Amtrak 2026: 1 - All Aboard

This trip has been amazing. I haven't written any posts like I had anticipated. Each day was full of hope, promise, and activities! I did change my plans along the way, and it worked out very well. Maybe this will be the complete post, but perhaps I will expand with further detail after I get home. I am thinking I won't, but who really knows?

My trip started in the evening on Sunday, April 26 and will conclude in the morning on Monday, May 18. Overall, the trip could not have been better. It was off to a rocky start with me even sending in feedback after 27 hours on the first segment of my trip.

Boarding in DeLand

I may follow up with a call as they suggested, but the remaining nine segments were great. I also didn't pack the greatest. I somewhat forgot that everyone doesn't always experience Florida weather and I was freezing by the time I arrived in Chicago.

When I got to Union Station in Chicago, I wasn't able to shop anywhere else but at the station. Expensive! I had to pay $50.00 for a hoodie, I really didn't like that much, plus I bought a neck pillow for $27.00. Lesson learned for next time! I was still a bit chilly when I got on the Southwest Chief headed out to Los Angeles, but with my new hoodie and my light blanket, I knew I would survive! This trip started out differently than the trip last year, specifically I had not really spoke with anyone, but that would soon change - as would my comfort level for the rest of the trip.

As I was sitting in the observation car still a bit chilled, a young woman asked if the seat next to me was taken. I told her no and she sat down. We struck up a conversation and I learned her name was Taylor. I asked if she was cold and I told her about my hoodie purchase. Taylor and I share the Gemini sign and she is my son's age. She plays base guitar in a rock band in North Carolina. She was headed to a cousin's house in Colorado to clean out her Aunt's house after her passing some months ago. I recognized silently that Taylor had been the first person that I had really engaged with on the trip. Before she left, she offered me a blanket that she had purchased for the trip. I am very thankful that she was persistent that I take it since she was getting off at the next stop.

Every time I use the blanket, I think of Taylor and her generosity! It has made a tremendous difference in my comfort level on each segment of my trip! At some point during my trip, I even purchased a bag to carry the beautiful, soft gray blanket, as well as my light blanket and pillow. The train rolled on to LA, and we even arrived there early enough for me to take a train to San Diego two hours before my scheduled departure. I wasn't really sure I was going to be able to board the earlier train, but taking the Learning to Fail class gave me the confidence to go to the platform and try.

As I was standing there waiting, a man asked if I was taking the train that had just arrived. I told him I had hope to board the 8:10 train, but my ticket was actually for the 10:10 train. He let me know he was doing the same thing and had already asked someone and they said that was fine. I learned his name was Mike, and the young lady he was standing with on the platform was named Kim. She was a local and was very helpful to me when boarding the train. I talked to both of them on the way to San Diego.

I also talked to Dale. Apparently, he is a lawyer that moved away from San Diego, but still frequents there to do work for the less fortunate free of charge. It is quite admirable that in a world that always feels like it is taking, someone is making a difference by giving back to those that sometimes do not have a voice. The time on the train from LA to San Diego was three hours, but it felt much shorter. I am thankful to have met everyone on that train. It was great scenery of the Pacific coast, as well as great conversation. This trip was really shaping up nicely!

When we got to the Santa Fe depot, I asked Mike if I could explore the area with him a bit. We both headed to our hotels to either check in or drop our bags. I texted him once I got settled to see if he still wanted to hang out. Thankfully, he responded to me and he suggested Coco Maya which turned out to be a wonderful place to eat. I misstepped coming down the stairs from the rooftop restaurant, but it didn't really hurt as bad as it looked days later. I truly enjoyed our conversation during dinner and the walk along the harbor after. The following day Mike was going to the Midway Museum and I was headed off to the zoo! I went to several museums during my stay.

That is one way to get color on my upper arm!

As this train churns down the track, my mind is full of memories and the people that I have met along the way. When I started this post, I was leaning towards this being the only post about my trip, but now I know I will continue in another post.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope to write more soon!