Today* was my second leg on Amtrak. I got on in the middle of the night in Salt Lake, fell fast asleep, woke up to scarf down some breakfast, fell fast asleep again, and woke up in old-west Grand Junction, Colorado. (I suspect I'm going to be angry at my bed tonight in Denver for not rocking me to sleep and occasionally tooting its horn into the night, but I digress.) I woke up in Grand Junction, where we had time to kill, and I was able to get out and wander across the street to see the town as the snow began to fall. This is civilized travel, people. Then, I got back to my compartment, read the complementary newspaper (the super cool thing is, most of the time you get the paper from whatever town the train stops at in the middle of the night), and drank the complementary coffee in the toasty warm.
And that wasn't even the good part of the day.
The good part of the day was climbing through the winter wonderland of the Rockies, tracking the frozen Colorado winter as the snow fell harder. I watched the scenery go by, with the heat cranked all the way up in my compartment, and periodically napped. (What? Alt Summit wore me out. More on that on Monday afternoon.) It was literally the perfect Saturday, and now I'm watching the lights of Denver appear in a sweeping vista out my window. Take that, every other mode of transportation.
I suspect that this Amtrak habit might get slightly addictive…. More stories to come. (And yes, there will be full picture roundups, once I upload them.)
*When this post goes live, all of this will have taken place yesterday. I didn't have signal in the mountains, thank goodness.
Pictures from Instagram, where I'm documenting the trip. Follow me on Twitter for more. I'll do a proper photo round up at some point, never fear.
James hates flying – and all your Amtraking is making me seriously contemplate training it for a trip across country! It looks SO FUN!!!!
January 22, 2012 8:22 am
Report this comment
|
Go Meg, go! Pretty pictures too.
January 22, 2012 8:22 am
Report this comment
|
yeah, I was wondering what kind of camera you were using- the photos have a gorgeous dreamy-misty quality to them.
January 22, 2012 10:56 am
Report this comment
|
Oh, I’m just Instagram-ing these off my iPhone, it’s not photography. I’m ALSO taking actual proper photos, but I need to catch my breath to upload those.
January 22, 2012 2:18 pm
Report this comment
|
Oh I am loving these posts! They make me long for more train rides :)
January 22, 2012 8:50 am
Report this comment
|
gaaaaaah…. sounds amazing!
January 22, 2012 9:15 am
Report this comment
|
I’m so glad you’re having fun! Hope brunch in Denver is awesome!!!
January 22, 2012 9:26 am
Report this comment
|
This just keeps getting better and better! I’m getting the Amtrak itch!
January 22, 2012 9:32 am
Report this comment
|
I am a Denver/Colorado native who now lives in Indianapolis, and reading this post made me SO homesick and jealous of all those who get to meet with you while you’re there! Good luck and enjoy my home state!
January 22, 2012 10:36 am
Report this comment
|
This is making me really want to plan a train trip. I have loved taking trains every time I have taken them.
January 22, 2012 10:42 am
Report this comment
|
Man, that sounds amazing. And very Hogwarts Express, as you mentioned earlier.
Also – Amtrak is both super generous for sponsoring your trip, and super smart for the impact that it’s having. Esp. having someone like you writing about your wonderful journey with them. You’re winning the whole smart, sassy, influential APW community over to train travel! Well done. :)
Can’t wait to see you when you arrive in Boston on Wednesday! Need a ride from South Station to Cambridge? ;)
January 22, 2012 10:47 am
Report this comment
|
Lauren W. is *taking care of me* while in Boston. Well, her an my publicist. I’ll have a full time babysitter while I’m there :)
January 22, 2012 2:19 pm
Report this comment
|
“Babysitter” or “supplier of cocktails”? You decide.
January 22, 2012 4:45 pm
Report this comment
|
Hopefully many cocktails.
January 22, 2012 6:54 pm
Report this comment
|
TheBoyfriend and I are going on our first vacation in five(!) years this summer, and your posts are making me want to pick somewhere we can go by train.
January 23, 2012 5:51 am
Report this comment
|
Switching gears here, but I just had to say that I gave a copy of the book to the newly engaged daughter of a good friend. She loves it, but THE GROOM is reading it more than she is! Love that so much….
January 23, 2012 7:42 am
Report this comment
|
Oh, wow…your trip is prompting so much nostalgia. I am Denver native…and I took that trip over the Rockies many a time as a child. So cool. Le sigh. Loving these reports! You are on the California Zephyr, non?
Have you had your first train mishap yet? These are generally hilarious and non-life threatening, fwiw. Once, we had to stop in the middle of the desert to drop off an unruly drunk. Once there was a small electrical fire and we had to evacuate in the middle of the night. (Briefly) The sleeping car attendant knew exactly what to do and got us off the train tout suite. On the way to my wedding, my dad took Amtrak and was delayed several hours because the tracks were flooded! Still, the misadventures are very civilized, as you say…
January 23, 2012 9:11 am
Report this comment
|
Sounds like fun! I’m reminded of White Christmas and envision you singing about snow with Bing Crosby in the dining car. I’m also reminded of a hilarious Sex and the City episode where Samantha and Carrie train it across country which is probably why I’ll stick to airplanes for long travel. ;)
January 23, 2012 9:24 am
Report this comment
|
Welcome to Colorado! I’m a native still living in Denver but have certainly never seen it from a train by night. Sorry for the windy, chilly day – at least there is sunshine :)
January 23, 2012 2:24 pm
Report this comment
|
Oddly your trip has been making me think of “The Long Winter” by Laura Ingalls Wilder and how the trains couldn’t get through. It’s nice to think about how things have changed and how they have not. I hope you have a lovely trip across the plains.
January 23, 2012 7:41 pm
Report this comment
|
i’m getting married at the train station in los angeles on march 31…if you cruise through there, be sure to take a peek into the Fred Harvey Room. it’s stunning (if i do say so myself!).
enjoy the remainder of your trip!
January 24, 2012 7:35 am
Report this comment
|
No way! That first picture is more or less of my dad’s farm! We’re right at the base of that little bluff/plateau thing (Buzzard’s Roost.) I grew up scrambling all over that “mountain”. So fun (and surreal!) to see it on APW!
I’m also loving the train blogging. It’s been ages since I Amtraked. I’m thinking that needs to change…
January 27, 2012 8:40 am
Report this comment
|