All aboard

I am very grateful for my husband's ability to a plan compacted logistics because getting on the California Zephyr with 6 kids and all our stuff was no small feat. First there is fighting the traffic from our hotel near O'Hare airport (as far as I can see Chicago is just one big traffic jam, even on the weekends, I'm not sure how the locals manage). Then there was the city block between the parking and the actual train terminal. Picture Jeff on the crowded Chicago sidewalk with a gigantic backpack and suitcase, each of the 5 boys parading along behind weighed down with a backpack and pulling a wheeled suitcase. Of course Bute5 kept tipping his suitcase over and bursting into tears because he couldn't keep up. Bringing up the rear is me, Bute6 strapped on my back and two suitcases behind me. We finally make into the station and our troops collapse into a pile with all the luggage, looking for all the world like they have just completed a 3 day a journey rather than starting one. Apparently AMTRAK is still in the dark ages technologically and they only way to get tickets is for the a ticket guy to handwrite them, which took well over half and hour for 8 tickets. At this point we are less than 30 minutes from boarding and Jeff still has to move the car to a free parking spot which a friends is allowing us go use, which is a mile from the train station. The kids and I spent a very tense 20 minutes at the boarding gate waiting for Jeff to show up so we could board. Just as they are ready to pre board families with young children Jeff made it back, sweaty and panting, but ready to go.


Now that we were no longer worried about missing the train the kids started boucing off the walls and craning their necks for a view of the train. We made it on board, our only real difficulty being that we were assigned to the car with no outlays, for all our various gadgets. Ironically the train car in front of us had outlets in every seat, but it was full of Amish travelers! So Jeff has been reduced to skulking around during the wee hours of the night trying to find unoccupied seats with outlets in them to recharge!




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Location:Union station, Chicago, IL