caravanman
Engineer
5th Jan 2007:
Awoke quite early, feel quite tired still.. It takes me a few days to adjust to time differences. I tried to book my first Amtrak journey last evening, from the airport in London. I sent an email to Amtrak’s reservation system for a seat today from New York to New Orleans, quoting my Amtrak pass number.
I felt so tired when I woke that I decided instead to break my journey and have a night in Washington, and looked up hotel prices for something near the station. On the net I saw a Washington Court Hotel room was $95 for the Friday night, but when I phoned it was quoted at $290! So I went back onto the net & booked it there. It is nice to be flexible with travel, but one sometimes needs to book ahead to get best prices.
My new electric travel kettle works on 115 and 250 volts, there is no switch, it works on either… the drawback is that on the 115v supply, it takes 4 times longer to boil.. But I do get a cuppa before I leave the hotel in the shuttle bus and head back to the airport, which is the nearest train station, too.
One end of the inter-terminal airport monorail train extends out to the main rail station, when I got there the Amtrak desk was unstaffed, I was told it was too early.
I was able to buy a machine ticket to New York Penn station, and was not charged for the airtrain portion. There were staff at all the airtrain stops to assist lost souls, and assist me they did!
The train into Penn station was full of people on their way to work, many looking as tired as I am feeling.
On arrival at Penn station, I went to the ticket office and was able to collect my pass and make a booking to Washington, train 141 leaving at 9.34am.
I bought a coffee and a couple of Krispy Kreeme doughnuts, which gave me a welcome sugar boost, but I can’t even think of doughnuts nowadays without an image of Homer Simpson drooling over them!
These seats are comfy, I start to wonder whether I could manage to spend an overnight in a coach seat. The first stop looks familiar, and is the airport stop Liberty International where I started from, but I still feel pleased to have gone into New York to start my trip, notwithstanding the lack of staff at Liberty, I felt happier collecting my pass and trying to make reservations at a main station too.
I look out at the passing scenery, and notice an old British car, a Bentley, rusting away near the tracks, at a place called Elizabeth… interesting coincidence, Mr Holmes!
Sign for “Township of Eddison” what’s a township? Sounds a bit like a fenced community.
Trenton NJ, Nice old metal bridges over river, big sign on bridge “Trenton makes, the world takes”.. wonder what they make that everyone wants? (bridges perhaps!).
Adjourn to café car and buy coffee and microwaved bagel and cheese. I am not happy with either. The train is still not too busy, and I enjoy a double seat to myself for the whole journey.
Lots of interest to see outside, globe dye works, ball and roller bearings, extremely run down housing and factories around Philadelphia.. The heavy rain and foggy mist add to the bleak landscapes.
Advert: “Drink Negative Calories” what are they then..a sort of laxative?
Sign for moving stairs at Phil station, rather than escalator.
FELS HAPTHA lettering on abandoned old ornate brick chimney, what did they make?**just found out its soap- fels naptha***
Pass an old glassless rusty factory, which has lots of new phone masts atop, brings to mind a dead tree having a second life as home to fungus.
The train arrived at Washington station and I left the station in roughly the right direction, a tourist helper just outside pointed me towards my hotel, which was about 5 minutes walk away.
To be continued..
Awoke quite early, feel quite tired still.. It takes me a few days to adjust to time differences. I tried to book my first Amtrak journey last evening, from the airport in London. I sent an email to Amtrak’s reservation system for a seat today from New York to New Orleans, quoting my Amtrak pass number.
I felt so tired when I woke that I decided instead to break my journey and have a night in Washington, and looked up hotel prices for something near the station. On the net I saw a Washington Court Hotel room was $95 for the Friday night, but when I phoned it was quoted at $290! So I went back onto the net & booked it there. It is nice to be flexible with travel, but one sometimes needs to book ahead to get best prices.
My new electric travel kettle works on 115 and 250 volts, there is no switch, it works on either… the drawback is that on the 115v supply, it takes 4 times longer to boil.. But I do get a cuppa before I leave the hotel in the shuttle bus and head back to the airport, which is the nearest train station, too.
One end of the inter-terminal airport monorail train extends out to the main rail station, when I got there the Amtrak desk was unstaffed, I was told it was too early.
I was able to buy a machine ticket to New York Penn station, and was not charged for the airtrain portion. There were staff at all the airtrain stops to assist lost souls, and assist me they did!
The train into Penn station was full of people on their way to work, many looking as tired as I am feeling.
On arrival at Penn station, I went to the ticket office and was able to collect my pass and make a booking to Washington, train 141 leaving at 9.34am.
I bought a coffee and a couple of Krispy Kreeme doughnuts, which gave me a welcome sugar boost, but I can’t even think of doughnuts nowadays without an image of Homer Simpson drooling over them!
These seats are comfy, I start to wonder whether I could manage to spend an overnight in a coach seat. The first stop looks familiar, and is the airport stop Liberty International where I started from, but I still feel pleased to have gone into New York to start my trip, notwithstanding the lack of staff at Liberty, I felt happier collecting my pass and trying to make reservations at a main station too.
I look out at the passing scenery, and notice an old British car, a Bentley, rusting away near the tracks, at a place called Elizabeth… interesting coincidence, Mr Holmes!
Sign for “Township of Eddison” what’s a township? Sounds a bit like a fenced community.
Trenton NJ, Nice old metal bridges over river, big sign on bridge “Trenton makes, the world takes”.. wonder what they make that everyone wants? (bridges perhaps!).
Adjourn to café car and buy coffee and microwaved bagel and cheese. I am not happy with either. The train is still not too busy, and I enjoy a double seat to myself for the whole journey.
Lots of interest to see outside, globe dye works, ball and roller bearings, extremely run down housing and factories around Philadelphia.. The heavy rain and foggy mist add to the bleak landscapes.
Advert: “Drink Negative Calories” what are they then..a sort of laxative?
Sign for moving stairs at Phil station, rather than escalator.
FELS HAPTHA lettering on abandoned old ornate brick chimney, what did they make?**just found out its soap- fels naptha***
Pass an old glassless rusty factory, which has lots of new phone masts atop, brings to mind a dead tree having a second life as home to fungus.
The train arrived at Washington station and I left the station in roughly the right direction, a tourist helper just outside pointed me towards my hotel, which was about 5 minutes walk away.
To be continued..
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