Searching for America – by train
Fort Mill resident R.J. Provost recently took a cross-country train trip and is sharing his experience in four installments. He is a licensed private investigator who is getting ready to retire and a U.S. Army veteran who served with the 82nd Airborne Division Military Police. For readers who may not be familiar with some aspects of his written dialect, he refers to it as “Appalachian-American.”
Part 2 of 4
A most refreshing night of sleep at the four-star Loews Hotel in Nawlins.
Breakfast at Adelaide’s in the hotel was expensive, but pretty good. Promised my niece, Katrina, that I would try a “bene.” That’s probably not spelled correctly and goodness knows I can’t pronounce it either. Not as good as I thought it would be. It is essentially fried bread with lots of powdered sugar. Uh oh: wifey caught me.
We were supposed to give up bread and dessert for Lent.
Caught the red trolley a couple blocks away for the Amtrak station. It was on Canal Street in the heart of the French Quarter. This was an exceptionally fascinating area with a blend of very old and new architecture. Really wish there was more time to sight see. I could spend a week here just watching the people. An ever changing panorama of normal and odd to downright weird.
Absolutely hassle-free check in with my e-ticket. Sleeper car is the equivalent of first class and I was privileged to wait in the Magnolia Room Lounge. Saw my fellow passengers I ate with on the Crescent.
The conductor checked our boarding passes along with a photo ID. No problem. There was a uniformed Amtrak police officer standing by as we went to the Sunset Limited. First I’ve seen so far.
This train used to run from Orlando, Fla., to Los Angeles, Calif., and may have been the only coast to coast train. Currently it originates from New Orleans.
This is a Superliner with double decker cars. There are two locomotives, a baggage car, two sleepers, a dining car, a lounge/observation car and two coach cars. We’ll pick up two more coaches at San Antonio.
I was put on the top deck and found my roomette is a little bigger, but does not have a potty and a pull down sink. The restroom is only a few doors down and showers are downstairs.
A whole gaggle of French high school students are riding coach. So young, so full of hopes and dreams even if I can’t understand a word they are saying.
Long delay at the Huey P. Long railroad bridge, the longest in America. Waited on a freight train to cross. Used to give priority to passenger service.
The observation car is the top deck of the snack/lounge car. Comfortable chairs face out. Large windows go almost floor to ceiling with a partial glass on top like a sun roof.
Saw big, snowy white birds on spindly legs. Swamps drained, cleared and turned into farmland. Rich black soil. Many acres of rice in flooded, flat fields. Louisiana is the sixth state and it seems more developed than any of the others.
Long delay in Beaumont, Texas, due to a mix up on the crew change.
Supper was Angus flat iron steak. Paired up with a 70-year-old retired carpenter from Atlanta. He’s riding coach to Tucson, Ariz. His 75-year-old brother, that he has not seen in five years, called. The brother has been prospecting and asked if the carpenter would come out and help for a month. Never too old to dream. Hope they find a bonanza, but just seeing each other is probably enough.
Somehow, contorted my large bod into several pretzel shapes and took a good, hot shower. Even if the train crashed I couldn’t fall down as there ain’t enough room to turn around. Put on my ‘jamas and will sleep well.
Tired now, bed by 10:45 pm, CST.
This story was originally published May 15, 2016 at 11:22 PM with the headline "Searching for America – by train."