We probably should have gone to a museum or something like that but we went walking and shopping and trying not to get anything to big or heavy since we would have to take it to California and back.
Click below for the rest of the story.
We’re bushed. We spent the day walking the “Miracle Mile”, and a few other places. Ate lunch at the “Billy Goat Bar and Tavern”, and witnessed a accident when a guy ran a red light. On our way back to the station we grabbed a Subway, the kind you eat, not the ones you ride. We rearranged our luggage slightly. The carry on bag was a bit overweight. I moved some of the stuff into my backpack. It’s the type you use when backpacking and camping. It’s a lot easier carrying the weight like that.
We’re in the waiting room now. Our train should be boarding in about 10 minutes. I noticed in the Great Hall when we first arrived at the station that there was a group of about 80 people with Special Olympics going to Mississippi. They’ll be on the same train we’re on. I hope Amtrak put on an extra coach for a group that large. I have nothing against Special Olympics and only a few of the group showed any signs of disability but I expect they are going to be up and running through the train all night. Putting this on hold for now, just about time to board.
Wellllllll. We’re late. First they had a mechanical problem. Then they had to add a coach. There was that group of Special Olympians, 134 of them. We’re on the road on the road now. Left Chicago at 9:11PM. Only 1 hour 11 minutes late. Oh, I forgot. They had the train in the station with the engine end at the gate. We’ve backed out of the station and we’re sitting on one leg of the wye right now. It’s the leg that goes west to Aurora. (For you non-train people, the “wye” is like a triangle with tracks off each corner. The railroad uses them to turn a train or a car.)
It’s 9:26 and we're moving again. We’ve cleared one side of the wye, probably by a half mile or more. Kind of maked me wonder if we’re going to back up to Naperville. Actually, I suspect we had to back that far so that we could switch to another track.
OK. It’s 9:35PM and I would say that we are on our way in the right direction. Just made a turn in a southerly direction. Checked with my compass and it said more like a east-south-east. We’re really burning up the rails also. Probably 20 MPH. Looks like we might be riding along the South Shore line. It’s dark out there but I think I see cantenary next to us (that’s overhead power for electric locomotives for those of you that aren’t train fans.)
Looks like this is going to be a wild trip. Got some folks in the next few seats behind us that talked through all of the announcements and just seem to have no respect for anyone in the coach. Everything seems to be funny and they have to laugh out loud.
Just passed a METRA using the centenary. Probably up to 50 or 60 MPH now.
It’s 10:00PM. See you tomorrow.
Posted by john at July 8, 2006 10:15 PM