I'd love to put a picture here but still having problems with the downloading thing. We're sitting in the lounge car on the Amtrak train to Seattle (we're just going to Salinas--8 hours), drinking wine and watching the suburbs of L.A. pass by. Very fine feeling to be on this small adventure. The windows are big and the view bright and truly a southern CA thing (graffitti, palm trees, desert vistas, distant hazy mountains, warehouses, junk car lots, sunshine). The wine is $13 for small bottle (train-track robbery?) but we're on VACAY so we'll hand over the cash.
The state of Amtrak, that heavily subsidized American train system? The trains are clean and efficient (so far), the terminals borderline seedy (you just can't keep the homeless from sleeping off their lastest jag in the comfort of the fat lounge chairs--hence the stains and grit) the attendants friendly and helpful. We do love traveling by train. We've Euro-railed about the Continent, and taken the Trans-Sib across Russia and we've been curious about the American train experience.
Had a great afternoon/evening with Eli and Bailey yesterday. Walked all around the San Diego harbor and had a very fine diner out at an Italian restaurant on Coranado Island right on the harbor. Couldn't have been better. Up at 4:30 this morning to catch this train--don't like that aspect of traveling, but it's always worth it.
In a tunnel now--dark. Later.
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