Planes, trains and....buses?

Yikes. Has it really been more than two weeks since we returned to Savannah on January 2, both of us sleep-deprived and hatching nasty respiratory junk (which we are both still fighting...ugh). Yes, it has. Well. Between sickness and getting ready for the new semester, which started this past week, and leaving this post on my tablet...things just got lost in the shuffle. Here's the final post I wrote on the trip, and I will write a new blog tomorrow (yes, I really will.) 

Written 30 December 2013

The year grinds to a close and we are once again boarding a train, leaving behind the Twin Cities, the Mall of America, and the midwestern branch of the family. Last night, in the frenzy of stuffing all our things back into the bags (why is it that there's MORE each time I pack? Perhaps the Mall of America and the Sportsman's Guide have something to do with this phenomenon...must investigate further)....anyway, we get an email from the helpful people of Amtrak letting us know that there are issues with our trip the next day and it might involve "alternate transportation." Hmmm. This does not bode well. Hubby gets on the phone and discovers that due to probable lateness (hah! Probable....) we might be riding a bus to Chicago. Although it has been and still is colder than hell here, I think we might have just crossed over into a circle. So we (meaning I) continue to pack.

I am a firm believer in not worrying about things I cannot impact, although for sure, my sub-conscious does not always go along. So I set the alarm for 6:15 and try to sleep. Both iphone users in the house have downloaded the Amtrak app (which lies like a rug) and it says that the train will be on time. It is -8 outside. -11 on a bank on the way. Ugh. So glad to be heading back to "winter" in Savannah. After a drive-thru breakfast, we arrive at the station, no train or buses in evidence, and find that the train is scheduled to arrive at 8:15, just a half-hour or so late. We make our way to the sleeper car lounge, which I have to say, as an aside, makes me feel like we're celebrities, whisked into a private enclave with comfy couches, coffee (free) and a tv, while the huddled masses crammed into the oh-so-comfortable bucket chair conglomerations look at us with a little bit of hate. My dad hangs for a little bit. Train now arriving at 8:45. Now 9:15. Now 9:40. Dad heads home and we hunker down to wait.

Great! No bus trip to Chicago. The connection will be tight, but we will make it. We finally board around 9:45, find our roomette, hubby pulls down the top bunk and I steal the blanket, unable to get warm today, and settle into the seat.

The tracks are cold, which is problematic. There is freight traffic too. We make s l o w progress across Minnesota, into Wisconsin (yay cheese) finally stopping for good twice. The first time we sat for maybe a half-hour while some repair was made. The second time, just minutes from the Wisconsin Dells, it's a two plus hour wait, complete with bags of snacks and lots of apologies over the PA.

We are finally on the move, but it is clear we will not make our connection (which is scheduled to leave in about 10 minutes) and this will screw up our lunch date with my brother and sister-in-law in DC,  but we will see what comes next....stay tuned.

Brrrrr. Cold, snowy day on the train.

Update:

Dateline: Chicago 31 December 2013

Each delay we've experienced, teaching us lessons in patience and equanimity, has worked out in our favor. This one is perhaps the best. We arrive into Chicago's Union Station three and a half hours after our train to DC has left and as the other option is boarding. With no guarantee of a roomette, we take our carryons over to the long line of people at passenger services, where we are provided with a voucher for $44 and a room at the Swissotel on East Wacker. After a slushy cab ride, we arrive at one of the nicest hotels I've ever stayed at, upgraded to a king sized bed, a huge bathroom, plugs galore and a view of the iconic skyline for the night. From the window by the elevators, there is a view of the Navy Pier and Lake Michigan. For a little more money, we arrange a late checkout, walk to a local restaurant, Eggy's, where we have a stellar breakfast and are able to relax before heading back out into the snow and cold.

See the pictures for our constantly changing weather....

Night time from our hotel room 30 Dec 2013

Day view, morning 31 Dec 2013

Day view, early afternoon 31 Dec 2013