When morning arrived for everyone else, I found out we were running later than expected. We wouldn’t arrive until almost nine, an hour and a half late.
Gary and I went up to breakfast and sat with a couple from Milwaukee who were going to Sacramento just like the women we shared dinner with. They, too, were experiencing their first overnight train ride in a roomette. The husband took the upper bunk and his wife the lower. We asked about comfort, and they wished they had opted for something larger.
The air conditioning unit was in the ceiling above the upper bunk. The husband was too cold and his wife too hot. Lesson learned.
They were on their way to visit their son. He had recently moved west and invited them out. They welcomed the invitation and opted to take the train. They’d “read a lot of good things about the trip.”
We enjoyed their company and the meal, once again, was very good.
After parting ways with the couple, we spent a few minutes in the observation car taking in the sights. My big takeaway from the country we traveled was simple. Corn is corn. Once you’ve taken in a few miles of it, it all looks the same. Beautiful but the same.
When I was sitting in the car, I had a flashback from two dozen years ago. Ruth and Elizabeth had taken a “road trip” to Iowa to see the corn fields. They made it to Amana and explored the area. Ruth thought it was beautiful country. She wanted to go back, and take me this time, but we never did.
While Gary and I were eating, the car attendant flipped our beds back into seats. As I thanked her, she asked if the kids had bothered me during the night. I assured her they hadn’t. That’s when she said, “The boy told his father to shut up as they headed to breakfast. I stopped him and told him not to speak to his father that way. You’re on my train, and I won’t have you disrespecting your dad.” Score one for her.
The remainder of the morning passed by quickly. I did hear the train attendant tell another passenger, “The next part of the trip is more beautiful than the first. The tracks are smoother too. Nebraska and Iowa have some of the roughest.” Note to self: Fly to Denver next time and take the Zephyr the rest of the way.
While we both traveled to Denver, Gary and I parted ways when we arrived. He met a high school friend and I connected with three couples I met in Florida. Ruth and I did a lot of things with them. I almost took a pass on their invitation, but I’m on my own now and thought it best to get on with getting on. We had a good time together and shared a lot of fun, but those stories are for another day.
If I had it to do over again, I would. I’d make a couple changes though. I’d pack fewer clothes and take a bar of soap. And knowing what I know now, I’d try to be a bit more relaxed, so I’d sleep better.
I’d definitely spend more time in the observation car. You take in more of the countryside from up there. Looking out over the country you can see more than you do from a simple window. That’s why you take the train, to see more things and meet new people. When you open your eyes, and take it all in, you see how beautiful our country is and how thankful we should be for living here.