April 7, 2023

Travel day 1&2

 

I did sleep well, woke up early, about 4 am.  Figured that was my sleep for the night., I finished packing.  I pack heavy.  Most of the stuff is making a one way trip, I am starting to worry about how I am going to get my stuff up the three flights to the local elevated train platform.  I looked into Uber and Lyft.  For some reason, I couldn’t create a account for Uber, so that leaves Lyft.  I can even charge a tip to my credit card.  So for me.. its like game money, its not real money, moving numbers from here to there.

 

 

Shirt of the day… Please stand clear of my vacation in English & Spainish

Wearing it.. it doesn’t have wrinkles J



I get everything to my car, sit in my car and call for a Lyft car.  I get one, three minutes till he picks me up.  He is actually on the other side of the
Belt Parkway from me in Beach Haven, heading home for the night, but decided to do one more fare.  Its before 7 am.  My train leaves at 11 am.  I rather sit at the Amtrak Lounge then sit in my house. 


 

First problem of my trip, the old piece of luggage I am taking, the retractable handle…. Isn’t retracting.  But he is able to get into his back like that.  I do have a mask, I ask if he felt better if I wore it, he doesn’t care.  So I am off, Belt Parkway to the Gowanus (HOV Lane) and through the (I still call it) Brooklyn Battery Tunnel.  I think it is called Hugh Carey Tunnel now.

 

Its been years since I walked around Manhattan.  Some things I recognize, some I don’t.  As we are pulling up to Penn Station, I take care of the tip.  I tend to tip 20%.  He unloads my stuff, tell him the tip is on the app, he says thanks and I am in the city.  It looks like this is the 7th ave entrance, totally under construction.  It says if you need a escalator, go to the left, so I do.

 



I almost recognize the entrance, its been years.  I am in the concourse.  Again, looks familiar but so different.  I see signs about Moynihan Station,

 

 

 

 

 

 so I follow the signs, past the 8th Ave subway lines, and I am inside the station.

 

 

 

 

 

  I look around and I see signs for the first class lounge.

 

 

 

 I take the escalator up, show my smartphone which had the scan symbol. I turn to walk to the left of the desk, he points me to the right.  I don’t know why I went left, but I am inside the lounge.

 

 

 



One concern down, another to go.  I was concerned I would get ot the lounge without incident.  I did.  I place my stuff at a chair

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and went around looking for something to eat.  I get a orange juice and a egg sandwich with sausage.

 

 

 

 



Oh yea.. forgot to take a photo of my luggage, so I take one in the lounge.  As my usual thing I do, I start to watch The Warriors on my smartphone.

 

 

 

 

  I also get a chocolate chip muffin and a coffee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  I also try a diet root beer.  It has a long thin neck bottle, cant drink from it.  So I give it back to someone behind the counter, explaining, it is almost full, I didn’t want to just throw it in the garbage.

About `10:50, they announce the gate, and we are headed down to the main floor.  The agent at the gate is amazed by the amount of people,  He says there is no train here yet.  We wait a bit.  And I am not the only one who is wondering who has a new or old car.  It seems popular opinion, we prefer bowls in the roomettes,   One woman wanted a new car, but didn’t know it wont have a bowl.

They finally let us enter the escalator to go down to the platform.  The sleepers are in the rear, so it’s a little walk.  I tell them my train number and roomette, and show me which car I am in.  Now I know my luggage fits, but it’s the roll bag that doesn’t.  I do make it to my car, figure out which direction the train will move, so I face the direction of train movement.  My luggage sits on the other side.  It’s a new car, no bowl in the roomette.  Oh well… need to make the best of it.

 

 

 

 



my room for the next 23 hours

 

Right on time the platform is moving… well.. we are moving.  I get my tablet online just a moment after we are moving, through the tunnel and out in the open in new jersey. 

 

 



That is the Sleeping Car Attendant explaining to the passengers where the bathrooms are, in the rear of the car.  Listen to the part about locking the door when using it.  Lets just say when I went to use it once… someone didn’t listen about locking the door.

 

they are taking reservations for lunch, I choose 1 pm for lunch, 5 for dinner.

 

I have my usual cheeseburger with chips for lunch.  They make me sit with three other gentleman. I take my backpack of electronics with me, but leave it out of sight in the dining car.

 

 

 

I took with me a good pair of Bluetooth ear buds which I don’t use on a daily basis.  In a pocket I find a Bluetooth transmitter in my backpack.  I forgot I owned this.  So with a little trouble I get ear buds to work with the bt transmitter.  I even tried to look online for information how to pair it.  It is no longer sold through amazon and I couldn’t find any other info on it, but I got it to work anyway.  So I watched a couple of episodes of Emergency using ear phones, which is what Amtrak prefers you to do, but more likely for the coach, not roomette passengers.

 

 

While we change locomotive power in Washington, DC, I sit in my roomette.

 

I am not sure where I took this video, approaching? Leaving Washington DC??

 

 

 

 

I get the salad, found some decent salad dressing.  I even tried the small tomatoes.  I bit into it, and it squirted onto the table setting next to me, but no one is seated next to me,  I order the flat iron steak, minus the mixed viggies.  The steak is good and hot.  As far as dessert, just like for lunch, they only have one item for passengers. Passing through Richmond Virginia as we eat.

 

 

 

 

I order to have my bed made up.  I go up, watch more emergency, try to sleep, look out the window.

I climb down to sit and look out the window from the seat.  I noticed a magic band on the floor.  I am surprised I didn’t notice it before.  I look at the name inscribed…. Bruce…  I must have dropped it from my backpack, and not noticed.  When I leave the car, need to make sure I didn’t loose anything else.

 

I wake up for breakfast, I have my usual.. cheese omelet

 

 

 

 

 

seated with a couple.  The husband does something I never seen done before.  He has soda for breakfast, adds coffee creamer to the soda.

 

I go back to the room sleep some more.  I also see I got a text message, my scooter is out for delivery.

 





 

 

At Jacksonville, it’s a longer stop, so I get out of my room to stretch my legs.

 

Sleeper car

 

 

 

 Then starts the countdown…

Palatka

 

Deland

 

Winterpark

 

Hel lo Or Lan Do

 

taken by Virginia

 

 

 



My luggage is on the heavy side, so I take the roll bad and backpack down first, then the luggage.

Virginia and Alan are there to meet me.  One adventure over, another to start.