lionkingcmsl | In about a month ...

I will be westbound and down.

I should be on train #5, the westbound California Zephyr headed to Emeryville, Ca and then onto San Jose. ;=3

I'll be three days in on the trip, as I am scheduled to leave Philly on the 7th. I get on the CZ, in Chicago, on the 8th. I will arrive in Cali on the 10th.

I know, I know: Why don't I fly? Well, being the carriage is free, I still have to pay for my meals, is a big thing. I also believe that if we at Amtrak want you, the general public, to ride us, we had better ride us too; and not just as a commute to work. Also the trip is more relaxing, I get to travel America at "see" level. I don't have the hassles at the airports and I don't have to worry about a Totally Stupid Agency employee asking me questions, searching, possibly breaking, and possibly stealing my stuff. No surcharges, no cramped seating, no sitting for hours with a seat belt on, and real food in a dining car. And finally, Amtrak employee or not, I am a passenger rail advocate and I better put my paws where my mouth is.

Yes, I blow my 2 week vacation in the beginning of the year, but I can't think of a better way to relax, Just let the miles of rail roll out from under the wheels of the train. I normally end up in a sleeper, so I can sleep when I want, go to the lounge car and enjoy myself there talking to people. No rush, rush, rush. Just a relaxing ride and I will be able to make phone calls, when a cell tower is in range, and use the laptop at any time.

Lastly, I need to get a generic passenger rail icon. ;=3