Four Gardens and a Wedding - May 2023

[allanorn]

During my visit to Chicago, I stayed at the Swissotel. This is apparently a hotel (the hotel?) that Amtrak uses to put people up for the night for those who misconnect due to a massively late incoming train. I have some stationery I received from the one in Zurich, so I was always interested in trying out the brand. I like it! The elevator system is quirky - you have to enter in the floor you want to go to via a keypad and it'll direct you to an elevator. I actually like that system once you got used to it, as you're not fighting to reach a bunch of buttons inside the elevator, or asking people to push buttons for you. There was a nice workout space on the top floor and it didn't feel unstable for being that high. I didn't eat at the restaurant or bar, but they looked nice.

The rooms are a little dated (1990s I'd guess) but otherwise it was comfortable and quiet. I asked for a view of the lake and received a room on the 6th floor - enough distance from the ground to generally not hear anything, but not so high that I can feel building sway while in the room. My room was close enough to the elevators to where I could hear them running for high demand, but I definitely could not hear people coming in or out of the elevators.

The tricky part is getting between the hotel and Union Station. By transit, Google Maps will tell you to use the #124 bus. That'll get you close, but not where you want to be, because Wacker Drive at this section is three levels. 124 will drop you off in the middle section, and the hotel is on the top level. It is not trivial to get between levels! You have to use the narrow stairs for the Riverwalk, and those are not conducive to hauling any sort of luggage up or down them. It's probably better to get the #151, or the #60 in a pinch, and be prepared to walk a little. Otherwise, get a cab.

 

[allanorn]

I only had about 48 hours in Chicago, and the weather was mostly cooperative except for the wind coming off the lake. I wanted to make the most out of the sunshine as I was going back to May Grey and June Gloom. Thus, I spent a lot of time walking along the shore.

I visited the following establishments:

• Lou Malnati's - quite good. I now understand why they're considered the best deep dish pizza you can get shipped in the States. I had a gluten-free crust pizza, which doesn't quite work; it was crispy on the bottom but a smidge underdone on top. It's probably a challenge to get it cooked through in the times necessary for anyone to wait for a pizza. I'll stick to Neapolitan-style or thinner crust, but I wouldn't say "no" to another pie if I was in Chicago.
• Wildberry Pancakes and Cafe - very good for breakfast! You must get there early though; it was packed by 9am on a Friday.
• Nando's - You must eat at Nando's at least once. Enough said.
• Roti - Not as good as I remember it. The gluten-free pitas were a little grainy, and I think I asked for too much on it.
• Nutella Cafe - Liege waffles and crepes? Most everything with Nutella? I had to try it once. Get there very early as they stay busy with an outside line all day.
• Monk's Pub - old-school beer bar. I had a good gluten-free beer there. Would recommend a visit!
• Eataly - controversial because it's a trendy and quite expensive Italian grocer and set of restaurants. Still, go and walk around - and have at least an espresso or some gelato. If that's not your game, Pizzeria Uno is one block away (and I think that location is the original).

I also did a little shopping: my Eataly visit was expensive, and I had to stop in at Atlas Stationers for the fountain pens, ink, and paper. But the place I recommend visiting is nowhere near the loop - Merz Apothecary. It's an old-school German-style apothecary that's been in continuous operation since 1875. I went there to check out the men's shaving section; it's a quarter of the store and you can handle a lot of things you otherwise wouldn't normally be able to do.

It's an easy trip on the Brown line to the "Western" station, and then a short walk to the shop.

 

[allanorn]

Segment 6: Chicago to San Diego - May 27029, 2023

Segment 6A: Chicago to Los Angeles - Amtrak 3 14.50 May 27 - 08.00 May 29
Engine 10 leading, 136 second

The "Train of the Stars" from Chicago to Los Angeles is the one Amtrak trip I've always wanted to do. It's been idolized ever since the Super Chief's promotional video from the 1950s, and it's arguably the most iconic pre-Amtrak long-distance route. The California Zephyr might be Amtrak's best route, but everyone I talked to about this trip outside of the forum knows about the Chief.

I didn't get to use the Business lounge for long because it was very busy with those waiting for the SWC and the later-departing Empire Builder. I think a lot of people were using the Saturday departure to make it home in time to get back to work after Memorial Day. Boarding from the lounge started about half an hour before departure, and it was a smooth operation. I don't like the narrow platforms at Union Station, but there isn't much I could do about it.

My SCA for this trip was Stephen L, who help kept everything in tip-top condition throughout the trip. He was very pleasant and one of the best employees on the rails, though he was often uncharacteristically eager to assist; it was a little awkward to handle at times.

For this trip I had a roomette in Car 0330, Room 10. I am not a fan of being over the axles, but any sleeper is better than being in coach. I tried to get it changed but to no avail; in fact, my reservation became so messed up by an agent I had to cancel it after getting off the phone and starting over.

We left on time and didn't really fall behind schedule until Las Vegas, NM; we lost thirty minutes by Lamy. We made most of that up with the padding at Albuquerque, and game some of it back as maintenance took a while to unclog the restrooms in one of the coach cars. (Someone flushed something they shouldn't have.) We were under an hour late through most of Arizona, and made up all of that time by Barstow. We arrived in a very overcast Los Angeles a half hour ahead of schedule.

Track conditions were pretty good while we were on the BNSF Southern Transcon, though it felt like moving between cars was more difficult than on the Sunset Limited. There was some very rough track from the Colorado/Kansas border to Trinidad. I'm not sure if it was due to my roomette being over the axles, or if that section of rail is just not maintained to the standard of the Transcon, or both.

For dinner both nights I had the steak, and the dining car attendants were excellent. My seat mates for all of my meals were really fun to have a conversation with, including a recent double-major graduate at the young age of 71! He did part of a senior thesis on mapping out restaurants in a popular detective book series.

Intermission: Los Angeles

My connecting Surfliner wasn't scheduled until 10am, and I wasn't interested in getting up at 5am to attempt to eat breakfast on the train. So I slept in, grabbed some coffee and a couple of cookies I had in my bag to tide me over. Once off the train and in the lounge at LA Union Station, I left a bag there and headed over to Denny's. It's not the best food you'll eat in LA, but considering the options in Union Station itself it's probably the best if you're arriving on an early train.

It's simple to get to Denny's: from the lounge, walk in the pedestrian subway as if you're going to a train - but exit out to your right at the Bus Terminal. Once you step off the escalator, look left; you'll probably see the sign. Cross through the bus terminal and head down the connecting road. Cross two streets and you're there! It's probably eight minutes of walking from the lounge. Two hours should be plenty of time to guzzle some diner coffee and have a Slam.

 

[allanorn]

Segment 6B: Los Angeles to San Diego - Amtrak 770 10.10 - 13.10 May 29

I received a call from Amtrak to get my reservation changed as the rail replacement bus was still in operation. However, I received a text on Friday the 26th: normal operations were resuming on the 27th! That was fantastic news. Unfortunately in the switch I was downgraded from Business Class to Coach and received an e-Voucher, so I called in to see if I could get back into Business. The agent comped me Business Class as my reservation was apparently quite a mess from everyone being in it.

I know a lot of this segment by heart, as it's the one I most travel. For the morning of Memorial Day it was busier than I expected, but it started in Goleta while the roosters were having their coffee. It was a quiet ride, save for a kid who was clearly suffering from some sort of malady that sounded too much like bronchitis on the other side of the car. Apparently he was on the SWC with me in another sleeper car and felt fine departing Chicago, but came down with something by Los Angeles....

When we passed Casa Romantica in San Clemente, I looked at the fix put in place. I didn't get any pictures of it, but from what I saw it looked really temporary. I wasn't sure if that was going to hold everything if the ground moved significantly. (Lo and behold, two weeks later the ground shifted so much the line's closed again with no estimated date of reopening... they're hoping for Labor Day with a short-term retaining wall.)

I can't say much about this segment besides that. By this point I just wanted to get home after being on the rails for 48 hours, and being away from home for sixteen days. I was just fatigued and wanted to take a shower that wasn't moving, sleep in a bed that wasn't moving, and eat in a place where the plates and the table weren't moving! So it was an uneventful, on time arrival into San Diego, where I caught two buses and made it back to my apartment with some Chipotle shortly thereafter.

More thoughts on this trip after a bit.

 

[allanorn]

Thank you for your great post! We had a great trip from Meriden, CT to OKC a few years ago to visit our son and daughter in law who, at the time, lived in Norman, OK. Those botanical gardens are very nice; they have an bewildering variety of plants, and this is coming from an amateur botanist. They have a very nice minor league stadium in the Brick Town area if I recall correctly. We also went to a fascinating military museum. I appreciate you writing about some venues I did not know about.

As to the Heartland Flyer, itself I thought it was a pretty nice train and the scenery was much nicer than expected due to the rivers you mentioned. I liked the conductor; he had a voice like a preacher and said that anyone cussing would be thrown off the train!

I forgot to mention that my college classmates went to the railroad museum in OKC but I heard it wasn't quite as good as the National Museum of Transportation. We were hoping to see the Oklahoma Telephone Museum but they have exceptionally limited opening hours. So that's another thing to put on your list if you haven't been.

I would recommend the Flyer as a semi-scenic route; I just wish the rolling stock was in better condition.

 

[Old MM]

Fun report to read! I admire that you include so many pictures and links.
One question, so are these Venture cars, the same as the new Midwest cars? Because I'm definitely not a fan. 5 hours on those stiff boards was not comfortable and it had nothing to do with a person's size, or even lack thereof...

 

[allanorn]

Fun report to read! I admire that you include so many pictures and links.
One question, so are these Venture cars, the same as the new Midwest cars? Because I'm definitely not a fan. 5 hours on those stiff boards was not comfortable and it had nothing to do with a person's size, or even lack thereof...

Yeah, those are the Midwest cars. Railjet uses the parent design and they were fine in second class for a four-hour trip. They just need to be broken in.

 

[Asher]

Enjoyed your trip. You pointed out many things I didn’t know existed in “Boom town” Oklahoma City.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Segment 6: Chicago to San Diego - May 27029, 2023

Segment 6A: Chicago to Los Angeles - Amtrak 3 14.50 May 27 - 08.00 May 29
Engine 10 leading, 136 second

The "Train of the Stars" from Chicago to Los Angeles is the one Amtrak trip I've always wanted to do. It's been idolized ever since the Super Chief's promotional video from the 1950s, and it's arguably the most iconic pre-Amtrak long-distance route. The California Zephyr might be Amtrak's best route, but everyone I talked to about this trip outside of the forum knows about the Chief.

I didn't get to use the Business lounge for long because it was very busy with those waiting for the SWC and the later-departing Empire Builder. I think a lot of people were using the Saturday departure to make it home in time to get back to work after Memorial Day. Boarding from the lounge started about half an hour before departure, and it was a smooth operation. I don't like the narrow platforms at Union Station, but there isn't much I could do about it.

My SCA for this trip was Stephen L, who help kept everything in tip-top condition throughout the trip. He was very pleasant and one of the best employees on the rails, though he was often uncharacteristically eager to assist; it was a little awkward to handle at times.

For this trip I had a roomette in Car 0330, Room 10. I am not a fan of being over the axles, but any sleeper is better than being in coach. I tried to get it changed but to no avail; in fact, my reservation became so messed up by an agent I had to cancel it after getting off the phone and starting over.

We left on time and didn't really fall behind schedule until Las Vegas, NM; we lost thirty minutes by Lamy. We made most of that up with the padding at Albuquerque, and game some of it back as maintenance took a while to unclog the restrooms in one of the coach cars. (Someone flushed something they shouldn't have.) We were under an hour late through most of Arizona, and made up all of that time by Barstow. We arrived in a very overcast Los Angeles a half hour ahead of schedule.

Track conditions were pretty good while we were on the BNSF Southern Transcon, though it felt like moving between cars was more difficult than on the Sunset Limited. There was some very rough track from the Colorado/Kansas border to Trinidad. I'm not sure if it was due to my roomette being over the axles, or if that section of rail is just not maintained to the standard of the Transcon, or both.

For dinner both nights I had the steak, and the dining car attendants were excellent. My seat mates for all of my meals were really fun to have a conversation with, including a recent double-major graduate at the young age of 71! He did part of a senior thesis on mapping out restaurants in a popular detective book series.

Intermission: Los Angeles

My connecting Surfliner wasn't scheduled until 10am, and I wasn't interested in getting up at 5am to attempt to eat breakfast on the train. So I slept in, grabbed some coffee and a couple of cookies I had in my bag to tide me over. Once off the train and in the lounge at LA Union Station, I left a bag there and headed over to Denny's. It's not the best food you'll eat in LA, but considering the options in Union Station itself it's probably the best if you're arriving on an early train.

It's simple to get to Denny's: from the lounge, walk in the pedestrian subway as if you're going to a train - but exit out to your right at the Bus Terminal. Once you step off the escalator, look left; you'll probably see the sign. Cross through the bus terminal and head down the connecting road. Cross two streets and you're there! It's probably eight minutes of walking from the lounge. Two hours should be plenty of time to guzzle some diner coffee and have a Slam.

View attachment 32947

You should of had Breakfast @ Phillipe which is Closer to Union Station, and MUCH Better!!

 

[Asher]

You should have had Breakfast @ Phillipe which is Closer to Union Station, and MUCH Better!!

You can’t get moons over myhammy at Phillips.

 

[allanorn]

You should of had Breakfast @ Phillipe which is Closer to Union Station, and MUCH Better!!

You know, that never showed up in any search. Guess I know for next time!

 

[allanorn]

A few thoughts about this trip.

I'm exceptionally fortunate to have had trains that were early, on time or, at worst, moderately behind schedule. There were some trains on alternative days that were massively behind schedule, plagued with problems, or just outright canceled. I get heartburn every time I book a long-distance Amtrak trip because the threat of a big delay or outright cancel that's completely out of my control is out there. I remind people of this when they ask about taking Amtrak for a trip.

I'm glad I rode the Southwest Chief in the direction I did, so that I could experience what travelers would have seen on the same route from Chicago to Los Angeles. However, if I ride the SWC again, or get asked on which way to go, I am inclined to leave from Los Angeles if I have a choice. I think being able to see most of Arizona and New Mexico in daylight would be the better scenic choice.

I think the Texas Eagle is a very useful component of the Amtrak system. It covers a fair number of cities and towns in the Midwest and South-Central USA that need the connectivity. Having said that, I think it's neglected because it doesn't have the "wow" factor of the other routes in the West - namely the Southwest Chief, California Zephyr, Empire Builder, and Coast Starlight. It feels more like essential transportation than the other routes. My fear is that Amtrak management is implicitly capitalizing on this and will keep the Eagle a second-tier line like the Capitol Limited, which really shouldn't happen. The food and consist should be roughly the same on each line except additional cars for more popular lines and perhaps showcasing a regional dish or two in the dining car. Having said that, I don't see myself using the Eagle again unless there's an obvious need to do so.

I'm optimistic about the Venture cars, but I think they are a step change in hard and soft product - both good and bad. I expect lots more grumbling about comfort as more people ride them. That feedback needs to be heard, but I think most everyone will be happy about them once the seats break in.

One thing I need to keep in mind for the next trip is to not overestimate local transit systems. I have my health and I enjoy walking; it's how I get to eat what I want on vacation. But it's a bad idea to assume that just because a bus line exists that is "close" to a stop that it will be convenient to ride. Once-hourly buses are not "transit" even though they are part of a transit system.

Finally, I'm glad I did the trip. I was able to cross off a couple of cities that were on my "must-see" list, got to see a couple more that weren't even on my list, and using the train as relaxation time was mostly time-effective and a great way to get to the next destination. My credit card's not terribly happy right now, but I'd rather regret the expense than deny myself the experience.

 

[user 6862]

The day I left for my next destination, I went over to the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. It's definitely different than the Arboretum. While the Arboretum is exceptionally manicured - perhaps too manicured - the Botanic Garden feels a little more natural. There's definitely more space and more woods, plus some amount of curation to each garden. However, this garden is more spread out than the Arboretum, which means you're going to be walking a lot between each garden unless you use the half-hourly tram. So visiting this after the Arboretum may seem like a let-down.

However - if you like Japanese-style gardens, this is your place. It's one of the better ones I've seen, and worth the price of admission probably by itself.

View attachment 32893View attachment 32894View attachment 32895View attachment 32896View attachment 32898

The downside of visiting the Botanic Garden is that the transit options are garbage: a once-hourly bus that drops you off by the side of a four-lane road with a posted 40-mph speed limit in front of the main entrance, and you're somehow supposed to cross that to reach the bus going back into Fort Worth. That bus also doesn't go downtown, which means you're transferring buses. You can also walk to the connection for a bus downtown, but it's 3/4 of a mile without shade and some of that is on grass. Suffice to say it's better to hail rideshare, and don't use Google Maps if you try to use transit: it tries to get you to go through a fenced-off area.

May I ask your opinion how does this and the Dallas garden in general compare to Huntingdon (which I have visited)?

Thanks

 

[allanorn]

May I ask your opinion how does this and the Dallas garden in general compare to Huntingdon (which I have visited)?

The Dallas Arboretum is very much like the Huntington: lots of separate gardens, well-curated, lots of benches to sit on, lots of events. The Huntington has the library and more art museums, where the Arboretum has one art gallery/museum onsite. The arboretum has a separate kids section which the Huntington does not. The Arboretum is more curated because Dallas has four distinct seasons, while you can argue the Huntington gets three seasons most years (sunny, cloudy, landslide - occasionally fire via the mountains).

The Fort Worth Botanic Garden is quite different. It feels more like walking through a (forested?) park that has individual gardens curated differently. You're definitely walking more to see the gardens here than the other two places. There is a lot less curation on the gardens themselves, which isn't bad, but that means they may go dormant depending on when the hot/cold weather arrives. The main attractions that feel like they're kept up the most are the Japanese Garden, some of the work they do inside the conservatory, and the pollinator garden. They have a cafe that's relatively inexpensive but the experience is quite different than the other two gardens: good food, good prices, but more like a place dishing out food instead of an upscale "I'm eating at a gardens!" experience.

 

[user 6862]

The Dallas Arboretum is very much like the Huntington: lots of separate gardens, well-curated, lots of benches to sit on, lots of events. The Huntington has the library and more art museums, where the Arboretum has one art gallery/museum onsite. The arboretum has a separate kids section which the Huntington does not. The Arboretum is more curated because Dallas has four distinct seasons, while you can argue the Huntington gets three seasons most years (sunny, cloudy, landslide - occasionally fire via the mountains).

The Fort Worth Botanic Garden is quite different. It feels more like walking through a (forested?) park that has individual gardens curated differently. You're definitely walking more to see the gardens here than the other two places. There is a lot less curation on the gardens themselves, which isn't bad, but that means they may go dormant depending on when the hot/cold weather arrives. The main attractions that feel like they're kept up the most are the Japanese Garden, some of the work they do inside the conservatory, and the pollinator garden. They have a cafe that's relatively inexpensive but the experience is quite different than the other two gardens: good food, good prices, but more like a place dishing out food instead of an upscale "I'm eating at a gardens!" experience.

Thank you, very descriptive

 

[allanorn]

Thank you, very descriptive

No problem! One thing to keep in mind that I didn't mention is that the Fort Worth Botanic Garden is maintained by a research institute, so they're more likely focused on keeping things a little more natural and less curated than the Arboretum. The Arboretum and the Huntington are managed quite differently than that.