THE TRIP01:38 Feb 09 2012
Times Read: 559
So the trip to the midwest was an interesting one. We took the Amtrak out of Riverside. I am not afraid of flying but it was cheaper that way. When you book ahead you can find fairly cheap flights but since we didn't have that option I wasn't going to pay 800 dollars for a return flight from San Diego to Missouri. We combined a train ride there with a flight to return. (No they don't have bereavement flights)
I'm not afraid of flying but my ears have been messed up since I got back. Knew that would happen. Anyway the train ride was rocky. We didn't get a sleeping cabin because they are expensive. The train rocks back and forth constantly when you take the superliner. If you smoke, which I don't it is hell for those who do and two of us were smokers. There was no auto car so they didn't have smoking rooms. They stop periodically if on time. Sometimes the wait is hours before they allow passengers to step off the train. They have short quick stops and longer ones for those who want to stretch their legs or smoke.
There was an observation room where you could go sit in cushy chairs and watch out big windows but in the plains area all you see is flat land and tan ground and short grass. It's not very picturesque. We had a snack bar person that acted like a stand up comedian which made us laugh. When you go to the dining car they fill up the tables so if there isn't four of you, you will be sitting with strangers. I went for lunch once by myself and sat with this nice young lady and then they sat a couple with us. The couple was from Kentucky and they were wealthy (I think) and the wife didn't like to fly, she liked the train.
The dining car is a place where people tend to tell stories. The man worked for Humana I found out later and they were coming back from a big golf tournament that was sponsored by his company in Palm Springs. They had a sleeping room. I guess there were a lot of celebrities attending the function. They mentioned Alice Cooper, Michael Bolton, Ex President Clinton and others. Then they began to tell a story about Dan Akyroyd.
Apparently Mr. Dan has his own sleeping car he attaches to the trains. He doesn't like to fly. He isn't too nice to fans or those working for him from what they stated. Well when they arrived in Palm Springs a chauffeur was waiting for them and he thought he was picking up Dan since this couple had the actual last name he uses to disguise his identity. I guess he was relieved to see it wasn't Mr. Dan. He told them that he wasn't too nice with underlings. They went on to tell us stories about their travels and places and then told us John Amos was on the train in another sleeping cabin. I guess he loves riding the train. I'm not sure if he hates to fly or not but just likes riding on the train. They were to have dinner with him that night. (This was the second day on the train)
When we first got on the train we were put in the last car. They told us that the upper cars were full and they would move us up there the following day. We were in the lower part where they generally put elderly people. There were a couple there and there were restrooms down there much to my delight. All of those were always on the lower part of cars. Ended up we had the whole car to ourselves because no one else boarded after a certain distance. I think but don't know that it was because we were traveling during the week mostly. We had left Sunday night. Anyway some of us ended up sprawled between two seats.
What I like about the train is they don't go checking you constantly or your bags. You just get on, put up your bag overhead or in a big storage area and that is that. Sit down and they come around and get your tickets and yes they punch holes like in the movies, lol. We had two lady conductors in the beginning. If you buy tickets online and you have a non attendant stop where you are getting on and they don't sell tickets there. You get them from the conductors after you board the train.
During the lunch session I had, the scenery became prettier with snow on the ground and there was suppose to be this tunnel we would go through near Denver at the border to entering Colorado. It was suppose to be totally dark going through it. I expected this LONG tunnel but it was a matter of maybe two minutes and we were through it ...whoosh. I was disappointed and that was the highest altitude we would be at.
Along the way we stopped in New Mexico and across the tracks were people with tables selling jewelry and blankets, etc. I met this lady at one of them and asked her if all the sellers were Native American. All were but one I think. She was Navajo but I would have never guessed she was Native American at all if she hadn't told me. We saw a sign prior to stopping that said something Yellowhorse. That was her family and that was her last name. I did buy a necklace from her....my one big splurge. It was designed by her and crafted by her and the chain and all else were sterling silver. It was an oval setting with a butterfly in variant colors of blue green. I love butterflies and was wearing them in my ears so I bought it. I almost didn't but I couldn't resist it. She is starting a business on the net soon and I look forward to hopefully getting other pieces from her later if I can afford them.
When we got to Kansas City MO, that was when we had to change trains to a shuttle train which is only one level. Later I found out there were flights into Springfield and I don't know what else which was slightly closer than where we were going but we didn't find that online at the time. Everything was rushed and no one from there helped us which is a long story. Some of us are at odds with my son's widow. Not going into that but it is based on well deserved reasons.
There was a little time and it was early in the morning. It was cold there but I had bought a jacket before I left because I never had to wear anything like that where I live in California. I had light jackets and sweaters but didn't want to pack sweaters due to restrictions in weight but more in the amount of space it takes in the carry-on suitcase I got. Didn't have one of those either. You're allowed two but not over 50 lbs. The planes are different of course so I checked in my bag there...costs 25 dollars to do that. I am telling you even though the train takes longer, it is cheaper in the long run unless you get the sleeping rooms and all of that but those include your meals so it's apples and oranges.
Anyway we go into the terminal at Kansas City and it is HUGE. We saw a lot of Amish people there. I had only seen them in movies. We had hot drinks inside and sat at a table and waited. A fellow that had been talking to my youngest daughter had followed her in there as well. We got up and were going to go back to the train and heard the boarding call so we hurried and got in line with others going to Jefferson City which is the capital of Missouri. I knew this place was going to be an historical site and I thought there would be no one there but since they put up their website I guess volunteers work in the building. We called for a taxi to take us to Avis/Hertz. He told us stories about place names, how to accurately pronounce them and about some of the tourist spots. The capital building was right there and done in the style of the DC capital building. It was a very picturesque city. I had wished we had time to see things there but we didn't.
We got to the rental car place and we had paid for our car but they wanted a 100 dollar deposit from a credit card. They refused cash, prepaid credit cards, debit/credit cards and we got angry. We left and found a place down the street that was a small company and they let us rent a car to go to our destination. Unfortunately we had to bring it back there. We couldn't drop it off in St. Louis where we were flying out. This meant an unscheduled train ride to St. Louis when we came back.
We rented it and took off for the 87 mile trip to where the memorial service was being held for my son. We found our motel and checked in. My youngest had visited there previously when her father was ill and passed and so she had an agenda of where she wanted to eat. She got us subs that were my sons favorites. They were really great. We all crashed because it was the first time we were able to sleep in beds that weren't moving. It was just a nap and we got up and got dressed for the memorial. We found chapel relatively close to the cemetery but he wasn't there, he was cremated.
There was music playing and the chapel was very nice. They took us inside and sat us in the second pew. I didn't want to sit in the first one and left that for her family. A few people came over and introduced themselves. Two young men who were close with my son came over. One had his obituary which he had laminated and handed us each one. They were from the newspaper. One showed us t-shirts they made commemorating his passing. Everyone was seated and my grandson was in the pew in front of me. I didn't attempt to hold him because he didn't know me and he was calling out here and there for Daddy. I had tears but I had cried so much I didn't have many left.
Most of those went the day after he died. We hadn't been notified until that time and not even by his wife originally. Long story. I was half asleep and heard the phone ring, but thought I was dreaming. I heard my daughter scream and saw her doubled over crying. They had the same father and spent a lot of time together when younger ... very close but not so much since he left California. He met his wife on the internet. Anyway I asked her what was wrong and she said Matt is dead. I screamed oh no and then I was doubled over crying and I cried all day. We called relatives. His widow talked to some of us but not me and some really bad things happened is all I will say due to the nature of his passing. This is why I am not allowed to see my grandson and it's not because I did anything wrong. It's a reason I won't go into. All I will say is she is not the nicest of people.
We were like invisible relatives for the most part and I understood why because no one knew who we were really. A Pentecostal pastor came up front and began the service. It was awful to say the least. He spent more time talking about his religion than he did my son and the things he did say...
The front had my flowers in the center and potted plants on the sides, no pictures, no nothing. It was over in ten minutes. We went outside and a few people came up to us. One of them being his best friend who we talked to inside. He brought a stack of other t-shirts. He said these are the shirts Matt had designed and I burst into tears and doubled over. Someone was holding me but I thought it was one of my daughters and when I finally looked up it was him. I had already heard about him from his Mother who left me a message in Facebook. I had called her and she was the one who told me how he had died, etc.
Afterward we left and went back to our motel. We went to eat at the waffle house, another place my daughter had been taken by my son when she visited. It was great and we actually had a good time there. We went back to the motel again and slept, got up and drove back to the car rental place another 87 miles and no, no one offered to help us with anything. I don't remember what we ate after that.
The people from the rental place drove us back over to the train station. We took the train into St. Louis. We got a cab but didn't realize the logistics of the place. It is a big city and very spread out. It was 14 miles from the train station to the airport there where our motel was nearby. It cost us over 40 dollars to take the cab. We went inside and got situated and then that evening we went around the corner to a small restaurant that had excellent Mexican food. It was a darling place and decorated really cute. No one was there except us, but it was a Wednesday evening.
The next morning we went on the motel shuttle to the airport. I remember now, we ate there. We got on the plane which was a horrible experience since it was so cramped. You couldn't move your arms unlike the train. I hated it and it had been awhile since I had flown. The procedures at the airport were over-kill, but I put up with it. We flew into Chicago and from there into San Diego...very uneventful. I knew San Diego because up until 2006 I had been living there and for about ten years or slightly more. In the county since 1993. My daughter wanted to take a shuttle to the bus station. Since we couldn't take a car obviously and everyone was working of course (middle of the week), we had to get back by our own means.
I tried to say something about the shuttle but knew my youngest daughter wouldn't listen. The difference between taking a shuttle and a cab are a lot. With a shuttle you pay individual fares. In a cab it is cumulative so instead of being 8 dollars for the whole ride, it was a piece. I guess they learned hopefully. We got bus tickets to go back to our origination point and asked someone to pick us up there. Along the ride we found out a stop was actually in our town so we got off there. Price was the same. Then the person didn't have to go so far that picked us up. As we were getting off the bus one of the riders said we were good entertainment and very funny. My daughters can be very funny and one does stand-up comedy in clubs.
One of my daughters had driven in from Las Vegas so she still had a long ride home....about four to five hours depending on traffic. I tried to talk her into just getting on the train somewhere along the line but you will find out when you get old...your kids always think you are senile and won't listen...you get the I know Mom...walked through ten miles of snow barefoot to school. Anyway the best thing was making it back home and planning our memorial for him this Saturday, Feb 11, 2012.
COMMENTS
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PAGANofMidnight
01:42 Feb 25 2012
Live Long and Prosper! ;)