◐ eClips: Training II
A guide for taking a slow solo trip across the country in coach.
We’re a sliver past last Friday’s new moon, and well into spring. A month ago, when I left Seattle for the East Coast, the city was pastel pink and dripping with early spring rain. I returned to hazy heat, and all I could see were shades of purple. Big bunches of lilacs, dangling wisteria, showy azaleas, stately irises. And lots of purple flowers whose names I don’t know yet.
On the East Coast, I expected to be drawn to plants I don’t usually get to see, but what I saw instead were plants I’m familiar with. Dandelions, of course, everywhere. The soft auburn leaves of Japanese maple. Unassuming sprigs of purple deadnettle. Bright-pink, beckoning azaleas. Spiraling sunset roses. These plant friends, in addition to my human friends, helped me feel at home in places I’d never been.
Going Slow
I traveled to the East Coast by train. All told, I traveled 6,376 miles in six trains across 17 states over the course of eight days round-trip for a total of $300. I had taken the 36-hour Coast Starlight to Los Angeles once before, which felt interminable back then. Now, piece of cake. For that first trip, I roughed it. I didn’t have a blanket, a neck pillow, or earplugs. The constant rattling of the train kept me in that liminal state between asleep and awake. I didn’t realize the wide seats reclined until I woke up the next morning and saw everyone around me looking way more comfortable than I’d felt overnight.
So for this trip, I was determined to be more prepared. I made endless lists before I left and as I traveled.
In part, I chose to travel this way because of flying’s climate impacts. But I also wanted to travel slowly, to really immerse in the scale and scenery of the countryside between the two coasts. To travel by train is to embrace slowness. From the start, the train out of Seattle was delayed by several hours. I sat in the station for a long time, waiting to … sit more, elsewhere. I’m grateful I have a job I can work from anywhere, but I had to accept that my access to Wi-Fi was going to be spotty, and that I’d have to handle tasks much slower than I’m used to. In exchange, while I waited, I could look out the window to see the snow-capped Rockies in Glacier Park looming over the tracks in Montana, the famously big skies above the plains, or spindly trees casting their reflections into floodwaters in Minnesota.
When I got to Chicago too late to catch my connection, Amtrak put me up in a fancy hotel right by the river. Even this slowness, which interrupted my plans to make it to D.C. the next day, had its own extravagance. I walked along the river, looking at architecture I hadn’t seen since I was a teenager, and then luxuriated in a lush hotel robe while trying not to splash Shake Shack ketchup on it. I slept soundly — and horizontally. The shuttle driver who picked me up the next morning to take me from the hotel to the station — along with all the others who’d missed their connections — slowly backed up the bus to reach the right road while other vehicles impatiently veered around us. “The whole world is in a hurry,” he said. “Don’t wanna give nobody a break.”
The first lesson of train travel is that you can’t be in a hurry. Many of the people who had missed their trains — except for, notably, the ones who were Amish — were angry. They had expected the train to get them to their destination in the same way a car or plane might, with at least some certainty and control. Despite the inherent slowness of train travel, they couldn’t imagine having to slow down further.
It is frustrating that Amtrak has to yield to freight trains. It is difficult to adjust your travel plans to accommodate a new timetable you have no control over. Our train system could be so much better than it is. Still, yielding control can bring relief and freedom. I benefited from thinking of the train itself as my primary destination, and the East Coast as my secondary destination. Any delays along the way were opportunities to see or do something new and beautiful.
Tips for Train Travel
Here’s how I prepared for so many days of riding the rails.
◐ Booking & Boarding: I waited until the Rail Pass was on sale and then purchased it for $200 less than the standard price. This got me across the country and back with a lot of flexibility, and I’d highly recommend it, even at full price. All that way, and I still ended the trip with three “legs” left.
Amtrak baggage requirements are generous; you’re allowed two personal items and two carry-on items. I brought a backpack, a suitcase, a purse for easy-access items, and a tote to hold all my food. I also brought simple luggage locks for the two bags that held my most-expensive items. In the end, I didn’t really feel that I needed them, but they were easy to use and offered some peace of mind.
You could show up a mere 20 minutes before departure, but I usually arrived at least an hour beforehand so I could line up early and choose the seat I wanted. I learned to sit toward the middle of the coach car so I wasn’t too close to the sliding doors between cars on either end, but not right next to the stairs on the double-deckers, which see a lot of traffic to and from the restrooms.
If you’re booking a connection, leave at least five hours between arrival and departure. I know this sounds like a lot. But if it’s a longer route, your train will likely be late.
In addition to the Amtrak app, I used RailRat for real-time updates on the schedule, which turned out to be pretty accurate.
To track mileage (just for fun), I used TrainWeb.
◐ Food & Drink: The train has a dining car with more “upscale” options and a café cart for selling food and drinks, so I’d indulge in a coffee and small breakfast each morning, but generally, the food is convenience-store quality at marked-up prices, so I ate my own fare as much as I could.
Along with my water bottle, I brought Nuun electrolyte tablets to give the train’s tap water a bit of fizz and flavor.
For food, I brought canned dolmas, ramen cups, dried fruit, nut mixes, granola bars, and fig cookies. For the first day, I had a few perishable items, but I didn’t carry a cooler, ice packs, or frozen water bottles to keep them edible long-term, so they ultimately didn’t make it very far.
You can get hot water from the café cart free of charge, so I brought Throat Coat tea, plus pain medication for any cramps or headaches. If you get motion sickness, I’d highly recommend carrying remedies to manage it. Even after I stepped off the train, I could feel my cells swaying.
I carried mints and cough drops. I had a sore throat on the ride home, so I was grateful to have lozenges.
For utensils, I used my Toaks tongs set I got for camping.
◐ Cleanliness & Comfort: If you’re in coach, your options for freshening up are a little limited.
Masks are no longer required, but I was glad to have one for moments when I was sitting near someone having a coughing fit, had to enter an overused restroom, or didn’t want to spread my sore throat to others.
I brought hand sanitizer, face wipes, a toothbrush, toothpaste, a travel-sized Dr. Bronner’s soap, deodorant, dry shampoo, a hair clip, a travel towel, and a large handkerchief. You could also bring other kinds of antibacterial wipes for surfaces or your body, depending on how wary you are of public restrooms and laying off the hygiene for a day or two.
I bundled a change of clothes and placed it at the top of my suitcase so I could change as needed.
I wore a loose cardigan I could slip off and on as the temperature fluctuated, and wool socks and slippers to shuffle from car to car.
To sleep, I used an eye mask, ear plugs, a travel pillow, and a wool blanket. The train has quiet hours, but low lights will stay on all night, people will get on and off the train at overnight station stops, and some people just don’t sleep … or snore when they do.
The air on the train dried me out, so I ended up needing a lot of lotion for my hands and face.
◐ Entertainment & Etc.: As with most modes of traveling, you’ll move in and out of service, so download any online media you want to consume before the trip to avoid interruptions. (Or, embrace the interruptions.) Every seat has an outlet, so powering up wasn’t a problem.
In addition to bringing a book and my journal, I downloaded so many songs and podcasts, but in the end, I just listened to the entire back catalog of Heavyweight.
I played Baba Is You. I really thought I’d beat this game by the time I was back, but joke’s on me. I only made it a fraction of the way through.
I brought a travel clothesline, which was a last-minute addition I wasn’t sure was necessary, but I ended up using it to secure my tote to my suitcase and to hang-dry various items.
Next Time: I’ll bring instant coffee so I don’t have to rely on the café car every time I want a pick-me-up — it’s probably about the same quality. I’ll bring cheese and apples for snacking. I’ll bring an extra pillowcase to stuff clothes into for a makeshift pillow. I’ll bring UNO or another simple card game to get going in the observation car and socialize with people more than I did on this trip. I’ll pre-charge my power banks for long waits in the stations, some of which had limited outlets. I’ll bring a hydrosol to mist my face when I’m feeling tired or dried out. And despite these extra items, I’ll pack much lighter — lugging my bags from train to station to train was a pain, and I could’ve explored even more during my delays if I’d carried a lighter load.
May your summer travels be slow and spacious. More Spotlight interviews coming soon! I’d love to hear about your train experiences and travel tips, so send me a line.