life. :D

I applied for one of those residencies when they first came out a few years ago. Sadly, I did not get in... which is why I'm now taking my OWN writing residency of sorts in May. Will be writing a book (about the trip) while on the trip. No *** scenes, though. I'm traveling alone ... on purpose...

The voucher is from a friend ... who was told by Amtrak that they couldn't issue her a refund but only the voucher. (This was last August.) She knew she wouldn't be able to use a voucher within a year (she lives in New Zealand and was here only for the month) and so had it made out in my name...

About a week ago I made my reservation for a cross-country train trip. Pretty pricey. I had an e-Voucher given to me by a friend (she had it made out in my name). Not for much -- just $87 -- but I wanted to use it toward this expensive trip. I had issues with the e-voucher while making the...

If I stumble upon a low-wattage tiny hair dryer, I might still pack one. But I'm very glad I asked because the wattage issue wouldn't have occurred to me. As for that #2 buzz cut... yeah, umm, that's an image I can't get out of my head now! Ha! :D

Thanks! I have a few months to figure out how to style my hair without the dryer, so I'll be fine. If I can master that all right, I'll be more than happy to ditch the hair dryer from the backpack! It's becoming a personal challenge to see how light I can pack for this trip. :)

I'm glad I asked what I originally thought was a silly question. Hair dryer stays home, along with my vanity. :)

Well, my whole trip is 15 days and only a few of them are in hotels. Most are on the train, which is why I asked about both the hair dryer and the hotspots. I'll have to check my travel dryer. Hadn't though of the wattage being an issue -- I was thinking mostly of the noise! Would not want to...

The only thinking on the Wi-Fi for me is to check/upload emails, work-related, mostly. Certainly not streaming anything. Just a few blips every so often to get/receive emails. So what's the word on hair dryers? They're noisy. They're power-hugs. Etiquette issues, or power issues? Locations...