My husband is generally the one that is our vacation idea guy. And he’s really good at it!

It was his idea some months ago to take this trip to D.C., and part of this plan was to take the train to get there.  This is something none of us had ever done, or had we even known anyone that has.  The only thing we knew about taking a train is what we’ve seen in movies.

This part of the trip became a highlight in all of our anticipation and excitement.

I went online to get our Amtrak tickets but I decided it would be easier to do it by phone, given the amount of people in our group (nine).  We wanted a sleeper car as we’d be traveling 16 hours from Chicago to D.C.     I was impressed with how nice and patient everyone was when I would call to get prices and then make the reservations.  No matter what the question, or change in schedule, there was always this high level of patience (and niceness) with whoever I talked to.  I was appreciative of that.

We arrived at Union Station in Chicago around 5:30 p.m.  And again, no matter who it was that helped us – the baggage guys; the ticket person; or anyone in an Amtrak uniform, they were all exceptionally polite and accomodating.  This isn’t exactly a common characteristic in Chicago!

We have flown by air quite a few times and none of us enjoy the high security and checks of our shoes, purses, and clothing.  We were surprised of how opposite it was to travel by train.  No crowds (this was Saturday evening); no lines; no waiting.

After we got our tickets and checked our baggage (and all of this was done relatively quickly) we went to the waiting room for sleeper cars.  Wow, this was first class.  It was a very large room with comfortable seating; big flat screen tv’s; free cold beverages, coffee, and snacks.   I don’t remember a waiting place like this at the airport!  When our train arrived, the door opened and we walked out to the train.  It was fun to see the kid’s enjoyment of this – the big trains- the anticipation of getting on one.

The sleeper car rooms are small.  I was warned about this when I bought our tickets, but I forgot to mention it to some.  One of our rooms was a family room – it sleeps four comfortably, but we had five (and it was fine size-wise).  There are bunk beds for the kids with safety belt type of things that keep the kids from falling out. Rachel and Grandma had a room-et that sleeps two (another bunk bed);  Matt and Kristi had a room-et, too.

The only trains we had mental images from were formed from movies where there is a long hallway with beds that have curtains on them.  It’s not like that anymore – each room has its own door.  There were three bathrooms and one changing/shower room per car – to be shared among six rooms. 

When we had first starting planning this trip, I went online to see what other people thought and said about traveling by train. One wrote about how the restaurant was so good – it was fine dining – he had ordered rack of lamb – and said that it was very good.  So we had all looked forward to eating in the dining car.  The meals came with our tickets.

We ate around 9:00 p.m. and several ordered steak, and Grandma had a vegetarian entrée. The salads were fresh, the entrées were all excellent, and the desserts (lemon torte; crème Brule cheesecake; and a chocolate layered cake) were awesome.

It seemed as if we were eating all the time.  We got up in the morning to have breakfast (9:30 a.m. – the French toast is great); and then lunch at 11:45a.m. – I had one of the best hamburgers I’ve ever had.   I appreciated that they had “real” butter (it annoys me to no end when a restaurant only offers margarine); real cream (not that I wanted it, but again, it annoys me to see artificial anything); and real cheese on the hamburger (instead of processed American cheese that is totally not good for you. I’ve rarely seen real cheddar cheese offered on hamburgers anywhere.) Oh, and the coffee is the best I’ve had anywhere!

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It was totally cool to eat while watching the scenery as the train moved along.  I had my camera with me and must have taken hundreds of pictures during our meal.  When we were done eating, just one car away was the “viewing lounge”, a place you can sit very comfortably – legs stretched out, no one sitting elbow room next to you, and watch the landscape change as we drove through the different states – Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.  We were all surprised that there was not a crowd – plenty of room to find a seat, in fact, there was often a lot of empty seats in the viewing lounge (this was a Sunday). 

This was a great way to travel with young children – you could walk from car to car; to the dining room; or the viewing lounge (which was the best room for stretching out). 

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The beds were comfy enough; it’s just that there was a lot of excitement so not everyone slept well.  Jacob (7) was too excited to go to sleep for the longest time; Ruthie conked out right away and slept like a log; I didn’t sleep too well but I think it had to do with the great coffee I’d had at dinner.  Rachel said she loved sleeping in the train – she’d wake up periodically but loved the thrill of sleeping in a train.

As with Union Station, the train depot, every Amtrak employee was exceptionally nice.  Service is their specialty.  They were right there for us if we pushed the button for assistance.  Everyone was pleasant.  How unusual!  It was also clean – the bathrooms and the rooms.

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This train ride was as integral part of the anticipation of this trip as D.C.  itself, and we were not disappointed.  The good thing – it was half the cost of traveling by airplane.  It was also cheaper than if we had driven and had to stay at a hotel and paid for several meals (and remember, there was nine of us).  We’ve already begun to talk about taking our next trip to Seattle Washington on their Empire train – the premier train – it even serves homemade chocolate chip cookies.  I can’t wait!