Well, I finally had some Mexican food for a meal this week -- but it wasn't until after we got home, via an El Monterrey microwave entree!
Some final thoughts on this week's Texas Eagle trip:
-- There is a LOT one can do in Fort Worth, even just within the downtown area, and I would have loved for us to have had a couple more days to explore that city. Since the hubby and I are half the staff of our small law firm, however, it's very difficult to arrange that much time away from the office. For others who
do have the time for a longer vacation, though, Fort Worth makes an excellent place to end a journey on the southbound Texas Eagle, if one doesn't wish to continue all the way to LA.
-- Our hotel (the Hampton Inn, just 2 blocks away from Fort Worth Central Station) was very comfortable, with thoughtful staff, an ideal room location near the elevator, and the best hotel breakfast we've ever had. However, if you aren't physically up to the walk from the station (especially if you weren't aware of the shuttle service for disabled & elderly passengers, to spare you that 1/4 mile walk from platform to station), a hotel immediately adjacent to one of "Molly the Trolley's" stops might be a better choice.
-- Consider carefully whether or not members of your party can manage a climb into the upper berth of a roomette or bedroom. The steps in a roomette may provide a more stable climb than the ladder in a bedroom, but eliminates the possibility of squeezing 2 people into the lower berth + jump seat, as we ended up doing. Having learned from this experience, the hubby and I will in future follow the advice of one of the Grounded Life Travel videos on YouTube, and book a pair of roomettes across from each other instead. (Also because we just didn't have enough room in the ensuite shower/toilet to do anything other than #1.)
--We quite enjoyed the Flexible Dining meals, whose menu had been recently changed (the old menu was still up on the Amtrak website this week). They were quite filling, and allowed us to sample some cuisine types we hadn't previously tried. Bear in mind, however, that neither of us had been in an Amtrak dining car (last year's Cafe Car on the regional trains doesn't count) in over 40 years, so we don't yet have a Traditional Dining experience to compare the Flex meals against. On the other hand, the big problem with Flexible Dining is that, with fewer choices, and the same choices to pick from for both lunch and supper, repeat meals can quickly become an issue, especially on round trips on the same route or trips on multiple routes with Flexible Dining. I have read elsewhere in these forums that on the CONO, the "flex meals" consist of "free" Cafe Car chow for sleeping car passengers. Adding "free" (with sleeper ticket purchase) Cafe Car chow to the regular Flexible Dining options would increase the available choices, especially for those on special diets or with food allergies. Traditional Dining, however (as we saw from a Sunset Limited menu left in a lower-level roomette) will doubtless be superior, at least because more options = fewer repeats.
--Getting a little exercise during one's trip can help stave off the boredom drowsies and sore, creaky joints from sitting in one spot too long. BUT the two main options are either climbing downstairs to the platform during a fresh air break, or walking the length of the train to & from meals. Either one must negotiate those incredibly skinny stairs multiple times, and
quickly reboard so one doesn't get left behind, or one must stagger from seat back headrest to seat back headrest through the coach cars if heading to a meal on a moving train. There are risks attached to either option!
An overnight on the Eaglette each way to/from Fort Worth was a good "learning experience" for the hubby and me, and we will bear the lessons learned in mind when planning our next Amtrak vacation.
