On The Super Chief

Our family has been discussing travel and going across the Country. I will add my version today. My first real Cross Country trip was on the train. We took the Super Chief from Chicago, IL to Albuquque, NM. This was in the time that the Santa Fe Rail Road actually had passenger trains and there was a sense that trains would always be the way to travel across the country. We did this trip several times and these memories are actually a compilation of all the trips. We would get a compartment to fit the family. I remember being given some change to go to the club car and buy myself a soft drink. I feel sorry for the young people of today that they would not be given this freedom even in such a confined area to actually go off by themselves. I was able to be a real person and see this small part of the world on my own. The train was a small city and I now feel that it was so much better for my father to be able to take this long trip without needing to drive. Not all of our trips were all fun. One trip we were delayed by bad rain that washed out a bridge that forced them to back up the train for several hours until it could reach a point where it could take a different route to get back to our original planed schedule. We actually ended up at about eight hour late. The best part of the trip was seeing all of the country without needing to worry about where we were or finding the next bathroom. The private railroad industry did have more at stake and the small things that they did at the height of train travel, were all to make the people want to come back. The food service was always top flight. I only remember the white linen service and the waiters who were so attentive. I now know how much hard work was put into the serving of meals for a car full of people with only a small staff working from a very small kitchen. They served three meals a day with more than one sitting at each meal to accommodate all of the people on the train. The staff also had several Pullman cars with sleepers and compartments that had to be serviced while the people were in the club car or the observation car. It is the only real way to see the Sierra Nevada especially in the winter. The cold snow is so much more enjoyable when you are not driving and all that you need to think about is the view. Yes this is not on the trip on the southern route but I have done both the northern and southern routes across the country. Some of the fun is still possible. A one day trip between San Francisco, CA and Los Angeles, CA will give you some of the flavor of Cross Country travel. Besides if you plan it right, you can see the sunset on the ocean at Santa Barbara, CA. Or at the right time of year, enjoy the smell of garlic when you travel through Gilmore, CA. I used to also love airplane travel, but then they eliminated all the fun at airports and they decided that the people on the planes were a commodity and not people.

Have fun and travel to see the people and places around you.