Denver to DC and Back

[wyomingtrainlover]

Greetings All!! I just recentely completed a train trip with my parents from Denver, CO to Washington, D.C. Here is my plan for posting about this amazing adventure...

1. Background and Before the Train

2. Denver to Chicago Aboard the Zephyr

3. Chicago to DC Aboard the CL

4. In DC

5. DC to Chicago

6. Chicago to Denver and back

I'm planning to post once per day about each section and will reply to comments/questions as best as I can. Off to the report...

 

[wyomingtrainlover]

1. Background and Before the Train

For the past year or so, my dad has attended an annual October meeting in DC for the National Mining Association where he attends and presents info regarding the uranium mining industry. We all live in Wyoming which, of course, no longer has Amtrak service which means that Denver, CO is our only option. I am a chemistry grad student who is very close to finishing up my dissertation work and in the job hunt. I haven't had a break since Spring Break (where we went to Reno by train), so my grad advisor told me to go with my dad to DC (where I haven't been since Summer 2001). Dad has come to hate the security hassle of the airlines along with the lack of treatment as a person (who hasn't though?). I'm neutral towards the airlines and fly some, but I really liked the Reno train trip and loved the idea of going to DC that way. Mom wanted to come too, but she couldn't make plans in advance due to her job. So, Dad booked his own roomette for the entire trip back in July and I booked mine shortly thereafter. Dad helped cover some of the cost of mine so that I'd essentially pay the cost of what airfare plus transportation to downtown DC would cost. We spoke with Amtrak about mom coming. They said we could add her to my roomette with all the benefits of being in sleeper service while only paying the full coach fare which we were excited about! Now that the background has been provided, let's get going with the rest of the story...

Despite having old clunker vehicles, Dad didn't want to leave a car uncovered in Denver, CO for a week so before I left the University, I rented a Toyota Camry from Hertz (as Hertz is the only game in downtown Denver with a late afternoon return option). We all left my parent's home around 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 16. We enjoyed a nice lunch in Loveland, CO at P.F. Chang's where I used a 10% discount card to save on the bill. We got to Denver, CO shortly after 3:00 p.m. Hertz told me if I returned the car by 3:20 p.m., they'd give us a free ride to Union Station as it's difficult to carry all of our luggage to the station. After returning the car, Hertz said the shuttle service was done for the day!!! This fumed me as I paid decent money for their car and got there in time. Besides, the station is a few blocks from their rental location. Anyways, we walked with our luggage from 20th and Welton Sts. to the 16th St. mall where there is a free bus that takes us to Wynkoop St. where Union Station is located. Upon arrival, Mom purchased her full coach fare and everything was handled so that she could stay in my roomette. Despite there not being a sleeper lounge, Amtrak let us store our bags there for a grand total of $3 for the whole lot instead of $3 per bag which was incredibly nice of the baggage attendant there. We wondered the 16th St. Mall so Dad could have his mandatory capuccino and acquired some reading material at the Tattered Cover Book Store. We returned to the Station around 6:00 p.m. and reacquired our luggage (we didn't want to check bags). Sure enough, around 7:10 p.m., the eastbound Train #6 California Zephyr arrived on time!

Best part(s) of this leg: Eating wonderful food at P.F. Chang's and the very kind Amtrak baggage attendant for allowing us to store our bags on the cheap.

Worst part(s) of this leg: 4+ hours of driving from Wyoming and dealing with the bad Hertz company in Denver, CO

What I'd improve: Hertz giving us a ride to the Station!! Again, so ridiculous.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's report of the CZ portion

 

[TN Tin Man]

Also being from Wyoming I feel your pain.

I live about 100 miles west of you on the other side of the Snowy and Sierra Madre Ranges. My closest station is Glenwood Springs (160 miles or so). The drive to the station is always too long, but the town has a parking lot about a block and a half from the station. All you need to do is call the police dept. give them your license plate number and travel dates. They will check on your car regularly. I left mine there for two weeks last winter. No problem.

Just food for thought if you want to catch the train for the ride through Glenwood canyon (next time). Also summer only, as the mountian passes close for the winter. 130 over the Snowy Range closed last night. 70 over the Madres will close soon if we keep getting this snow.

Anyway enjoy your trip, and keep the updates coming.

 

[Shanghai]

Good report. I'm anxious to read about the remainder of your trip.

 

[wyomingtrainlover]

To Shanghai and WY Tin Man, thank you for the very nice comments.

I guess we've never considered driving to Glenwood Springs, CO to connect and I imagine the cost can't be that much different than Denver. Anyways off to the next part of the report

2. Denver, CO to Chicago, IL aboard the CZ from 10-16-10 to 10-17-10

We boarded the train around 7:25 p.m. and were immediately instructed to proceed to the diner for dinner. We had dinner with a gentleman who is a salon owner in Denver. He was taking the train to visit relatives overnight in Lincoln, NE. We all ordered the steak option for dinner given that they were out of the special and seafood special already! They were also out of cabernet sauvignon so we settled on merlot. When that ran out, the gentleman seated with us went to the lounge car to acquire more vino. Mom, Dad, and I all had the carrot cake for dessert, which was good. Overall, it was a great time as my Mom and I are not that big fans of eating dinner with someone on the train, but that's the way it goes I guess. It was mildly disappointing that they were out of wine and the specials already. I know that in Denver they acquire fuel, water, empty the sewer, and take out the trash. Do they reacquire food and drinks also??

After, or slightly before dinner as it's tough to remember, we were introduced to Pete, our sleeping car attendant. Pete did an AMAZING job. He was ok with our request for a 10:30 p.m. put down of the beds. He even gave us coffee, juice, and cups of ice (as we brought along cans of coke to enjoy since we cannot stand Pepsi products). That amazed me as we were more than capable of going to the top part of our car (Mom and I were Room #12) to get beverages. It's very nice to see exceptional service like that. We went to bed around 11:00 p.m. that night.

We woke up around 6:00 a.m. just past Omaha, NE. Mom utilized the shower and then we all proceeded for breakfast. This time, we didn't share the booth with anyone. We all ordered french toast with bacon. Mom and Dad had milk and oj while I had coffee and oj. I never got the names of the dining car attendant and the staff, but one attendant kept calling us and everybody "precious." While this is initially cute, it gets kinda old. After breakfast, Mom and I played some games until the next "smoke stop." None of us smoke, but it's nice to get off the train and stretch our legs. This occurred in Ottumwa, IA around 11:00 a.m. Due to a problem with orders to proceed, we stayed there for about 30 min. but it sure was nice to stretch our legs. We then had lunch around noon and didn't have to share a booth here. We all had the Angus Burger for lunch. The burger is fine, but I think it's a touch too much bun for the size of the burger patty. Unfortunately, they were out of bacon to put on the burger. We all enjoyed carrot cake for dessert. Quickly after lunch, we were excited for the crossing of the Mississippi River. I went to the lounge car with camera in hand and took photos of Burlington, IA and the river. One slight problem, Mom slept through the river crossing!! We arrived in Chicago, IL about an hour and a half late due to slight delays. After checking our baggage at the Metro. Lounge there and discovering how big and grandiose the Chicago Union Station is, we walked a little bit in Chicago for Dad's capuccino stop. We arrived back around 5:30 p.m. in preparation for the boarding announcement of the Capitol Limited. And that's where I end for today. Stay tuned for tomorrow.

Part(s) of this leg I liked: Our sleeping car attendant Pete. He was amazing and got a generous tip as a result. He went above and beyond his duty IMHO. I also enjoyed seeing the Mississippi River and just how large the Chicago Union Station is.

Part(s) of this leg I didn't like: The dining car attendant who kept calling all of us "precious." It just gets annoying. Also, it was frustrating that food/drink kept running out.

What to Improve: I know this is a pipe dream, but I would love for a couple of satellite tvs in the Lounge Car. Why?? Sunday is NFL football of course! It would've been really nice to watch sports in there given that there are just X weeks of the football season overall. Again, it's a pipe dream, but if Amtrak could offer some sort of TV service, that'd be the icing on the cake.

 

[wyomingtrainlover]

Part 3: Chicago, IL to Washington, D.C. from 10-17-10 to 10-18-10

We boarded the CL shortly around 5:30 p.m. After boarding, I hopped in the shower for my first ever Amtrak shower experience. The shower didn't have much room, but it did the basic job of getting me clean after the CZ train ride. After dressing, Mom and I met our sleeping car attendant, David. David was not that great of an attendant. He made a general announcement to our car that he'd make up all of our beds while we were at dinner since we'd all ask to have them made up from 9:00 to 10:30 p.m. all at the same time! I realize it's very tough to top the excellent Pete that we had on the CZ, but to immediately spout off like this at the start of the trip sends the wrong message to me and leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Otherwise, our car was a little nicer and slightly refurbished than the sleeping car on the CZ. We were at the front of the train with another sleeping car. In the back were 3-4 coach cars separated by the diner and the lounge cars. Mom, Dad, and I were all on the lower level of the sleeper car.

The lounge in Chicago made our dinner reservation at 8:00 p.m. Upon arrival to dinner, we were amazed with the CCC car configuration. We really enjoyed the 3 man booths so we could have dinner just as a family. The main dining car attendant, Craig, was excellent. He was professional most of all, but had a slight charming quality as well. Mom had the special of shrimp scampi which she enjoyed while Dad and I ordered steak again. To our shock, they didn't have cabernet sauvignon so we again settled on merlot. Shouldn't the train be fully stocked in Chicago already?? Maybe they ran out from earlier dinner service?? For dessert, we all enjoyed the chocolate peanut butter pie which was extravagant!

After dinner, our beds were down. I heard somebody else press the call button and could see David mouthing a 4-letter word. Totally unprofessional!! Mom and I went to bed around 10:30.

We woke up around 6-ish past Pittsburgh, PA heading towards Connelsville, PA. After Mom showered, we all went to the diner for breakfast. Mom and Dad each had the omelette while I had french toast with sausage. They enjoyed milk and cranberry juice while I had coffee and oj. The attendants working under Craig (Bev and Cheryl) were quite friendly and talking with us about going to D.C. and what we do in Wyoming.

After breakfast, Mom and I played cards and some other games. The train was running slightly behind schedule due to CSX needing the rails, but this was not an issue for us. Maybe because of this, the diner served an abbreviated lunch. Dad told me they didn't do this on his October 2009 trip to D.C. This lunch consisted of items from the snack car. I had a smaller cheeseburger with some chips and iced tea. Mom also had the cheeseburger while Dad had a hot dog. We weren't served dessert, but that wasn't a big deal.

After lunch, we all went to the lounge car to see Harper's Ferry, WV. This was gorgeous, especially with the leaves changing color! The Potomac and Anacosta Rivers were beautiful. We returned to our rooms to pack up and made it to Union Station D.C. just a few minutes behind schedule. Coming tomorrow, my report on the actual D.C. visit and what we did there.

Part(s) of this leg I liked: The great dining car staff on this train. Professional with a touch of friendliness while not being too "overfriendly" either. The chocolate peanut butter pie was excellent. Seeing Harper's Ferry and parts of the eastern U.S. during Fall were beautiful. Staying in a slightly refurbished sleeping car and enjoying food in the CCC. While there's still work to do, it's nice to see that these cars aren't all stuck in the late 1970's.

Part(s) of this leg I didn't like: David, our sleeping car attendant. It just seemed that all of us sleepers were a burden to him when he made that rude announcement at the beginning of the trip. Mom thought he had a major attitude problem. We tried our best to respect him and stay out of his way. His tip from us was really limited compared to what Pete received from the CZ.

What to Improve: Unfortunately, employees with an attitude problem are everywhere in society. In our sleeper car, I couldn't find the ice. I'm pretty sure I looked thoroughly by the coffee and juices.

 

[abcnews]

Great Report! I enjoyed reading the background too. It helps to better understand the details.

We are looking forward to our first transcontinental train trip (via CZ this December). Stories like this just add to the anticipation.

 

[wyomingtrainlover]

Thanks abcnews!! I hope you enjoy your upcoming trip. Hopefully, you'll get to go over the Rockies and enjoy the amazing scenery of that! Onto the next part...

Part 4: In D.C. 10-18-10 to 10-21-10

Upon arrival, we saw the amazing and large Union Station of D.C. I'd been to D.C. twice before in 2000 and 2001 for high school leadership stuff. This was Mom's first time while Dad's been numerous times before. I've seen the D.C. station before, but that trip was so wound tight with a schedule so it was nice to not have to deal with those.

Our hotel we stayed at was the Phoenix Park as it's literally a stone's throw from the station. This was quite a nice and slightly older hotel. Sometimes it's nice to get away from the chain hotels. After getting our bags to our room. Dad and I walked over a few blocks to meet one of his colleagues. She let us onto the rooftop where we saw amazing views of D.C. Once we got back (around 3:30 p.m.) to the hotel, we all walked to the Archives. Mom and I saw it as Dad's been inside before. We saw an old Magna Charta, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. After that, we took part in a long walk to the Vietnam Veterans and World War II Memorials, which nearly killed Mom with all of the walking. After that, we walked to the Foggy Bottom metro station and passed GWU and the State Dept. I took a photo of the State Dept. and a rude security guard yelled at me for doing so. I just took a general photo and you can see the building on Google Earth for crying out loud!! It's not like I was gathering intel on the CIA or something. We took the Metro back to Union Station and had dinner at our hotel at the Dubliner Pub which had good fish and chips. The overall theme of the hotel is Irish.

On Tuesday, I prearranged a few months back with one of the Wyo. senators to inquire about White House tour tickets. Our request was granted! We had a very quick breakfast of donuts in the Union Station food court. While Dad was in meetings all day, Mom and I walked to the White House visitors center. This turned out to be the wrong place to go as we had to line up outside a statue of General Sherman. We thought this tour would be intimate (maybe 20 people at our 8:30 time). Instead, the line stretched almost forever. We didn't get to tour until around 9:15 a.m. The White House is beautiful. We saw the eastern part of the White House and saw almost all of the Presidential portraits including Washington (saved by Dolly Madison) and Lincoln. After the tour, we walked to the Federal Triangle metro back to Union Station. We had lunch at the station (just McDonald's) around 11:30 a.m. After lunch, we took the metro to the Mall to see some of the Smithsonian museums. We saw the Natural and American history museums. By about 4:00 p.m., Mom was exhausted of museums. I took her back to the hotel and went back to the Mall. I walked to the Lincoln and Korean War Memorials. Dad was done with meetings so I went back to the hotel. We all took the Metro to DuPont Circle and had dinner at Otello's (an Italian joint) on Connecticut Ave. The food and service was amazing. They even gave us free dessert wine (port). We took the Metro back to Union Station, got back to our hotel, and called it a night.

On Wednesday, Mom and I had a nice breakfast at Center Cafe in Union Station. She had pancakes and I had french toast. After breakfast, we took the Metro to Arlington National Cemetery (10:00 a.m.). While there, we saw the Kennedy gravesites, the one for Associate Justice Douglas and Chief Justice Holmes, we toured the Robert E. Lee House, and observed the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. IMHO, this is the most awesome sight to behold. I'm constantly amazed, awed, honored, and humbled by our soldiers. We also saw the Challenger, Columbia, Iran Hostage Crisis, and USS Maine memorials there. After that, we took the Metro to Alexandria and caught a free trolley from that metro stop on King St. to the Potomac River. I wanted to see Alexandria again and, sadly, it looked a bit like a victim of the economy. The bustling food court from 2000 barely had any options, but we went there for a quick lunch while gazing at the Potomac. After that, we took the trolley back to the metro stop and went to Pentagon City as Mom wanted to do a little shopping at their large mall. After that (4:30 p.m.), we took the Metro to Capitol South just to walk by the Capitol, the Supreme Court, and the Library of Congress. We then returned to the hotel to meet Dad. We all then took the Metro over to Gallery Place/Chinatown on 7th St. to eat at Legal Seafood. Dad and I enjoyed lobster rolls while Mom had fish and chips. We then took the Metro back to Union Station to call it a day.

On Thursday, Mom, Dad, and I dropped off our bags first at the front desk of the hotel. We all ate breakfast at the Center Cafe of Union Station and enjoyed, again, the french toast. After breakfast, we took the Metro to the Mall and made it to the Air and Space Museum when it opened at 10:00 a.m. We ate lunch at their food court and saw a planetarium show entitled, "Blackholes: The Other Side of Infinity." We got back to the hotel around 2:00 p.m. to pick up our luggage and headed over to Union Station. We cheked into the lounge there to drop our bags off while doing some last minute window shopping around the Station. At about 3:20 p.m., our boarding announcement came to leave D.C. See you all tomorrow!!

Part(s) of this leg I liked: Seeing D.C. and the surrounding area's attractions; eating amazing food and staying at a nice hotel close to Union Station; learning much about natural, American, and aerospace history; utilizing the Metro system which was safe and cheap

Part(s) of this leg I didn't like: The rude guard at the State Department. Photographing the exterior of the entrance won't compromise national security! So, so, so many people coming from small Wyoming.

Part(s) I'd improve: In a perfect world, have two metro stops immediately located at the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials as it's a long walking distance from any stop.

 

[Rail Freak]

Most SCAs keep the ice in their roomette (usually #1).

Nice reports

 

[Shanghai]

Thanks for the reports. I enjoy Washington DC as well. My wife is a DAR officer and

attends their national convention each year. I am left to roam the sites for three days!!

I'm impressed with the organization and cleanliness of the government area of the city.