On Saturday, I decided to take a long walk to the lake before it was time to check out of my hotel. I took the Chicago River walking path and ended up at Navy Pier. The sunshine was bright and warm and I just took in the buildings, the buzz, the walk along the river and finally the expansiveness of Lake Michigan. Lake Michigan was my ocean, i love the movement, the colors, the contrast between the bigness of the city and the bigness of the lake. It was a perfect way to end my time.
I had to do a brisk walk back to the hotel, I had already asked for a late check out and here I was basking in the beauty of the lake, and time was just passing by. With a few minutes to spare, a quick trip up to the 26th floor, and off I went to Union Station. I checked into the Metropolitan Lounge, put my bags away and went hunting for some good food for lunch.
I found it, after wiping down my table I sat watching the people, enjoyed a very healthy lunch and hunkered down thinking that my train was delayed. The good news was I read the schedule board incorrectly and soon my train number was called. I rode on the red cap cart and my suitcases and me were loaded into car 0330, room 5. My travel space for the next 30 hours or so.
Long distance train rides in the United States present lots of opportunities to test your reactions, sense of control and general ability to just be present. There were a few fits and starts but we managed to get out of the station and on the rails. My first challenge was finding out that there was no wifi, and my cellular service and the phone itself was not picking up messages or getting onto sites. I struggled mightily about more than a day with a screen. Fought with myself and the phone back and forth and then just took a nap. Woke up and found myself just letting go and being content with watching the world go by. Supper that first night was a delight I ate with three college freshman studying at Wake Forest, all three are from China - they did not know each other before they began their studies in North Carolina. They were traveling to LA. We had a wide ranging discussion: skeptics, Buddhism, Sufism, coronavirus, the consumption of sugar....they were so young, each so different one young woman and two young men. I talked about my grandchildren one a year older and one a year younger than these three. I
was a delight. Oh and we discussed our limited ability to get "online" --- we all laughed so hard when one of the phone's "lit up" and she immediately went online to check some fact that none of us could remember - and I have already forgotten.
When I got back to my roomette, the bed was made, it was early but I was fine with just going to bed. After getting ready for the night I opened my curtains, watched the big big full moon in the sky and the lights that streaked by as we made our way south and west.
I woke early, went for tea and a little breakfast, then onto the observation car, we had "sprung forward" and the light was just beginning to break on the day as I sat down -- the clouds gave way and the moon was the biggest most amazingly orange I have ever seen at moonset.
i loved that moon, it was gigantic and several of us just basked in our mutual appreciation. After that gift, I realized that people were on their phones. So I decided to turn off my phone, turning off my phone is a challenge I have an I-phone X, and there is no home button. I always forget what I have to do to turn off my phone. Finally, I figured it out, let it sit for awhile, and then turned it back on! Wow, my phone lit up. I have texts, messages, could get on app's...I was connected. My reluctant retreat from the phone was ended, and happily.
The day went on we went from the plains states to eastern Colorado, that looks a lot like the plain states and into New Mexico --- the land changed. We had starts and stops, and then more stops, and a few more....I loved as we would roll into a town, there would be adults and children outside waving, and pulling their fist up and down signalling the engineer to blow the whistle. I was content, was not in complete screen blackout, enjoying some coloring, my new kindle book and just watching the world go by. Something was going on with one of the engines, the train has two engines, they need the power of both engines to get the train over the pass and into California. The train also goes slower with only one engine. So every so often the train would stop, the conductor would come on and let us know that they were working on the second engine. Finally in Albuquerque we were told that there would be a delay that they needed to address the issues of the second engine.
The call for supper was delayed. The power was off. People were antsy. On and on it went. A few of us with reservations for the first call for supper were called into eat. I sat with a family from Nebraska that were taking a long distance train for the first time. They were on their way to Flagstaff. The mom was totally and completely distressed, she was already making plans to cancel their trip home on the train and to drive. This was before we had what ended up being more than a two hour delay. Finally after who knows what we started off, the plan was that a new freight engine would be added before the pass. Luckily the new car hook up was happening in Winslow and I would be off the train before the next delay.
I texted Cindy who was meeting at LaPosada, she was able to get into our room. She went out and got wine, and was enjoying here evening, and assured me she would be out there waiting for me when the train arrived. I let it go, rested, read, got moved to another room so my could get ready for more over-nite riders. Cindy sent me pics of the food she had ordered from room service.
I got off the train, she greeted me, I checked in and I felt the magic and the comfort of LaPosada, created by Fred Harvey and one of the only restored comfort hotels. I had arrived.
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