A Nigel update…
Nigel had a doctor’s appointment this morning, and the x-rays revealed his implant has moved a few millimeters. They are concerned about that so he’s to only put 25% of his weight on the leg he’d been told to put his entire weight on for these last two weeks. They wouldn’t let him leave with his walker. They wheeled him out in a wheelchair. So, off we went to buy a wheelchair. Nigel is getting around quite well with it. We practiced transitioning from the chair to the toilet and back as well as on to the bed and back and onto the shower chair and back. My kids are being absolutely amazing! They have worked it out so he won’t be alone at all (or scarcely at all) during the entire time. That, of course, makes me feel guilty and teary. So, prayers, positive vibes, whatever good things you can send his way will be greatly appreciated!
Global writing challenge…
Last year, I joined the wonderful women from Is This Mutton, MK’s Adventures in Style, Deb’s World, Grownup Glamour, and Frugal Fashion Shopper for a global writing challenge. Later, Suzy from The Grey Brunette, Sue from Living Well after 50, Leslie from Once Upon a Time Happily Ever After, and I joined in on the fun permanently! MK chose this month’s theme. This is one of my favorite posts to write and to read! On top of the wonderfully different opinions and thoughts, the writing itself is wonderful! I hope you’ll visit all of these blogs because you are going to be amazed at, not only the diversity of the ideas, but the stories of each person. There’s also a link party at the end of this post!
If you want to participate…
I borrowed this listing from Deb as she’d already done the work (thanks, Debbie)! If you’d like to join in, we post on the third Thursday of the month. You can link up with me or with Gail, Sue, or Debbie.
- September: Favourite Things (Jill)
- October: Schooldays (Penny)
- November: Confidence (Gail)
- December: My Year in Review (Sue)
Here we go…
Before I start, this will be my last post until September as I’m off across the pond on Thursday! I’ll be visiting Ireland and Scotland and will be waving at all my UK pals whilst there! There seems to be a difference in holidays and vacations around the world. In the UK and Australia, holidays are both vacations as well as the special days commemorating certain events. In the UK, they don’t use the word vacation at all. Here in the US, holidays are special days set aside to commemorate something. Vacations are when we go on trips and such. So, that means this prompt is, once again, very open to interpretation. Hmmm…which way shall I go?
A little memory…
Over the years, Nigel and I have taken many wonderful vacations. For our 25th wedding anniversary, we spent ten glorious days in London. We walked all over because we were too naïve to use the Tube! We even made it out to Abbey Road. We got lost trying to get to Buckingham Palace only to discover it was just across the park! I have developed a lifelong love of real English scones and clotted cream!
Still more…
My favorite vacation, however, started with a random comment from Nigel. He asked if I’d ever considered traveling by train. I went down a few rabbit holes searching out trips on Amtrak. We’d traveled by Amtrak from Nappanee, Indiana to Chicago. And, one other time, we took the train to Washington, DC. At the time, we traveled in coach class, not realizing there were other ways to travel on the train.!
Jumping in…
After lots of googling and watching YouTube, we found Amtrak Vacations. This entity is a part of but also separate from Amtrak, if that makes sense. Amtrak Vacations is a package deal while Amtrak is just the train. At the time, we didn’t really understand the difference between the two. Now, we do, and I’ll explain that a bit later.
While many people might just dip their toes into the water, we dove headfirst into the deep end. By that, I mean we could have taken a short trip to New Orleans or even San Antonio. But, we decided to go with a multi-day, multi-city, multi-train trip. Come along with Nigel and me!
Where to start…
I was going to write about each leg of the journey, but you’d be bored (nothing worse than looking at someone’s old photo albums, right) so I thought I’d tell you about what it’s like to ride Amtrak. I’ll give you a little glimpse into the joys of this way of moving about the United States as well as share some photos of our amazing trip.
We drove to Chicago because it was less of a hassle than taking the train from Indianapolis. I’ve observed, over the years, train stations are not necessarily in the best parts of town. And, that is the case with Indianapolis. There’s also not a lot of parking. The train, itself, left at a strange hour so we didn’t want to ask any of the kids to drop us off. Plus I got to spend a night in Chicago, one of my favorite places.
Choices…
We chose to travel in a roomette, one of the different types of private rooms offered by Amtrak. There are roomettes and bedrooms. You can read about the different types of bedrooms here. Nigel and I were able to sit in the family room on our first leg of the journey when the family using it left. That was one weird thing I noticed: Bedding wasn’t changed during the trip. So, a room (of any kind) may be booked for only a small portion of the trip, but the room wasn’t cleaned until we reached the end of the line. I was grossed out by the idea of having the toilet in the shower and in the room so I quickly decided a bedroom was not for us.
A roomette, though, is cozy, and once you get the hang of getting into the bunk bed, quite a wonderful ride! It measures around six and a half feet long and three and a half feet wide. So, no rumba dancing here! The seats face each other and fold down to form a bed at night. The bunk drops down from the top of the ceiling. There is very limited storage space although there was ample space for our luggage in the car’s luggage compartment. Each car has a full-time car attendant. I don’t know when those people slept because they seemed to be always available.
Eating…
One perk to a bedroom of any kind is all of your meals are included. I haven’t taken any trips on the East Coast so I can’t speak to those meals (though I’ve heard they’re not great). But, the meals we had on each train we were on were delicious and prepared to order. The only problem might be if you were part of the last setting toward the end of the trip, they may be running out of your favorite dessert! Breakfast seatings were come when you want during breakfast hours. Lunch and dinner were reserved times. We never had any problems getting a time.
That leads me to one of my favorite things about traveling Amtrak. When you’re seated in the café car, you are, on purpose, seated by your traveling companion at a table for four. That way, another couple (or singleton or two singletons) are seated across from you. I know some people really didn’t like that “enforced” camaraderie, but I loved it. We met some of the most interesting people. We met couples from all over the country plus some from the UK and one from Australia! We had some really interesting conversations with almost everyone. Sure, at first, it was awkward, but there is a bit of bonding that takes place when you’re eating together.
If you prefer, there is also a “bistro” available. The food, there, is not included as part of your ticket. One thing to note is you can eat in the café car (if there’s room) if you’re not in a bedroom or roomette, but the prices are a little on the high side. Tipping is greatly appreciated. I made sure to tip well so we would get the same server over and over. To be fair, I think the service would have been just as good had we not been big tippers. I saw some people only leave a dollar for a $40 steak, and they were treated just as well as Nigel and I were.
What to do…
Let’s go back to the roomette for a bit, shall we? Neither Nigel nor I are tall people so we had no problems sitting face to face in the seats. There is also a fold down table with an embossed checkers/chess board on it. Unfortunately, there weren’t any pieces you’d need to play those games. We took cards and played gin rummy. We had also downloaded some tv shows and movies and watched those at night when we couldn’t see anything outside our window. Heavy curtains are at the window and the doors. You can lock the roomette from the inside but not the outside. One of the things we took along was a small power strip so we could charge our phones and iPads at the same time. I think that was truly the only extra thing we needed because bottled water was available all the time. We could also ask for an extra can of Diet Coke at meals. We usually took those back to our room. We had taken a two liter of Diet Coke with us, but that just became a pain because we didn’t need it.
Sleeping…
During dinner service, the car attendants usually prepare your room for nighttime. But, as we were on the first train, the Empire Builder, for two or three nights, our attendant knew we would do it ourselves when we were ready to turn in for the night. Since we were in a roomette, we didn’t have a shower in the room (remember, toilet in shower situation). There were several showers available on each car for those in bedrooms. I never used one because they were small, and I can’t stand the feel of shower curtains against my legs. Nigel did a couple of times and said they worked quite well. One thing I would recommend is to take a pair of flip flops or shoes that are easy on and easy off for traveling back and forth to the bathroom.
So, let’s talk that bunk bed. I quickly learned you don’t go in head first and expect to sit up. I got stuck with my upper torso on the bunk and my behind and legs flailing around behind me. There’s a small step you use to hoist yourself up. Nigel had to guide my foot back onto that step so I could ease down. You have to kinda slither into the bunk and then situate yourself. There is a netting pouch where I put my glasses and iPad once I decided to go to sleep. There is also a large netting thingamajig that gets buckled into place to keep you from rolling out of the bunk. I had plenty of room to roll over and even sleep on my side. There is something lulling about the clacks of the train rolling over the tracks and the sound of the whistles at intersections as well as the slight sway as the train goes along. I never had any problems sleeping.
Our trains…
We rode the Empire Builder to Seattle. Unfortunately, it was dark when we crossed the Rocky Mountains so I couldn’t see anything. We were in Seattle for a couple of days, and I loved it! From Seattle, we traveled down the West Coast on the Coast Starlight. The accommodations were the same though I think our room may have been on the upper level of the train. Nigel liked being on the top while I preferred the bottom. We spent an evening and most of a day in Los Angeles. We took the Sunset Limited from LA to New Orleans. We spent a couple of days there before setting off for Chicago on…you guessed it…the City of New Orleans!
Vacations vs. Amtrak…
I was so naïve when we took this trip. I thought everyone on the trip was doing the same thing we were! I didn’t realize many were traveling from Point A to Point B. They were traveling on an Amtrak ticket. That leads me to the difference between Amtrak Vacations and Amtrak. You’re riding on the exact same train. If you’re taking a Vacation, you’re going to stay in a bedroom with its perks.
Your hotels will also be booked as will several different experiences on a Vacation. For example, in Seattle, we stayed at a Hilton House right at the foot of the Space Needle. Included was entrance to the Space Needle, the Chihuly Garden and Glass, and the MoPop (Museum of Pop Culture). What is not included in any of the Vacations is transportation from the train station to your hotel. We used Uber and soon learned to be at a specific point for pick up. In Los Angeles, we stayed at some hotel which was really nice, but it was late. That night I had problems with vertigo…I don’t think I had my land legs even though I’d had no problems in Seattle. A double decker bus ride around LA was part of our package. We weren’t there for very long. I’m pretty sure that was the only “experience” we had there. In New Orleans, we had a bus tour as well as a cemetery tour. We stayed at a very nice hotel just off Bourbon Street.
My advice…
A year or so later, we decided to go to San Antonio and New Orleans. That time, I booked everything separately and saved lots and lots of money. Our next trip was to the Grand Canyon, and, once again, we used Amtrak Vacations because they took care of everything…from transportation from Flagstaff to Williams and the train to the Grand Canyon and the reverse. We also had a bus tour of the Canyon. Which do I recommend? I think it depends on what you’re doing. I would probably only use Amtrak Vacations for another trip to the Grand Canyon and book any other trips myself. If you like everything all tied up in a neat bundle, Amtrak Vacations is for you! If you enjoy researching and making your own decisions, just book the train and the hotels yourself. You can decide when you get to your destination what kinds of experiences you want to have. You’ll also save lots of money which is a good thing, right?
Wrap it up, Marsha!
I cannot wait to take another train trip. We had planned to take more, and then, you know what happened. Obviously, I haven’t been on a train since 2019 when we went to the Grand Canyon. I’m not sure how much Covid has impacted what we experienced. Our youngest son road the Empire Builder last year and said seating in the cafe car was back to normal. He also said they didn’t seem to be enforcing the “sitting with others” as much. He went to Portland again and reserved a bedroom. He said the larger bed was nicer, but you could hear everything, and I mean everything that was happening in the bedroom next to his. Well, after finishing this post, I realized, as I was tagging things, I’ve already written almost the exact same post for another Global Writing Challenge. You can read a more in depth post about this particular trip here. So, can we talk? Have you taken an extended trip on a train? Have you ever used Amtrak Vacations? Would you consider doing so after reading this? Please leave me a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise to respond as soon as possible.
Thank you!
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Where you can find me:
Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style, Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez Mireile, The Grey Brunette, and Away from the Blue as well as Deb’s World and A Fresh Cup of Coffee. I also link up with This Blonde’s Shopping Bag, Doused in Pink, I do deClaire, Mummabstylish, Style Splash and Elegantly Dressed and Stylish as well as the Senior Salon Pit Stop (Esme’s Salon) and Slices of Life. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month. I co-host Traffic Jam Weekend every Thursday with Melynda, Lisa, and Sue. I also host Final Fridays on the last Friday of the month as well as 10 on the 10th on the 10th of the month! I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties!
What others are saying…
Suzy “Suzy reflects on her lifelong love of holidays, from rainy caravan trips in Cleethorpes to adventurous travels around the world, and shares her dreams of future destinations.” Find her over at www.suzyturner.com.
Mary Katherine “chose this month’s topic, as travel is just about her favorite thing. She reminisces about a couple of memorable trips from the distant past this month at https://mksadventure.com/.”
Gail from Is This Mutton “always kept a journal of her holidays as a child and shares some excerpts, including what the wallpaper looked like at a 1970s Bournemouth hotel.
Debbie “wonders if life is one big holiday after retirement. Her blog’s tagline is ‘Midlife – travel, fun adventure’ so holidays are an important part of her life. She reminisces on some fabulous holidays over the years.”
Jill from Grown Up Glamour says, “I am exploring the difference between travelling and holidays.”
Penny “Penny has looked back at her Tell us About Travel and sees she promised a Part 2. Well, here it is. And she thinks there might be a Part 3 in there somewhere! Click on this link to read all about it https://frugalfashionshopper.co.uk/
Leslie writes, “For this month’s prompt ‘vacations and holidays’ Leslie has chosen to write about the consequences of a particular trip home to Tennessee in 1997. You can read the details on her blog.”
And, now, it’s your turn!
If you’d like to link up your Personal Style posts, you may link up here, at Gail’s, Sue’s, or Debbie’s blogs!
I was under the impression that you were going both to Ireland and Scotland? Are you traveling alone? Was that the intention? I love the idea that you are so nearby, even more so next week af we are in England then. I hope you will have a amazing time Marsha! We would love to travel by train, Orient Express kind a thing in my head,lol.
I am back, Nancy! I did go to Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland and went with a now very good friend. We really didn’t know each other very well and had never traveled together. We got on so well…it was amazing. Oh, the Orient Express would be quite lovely…if you go, take lots of photos!
Thanks, Nancy!
Thank you Marsha. I’ve never been on an Amtrak train. Year ago when I was in Australia we took an overnight train from Sydney to Melbourne, but I was disappointed that I didn’t see anything as it was dark for most of the trip. We only sat in normal train seats too, so not much sleep was had either.. Still it was different to flying.
Enjoy your trip to Ireland and Scotland.
This was such an interesting post. Not only did I find this an interesting take on a vacation, I really would love to do this one day. I do like to research my own things to explore, and accommodations, but traveling via train is such a cool experience and I feel that in itself is a great vacation and what I always kind of look for in a vacation. I also like that you got seated at meals with another couple or people, as I too like to meet new people. Sometimes you really hit it off and learn so much from sharing stories with complete strangers. Hope Niegl is on the mend and has a speedy recovery.
bosbodaciousblog@blogspot.ca
Thanks, Bo! I highly recommend booking your trip separately unless you’re going to the Grand Canyon or Crater Lake. Then, they take care of all the transfers, and it’s just easier. But, it’s less money if you do it yourself, and you don’t have to abide by their schedule. That’s the way we’ve done most of them. Oh, the mealtimes were probably one of my favorite things because you did meet such different people. We only met one person who was rather standoffish. We talked about such diverse things with the people we met. Thanks for the good wishes for Mike!
Thanks, Rosie! I’m back and had a wonderful time though I missed Nigel terribly. I was disappointed when night feel as we went through the Rocky Mountains. I was really looking forward to that.
I hope you have the best time on our trip and that Nigel’s hip is doing much better by the time you get back. I have never traveled by train further than just a short hour or so trip.
Thanks, Joanne! It seems to be healing well. I’m hoping we get the all clear soon for the left hip so he finally can walk on his own. I know that probably won’t be until after the new year, but we’re getting there. I can see why you wouldn’t necessarily ride the train as you’re relatively close to so much.
First of all, many good wishes to Nigel. Will he have another operation to rectify this? Fingers crossed and sending healing light across the pond to him.
And oh my word, your blog brought back so many memories of our trip on the Silver Service from Florida to Philly. But first your trips on the train sound just as good as ours, because what a great adventure it is – and what’s more you met so many people you could talk to. So unlike a plane.
We got on at Palm Springs but we never slept over night as we got off at Charleston and absolutely loved that beautiful city. Then after two days got on the train again and went to Washington – got off it and spent two days exploring that great city. And then back again to friends in Philadelphia. What a way to travel – I felt I really got the idea of America and above all its size. You just don’t get that close attention to the environment either on a plane. This was in 1999 so it was some time ago but I have never ever forgotten it. it was an amazing experience travelling on Amtrak
What a great theme this was!
Thanks, Penny. I’m hoping he doesn’t need another surgery on that leg. Our primary care physician has called him twice and talked with him/us for almost an hour. He has reassured Mike it’s not unusual for a small movement of the implant. Thank you for the healing thoughts.
You picked some of the best cities, Penny! My oldest granddaughter was born in Charleston. It is such a beautiful place. We have traveled by train to Washington, DC, too. We were in coach then. I think that’s the only place we’ve been on the train because the eastern portion of the states is so much easier driven for us. But, the western portion is another matter!
I greatly enjoyed your post Marsha! We have often wondered about traveling by train; it looks so romantic in the old movies we watch. I’m not sure when it will happen, but sometime in the future, I guess. Thank you for clarifying things and sharing your experiences.
I loved the pictures you selected, they would all be things I am interested in…(“ Live long and prosper” Ha ha).
Hope you have a lovely time on your solo adventure, and hope Nigel is back in action so he can join you on your next one!
Thanks, Em! I’m hoping we can take a train trip or two next year. I had a wonderful time on my trip, but it was so weird not having Mike there to talk about things with. My traveling companion and I had a fantastic time and learned so much about each other. Would you believe we’d never traveled together and really didn’t even know each other very well?
Oh, yes, you definitely need to go to Seattle! It is such a cool place anyway, and the MoPop is amazing! I loved the Chihuly gardens best, but it was so neat to see all that Star Trek memorabilia because I just might have seen all those episodes the first go round (not that I’m old enough, that is)! I would not necessarily use Amtrak Vacations for that. I’d just book the room you wanted and then the hotels separately.
I’ve traveled overnights on Amtrak too – but the cheap, sleep in your seats coach method. I think it took 2.5 days from Providence, RI to Portland, OR? Then down the coast to LA, then back to Prov (and I don’t remember any of that part, though I do have photographic evidence). This was in the ’80s. Mostly I remember the line that would form before the dining car opened.
A much more memorable train ride was an overnight from Mexico City to Morelia, Michoacán. OMG. We called it the Elvis train, due to the rockin’ and rollin’. Though we got a sleeper, not much sleep was had!
Wishing you a wonderful time on your vacation!
Hahaha, Anne! Thanks for the chuckle! I may be a bit old for an Elvis train at this point, but never say never, right? Oh, my butt would be so tired! But, I’m sure you were up walking around and sketching and chatting. Yeah, I do hate that you have to stand in line for the dining car…that’s a bit tiresome.
Thanks, Anne!
We’ve never taken a train vacation — sounds like fun. I wondered if I would get motion sick on a train.
Hmm…I don’t know about motion sickness. I don’t have that problem. There is definitely a bit of rocking but nothing big. I mean, I never had anything roll around, like a soda can or even see a coat rock. But, it is something to consider.
Thanks, Lisa!
I’m so glad to hear Nigel is adjusting well to the new wheelchair, and it’s heartwarming to know your kids are rallying around to help. Sending positive vibes and strength your way!
Thank you so much, Doris! He was so well taken care of…I think he really enjoyed having them all here to himself! He’s also become quite expert at transferring from place to place with the wheelchair. I’m just hoping we can soon put it upstairs with all the other ortho equipment we’ve gathered along the years!
Hi, Marsha – Sending Nigel healing energy for perfect health and mobility! I hope the two of you can enjoy many more vacations together. I can’t imagine being able to sleep through all that noise of the train but I never tried it. Nevertheless, I’d like to dip our toes into a short train trip so that my husband and I could try it out. Because you made it sound so interesting. Also, thanks for the link up! – Angie, http://www.yourtrueselfblog.com
Thank you so much, Angie! He is getting there. There wasn’t really that much noise on the train. The coach seats were separated from the sleeping cars by the cafe so there weren’t lots of people traipsing through the train. I found the clickety clack to be quite soothing, and the train whistles soon just disappeared from your notice. I think you’d like it. Perhaps you should try a short trip unlike us!
I remember reading your other post about train trips and thoroughly enjoyed them both, Marsha! I’d love to do some train trips across the States but we do enjoy driving though, so perhaps a shorter trip one day?
I’m so looking forward to hearing all about your trip to Ireland and Scotland!
Big hugs
Suzy xx
Thanks, Suzy! You could definitely do Chicago to New Orleans just for the experience. Driving is so nice because you have your own schedule, right? I will have several posts about my trip soon!
I remember you talking some about the train trips a while back , but this was still very interesting. You shared different aspects of the trip. I have never taken a trip like that on a train, but we have used trains to go from point A to point B in Europe.
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
I’m glad you liked it, Mireille! I kept thinking I’d written about it before. Then, after completing it, I saw I’d actually written about it for a different Global Challenge. It was a bit different so I stuck with it! I think you and your husband would love it after your boys are grown. I’m not sure how much fun it would be for kids after a while.
Thanks for coming by!
I’m sure sorry Nigel has to use the wheelchair, keeping you both in my prayers.
I know you are on your grand adventure right now and I am so excited for you! Cannot wait to hear all about it.
As for the train trips – I may need to look into this more closely. We really want to go to the Grand Canyon, this may be the way!
Thanks for sharing all the deets!
xo,
Kellyann
Thanks, Kellyann. He has become a bit of an expert…at scraping his knuckles against the wall! He is getting better, though! We see the surgeon next week…fingers crossed everything is healing well.
I will have lots of posts about my trip as it’s hard for Mike to take photos right now, and I just can’t seem to get the hang of the tripod! I’ll keep practicing, though.
Oh, go to the Grand Canyon! The only thing is you have to get up at the crack of dawn to get on the train. But, they take care of all the transfers (you arrive in Falstaff and travel by shuttle to Williams). It is magnificent. I would definitely stay at El Tovar if possible while in the canyon. You really wouldn’t regret this one. Oh, I forgot to mention…this would be an Amtrak Vacation which is the way I would go to the Grand Canyon. Other places, I would just book the hotel and train separately.
a train vacation would be so cool – it is on my list of to dos!!
– shy – https://www.shyyshianne.com/post/fall-fashion-trends-that-will-dominate-fall
Oh, do it soon, Shianne! You won’t regret it! It’s just a beautiful way to see the world!
Thanks for coming by!
Fabulous post Marsha! I’ve not done any long train trips but they sound fun. There are a couple of long train trips here in Aus which sound good seeing lots of different scenery along the way. Have a ball on your trip and wishing Nigel all the best too. Another great Tell UsAbout prompt.
Thanks, Debbie! I love riding by train because you see such beautiful scenery…well, you also see the same scenery for a long time, too! I met a lovely Australian lady on my trip. She had traveled to Iceland first for several days before coming to Ireland…on her own at age 73! She was from Melbourne, and of course, I had to tell her about my fabulous friends from Australia!
Hi Marsha!
As a family we used to go by train to Disneyworld and other places. I am set to go on this luxury train in England next year! I am excited to hear about your trip to Ireland and Scotland, as we are planning to go there next Spring ( and England). Love reading about your England adventure.
I am getting excited for our Spain and Portugal trip in October. I know, holiday and vacation, depending on who you speak too! Its wonderful that you are traveling. Prayers to your hubby and getting around. 🙂
jess xx
http://www.elegantlydressedandstylish.com
Thanks, Jess! He is getting better, I think. His incision is all healed, but I don’t know about the inside! Oh, your luxury train ride does sound fabulous! I love England and traveling by train there. I will have several posts about Ireland and Scotland coming up. I didn’t know you were going to Spain and Portugal in October…how exciting! They are on my bucket list, but I’m not sure if I will ever do it as I had forgotten how much I dislike flying.
Oh, I am so grateful for this post. I rode Amtrak from Oklahoma City to Ft. Worth and LOVED every moment. I was in pig heaven. Looking out the windows, reading, snacking, dozing – repeat. And it was a quick trip. Delightful. Need to think about maybe a trip to New Orleans via Amtrak or to Colorado, maybe Colorado Springs? Thank you so much for the information, photos, recommendations. I am pinning the heck out of this post so I can find it again later.
Hope you are just having the best time on your trip. Also hope you are able to Facetime with Nigel now and then to see that he is being lovingly cared for by your great children and is doing well. Cannot believe the doctors went from having him put 100% weight on his leg to 25%!! Good grief. The metal in my neck shifted and required a second surgery. Hope they have been able to stop the shifting in Nigel’s leg and he won’t require anything else there.
Be safe. Live it up, you deserve it!!
Thanks, Leslie! I cannot recommend Amtrak enough although I’ve heard the East Coast trains aren’t quite as good. But, then those trains are generally a shorter distance. I think you’d love New Orleans. We went in April and November. I’d recommend November though it did get quite chilly when that cold front blew through. And, I wouldn’t do Amtrak Vacations, either. Just go with regular Amtrak. Sign up for their emails. Every once in a while, they run a BOGO. I can’t wait to go again.
I had a good time, but it’s always nice to be home. We facetimed a little bit, but the time difference made it a little difficult. I think he’s doing well, but he’s a little down as he was building up the strength in his right leg and has lost some of it. He sees the surgeon next week. I’m hoping for a positive appointment with a possible appointment for the left hip. I am scared it will be a second surgery for the right one, though. It’s still very swollen and hard, but that may be the way things are.
Thank you for the education on The Amtrak vacations! I went on an epic Amtrak trip at age 12 with my fam from Chicago to Seattle.
I am so excited for your trip – I can’t wait to hear about it! Nigel will be well taken care of and I am so glad you get to go!
Thanks, Amy! It was a whirlwind of a trip, but I loved it. Look for several posts in the future. Did you ride the Empire Builder? That’s the one we took, and I loved it. Seattle is such a cool place! If I were to do it now, I probably wouldn’t use Amtrak Vacations except for the Grand Canyon or Crater Lake. You can do your own booking of roomettes and hotels and save money. You don’t get the excursions, but then you also get to choose rather than have them chosen for you. Mike was very well taken care of…I think he was really touched by how well the kids took care of him (even though it may have been a little hard for his ego at first).
I really enjoyed reading about your trip(s). I actually didn’t know you could book a whole trip by train still so this was an eye-opener for me. I think I’d probably take a train over an airplane but that’s because I’m afraid of everything. I learned so much from this post about how to do it and how not to do it. I loved seeing you and Nigel posing for selfies and just having fun.
I’ll keep praying for his hip and it all gets figured out so he can go on future trips with you!
Thanks, Lisa! When we encountered any turbulence (which was very little), I just kept telling myself, “We’re just going over the intersection on the train now.” I love train trips because you see so much of the country as well as meeting really neat people. Mike generally doesn’t like his photo taken, but he will pose for the selfies when we’re traveling. As you can tell, we aren’t very good at it! Thank you so much for the prayers.
Love that you take these cool train trips! My mom and stepfather are taking one to Lake Tahoe this October for the first time for her 80th. Saying prayers for Nigel and enjoy your trip! I can’t wait to hear about it!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thanks, Kathrine! I love riding the train. You meet interesting people, see wonderful scenery, and don’t have to do the driving! I hope your mom and stepfather have a wonderful time. October should be perfect! Thank you for the prayers. They mean a lot.
Your Amtrak vacation sounds heavenly. I love travelling by train. Over here, we have a few sleeper trains, which have “couchettes” to sleep in. They usually travel only to 1 place and you have dinner in the buffet car, sleep through the night and then leave after breakfast. It makes perfect sense, with the US being so big, that you would be able to vacay in roomettes on long distance trains. Hope you are having a wonderful time in the UK!
Thanks, Gail! Our trips have been wonderful. They are restful as well as informative and fun…all the good things. Your sleeper trains sound like wonderful options for a day away. I had a marvelous time in the UK and Ireland. There will be lots of posts and photos!
Wishing Nigel a speedy recovery! These things happen, and it’s good they’re taking precautions. Maybe a staycation this year, followed by a dream trip next year! Sending good vibes! playschool in greater noida | primary school in Greater Noida
Thanks so much, Radha! I am hopeful we are now on the right track and will soon put this behind us. A dream trip next year would be lovely!
Great pictures..train trips are always cool..good to see you guys having so much fun 🙂
Rampdiary
Thank you, Jyoti! We both loved the train and hope to go again…maybe next year!
I’ve only taken the Amtrack to St Louis to visit my daughter. I had no idea they had a vacation division that booked everything for you. That’s pretty cool! It sounds like you’ve had some amazing trips by train. I hope you are having a fabulous trip in Scotland and Ireland and Nigel is doing better!
Jill – Doused in Pink
Thanks, Jill! We’ve had a slight hiccup with Nigel’s recovery, but hopefully, he’ll be back on track soon. My trip was fabulous…there will be posts and photos! I honestly had no idea about the vacations aspect either. For most trips, I’d just do the Amtrak part and plan the rest of it, but the Grand Canyon experience is one I think the vacation option is the best.
It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a regular Amtrak train. I’ve been on a lovely dinner train and a Swiss overnight train. I’d love to take one to New Orleans, looks fun! Thanks for sharing, have a wonderful trip. /Madison
FASHION TALES
Oh, a dinner train sounds like lots of fun. I would love to take the Orient Express, but I think I’d need to win a lottery! I highly recommend the New Orleans trip!
Thanks, Madison!
Oh my goodness! I am just getting caught up so I just read this about Nigel. If he is still in a wheelchair ask your insurance/therapist/doctor if a transfer board would be helpful for him. I hope he is doing better.
I want to take a long train trip so bad! I think it would be really fun. I have always been a bit nervous because of the bathroom/shower situation though. Lol. I also freak out big time if a shower curtain touches my leg if I am not in my own shower. It sounds like you had a great train trip and I enjoyed all the tips!
Thank you, Erin! He actually has mastered the transfer aspects of using the wheelchair. He’s supposed to put 25% of his weight on his right foot so that’s just enough to pivot into bed or anything else. We see the surgeon next week…fingers crossed everything is good.
Shhh…don’t tell anyone, but I didn’t shower the two days we were on the train! I’d showered early the first day at the hotel and then we spent that night and a day on the train. It was OK. I also took baby wipes to freshen up. It’s nice to know I’m not the only person who hates that feeling! We had so much fun on all of our trips and look forward to the next whenever that might be.