NYP to PVD on the Acela

My return back up to Providence on the 2250 was much nicer than my trip down to Philly. I headed up to New York on Saturday with some of my friends via NJ transit, and spent the night in midtown. I was able to get my upgrade processed via phone, so all I had to do was have them print my ticket when I checked in at the Club Acela in Penn Station. They collected my upgrade coupon at that point, and again, I mentioned that I would like some assistance with my bags. It turned out that our train was running about 10-15 minutes late, so we didn't get called down to board until about 12:05 pm, the scheduled time for departure. They called my name at the counter and I headed over to meet Maurice the redcap. Maurice had assisted me several times before and was very friendly. He brought us over to the escalator and sent us down to the platform, where we actually still had to wait a few minutes for the train to arrive. There were many people waiting for the train, so it looked like it would probably be sold out again.

Grilled Chicken Tandoori Ceasar Salad

When the train arrived, I was thrilled to see my favorite attendant step off the train for the departing passengers! I don't know her name, but she is a young woman and also works in conjunction with another woman. I snagged a single seat on the left hand side of the train, and before we left NYP, the car was full with just one seat open in a foursome to the right of me. I was not feeling 100% after a late night out in NYC the night before, so I stuck to non-alcoholic beverages. I was surprised to see that the menu was identical to the southbound menu from Wednesday. Since the small bites involved shrimp (I am allergic) and I didn't think the ribs were that great, I went with the grilled chicken tandoori ceasar salad again. It was excellent. The dressing was delicious with spicy hints of tandoori!

The attendants were amazing and came by to offer drink refills and newspapers on multiple occasions. They did come through with hot towels and a tray with a cup for tips right before we hit Providence, and I happily tipped them for their great job. The car was quite loud, though, and I was happy I head my headphones so I could chill with some music.  We were perfectly on time, and I detrained in Providence after another great ride on the acela.