The Amtrak Experience – Part One

Day one of our travels started with being picked up by a friend shortly after 0600 for the drive to Albuquerque. (Thanks, Jazz!) 

 

 

We arrived at the Amtrak station with plenty of time to spare – in fact it was closed for cleaning, so we waited about a half an hour to check in.It was a beautiful morning, so hanging out was not a problem.

I know - that's a lot of luggage! But we are on the road for over 4 weeks, so there you go :) We checked two bags that were filled to the gills (those vacuum-sealed bags are amazing!) and carried on a small suitcase, two backpacks, our bath kit, and a tote Chuck got when he went on a counselor visit to the University of Connecticut (Go Huskies!). Oh – and a small cooler, which wasn’t really used as a cooler for this part of the trip, but it was a great place to store the bottle of mimosas and a bunch of eating-related items that wouldn’t pack so nicely in a suitcase.

We were among the first to enter the station, which is shared by the Greyhound and Amtrak passengers. We were told the train was running 10 minutes early, but the reality of train travel is that freights get priority, so we ended up about 20 minutes late. No matter. We were on board, settled into our room with time to spare. 

 

 

Don't worry, we got settled in better once we got everything figured out.

 

On our last train trip – from southern California to Portland – we stayed in a roomette. During the day, there was ample room. At night – well, Chuck said it reminded him of staying on board the Midway on his tour during Vietnam, sleeping with the ceiling about 6-8” above his face as he was lying down. This time we secured a bedroom – bigger than a roomette and smaller than a family room. Plenty of seating, a larger bed (approximately full size) and the toilet, sink, and shower are all ours. No sharing with the rest of the people on the train.

The little door you see on the right side leades to the wet room with the toilet and shower. More on that experience later.

When you are looking at Amtrak tickets, your reaction to the room prices may be similar to my initial reaction – “Holy cats! That’s expensive!” Well, yes…and no. It does cost more, but with that you get all of your meals – your choice of dining in your room or the dining car – unlimited coffee, and a space to call your own. More about meals later. By the way – if you have a room, you can also bring your own alcoholic beverages and sip away, uninterrupted. (This pinot grigio is pretty tasty, by the way.) Also, you are guaranteed a meal…if it fits with your travel schedule, of course. If you board at 3, you probably should not expect lunch and dinner.

 

One of the huge benefits of taking the Amtrak is that you can move around! You can hang out in your room, walk the halls, stare out the window at the landscape flying by, or spend time in the observation car. The observation car is very cool, with lots of windows and outward facing seats. However, our experience has been that some individuals are inclined to plant themselves there and take up 2-3 seats, sometimes scowling at anyone who dares to look at the seats close by. OK. That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but it really is hit-or-miss. If you want to spend time there, my advice is to go early – and don’t be afraid to be kindly bold so you can actually sit down.

 

A big question that is on a lot of people’s minds during this period of “opening up” is “what restrictions are in place?” As of this date (6/12/21), everyone is required to wear masks in stations 

 and while onboard the train, with the exception of while you are actively eating or drinking or are in your sleeping room with the door closed. The reality of our experience is that we were able to unmask as soon as we sat at our table in the dining car, and we stayed unmasked while in our rooms, regardless of whether or not the door was open (we usually just keep the curtain closed). We did put our masks back on when the car attendant or dining car attendant came in. Another restriction that remains in place is that the dining car is open only to sleeping car passengers. However, they are hoping that this restriction will be lifted within the next few months. Coach passengers can get food in the café car

 

Circling back to the meals, breakfast is available starting at 0630, and you just walk in. Reservations were required for lunch and dinner, and the dining car attendant will come around to get your preference of time and your order. Lunch and dinner include a non-alcoholic beverage or one alcoholic beverage (an additional cost is charged for any refills), a salad, your main dish, and a “premium dessert.” The salad is mostly iceberg lettuce with a single cherry tomato and two packets of dressing – ranch and Italian. Chuck and I tried red wine braised beef with polenta (picture didn't come out), vegan enchiladas (contained plant-based protein and was quite tasty...

 

shrimp in lobster sauce (I was nervous, but they did a great job on the shrimp. Not rubbery and lots of flavor)...

 

  and vegan Asian noodle bowl (Chuck's favorite meal on the train).

All were pretty good for reheated meals, although the polenta and carrots were lacking a bit in flavor. Gone are the days of meals being prepared on the train – at least for now. Oh, that premium dessert? Your choice of a pudding cup, brownie, or blondie. So far we have only tried the brownie, and that was really good J Revisit before posting – we have also tried the blondie. It is quite good, but we still prefer the brownie. Also, you can request packets of salsa, which dresses up the polenta quite nicely.

For breakfast we had omelets with spinach, tomatoes, onions, and cheese with breakfast potatoes. The omelets were marginal, at best. After eating half, I scraped the innards (which was the tasty part) out and ate that with the potatoes. Other breakfast options were oatmeal, cold cereal, muffins, yogurt, and a Jimmy Dean Breakfast Sandwich. If I had it to do over again, I would just skip breakfast.

 

That’s it for now. More later, including the shower and sleeping experience, as well as pictures of some of the stops and out-the-window shots.