Onward to Boston

Tuesday, March 10

Our four wonderful days in Washington DC had come to a close and it was time to make our way to Boston. We managed to get ourselves going a little earlier but still enjoyed the hotel's made-to-order omelettes and excellent service. It was our intention to get to Union Station early enough to have a coffee before we had to board but by the time we figured out the single ride Metro tickets and rode the two segments there, it was time to get out on the track. 

Leaving Union Station Washington DC

Northeast Regional is a commuter train. There is plenty of overhead space for bags but not much for legs. It's pretty much like riding in an airplane. There was a cafe car but no room for Dutch Blitz or Bananagrams as every table had a nicely dressed businessperson hunched seriously over a laptop. Since the train wasn't completely full, Alyssa and I each took a set of seats across the aisle from each other.

The car we were in, toward the back of the train had issues with its air system so it was very hot. I tried to summon my adventurous spirit and pretend it was my first ride ever on a train so I'd more easily overlook its faults. The only thing that really helped was buying cold, expensive bottled water from the cafe car. Somewhat for the refreshment but mostly to pause in the chilly area between the cars on the way to and from my seat.

As the train rolled ever closer to Boston the snow grew deeper. I know that those living on the east coast are tired of the snow but we sure enjoyed looking at it from the train windows. It's hard to get good photos from a moving train though.

The speaker system didn't work as far back as our car so we never heard the announcements. The only way to track our progress was to look at the signs on the station walls when we stopped. Thus, when we rolled into Boston at 6:45, we didn't get off. When the train didn't move again right away and I noticed few people still seated, I asked another rider if they knew what station we were in. They confirmed what no signs told us; we had arrived in Boston South Station. Since it was only about 8 blocks to our hotel, we opted to walk. We dragged our bags down the darkened snowbanked sidewalks until we saw our hotel, The Hyatt Regency-Downtown Boston. It was hard to concentrate on where I was putting my feet as the buildings all around us seemed so amazing. Aside from a few modern ones, most appeared to be hundreds of years old.

Downtown Boston at Night

View From Our 8th Floor Room