A train trip

Kenny's parents are serving a 6 month temple mission in Palmyra, New York this summer; we wanted to visit them and see some of the sites, so we planned a trip.  I was super nervous about taking my two kiddos and all of our stuff through security and on an airplane, and I really didn't want to drive that far . . . so we decided to try riding the train.  It's funny, when we would tell people we were going to New York by train we almost always got one of these three responses: "I have always wanted to ride the train, let me know how it is!", "I feel sorry for you!", "I am so jealous, riding the train is the best!".  We didn't really know what to expect, but we were excited for the adventure.

We left on a Thursday evening and headed for Grand Junction, stayed in a motel that night, then headed to the train station where our train was supposed to leave at 10:20 AM.

Grand Junction Train Station

 The kids were super excited, especially Stetson.  He has always loved trains, and in fact has a train comforter on his bed.

Kenny - Lucy - Stetson

 So we got to the train station about an hour early, and the first thing we saw when we walked through the door was a sign that said our train would be two hours late!  So we checked our bags in and took the kids to the park to wait.

Stetson coming down the slide

 It actually turned out to be a good thing because the kids were able to get rid of some of their endless energy before we were cooped up on the train for two days.  Plus, Stetson and Lucy made friends with a cute little girl (not something I would have done at their age - they must get it from their dad).  Also, Kenny went and got yummy slushie drinks, which were nice because it was super hot!

The swings are always a favorite with my kids

 Since we didn't know what to expect, we got back to the train station pretty early and found that it was packed with people!  I had no idea this many people rode the train!  It seemed like we waited there forever, but I think it was only like an hour or so.  The biggest problem was that it was lunch time and we were all hungry, hot and tired, not to mention a little anxious (at least I was!).

Stetson and Lucy in front of the door that led to the train

 Another bonus of this trip was that my family came along too!

The Grovers, just waiting in the hall

"Is the train here yet?"

 Well, we finally got on the train at about 12:30 PM.  Jordan had gotten on the train in Provo, and said that they were two hours late picking him up because the train had broke down somewhere in California or Nevada.  The train was already pretty full, so we had a hard time finding seats together.  There were a lot of people sitting alone, and of course they didn't want to give up their seats, so we offered to put one of our kids by them so they could take care of them - no one took the offer!  I think the train attendant felt sorry for us, as he gave up his seat and made one other person move so that at least Kenny and I and our kids could be together.  We weren't by my family, but at that point I was just grateful to have a seat next to my kids!  The train is set up similar to an airplane, with two seats on each side of an isle.  The seats are wider with more space between them, and they lean back pretty far with a foot rest that comes up, so it is actually pretty comfortable.

Kenny, leanin' back enjoying the scenery - which was beautiful!

 There was an outlet for each seat, so we could plug in DVD players, laptops, phones, or whatever (definitely a bonus!).  We brought Lucy's seat, which turned out to be a good thing because we could strap her in when we needed to, and since she is used to it she slept really well in it.  The kids enjoyed watching movies and eating snacks.  

It doesn't get any better than this!

 Lucy got sick that first day, and I wasn't feeling too hot myself, so the first day seemed long.  Plus, there are speed restrictions on the train when the tracks get too hot, and the tracks were hot so we spent a lot of time traveling 10 mph.  By the time we got to Denver, we were 3 hours behind schedule!  The kids actually slept really well, and I didn't do too bad, but Kenny couldn't sleep at all!  I think he just watched movies all night.  We were all pretty wiped out that next day, but at least Lucy and I started feeling better, so that was good.  It was a good thing we had a six hour layover in Chicago, because we were 4 hours behind by the time we got there!  We had just enough time to grab something to eat and get on the next train.

The kids were anxious to get Chicago

 At this point I realized that I had packed WAY too much stuff for carry-on luggage.  Each person is allowed two carry-ons, which is great if they can carry them!  It doesn't work so well when you have two small children that can't carry their own stuff, and often have to be carried themselves.  Plus, they each had a carseat and we had a cooler full of snacks and drinks.  Good thing my big strong brothers were there to help us out - I don't think Kenny and I could have done it on our own!  It was late when we got on the train in Chicago, and we all went right to sleep - even Kenny (he must have been tired enough by then!).

Lucy's car seat lays back, so she slept quite comfortably in there

We just laid the seat back and put the footrest up and it made a perfect bed for Stetson

The train left Chicago right on time, but again because of speed restrictions, we arrived in Rochester, New York about two hours late.  Thank goodness for cell phones or Kenny's parents would have had to wait at the train station all that time!  The kids were ahead of the rest of us getting off the train, and as soon as they spotted Grandma and Grandpa they ran to them as fast as their little legs would carry them.  Kenny's parents each scooped up a kid in a great big hug, and I had to fight off the tears - it was the best moment of the whole trip!  I wish I had pictures, but I was carrying too much luggage, and had no idea where my camera was.

I learned a few things from this experience: first, don't bring too much gear!  Some snacks are nice, but they have a dining car where they serve meals on the train, plus they have something similar to a concession stand in a lounge car where you can get anything you want anytime.  Also, you might as well just wear comfortable clothes and sleep in them, then change the next day, no need to pack pjs.  Second, don't get in a hurry!  From my experience, the train is almost always late, even if they leave on time and don't break down, so don't get worked up if you are behind schedule.  And third, just relax and enjoy the ride!  You don't have to stay in your seat the whole time, they have a lounge car with big windows and comfy seats you can sit in and enjoy the view.  They also have tables with booth seats that are great for playing games and doing activities.  The seats in the coach car are the best place to watch movies though, just set it up on the little pull down table and put on the headphones.  The kids could each watch their own movie and not be bothering anyone else with the noise.