I didn’t like the idea of packing my bike in a box at the beginning or end of the tour, so I decided to take a train to the start (or as close as I could get).
You can take a bike on many AmTrak trains, and I determined I could get as close to Norfolk, VA as Washington, DC.
In addition, I could use a portion of the ACA Atlantic Coast route to get to the TransAm, so it seemed perfect.
After some hesitation, I sprang for the lowest tier of sleeper car, the “roomette.”
And I have to say it was a great idea!
During the two day ride from Seattle to Chicago, meals were like speed-dating. I sat with a different set of three people for every meal (except Eric, a game developer from Sony – we were seated together three times!).
The last lunch had a fun encounter. The young lady at the table mentioned she wanted to be an archaeologist or anthropologist, and I blurted out that I have loved archaeology since I was a kid. After a few minutes, the older lady with us quietly mentioned she IS an archaeologist! When Eric joined us, he told me he had decided between archaeology and computer science in college. He and I just listened as our dinner partners talked shop.
I had to switch trains in Chicago, and were two hours late.
I barely made it to my next train, and my phone fell out of my pocket while I was sprinting.
Someone found it, turned it into one of the red caps, and the conductor got it at the last second as the train was rolling out, after I had given up hope.
I wanted to hug him, but he didn’t seem very thrilled at the prospect of a sweaty bald man’s embrace, so I gave him a nice tip instead.
Catastrophe averted! And I am going to superglue this phone to my hand!
I love the train, AND the train personnel!
If you have the opportunity to take a train to the start of your tour, I highly recommend it!
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