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Rail Across America
  • Marcus Gillette
  • Jorge Peraza
  • Marcus Gillette
  • Jorge Peraza

Rail Across America

Miami to San Francisco by rail Read more
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  • Trip start
    May 14, 2024
    Rail Across America

    Miami

    May 11–14, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    Hot tub jets on our private patio kick in and drown out the party sounds and low bass beats of South Beach. We are exploring, reconnecting with the happenings of the world since our five months of travel. Beautiful beach and steep waves provide an idyllic backdrop to ease into life back in America.Read more

  • Rail Across America
    1

    Lessons from Savannah

    May 14–16, 2024 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 75 °F

    The rope bed slept three and the mattress was stuffed with pine needles. The children would have slept on the floor. At least six slaves lived in the basement of the Davenport house. Two more lived up in the attic, but since they were men, they wouldn’t mix with the women who ran the house, did the laundry for all 18 residents. When Isaiah Davenport died, his widow Sarah was faced with a difficult choice. If she married she would lose control of all her property and her surviving children. But if she stayed single, she could try to make it on her own. But to do that, she would need standing in society, which meant continuing to own slaves. She used them as collateral to build a business of boarding houses of her own.

    We’ve come full circle from the slave forts of Africa just weeks ago to Savannah, Georgia where African slaves ended up in the field or houses. But what is interesting is that it wasn’t just the wealthy who participated. The upward-inclined working class justified their own enslavment practices so they could get loans and to signal status to prospective clients.

    Thanks to Cornelia Groves and the Savannah Foundation for preserving this first home, and hundreds more. Because of their efforts, we future generations can learn our own history and the stories of those who built our nation. We learn the stories of those who never experienced freedom, like Mary and her daughter Anne.

    Our minds and hearts full, we continued on to study the Temperance movement at the Prohibition Museum and speakeasy. Full of unintended consequences, the 18th amendment led to the loss of countless jobs, loss of tax revenue for states and the Federal government, and the rise of organized crime. It’s ironic that Carrie Nation used destruction of property as a means to justify turning what people drink into a crime. Certainly it’s a slippery slope legislating what people drink, or sell, or buy. We applied our learning immediately by continuing onto several watering holes, including the glorious Peacock Lounge. Harrison outdid himself with cocoa washed-Campari Mezcal Negronis.    Read more

  • Rail Across America
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    Savannah Maritime Tradition

    May 16, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

    Rumrunners, Ironclads, and luxury Savannah Passenger Liners all depicted in magnificent detail at the Maritime Museum. Stories slowly unfold as intricate scale models capture our attention. From the American Revolution to the Civil War to the modern cargo port it is today, Savannah played an integral role in maritime trade and commerce, serving as a crucial hub for shipping and economic activity throughout American history. Experimental nuclear cargo and passenger ship NS Savannah demonstrated a peaceful use of nuclear fission with a range of 300,000 nautical miles.

    We venture out along the waterfront, enjoying ships passing, ferries whisking away passengers, and dinner cruises departing at sunset. Dinner at a rooftop bar overlooking the bridge as evening sets in affords us a magnificent view prior to our departure. New York bound, we depart late at almost 11 pm, ready for our next leg of adventure.    Read more

  • Rail Across America

    Murder on the Silver Meteor

    May 17, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F

    Overnight on the 98 Silver Meteor to New York, not everyone was sleeping. James Wilson was determined to rid himself of gambling debt by collecting on his wife’s life insurance policy. He mashed up her blood pressure medication, planning to slip it into her coffee the next morning while she went to the restroom.

    At 8:10 am, just after departing Richmond, the train came to an abrupt halt. Announcements called for all staff to make their way to the dining car. Passengers were told we had stopped due to a medical emergency. The crew followed protocols and provided CPR until authorities arrived. Mrs. Wilson was pronounced dead at 9:04 am. The dining car and the Wilsons’ stateroom became a crime scene.

    Passengers disembarked and waited alongside the train on North Center Street, beside the School of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology at Randolph-Macon College. We sipped coffee, and an old woman flicked her burning cigarette into the yard. We chatted with our Amtrak attendant about travel and New York musicals. A black Mercedes ambulance arrived, pushing its way through the crowd before stopping in front of the dining car. We were asked to board the train to avoid witnessing the removal of Mrs. Wilson’s remains, along with her husband, who hadn’t shed a single tear. The train resumed its journey by 10:54 am.    Read more

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    New York

    May 17–22, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F

    “Sand barge coming up to starboard, time to tack,” Skipper Steven calls out to Abby. We continue to lounge as the designated deck lizards while they do all the work. Clouds give way to sunshine as a welcome change from the rain and gloom from the first few nights. The next day, we met up with new cruise friends Susan and Denise and had a spectacular day circumnavigating Manhattan from a boat.

    High energy, brass band soul music percolated through our veins at Blue Note the night before. Fabulous Michelin meals, strong coffee, and sore feet ensure we don’t forget where we are. Neither do the astronomically high prices all around. Having been to 40 cities this year, we are pleased to recognize how The Big Apple stands out. People really love this city. The High Line is an example of successful community organizing leading to valuable preservation. Fancy new riverfront “beach” parks and elevated artificial islands provide rest and green space to relax. What if we all invested as much sweat into caring for and enjoying our own cities? Do we really love where we’re from the same way?

    We wrapped up our last evening watching a favorite film, Interstellar, from a mid-town rooftop theater with Mark and Anna. After 1:00 am, we hop on the subway back downtown. Even in Tokyo, transit would have stopped by then. With each ride, we see peak urbanism at its best in the US. While at times full of grime, the system does function remarkably well. But NYC is in a precarious place. We see parallels with Seattle. Residents are upset, fleeing in some cases, as violent crime soars, housing affordability plummets, and wasteful spending on never-ending construction projects that don’t yield benefits interfere with daily life. Maybe everyone will just end up in Brooklyn. Maybe we should just move to Bali.    Read more

  • Rail Across America

    Chicago

    May 23–26, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

    Our chests vibrate to the rhythm as young faces, decked out in baggy uniforms, march past to the infectious “Street Beat” drum cadence. High school academies, veteran groups, and various detachments wave our nation’s colors high. Memorial Day is here again. For the third time, purely by happy coincidence, we're in Chicago for this national holiday. Complicated feelings rise as we watched a new squad of Marine Corps volunteers take their oaths during the parade.

    Chicago is like no other city. It's spectacular with its fascinating history, including the river that flows backward. The architecture—this is the birthplace of the skyscraper—is enough reason to visit. But then there’s the music scene: jazz clubs that pulse with life, actual historic speakeasies whispering secrets, and the ever-present shadow of the mob’s past.

    We find ourselves at the Green Mill, Al Capone’s old stomping ground. Sure, there are stories of tunnels and trapdoors where bootleg liquor snuck through. But the jazz here is incredible. Manhattans? They pack a punch. But die hard locals opt for Chicago’s own Jepson’s Malort instead. The place exudes a nostalgic vibe that harks back to 1907. We feel echos of the ghosts of the greatest musicians who ever played, lingering around the booths and tables.

    Reluctantly, we bid farewell to the vibrant streets and rich histor, knowing that our memories of this captivating city will linger until our next adventure. Goodbye for now, Chicago—farewell and fond wishes.    Read more

  • Rail Across America

    Glenwood Canyon & The Rockies

    May 27–28, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

    Now having shifted to Union Pacific tracks, our route rose up from Denver starting around 10 am. We snaked through twenty curves and twenty tunnels in as many miles on our journey up to a 9300 foot elevation. Beneath James Peak, we won’t see the transition through the highest point as thousands of feet of rock stand above us in the 6.2-mile-long Moffet Tunnel. This nearly century old structure affords us access across the continental divide, a three hour shortcut from the old route pre-1928.

    A cluster of Pronghorn graze by the river as the California Zephyr rolls past at a gentle 40 miles per hour. Lunch is served while we arrive to Glenwood Canyon. We meet a young guy with a great sense of humor traveling from Fort Collins to visit his parents in Grand Junction. Gliding past “moon river” we spot rafters and campers showing us their backsides with the traditional greeting on the Colorado. On to Ruby Canyon and into Utah, the terrain fills our windows with mesas and silhouettes while the crimson sun reaches for the horizon.

    At breakfast, just after departing Winnemucca, we learn of a second couple traveling for a wedding, this one in Sonoma. Coffee reestablishes life and fills our veins with fresh energy. Each conversation seems to touch on how much more civilized train travel is, we all long for more. We gaze out to wild horses, a mother nursing her foal, others sipping from the Truckee river swirling beside. Later in the observation lounge, one of our former dinner companions plays his guitar and sings some blues. Another passenger joins on harmonica for a Willie Nelson song. Spectacular scenery and snowy peaks continue to unfold as we climb to Donner pass in California’s Sierra Nevada range. From here, it will be a gentle descent all the way down into Sacramento and then into Emeryville.    Read more

  • Rail Across America

    Oakland

    May 28, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    While we expected the second day scenery through the Rockies to be the big highlight, we didn’t realize the third day would also deliver! The trio from Reno up through the Sierra Nevada was just stunning. This route, a little over 50 hours long, went by almost too quickly. Far from being bored, this slower pace of travel gives one time to really soak up what lies between your starting point and your destination. With conversation, meals, reading, and enjoying scenery, it’s no wonder people enjoy this mode of transportation whenever possible.

    Our final leg of our journey concludes on the west coast where we began last December. What would have been a quick return to home from here is going to instead be a slight detour up to the Pacific Northwest for a few weeks. Our choice to remain on the California Zephyr, as opposed to switching to the Empire Builder to Seattle was still the right call. We are glad to tick this route off our bucket list!    Read more

  • Rail Across America

    Amtrak Experience

    May 28, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    Free from stress and full of relaxation, travel by train has been a charming way to cross the country. We journeyed 4,650 miles over the past 15 days. Amtrak is the embodiment of the expression, ‘take your time.’ It’s better in terms of energy use and harmful emissions. But what’s it actually like to do it long distance?

    Waiting is something you get used to. At large stations, usually this means in a lounge. Otherwise, you may just be parked on a bench. Only one of our four segments, Lakeshore Limited to Chicago, proved to be on-time, early in fact. In Savannah, we kept our eye on the status and ended up getting a bonus evening and dinner since the train was almost five hours late. Likewise our arrival to New York was also delayed about five hours, which just robbed us of the better part of one a day there. These delays aren’t ideal but they are a reality of the American train system.

    But once on the train, you have room to stretch out, get comfy, take a shower, enjoy a three course meal, play cards, or go to happy hour in the observation lounge. You can actually sightsee from your seat, perhaps countryside not otherwise easily accessible. These are things in which other modes of travel struggle to compete. The food is surprisingly good and the crew are quite entertaining. We landed on the roomette being ideal for ten hours or less and the larger sleeper being ideal for longer durations. Another strategy we would endorse is getting off at stops and spending one or more nights there. This breaks up the route, lets you experience more places, and is less expensive than a big first class sleeper.

    Perhaps the most unique aspect of traveling on Amtrak is getting to know other passengers. Even the ones who seem on first glance like they might be worth a miss, inevitably turn out to be more interesting and actually worth getting to know—at least for one conversation. You never know when they might whip out a guitar and start singing the blues or invite you to meet up with them next time you’re in Ireland. We look forward to continuing to tick off the other Amtrak routes around the country.    Read more

    Trip end
    May 28, 2024
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