I’m finally home!

I checked in at the Milwaukee Amtrak terminal at 10am for my 11:00 Chicago train. If on a route that takes bicycles, Amtrak makes this very easy – adding a bicycle to your ticket is just $20. Once I attached a claim tag to the bike, they called me to the train early, and I handed it up into the baggage car where it was secured into a vertical bicycle rack. Here’s a picture from Amtrak showing the rack:

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This was only a 90-minute train ride, so I rode coach – it was a pretty full train with half-a-dozen stops. But we got into Chicago’s Union Station on time.

Union Station was crazy busy – it seemed to be full of people who had no idea where they should be, and employees who weren’t interested in helping people find where to go. I found my boarding area, but there was no way to go take my bike to the baggage car early. Turns out I should have been in another line in a different part of the station where people go to check baggage. I don’t know why there are two lines in different areas – very confusing and pretty inadequate signage to tell people. I ended up getting on in time, and handed up my bike to the baggage car, then got into my “Roomette” which is the smallest of the sleeper cabins Amtrak offers.

This was my home for the next 18 hours. Two seats face each other in front of two windows. The panel above lowers to be a bunk bed, and the two chairs can slide together and make a 2nd bed.

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The window view isn’t great in this picture – we were still in the station. There’s a sliding door you can close and lock and curtains for privacy. It was pretty comfortable, although I didn’t sleep all that well – Amtrak trains seem to shake and hop much more than European trains, which ride much more smoothly.

I did check out the observation car, which was nice. I didn’t stay long because it was one of the only places the passengers in coach could use to spread out, so I let them have it.

I did eat two meals in the dining car – I think they have just resumed this service and it seemed a bit unrehearsed. But the food was certainly better than airline food, and I was put next to other passengers and enjoyed conversing with them.

We got into Denver right on time at 7:15am the next day. I reclaimed my bike from baggage, loaded up, and rode the 5 miles from downtown Denver to my house. It felt good to be home and especially nice to see my wife after so long!

Overall I’m pleased the whole thing went off without any serious issues! Here are some stats:

Total Miles: 1425, Vertical Feet Climbed: 36,019, Average Speed Overall: 13.9mph

Oh, and I lost 5 lbs. Thought it would be more – I feel and think I look thinner, but if I added muscle, maybe that offset the fat loss.

I’ve spoken often (to those who let me) about wanting to do the whole US crossing in pieces – for me this counts as the middle third. I don’t know right now what I might tackle next summer. But there will be more on that in the next post. For now I need a shower, and my own bed!