Heading for Indianapolis.
This morning was spent attending to last-minute things around here and packing for my trip to the annual Fall meeting of NARP, the National Association of Railroad Passengers. The meetings will begin next Friday in Indianapolis. This afternoon I’m flying to the West Coast and tomorrow will be aboard the Coast Starlight for the overnight ride to Seattle. From there, I’m catching the Empire Builder to Chicago, then the Cardinal to Indianapolis.
A couple of posts ago I mentioned my “rule” about adopting a routine for travel and not deviating from it. I must confess that I broke that rule on my trip this past August and, while nothing went wrong and there were no mishaps, it just seemed as though things were slightly off-kilter the whole time.
It was a shorter trip than usual—to Chicago for a two-day retreat of the NARP Board of Directors—so I figured the short trip meant I could use a smaller suitcase and wouldn’t need the carry-on tote I usually bring.
It worked out, but I was constantly having to open my suitcase to retrieve items I normally carry in the tote. That was really annoying, especially on the plane, with the suitcase in the overhead bin.
The item causing the hassle was a new set of headphones—not ear buds, real headphones. In addition to providing excellent sound quality for my downloaded music, they also have a button that cuts the noise of the jet engines about in half. Same thing on the train. I don’t know how or why it works, but it’s magic. I will never travel without them again.
I’m posting this several hours earlier than is my habit because I’m leaving the house for the airport just after lunch.
On Saturday I’ll be aboard the Coast Starlight and will see if I can post something from the Parlour Car. Maybe I’ll even include a photo of my olive-less Bloody Mary. Better yet, maybe I’ll bring my own olives!
Definitely recommend bringing your own large green olives with pimentos, as who can tolerate any cocktail not garnished correctly, or with those scroungy miniature green olives with no pimento?
Given the cutbacks in liquor kits aboard the trains, you cannot order even a pre-mixed Martini or Manhattan. Yet, on VIA First Class (“The Canadian”), the Park car attendant is also a trained bartender, equipped with a bottle of vermouth and the correct chilled glassware to serve in.
For myself, I have learned to pack non-leakage flasks made by Stanley for Crown Royal and Marker’s Mark, which are just fine without ice. For the Bloody Mary, I try to allow the LSA to provide me with the extent of ingredients they now carry (sometimes no tabasco); mix the drink myself. As the first class lounge as we knew it to be, “the club car,” is no more (save for the Pacific Parlour), I cannot believe that we have devolved into just opening a beer can in the train’s “cafe car;” ignoring the inventory to reflect established drinking trends by race, ethnic group, age, and sex.