Friday, January 24, 2025

Amtrak to Burbank - 2

We had a 6:30 pm dinner reservation in the dining car.  We shared the table with Joan from Seattle.


We all ended out ordering the same thing.

Mixed green salad with baby brie

Flat iron steak with mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables.  It was very good.  My steak was super tender.  We also got a roll. 

Chocolate blueberry cobbler cheesecake which was quite delicious.

We also got a complimentary glass of wine.

After dinner we headed back to the room.  We were out of range of the Internet for several hours after Eugene.  

Around 9 pm the attendant,  Sokavia (sp??), made up our beds.  Quite the fascinating process. We watched her.


Debbie offered to take the upper bunk since she is so much younger than me and more agile.

It made it quite the challenge to get around the room.  I should have brushed my teeth before the room was prepared for bed.  We locked the door securely but somehow with the movement of the train, it opened twice in the night.  Oh well,  We did report it.

Morning coffee.  See my electric kettle in the corner?

I took a shower.  What an experience.  Tiny, TINY room.  At first the water did not come on, then it was a little cold trickle.  Just when I was about to give up it came on warm.  I realized later that there was a knob to allow the water to come on.  I had accidentally bumped it. It felt good.  But it was a challenge. They had a cover for the toilet paper roll so it wouldn't get wet.  



After our morning coffee and shower we headed down for breakfast. 

Sunrise started

Breakfast.  We did not need a reservation. 



More sunrise.  



We saw a little bit of the ocean.  

My work station.

We headed down to the observation car. That was fun.






We had a 12:15 pm lunch reservation. We sat with 2 other people.  I never did get their names.  

I had a patty melt

Debbie had the chicken Caesar salad.

Back to our room again to relax.  We had our afternoon glass of wine.  They came around for the dinner reservation.  Because of when we are getting to LA they only had early dinner times.  We made a 5:15 pm time.  




I think that this is fog not smoke.

Trying to get a good picture


Dinner time

Tempura shrimp for me.  Debbie had the salad, chicken breast, and chocolate cake.

Pasta Primavera was not great.

Cheesecake again.


We finally saw the ocean.  Just as it was getting dark.

We sat with a very interesting couple who go around the world teaching homeland security stuff. 

We were an hour late getting into San Luis Obispo due to work being done on the tracks near Paso Robles.  After that we were slowly making up time. We ended out only being about 10 minutes late to the Burbank airport stop.  It was the second to the last stop for this train.

Jamie and Pam met us and took us to the Embassy Suites.  We checked in to room 506 about 9:45 pm.  The train was fun but it did seem like a long day.  Neither of us slept well, so hopefully tonight will be different.  

Thursday, January 23, 2025

Amtrak to Burbank - 1

 Debbie drove down to Portland on Wednesday..  We had a nice relaxing day.  On Thursday George drove Debbie and me to the Amtrak station.  We planned to take the train down and fly home on Monday..






Lounge waiting area

We boarded the train #11 to Hollywood Burbank Sttaion

Tiny restroom

Ahh.  We could relax with our new collapsible travel glasses.

Leaving Portland





Oregon City Willamette Falls





Debbie took this one.

A lott of attempts with sunset pictures. 

After Eugene the Internet will be nonexistent until we get down to California.  So I will send this blog entry from Eugene.  

 



So here we are in Eugene.  I will publish this now. 

We may be in Eugene for a little while. Someone threw up in the cafe car.  They sent the fire truck and crew to clean it all up.  We are waiting. They took the person away in an ambulance. Maybe too much personal alcohol. 

Well we are on our way. 




Enough sunset pictures!!