Travels with Mary

Mary is headed to Orlando today for a week-long training camp for her GoPink (breast cancer survivors) dragon boat racing team. Because she works for Amtrak (and gets a good deal), she is taking the auto train, which means the train takes you and your car to Orlando.

Early today, I got a long email about everything she's worried about that could go wrong -- I know that feeling, but the next report is 1:30 and she's in the place where she and her car board the train -- that's Lorton, Virginia.


Mary captions all these photos:  This is so efficient. The auto train station is right off 95 and very well marked. You enter here, as if you're dropping your car off for service. People are very helpful, reminding you to take what you'll want on the train. They put a magnetic plate with your car number on it on the side of your car and direct you into the open, airy station. I checked in and the guy marked my ticket to be upgraded to a nicer sleeper if available, and reserved a space for me for dinner. I picked 7:00 rather than 5 or 9.  Took a walk around - there's a play area outside  - and now I'll just wait to board. I'm early nut it lowers my stress. They stop boarding at 3.

The play area. Don't know if you can see thus very well. It's very sunny outside.

Very efficient. They load the bottom cars then move the ramp up and load the top.  I'm going to find out how many cars and how many passengers they carry. They have a new offering - for $50 you can ensure your car is one of the first 20 offloaded.

Inside the station.  It's a beautiful day.

My compartment is the same size as the one I had in October, but it's on the upper level of a two level car. There's no toilet or sink in this room but there is a bathroom right across the hall. This is a Superliner. They don't have these in the Northeast Corridor because they are too tall for the tunnels. I'm looking out at the cars carrying vehicles and they are now all connected so I guess we'll hook up to them soon. The just made an announcement of complementary wine and cheese in the lounge car. Maybe I'll wander down and check it out.

 

My compartment is the same size as the one I had in October, but it's on the upper level of a two level car. There's no toilet or sink in this room but there is a bathroom right across the hall. This is a Superliner. They don't have these in the Northeast Corridor because they are too tall for the tunnels. I'm looking out at the cars carrying vehicles and they are now all connected so I guess we'll hook up to them soon. The just made an announcement of complementary wine and cheese in the lounge car. Maybe I'll wander down and check it out.

Since you love food pix {Pat adds: "guilty as charged"}, here is my wine and cheese sampler. Lots of people in the dining car but I'm not much for mingling. We're off!  The train is moving.  I probably won't send many more pictures because the auto train doesn't have WiFi yet. We just stopped by a school bus parking lot. We aren't actually supposed to leave until 4 so I'm not sure what we're doing.

The movie tonight is Skylark, a Hallmark Hall of Fame sequel to Sarah Plain and Tall. I liked that one and Christopher Walken is in it with Glenn Close but it doesn't interest me. It does seem like a nice movie for families.   Facts: The auto train is 3/4 mile long. There are 396 passengers, 103 cars, 45 vans and one motorcycle today. The maximum speed is 70 mph.   There is one area of the auto train that allows smoking but that is going away on June 1. {Pat adds: Neither Mary nor I smoke, but we both used to many years ago. Mary quit about 3 or 4 years (maybe more) before I did. Barbara would say that Mary noting this is a sign (like me) that we are ex-smokers, not non-smokers even though neither of us have smoked a cigarette in about 30 years.}



 

The movie tonight is Skylark, a Hallmark Hall of Fame sequel to Sarah Plain and Tall. I liked that one and Christopher Walken is in it with Glenn Close but it doesn't interest me. It does seem like a nice movie for families.

 

Facts: The auto train is 3/4 mile long. There are 396 passengers, 103 cars, 45 vans and one motorcycle today. The maximum speed is 70 mph.

 

There is one area of the auto train that allows smoking but that is going away on June 1. {Pat adds: Neither Mary nor I smoke, but we both used to many years ago. Mary quit about 3 or 4 years (maybe more) before I did. Barbara would say that Mary noting this is a sign (like me) that we are ex-smokers, not non-smokers even though neither of us have smoked a cigarette in about 30 years.}