Night 1 and Day 2 - Ohio to Chicago

After relaxing in my room for a while, I decided to find Cocoa to put my bed down for me. I knocked on the door of her roomette around 9:30 pm, and she happily came down to my room to set everything up for the evening. Since there wasn’t much else to look at outside, I popped in some ear plugs and set my alarm on my phone for 6:30 so I could wake up in time for breakfast. Cocoa offered to come by and wake me up at some point as well.

I am very glad that I brought ear plugs. I am a somewhat light sleeper, and there were lots of creaks and rattles on the train. However, with the ear plugs, I slept very soundly, lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of the train. 6:30 am came much too soon, when I was wondering why someone was calling my phone. Oops! It was the alarm. It was still dark out, and I wondered why I had set my alarm for so early. I checked the GPS on my iPhone, and it said that we were just outside of Toledo, OH.

Several people have noted that the US Border Patrol agents often come on board the Lake Shore Limited in the evening, particularly near Rochester, and ask people what their immigration status is. Well, perhaps they boarded my train, but they didn’t come knocking on the door of my sleeper.

Tables set for Breakfast in the Dining Car

I walked out of my bedroom and saw Cocoa in the hallway. She asked if I slept well and encouraged me to head down to the diner for breakfast. I walked down there and was told to sit at any table that I wanted. At least half of the tables were vacant. I selected an empty table and ordered the railroad French toast, coffee, orange juice and sausage. Let’s just say that I will not starve on this train. After about ten minutes, I was joined by an elderly gentleman with white hair. He was friendly and we chatted for about an hour. He was traveling from Syracuse, where he had attended a festival about older (maybe silent?) movies. He was from Memphis and would be connecting in Chicago to another train. He was a judge and a lawyer, and we actually spoke for quite some time about American history and historic preservation. He had served on the Preservation Commission in Memphis many years ago.

Indiana

South Bend, IN Train Station

After breakfast, I headed back to my room, which Cocoa had turned back into the daytime seating. I lay down and took a nap for a while. It was pretty grey outside, and the farmland was then replaced by some light industrial buildings and rows of working class homes. We stopped for a while in Sound Bend, Indiana, which had quite a sad looking little train station. I expected something more grand in this big college town. Quite a few college aged people detrained at this stop. At some point I realized that we were delayed by about an hour, but it didn’t really matter as I relaxed in my room.

About ten minutes out of Chicago, Cocoa came by to let me know that we would be arriving shortly. I was able to grab a couple great shots of the skyline, including this one of the Willis (nee Sears) Tower.

Sears Tower

After getting off the train, I headed down to the Metropolitan Lounge, which is the special lounge for sleeping car passengers. I was able to check two of my bags in the luggage room there, and then headed off to grab some pictures of the Great Hall and to meet my friend Noelle for lunch.  The Great Hall is still filled with benches, but it is not the main Amtrak waiting area anymore. It truly is a beautiful old train station. It reminded me of 30^th Street Station in Philadelphia.

Great Hall, Chicago Union Station

I then met Noelle, who picked me up in her car right outside of the station. It was great to see her again! The last time I saw Noelle was when I worked at Tufts and I attended a conference in Chicago – I think it was in 2008? She took me to Blackbird for lunch. I had a glass of Ridge Lytton Zinfandel, which is an amazing wine, and we both took advantage of the $22 three course prix-fixe lunch. I started with the salad, next had the chicken, and ended with a chocolate ganache dessert. I should have taken some pictures for you all – this meal was the best one I have had in quite a while.

My time with Noelle was much too short, and now I am back in the Metropolitan Lounge waiting for the boarding call for my train, #3 to Los Angeles. I heard that there have been some mudslides in California, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that there will be no issues on the Coast Starlight, which I am scheduled to board on Wednesday afternoon.