March 19, 2023 - Train to Los Angeles

Title: March 19, 2023 - Train to Los Angeles

Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's 

Hike Info:

Type:Tourist

Description:

Today is the day!We start our 18 day trip to Washington DC. We are about as prepared as we are going to get. I have been essentially packed since last week and had repacked Thursday and Friday. So what I don't have, I probably do not need. We will see if we can obtain supplies in that city for anything we are missing. Sherri is carrying more than I am, at least, she has a couple more bags than I do.

I got up at 6:40-9:40 DC time. I have got to get used to that. I had my breakfast and then waited around. I had hoped to slip in a walk, but it is raining. So I just read and enjoy the quiet of the house. By 9:15, we put the final touches on our bags. Our actual departure time is 9:30. Steven and Korra took us to the station-glad for that as it was raining pretty good.

The train is right on time. At 9:49 we leave on our adventure. The train is pretty spacious. A mother and her two children are beside us and they are pretty well mannered. We get to Hanford and an announcement is made: we need to wait for a couple of trains to pass us by. It is about a fifteen or twenty minute wait.

But once they pass by another delay is announced: there are repairs on the tracks ahead due to water damage. Lots of flooding in the area. This delay is expected to be two hours. We go to the Corcoran station and wait. I get out and stretch for ten minutes. Sherri does the same.

After an hour and a half, there is another announcement: the train which just passed us carrying ballast is going to repair the damage. So it will be a lot longer to wait. They are sending buses up to us and work from there. Probably be at least 7:00 pm before hitting Union Station.

We get to Bakersfield around 5:30, expecting to be able to board a bus to Los Angeles. But we find a bit of disorganization there. There are also incoming passengers from other places heading north. So there is a crowd there for that as well. I think to keep confusion down, they are boarding northbound passengers first. Also they will not stop in any of the stops before Fresno. Some cries of anguish.

That mother of two was trying to get to Wasco. She is not sure how she will be getting home. A lot of sympathy there.

After the northbound buses get out, we get loaded on a direct bus to Union Station. The bus is full and we are all the way in back, three people across. But at least we are seated together. We make good time, even if the seats are not as comfortable as those on the train.

We get in close to 8:45. Rachel is there to pick us up. This is a relief. She has also picked up some French Dip sandwiches from Phillipe’s. We ate them when we got to her and Edrees’ place. It is good to be there, finally. We talked with them both until 11:45 when I started falling asleep.

Wonder if this day is a prelude to our trip? Or have we gotten all of the bad stuff out of the way in one fell swoop?We will see in the coming days.

Extra Photo's

Our engine-it is a bit upsetting to see it right there

Stuck in Corcoran