Train Days

-
Welcome 2016!

I was fortunate enough to have off of both work and school for about 2 weeks. Over this time I went back home for Christmas, traveled to Colorado, got engaged and celebrated the arrival of 2016! Wowza! The past few days have been a whirlwind of excitement and adventure, which is exactly how I like to live my life!

We traveled by Amtrak from Wisconsin to Denver, the ride totaled 18 hours! Now that's a lot of Amtrak action! For the most part the ride was relaxing and painless. However, after sitting for 18 hours on a train I do have some advice for any potential train travelers.



Jenna's Amtrak tips and tricks:

*Pack your own food and drinks- Amtrak offers food and beverage service on the train but why not save yourself a couple bucks and bring your own goodies to nom on. Jake and I picked up sandwiches and various fresh fruits for the ride. Don't forget to drink lots of water! H2O is always your friend, especially when traveling somewhere with altitude changes such as Colorado!

*If you get cold easily bring a blanket or be prepared to freeze- Granted our trip was at the end of December, but I swear there were moments when they had the air conditioning blasting and I was chilled to the core! luckily I had a fluffy coat to cover up with. 

*If you will be traveling for over 10 hours splurge and get a sleeper car- We traveled for 18 hours one way and opted for coach seating because it was cheaper. The coach seating is nice and pretty spacious but the chairs are super awkward to sleep in... Both Jake and I agreed that even though they cost more a sleeper car would be the way to go! 

*Bring loads of entertainment- This includes books, magazines, games, notebooks, laptops, what have you. We considered loading movies onto a laptop to entertain ourselves but opted against it in the end. This was a regrettable decision. Believe it or not 18 hours begins to feel like an eternity after a while! You can NEVER have too much entertainment, unless you are one of the lucky souls who is able to sleep easily in a confined space.  

*Don't be afraid to change into some comfy clothes and freshen up at the beginning or end of the day- Yes, the bathrooms on the train are on the tiny side. Regardless, I recommend utilizing these small space in order to practice good hygiene! I brought along some face wipes and mouthwash, because you gotta be fresh!

in.gov

There you have it. Traveling by train is safe, relaxing and affordable. I will certainly consider Amtrak again for future travel opportunities to come my way. If you are willing to spend a few more hours travelling by train vs flying Amtrak is the way to go! 

More details on Colorado to come! 
Until then, Cheers! 



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

One More, Then We'll Go- a Night at MKE's Lakefront Brewery

-
Image
They don't call Milwaukee "Brew City" for nothing. If there's one thing we know how to do here it's brew beer! There are tons of great brewery tours throughout the city, one of the most popular being Lakefront Brewery on Milwaukee's East Side. http://bit.ly/2E1Bx9I Take the tour and learn the history behind Lakefront Brewery and the science that creates the beautiful nectar of the Gods we all know and love, beer. Lakefront Brewery has one of the most popular tours in Milwaukee and tickets sell out fast! Don't make the same mistake as I did and be sure to purchase tickets ahead of time online,but be wary, print is the only ticket option so be sure you have a printer handy. If you forget to buy tickets ahead of time or if you're printer is acting up(darn things, grrr) fear not, Lakefront now offers 20-minute "mini tours" Saturday evenings. Each tour is jam-packed with interesting factoids about sourcing, brewing and bottling beer, the
Read more

The American Horror Story Guide to New Orleans

-
Image
New Orleans' rich history made for the perfect setting for season three of AHS, Coven. From Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau to deranged mass murderer Delphine LaLaurie, these figures weren't just characters in a TV show, they were real people who lived out their days in The Big Easy and who left their mark on the city forever. Now, AHS did take a few artistic liberties, for example, Laveau and LaLaurie weren't sworn enemies, in fact, they weren't even alive during the same time period. But AHS also got some things right, in addition to crafting Gris-Gris bags for healing and good luck Marie Laveau really was a hairdresser and Delphine LaLaurie was indeed as dark and sinister as portrayed. If you find yourself in NOLA and want to do some Coven-inspired sight-seeing here are a few stops you won't want to miss.  Marie Laveau's Tomb  Nestled in the famed St. Louis Cemetary No. 1 , you'll need to join a tour group to experience this piece of living history as it&
Read more

What to do in Crescent City

-
Image
I recently checked a visit to NOLA off my bucket list and was impressed with all the city had to offer. A diverse mix of locals and tourists, music everywhere and an interesting art scene, our five days in New Orleans were well spent.  Exploring the French Quarter  Now I know that most people will tell you not to spend your trip trapped in the French Quarter, but man, there is just so much to see and do there. Odds and ends shops, tantalizing food and of course, booze, the French Quarter is jam-packed with excitement every which way you look. So, like the tourists that we were, we went against the abovementioned advice and spent a good chunk of our time exploring it and I'm glad to report that we didn't feel it was time wasted.  Once the home of early European settlements, the French Quarter has plenty of interesting history to explore including the intricate iron-detailed buildings that line the streets. Tiered and colorful, the architecture of this area is if
Read more