After an enjoyable weekend in the White mountains with plenty of snow for skiing, I returned back to Boston on Monday, MLK day. Lucky me, I found a gas station on Broadway, right near the Enterprise South Boston location, which made filling the tank on the rental car a snap. After a little paperwork, they drove me over to South Station, and I first headed for the Quick-track to print my ticket, and then to the baggage room. Instead if the usual friendly baggage guys with their hearty blue-collar Boston accents, there was a petite young lady who I took for being of South Asian heritage. At first I wondered whether she could handle the baggage, but then I realized all she needed to do was get a roller bag on to the cart, it's not like you need to be Hercules to move baggage on a cart to the train. I showed her my ticket to Washington, and she was perfectly willing to check the bsags to Baltimore, as I've done in past years. I go to DC just in time for work, my bags to to Baltimore, and later that evening, I come home from work and pick up the bags. I also checked my carry-on so that I wouldn't have to lug it around while I looked for dinner. By the time I was finished, it was about 4 PM, and I was set to check out Boston for a few hours before train time, which was 9:45.
First, I thought, a drink. So I ent to Drink, the trndy cocktail bar on Congress street where the bartenders wlil make you a custom cocktail to your specs or their whim. I challenged the bartender to make something with "white dog," aka moonshine, which she did, a very tasty concoction, high octane, not too sweet, but enough to get me interested in dinner. I walked along the harbor in the chill up towards the North end and ended up on Hanover Street, where I had a great garlicky bowl of mussels and some squid-ink pasta with calamari at the Daily Catch. Then over to Mikes Pastry to get a box of cookies for my coworkers. BY then it was time to head back to the station, so I went to Haymarket and got on the GreenLine T, transferring to the Red Line and ending up at abpout 8 PM at South Station. I collected my roll-on, and then ent over to the Club Acela (it's nice having the AGR select Plus) to wait in comfort instead of sitting on those hard metal chairs in the main waiting area. However, no train announcements in Club Acela that late at night, in fact they were closing down, so I went out around 9:30, but they were pretty much ready to board. Unlike Washington, the Boston Club Acela doesn't give you a way to bypass the cattle line, but then the cattle line for #67 wasn't all that long, and I had a business class ticket.
Boarding the train, I found a single seat, and settled in. This overnight Regional uses the 2 -1 club seating in the business class, lots of legrom and a legrest, so I expected reasonably comfortable sleep. I had some minor worry bout on-time performance, remembering last year's trip, when the engine flipped a breaker between Mass 128 and Providence and we were stuck in 10 degree weather without power, and had to be sent back to Boston and wait on a 4 AM departure. But this trip was dead on time. I went back to the lounge section, got a free decaf and enjoyed an almond macaroon from Mikes pastry. Then I pulled out a blanket, cranked back the seat, and sort of dozed and looked out the window. As we went through western Rhode Island, I noticed snow, and as I woke and dozed and looked out the window, it seemed that the night was getting snowier and snowier. I was sort of a cozy feeling, being under a blanket and watching the snow covered landscape as the train rumbled through the night. Usually, I'd wake when the train stopped, but then I'd go back to sleep. I finally woke up for good a little outside of Baltimore about 5:30 in the morning, which is actually later than when I susally get up anyway. We continued on, no snow in Maryland, for an on-time arrival in Washington. I went to work, took a shower in the gym on the first floor, and was ready to go. That evening, I bought a ticket on Regional 138 leaving DC at 6:05, and headed up to Baltimore, where my luggage was waiting in the baggage room, and my wife was waiting outside with the car.
All in all, a good trip. I'm looking forward to next year, I need to decide where I want to eat in Boston then.
First, I thought, a drink. So I ent to Drink, the trndy cocktail bar on Congress street where the bartenders wlil make you a custom cocktail to your specs or their whim. I challenged the bartender to make something with "white dog," aka moonshine, which she did, a very tasty concoction, high octane, not too sweet, but enough to get me interested in dinner. I walked along the harbor in the chill up towards the North end and ended up on Hanover Street, where I had a great garlicky bowl of mussels and some squid-ink pasta with calamari at the Daily Catch. Then over to Mikes Pastry to get a box of cookies for my coworkers. BY then it was time to head back to the station, so I went to Haymarket and got on the GreenLine T, transferring to the Red Line and ending up at abpout 8 PM at South Station. I collected my roll-on, and then ent over to the Club Acela (it's nice having the AGR select Plus) to wait in comfort instead of sitting on those hard metal chairs in the main waiting area. However, no train announcements in Club Acela that late at night, in fact they were closing down, so I went out around 9:30, but they were pretty much ready to board. Unlike Washington, the Boston Club Acela doesn't give you a way to bypass the cattle line, but then the cattle line for #67 wasn't all that long, and I had a business class ticket.
Boarding the train, I found a single seat, and settled in. This overnight Regional uses the 2 -1 club seating in the business class, lots of legrom and a legrest, so I expected reasonably comfortable sleep. I had some minor worry bout on-time performance, remembering last year's trip, when the engine flipped a breaker between Mass 128 and Providence and we were stuck in 10 degree weather without power, and had to be sent back to Boston and wait on a 4 AM departure. But this trip was dead on time. I went back to the lounge section, got a free decaf and enjoyed an almond macaroon from Mikes pastry. Then I pulled out a blanket, cranked back the seat, and sort of dozed and looked out the window. As we went through western Rhode Island, I noticed snow, and as I woke and dozed and looked out the window, it seemed that the night was getting snowier and snowier. I was sort of a cozy feeling, being under a blanket and watching the snow covered landscape as the train rumbled through the night. Usually, I'd wake when the train stopped, but then I'd go back to sleep. I finally woke up for good a little outside of Baltimore about 5:30 in the morning, which is actually later than when I susally get up anyway. We continued on, no snow in Maryland, for an on-time arrival in Washington. I went to work, took a shower in the gym on the first floor, and was ready to go. That evening, I bought a ticket on Regional 138 leaving DC at 6:05, and headed up to Baltimore, where my luggage was waiting in the baggage room, and my wife was waiting outside with the car.
All in all, a good trip. I'm looking forward to next year, I need to decide where I want to eat in Boston then.
