Amtrak - First Truly Solo Vacation - NYC - Bermuda - DC - October 8

Sometimes life really throws a curveball at you and you find yourself picking up the pieces and reinventing yourself.  I think that is what this trip will be about.

My husband and I booked this trip last fall.  In mid-July, after it was all fully paid for, he decided he didn't want to be married anymore after 19 years of marriage, more than 2 decades together.  I have since moved out and I expect our divorce to be final not too long after I return from this trip which has all given me a bit of whiplash.  

With very few exceptions, he had been my travel partner for most of my adult life.  And even the few trips I took alone, he was with me in spirit and through the sharing of text messages and photos.  His photos and edits can be found scattered throughout this blog until this point.  I share this to give you a bit of a backdrop to my mindset and what this trip might come to mean to me.  This trip involves Amtrak, a few nights in New York City, a cruise to Bermuda (assuming Hurricane Milton doesn't re-direct us) on the Norwegian Joy, a few nights in Washington DC, and then an Amtrak ride home.  It really is quite the adventure for my first truly solo trip.

So the night before, I turned up the music in my new apartment, pulled out my suitcase, tried on clothes that hadn't fit me in the past but I thought might fit me now, danced and sang, and had a blast getting ready for this trip.  This is my moment to embrace a single life.

The next morning, I still had a full day to work but planned to leave directly from work so I took my suitcase along with me on my walk to work.  I pass some of the same people day in and day out who are used to seeing me on a scooter so I imagine they did a double take when they saw me with luggage.

Isn't the Pink Muhly Grass beautiful?

After work, I headed to the Amtrak station where my train was projected to be about 40 minutes early.

I was assigned car 2012, room 4 which I had expected to be the bagdorm car (the last one that is half baggage storage and half roomettes) but for some reason, this train had a bit different of an arrangement of cars and so they skipped 2011 and 2012 was a standard sleeper car.  The baggage was a car all to its own without any roomettes.  It was a slight disappointment because the bagdorm cars are Viewliener II cars, the newer model.  They have a little different storage and don't have a toilet in the roomette.  Instead there is a bathroom at the end of each car.  Personally, in this small of a space, I would rather do my business elsewhere but oh well,  I walked a chunk of the train and the only public bathrooms I found were in coach.  I remember how overused those got from my last trip.  The standard sleeper cars on the Amtrak Crescent line are Viewliner Is with the toilet in the roomette.    But I got over my disappointment really quickly as the train car started to move.

There is some storage in a cubby up above but with just me here, I don't know whether I will really use it.  I have no intention of trying to maneuver my large suitcase that high up and I want my backpack more accessible.

The seat lifts up to reveal the toilet.  The top maroon part folds down as a sink.  

All meals are included in sleeper cars and dinner includes an alcoholic drink.  These are the plant based Asian Meatballs which weren't bad.  In my past experience, this line had removed the dinning cars, electing only for a snack car which made cooking elaborate meals impossible so they had switched to a flexible menu of dishes they just re-heated.  Upon walking through this train, I discovered there actually is a dinning car.  I may choose to take some of my meals there instead of in my roomette.

I haven't met my car attendant yet so I decided to tackle setting up my bed myself.  There is a lever that allows the upper bunk to slide down and then a couple straps to help you from not falling out (wish those had been in place last Amtrak trip as I was nervous with the narrow bunk).  It took a little maneuvering to get the straps in place but it all feels super solid.  

Upper bunk

Since, it's just me, I don't need to turn this lower area into a bed so can leave it set up for sitting.

Yes, my paper is blank.  I don't know what to write as my mind is jumbled all over the place right now but I'm sure something will eventually come to me that makes sense.

The train left Birmingham on time at 5:24 p.m. and is supposed to get into New York City about 24 hours later.  So I have a lot of time to read, think, write, and watch the scenery go by.  

Amtrak/NYC - First Truly Solo Vacation - NYC - Bermuda - DC - October 9

The train made progress as I slept, a bit fitfully - the sugar from the soda I don't normally drink wasn't sitting well with me but I did manage to get a decent amount of sleep.  Just before sunrise, I made my way to the dining car to be able to enjoy it from there with some breakfast.  We were stopping in Greensboro, NC around this time.

I spent the morning trying to read, blogging, and plenty of time just staring out the window.  These Amtrak blankets are so soft on one side.  It is really nice having my own room to disappear into.

They have the same menu for lunch and dinner so for lunch today I chose the Asian BBQ Glazed Salmon.  It's not bad for a microwaved meal.  I hear meals used to be really good on Amtrak before they removed the dining car from so many trains.  It is way too much food though for my appetite so I am collecting the brownies they give you for dessert for another day and I left behind most of the rice.

About 1:45 p.m. we arrived in Washington, DC.  the scenery as we entered the city took me back to my trip last year and made me excited for the days I will spend there next week.  But what I was most excited about in DC today was being able to watch them switch over the diesel engines to an electric one.  So I took advantage of the stretch break to get out and walk towards the front of the train.

Two diesel engines lead the train from it's origin in New Orleans until Washington, DC.

Goodbye Diesel!

A look back at the train yard while I waited for the electric engine

The front of the coach cars of my train next to another train that had just pulled in

Here comes the electric engine

Then it was time to get back on.  I had about 3.5 hours left until New York City.

Arriving in New York City was a culture shock to say the least.  It is a maze to get out of the train station and then when I finally did and stepped out onto the streets of New York City I stopped in my tracks at the vibe, the people, the smells, and the energy.  It was a bit overwhelming.

I first made my way to my hotel which was about half a mile away, the Hampton Inn Manhattan/Times Square South.  It is an older hotel but seems to be maintained pretty well.  It is narrow and skinny with only six rooms per floor, 32 floors high.  With how high all the other buildings are around it, I'm not sure any room has a view so if you stay here, don't worry so much about what floor you end up on.

After dropping off all my stuff, my next goal was to get to B&H before they closed.  I have bought so much camera equipment, new and used from this company online that when I saw their physical store was just blocks from my hotel, I had to go visit them.  It is quite the experience - two floors (plus I think there is a different entrance for selling your used equipment).  There are lines everywhere with numbered stations to talk to people at counters and again at the cashiers.  When I started to contemplate how much stuff is for sale on their website, I realized I should have expected no less.  I didn't stay long.  They were closing in 15 minutes and the lines looked longer than 15 minute lines and although I would have loved to shop for a couple of things I truly didn't need anything.

Then I headed back out to the streets to wander and hopefully find Times Square.  I don't know what I expected of New York City, but I was not prepared for the sheer volume of people.  They have even taken street lanes away from cars to create pedestrian lanes in some places (in addition to bike/scooter lanes) and it is still wall to wall people.  And with wall to wall people comes some significant number of people with no self-awareness who suddenly stop, slow, turn, etc. right in front of others so you are always on alert to be ready to step left or right or pause.

There are hotdog stands (and other food trucks) on every corner.

A giant button, needle and thread?

Times Square - It's not really a square, more like a triangle.

By that point, my introverted self was so beyond overwhelmed that I desperately needed the quiet of a hotel room so I started making my way back and stopped at Lincoln Gourmet Deli, half a block from my hotel to pick up some dinner.  I ordered some pasta with veggies, chicken, and marinara sauce which was really good although a huge portion (for a very affordable price).  I was able to save half for the next night.

And then it was time for bed and I slept a solid 7 hours without waking.