In my previous post, I mentioned that I might take a joyride on Amtrak; Jazzlet asked in a comment where I might go; and I responded with a couple of ideas, a big loop to the west coast, and a quicker trip to New York City and back.
I’ve come up with some fanciful itineraries. I’ll probably do the trip to New York (way at the end of that link) first; but I’ve decided that, rather than take the Lake Shore Limited round-trip, I’ll take the Capitol Limited to D.C. eastbound and head to New York on one of the northeast trains. I’ve ridden both the Lake Shore and the Capitol numerous times, but the latter not for a decade or more; and that’ll give me a much shorter layover in Chicago.
I’ll probably book a first-class seat on one of the Acelas from D.C. to New York; but weekday fares are over the top; so I’ll want to do that on a weekend, and Sunday gives me more options if the Capitol is late and misses the connection to the train that I book (likely).
I could also take the Capitol round-trip; but the nearest hotel to Washington Union Station is a bit of a hike which might be a problem with my current mobility issues; and the New Yorker Hotel is only one block away from the Moynihan Train Hall, Amtrak’s extension to Penn Station.
The good news is that I won’t have much luggage, just a camera bag and a roll-around laptop case with room for toiletries and a change of clothes.
We’ll see…
Bill, you raise a question: what are the customer laundry facilities like in the hotels you mention? I check to see what the laundry situation is before I travel, so that I can travel light. If you never see the same people twice, it doesn’t matter that you’ve worn the same shirt twice that week (washed in between wearings). Do you check before you go?
I don’t really do anything that gets me dirty anymore; so although I sometimes get a bit wrinkled, I’m not otherwise disgusting.
When I go on longer trips, like to C++ standards committee meetings, the meeting hotel is almost certainly one that will send out laundry and dry cleaning; but you have to plan ahead because you sometimes don’t get the clothes back the next day.
I always wear a suit when traveling, principally because I like having all the pockets*; but on an overnight train, I’ll change into slacks and a sportshirt on departure from the origin, and put the suit back on before arrival at the destination. In a sleeper, there’s always a way to hang up the suit so that it airs out overnight; and there’s always a way to keep one’s body clean**.
*The pockets are yet another reason that I’m well aware that I have certain privileges having been born male. 😎
**Superliner roomettes and family rooms, and Viewliner II roomettes, don’t have any plumbing; but there are communal toilets with wash basins, and a communal shower, somewhere in the car. All bedrooms have a toilet, wash basin and shower in the room; and Viewliner I roomettes have a toilet and wash basin in the room.
Ah, thanks for settling that!
In my military days, when my husband was overseas-deployed for a year and I was CONUS-deployed with an infant and a toddler, I had a death in the extended family and took a train from Washington DC to Union Station in NYC for the funeral. Best idea ever! Much better than driving with fussy children: we could walk around and look out different windows and get a snack. The ride was only a few hours so I didn’t book a room.
When we got to Union Station, I had a backpack and a big old diaper bag and a stroller with an infant, and a toddler in tow. The elevator nearest us was broken but the escalator was working. Without a word, two strange men in business suits picked up the stroller and another took the diaper bag and we all went up the escalator together. When we reached the top, they all went on their way, without a word.
This is NYC to me. Need help? Someone will step up and help.