Moving off the island was a big lift and not just because we had to move everything without motorized vehicles. I was nervous to travel while working my new job. Lucas, our travel agent, had been working furiously to book all of our modes of transport and accommodations for our winter travels. By early December, he had everything ready and laid out on a beautiful, color-coded spreadsheet. The time for planning was over; it was finally time to go.
The first phase of our western adventure (my dad really wants me to come up with a fun name for this trip, but nothing has struck me yet – sorry, Padre!), started on Friday, December 12. After a whirlwind 36 hours in Chelsea, my parents drove us to the Amtrak station in Jackson, Michigan. We boarded the 7:40 a.m. train to Chicago; this was the first of two train rides planned for the day. After some wandering, I found us a car with empty seats and WiFi. We settled in, working on our laptops as the train zoomed across Michigan.
We arrived in Chicago around lunchtime with a few hours to kill before our next train, so we ventured outside of Union Station and found a delicious lunch. After lunch, we settled in on one of the huge wooden benches at Union Station. This station is beautiful and they go all out for Christmas, with a gigantic tree in the center. It was a fun place to hang out for a few hours. I was even able to take a few work calls during our layover.
Around 3:30 p.m., an announcement was made in the lobby, time to board our train! We grabbed our bags and walked underground to the terminal. There were so many people heading all over the country but it was well organized. We boarded the Southwest Chief (every long-distance train has its own name!) and beelined for the top deck. We settled into our lovely seats while the train got underway. I gotta say, train travel is the way to go long distances! The car was so spacious, the seats were comfortable and it was nice to be able to walk around. As we left Chicago, they made an announcement about dinner reservations. Lucas and I jumped at the chance for a sit-down train dinner and signed up for the 6 p.m. seating. After a few hours of computer work through central Illinois, Lucas went to look for snacks. He quickly came back and told me to pack up my computer; he had something to show me. Lucas had found the Observation Car! Now, this is really the place you want to be. Nice tables and chairs and huge floor-to-ceiling windows to catch the scenery. We happily spent the rest of the evening working there.
Soon it was time for dinner, so we made our way to the dining car. I felt like I was walking into a 1950s movie set. The table was set with a tablecloth and we were seated with two other people. We had a lovely three-course steak dinner while we zoomed through the Midwest. After dinner, we headed back to the Observation Car. By that point, the train was in the middle of nowhere and my mobile data was nonexistent. So, we put the computers away and retired to our comfy seats in coach. I read my book while Lucas played on his switch. Who knew traveling could be so stress-free!
We approached Kansas City, Missouri, around midnight, only a few more stops before we planned to jump off. Like Chicago, Kansas City is a big switchover station, so we were stopped there for about an hour. As we left Kansas City, the Amtrak employees made multiple passes in our car reminding all of us Kansas-stoppers to stay awake, if we missed our stops we would be stuck going all the way to LA. We paid close attention and hopped off the train in Lawrence. It was 1 a.m and the station doors locked behind us. Luckily, Jeremy pulled right up as we walked out. We had a very short drive to his house and settled in for the weekend. First train ride was a success!
Why Lawrence? It is a great college town in NE Kansas where our friends, Jeremy and Katya, live. Jeremy and Lucas have been friends since middle school and we have known Katya since college. We hadn’t all been together in years. They moved to Kansas from California around the same time we moved aboard Alaya, so visiting each other had gotten complicated. Luckily, Amtrak had a station near their house and we jumped at the opportunity to visit.
We spent the weekend catching up and learning all about their new lives in Kansas. It was a very chilly weekend, but as the midwesterners we are, we all made the best of it. Katya showed us around the University of Kansas campus, where she is a professor, including her office building and the basketball arena. We discovered a great memorial honoring Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of basketball and founder of the University of Kansas Basketball Program. Back in the 1930s, my Grandpa Bud was on the state championship basketball team for his high school. As a reward, the team got to meet Dr. Naismith and there is an amazing photo of my grandpa next to him. This had been part of my family lore forever, so I had to take a picture with Dr. Naismith.
After an afternoon spent at the Christmas farmers market, we hit the town for dinner and tried our hand at an escape room. We got placed in one of their newer rooms, with a Cold War theme, and beat the room’s record for the week – take that USSR! The next day, we did some laundry and then Jeremy and Katya took us to their favorite brunch spot. And just like that, it was time for our next travel leg – flying to San Diego.
Thank you to Jeremy and Katya for hosting us in your lovely home!
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Loved the update. Love you both!
The adventuring continues!! ❤️❤️
So glad that you guys loved the train! I cannot wait to travel by train again! And the escape room – super fun! Good for you for doing so well 👏 What an amazing trip! Have fun you 2!