#17, The Cardinal ~ Traveling North on a Southern Bird

February 23 - 24, 2022

I had hoped to meet  up with that iconic southern bird, with its brilliant plumage and signature crest.  Alas, only one shy gray-plumed female perched near my coffeeshop table in Blowing Rock.  I am now aboard its namesake train, en route to Chicago.

The way the hotel shuttle service worked out I was dropped off an hour early at the tiny, painted-brick, Charlottesville station.  The sun shone, and the temperature climbed to a balmy seventy degrees, as I sat on the one and only bench in front of the station. 

Amtrak Station, Charlottesville, VA

Dainty Ground Cover Growing up the Station Wall

Old Glass Block Windows on Charlottesville, Amtrak Station

And then, right on time at 1:42 pm, the blue and gray engine thundered into view.  Before I could board sleeper car #5100, an attendant had to unchain a set of stainless steel-clad steps from a light post nearby.  These days, people will steal anything that isn’t locked to a post, even a shiny set of steps.

The Cardinal, Charlottesville, VA

Roomette #4 turned out to be of a unique and well thought out design that I’ll write about in another blog.  My sleeper car attendant, Bateman, quickly showed me where to stow my luggage and brought fresh bottles of water, before moving on to other passengers.  He called me “honey”, so I knew it was going to be a good trip. 

When asked if I wanted a late lunch to be brought in, I confessed that I had already eaten.  I’d already had experience with this “Flexible Dining” menu, and I wasn’t taking any chances.  Bateman brought me, not one, but two fat, chocolate chunk brownies instead, with a good cup of decaf to wash them down.  I saved one brownie for a future emergency situation.  One never knows when the need for a brownie will arise.

Amtrak Snacks

Despite the constant jostling of the train as we rumble along, I enjoy coloring simple designs to pass the time, as I listen to yet another Mitford book. I feel like it's a kind of therapy for the perfectionist in me, as I have to accept a less than perfect coloring job as beautiful.

Virginia slipped by my dirty window in a tangle of brown.  Winter-browned grass, scraggly brown trees, brown corn fields, and old kudzu wrapped telegraph poles.  

Since freight own the rails, Amtrak must pace herself to their schedule.  Sometimes that means moving at a walking pace through freight yards.  I enjoy those peeks between the massive cars on the tracks, and studying the mechanics of the cars. 

We followed the Jackson River for quite a ways, and of course, crossed it frequently.  I saw that many houses along the river were built on stilts.  

Jackson River, VA

Jackson River, VA

House on Stilts, Jackson River, VA

In the evening, the sun set rather quickly into a gathering bank of clouds.  I slipped across the aisle to the empty room adjacent to mine, to take a picture. 

As night wrapped around our rocking and rolling home, my ordered dinner was brought to my room.  Sesame salmon, with sautéed veggies and sticky rice.  I had ordered this on a previous route, and it hadn’t turned out nearly as good.  All items on this particular menu come prepackaged, and I suppose everyone reheats them differently. 

Sesame Salmon - Flexible Dining on The Cardinal

On a train, as soon as the sun goes down, I feel sleep beckoning to me.  There are no evening chores or movies to watch, just a night of rocking and rolling through the dark.  So, with that, I had my bed made up around 7:30, and soon after, stretched out to read.  The design of the room meant the bed was quite narrow at the bottom, like an old-school wooden coffin, but it was welcoming, none-the-less.  

Amtrak's Signature Silky Blue Blanket

One Selfie.  I'm Pretty Excited About Going to Bed

After a lot of tossing and turning on the thin, firm mattress, I woke for the day near the town of Lafayette, Indiana.  Pulling aside the signature dark blue curtains, I found we had once again moved into snow country. 

After a quick visit to the café car, I ate my less-than-yummy continental breakfast in my little room.  Miles slipped by, with the scenery ever changing.

Horse Farm in Indiana

Soon the towns grew closer together, and by late morning we were in the suburbs of Chicago.  And then, we were surrounded by a multitude of tracks on both sides, with the light rail tracks of Metra mixed in.  And at last, we pulled into the cave-like darkness of the Chicago station. 

Amtrak Station Yard, Chicago

Chicago, Union Station

It was very cold in there, and as I walked towards the inside terminal, I noticed the buildup of snow on the iron underside of the train.  I found it fascinating that it stayed on, despite the speeds we sometimes traveled.

Snow on the Belly of the Train

Once again inside the grand hall, I just had to stand and gawk at the ceiling like the tourist I am, before shucking my luggage in the Metropolitan Lounge. 

Ceiling of Great Hall, Chicago Union Station

Great Hall, Chicago Union Station

Since on my eastward trip I had opted to do a lot of walking in Chicago, I determined that on my stop west, I would seek out some true Chicago-style pizza.  I asked Ruby, one of the lounge attendants, for a recommendation.  She pointed out a place pretty much across the street that was highly recommended. Beggars Pizza, and several other food establishments were on the ground floor of this building.  I'm assuming that the rest is businesses or apartments. 

 As soon as it opened for the day I headed over.  I knew that deep-dish style takes a while to bake but was a little surprised when my personal-size, pepperoni with mushrooms and olives took a full 45 minutes.  

On the Corner of Clinton and Jackson, Chicago, IL

I took it with me back to the Metropolitan Lounge to enjoy with their free soft drinks.  After two pieces I offered the remainder to an elderly gentleman beside me.  He was from Ethiopia, and has a daughter named Amy, who lives in Oregon.  He was delighted with my leftovers and managed to eat them with a spoon procured from the snack counter. 

 

Chicago Deep Dish Pizza

Route of The Cardinal