The Big Apple and the Big Bean Dip, Part 2

May 21, 2016.  5:34pm.   

Onboard The Empire Builder

I’m in my Bedroom now, watching the Cascades pass by at a good clip.    Lake on one side and cut hill on the other side, providing contrasting hues of the red and gray rocks and granite against the greens of the trees and grasses, all set in front of a gray, overcast sky.   

The bedroom is, as billed, about twice the size of the roomette, with its own combination shower/rest room.   Like the roomette, one can set up two beds - one folds down from the couch, the other folds down from the top like a shelf.   The beds themselves look to be of about the same quality as the roomettes: somewhat stiff mattresses and, well, they work.   

The combination toilet/shower was one of the draws for me to upgrade to a full bedroom - no shared facilities mean more hygiene and less chance of bugs spreading.   I had the chance to use it for it’s first purpose, and marveled at how CRAMPED that little space is.   I barely had any room to move my arms or much of anything else.   I’m a six-footer, and age is revealing itself just a bit in my midsection, so I can only imagine how somebody of a larger size the me would try to negotiate this cocoon of a bathroom.    It also didn’t help that TP was in short supply in said bathroom - could the staff, having turned this room over (?), noticed and remedied that?  Also, in the past, Amtrak provided its sleeping car passengers with a small hygiene kit with shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and soap, all wrapped in a small, nice, neat little bag.    I guess that practice ended, because no such baggie was in evidence either on this trip or the previous one.    I didn’t pack these in my suitcase, either, out of anticipation of receiving something like this.   So, I’ll see if they have these in the showers downstairs.    

If not, then…I’ll make do. 

So, we’re on our way to Spokane, where we meet up with another train called the Empire Builder (out of Seatlle), and their cars apparently join with ours to make up the complete consist.   

3:37pm.  Either in Montana or North Dakota - somewhere.

We're speeding along the straightaway, probably clocking somewhere close to 100 miles per hour.   I have a few comments about the previous several hours. 

For one, when I boarded the Empire Builder in Portland, I was told that we would not have the standard dinner options, since the section of the train that houses the dining car was on the other half of the consist coming out of Seattle.  We had, therefore, "cold fare".   Mine was a chicken salad pita, lovingly prepackaged and prepared.    No extra cost, at least - it's part of the fare you pay when you buy your ticket.   

The scenery changed as expected, this time going through the rainy-yet-no-less-magnificence of Glacier National Park.   I have samples of videos I've taken from this stretch of the journey, with snippets of what the national parks volunteer tour guide told us while in the parlor car.   Interesting stories and magnificent scenery, this time covered in a darker hue of grey while the rain (and snow!) fell through that section of the Rockies.    During breakfast with a couple who are no longer strangers, they told me that views like this are why they prefer train travel.   I cannot argue - if you have the time (and the cash), this is the way to go.   You can see the towns in the lower-and-not-too-distant flats nestled between the hills and peaks, and scenes of a life only found in distant, out of the way areas preferred by those who prefer to keep to themselves.   

Later, we were in the prairies.    Seen are scattered scenes of grazing livestock, varying greens and Browns of the grasslands, waterways cutting through the flats and winding their way around, small towns filled with unpretentious housing structures, and a landscape that rolls gently rather than juts out suddenly.   Indian reservation lands and the dilapidated structures that dot those (and other) landscapes.   Buildings which look to be from the early 1900s (and before), such as the one-room school passed by a bit ago.   A butte or a distinct hill is a rare sight in these parts, and if so, often in the distance and seen with a very dark, almost-black silhouette.   

Friendly former strangers were also to be found, and with interesting stories to tell.    The Canadian couple who put on an Internet blues music show peaked my interest, and we discussed music and politics for the better part of an hour over lunch.   The lady I met from Southern California, who was going to see her sister in North Carolina, had many stories to tell of her own, keeping me enthralled for the better part of two hours.   And the couple I met at breakfast were just as interesting.   

I'm now accustomed to the sleeping arrangements on these trains.  I've learned to appreciate the upper bunks and have taken to them, even with the occasional pretzel twists I have to contort myself to in order to get into position.   I've discovered that the shower, while in a tight space, is workable if you take a few minutes and orient yourself properly in relationship to the shower's length vs. depth.   

But a couple of gripes.  First, still NO WORKING INTERNET! And cell service is only as reliable as the areas in which you pass by.   I could have used the AmtrakConnect network earlier today since my laptop is on the fritz.   Plus, the meals you get on these trains are pre-packaged, much like airplane meals.   Just heat and serve.   The quality varies, and does the opinions of said quality.   Those with fine-tuned pallets will probably not take to Amtrak fare.   My pallet is admittedly not as fine-tuned as those - it was passable as far as my pallet, but given the fare that sleeping car passengers pay for this level of service, are chef-prepared meals not something unreasonable to expect?  

But the positives? The ever changing scenery, and in areas where cars of other transportation modes cannot access, is one.   Another are the friendships you make and the people you meet, as well as the interest in train travel (as opposed to planes or anything else) being a common departure point for conversation.  

9:30PM CST.  Back in my bedroom (Car 2830, Room D)

We're stopped in Minot, ND, a few passengers taking smoke breaks while the rest of us take a respite from motion in general.   Earlier, dinner at the Dining Room car, and as always, conversations with who became former strangers: two from Iowa, one from Southern California.  I ordered the black bean vegan enchiladas (yes, Amtrak offers a vegan option!), which, even with the far-from-scratch way they were made, were quite good.   We witnessed a building thunderstorm in the eastern distance, knowing that the same thunderstorm may begin dumping on us by the time we get to Minnesota (at least).    

One more observation.   I'm amazed that the freight companies who own the rail rights-of-way upon which Amtrak rides allow these rights of way to fall into such unevenness and disrepair, because the ride on several stretches was extremely jerky.    On all rail travels, any given passenger will have to do the sideways dance while negotiating the narrow center aisle, but the sideways dance often took a dangerous Keystone Kops-type of air.   I can easily see people getting injured because of it (imagine the damage to freight that the freight trains are susceptible to while high-balling on these same rails), and Amtrak and the railroads need to do something about this NOW.   This is not about comfort or convenience - this is about safety, and potentially, the lives of those traversing these rails.  

More motley tomorrow.   

Back to the Big Apple with a Big Bean Dip on the Side, Part 1

May 20, 2016 - Day 1


8:22pm. The adventure begins.

The journey starts with my first Uber ride, at about 7:00.   Met about 10 minutes after my request by app (super-easy to use, BTW) by a gentleman, looking to be in his late-50s to early-60, in an old-reliable white Toyota Camry.   When he noticed my bags, he immediately opened the trunk and helped me with them - ahhhh, just like one of the more enterprising taxi drivers I used in the past.    The conversation we had was actually quite stimulating, he and I saying a common love of travel.   I told him about my grand scheme involving coast-to-coast by rail, he told me a bit about his trips to Italy and Europe.  The topic of car rentals also came up - he prefers to drive, I prefer to take transit and hoof it whenever I can.   We also shared a mutual admiration for European travel guru Rick Steves - with the great advice he gives about travel, packing, and how to get around Europe and not to be had by the tourist traps which all travelers ultimately fall into.   He left me at the Starbucks next to the station, and I did not have to pay anything out of pocket for the trip - it was already handled by the app.   I can see why Uber is so popular - convenient to use, available in my area, and the fare for the 15 mile trip between my home and the train station costing maybe 1/2 of the same trip one year ago. 

So, score one for Uber.

My first leg of the trip will be the Coast Starlight, departing at 11:59 this evening and arriving in Portland at about 3:30pm the next day.   Fifteen hours or so to sleep (I have a roomette), look at nature’s art while in the Observation Car, this taking the form of the Northern California ranges and the back areas of Oregon.  I took the southern direction of this same route about two years ago, at about this same time of year, in fact, while leaving Portland’s Rose Festival.    

So I’m sitting here in Sacramento Station, listening to the vocal and shuffling sounds of life echo like a church, a cathedral devoted to motion and a not-yet-obsolete form of travel which is firmly woven into our nations fabric.  Even with the obvious signs of remodeling - the white dividers cordoning off the old ticket office, the scaffolding and fencing outside - the station is filled with reminders of the grandeur and flavor passenger rail travel possessed in the first part of the 20th century.   The marble and granite flooring and hallway entrances, the long heated wood benches, the frescos on the ceiling, and the chandelier, all serve to create an atmosphere which tends to send one back in time to that bygone era.   The stations I have traveled through (Portland, San Jose, Sacramento, Los Angeles) all have this “classic” vibe running through them.   It’s good to see that there are still efforts to maintain them, as they are much more than a departure and arrival point between places on a map.   They are departure and arrival points in places in time - functional museums, if you will. 

There are 12 days of upcoming motley to describe, so stay tuned for stories and tips, photos, and perhaps, even a video or two. 

7:50am.  Onboard the Coast Starlight.

The train was about 90 minutes late - I never got the reason for it and didn’t really care.  Given the distances these trains travel and how many things can possibly happen between point A and B, I felt that patience would be a virtue in this case.   My patience was, for the most part, rewarded as you'll see below.

The roomette I have for this trip, when configured, consists of two seats facing each other which fold together into a bed.   The upper bunk also folds out for an additional bed.   It’s somewhat cramped, but sufficient for trips requiring a one-night sleepover.    Plus, you get the benefits of having a sleeping car room: your meals are part of the fare, so no additional cash layout is necessary.   Snacks and alcoholic drinks, on the other hand, are on you.  

As soon as I played my head on the pillow and looked out the window, the show of scenery changes already began.  Just as I started drifting into sleep (at about 1:30am - the train was late), I saw a full moon piercing through the clouds, breaking up from the earlier rains.   Sitting up for a minute, I saw the skyline of Sacramento, lit up in gold hues and seeming to glow with an energy of its own.   With the gentle drone and rumble of the train and the occasional shutting of compartment doors, I fell asleep. 

I woke up to spectacular mountain scenery all around me as the sun rises.   The varying shades of green in the vast expanses of trees and clearing.   The cloud cover lower than the mountaintops and veiling them like brides, dressed in whisper-light snow cover.  Streams that cut their way through the landscape and wind their way around like jewelry worn by those brides.   A dreamscape all around you, in every window you look through.


This, more than anything else, provides the compelling relevance for interstate passenger train travel.   You can’t get these scenes on an airplane, or driving.  

Not to mention, you encounter the friendly company one meets when traveling.   I met a gentleman, who I suspect was retired and traveling alone, who had a series of multi-day journeys planned - on the California Zephyr, the Southwest Chief, and the Empire Builder were but a few of the routes he named.    A friendly conversation was had with someone who used to e a complete stranger - this is a phenomenon that I’ve been a party to on many a train trip. 

So the good news: friendly service, a decent-if-small-portioned breakfast which is included in the fare, the smooth, quiet ride, and the scenery.  Even with the inadvertent sideways dance one does while walking to various parts of the train (which is inevitable on any train you travel), the ride was comfortable.   

Now for the constructive feedback news: the blankets provided on the train had a peculiar smell to them.   At first, I thought it might be from the recirculated air, but when I woke up and took a whiff, my first though was:  OK, were these used before, and were these cleaned prior to turning over this compartment?  I asked the car attendant, who assured me that the blankets and sheets were wrapped in plastic and were clean.   Clean - OK. But that wrapped-in-plastic part: can somebody say “fuming”, “leaching”, or other processes plastics go through when exposed to heat of any kind?  Doesn’t sound too healthy to me - Amtrak, if you’re reading this, please look into this.   Also, after I got to my compartment and headed to the rest room, I noticed that there was no water pressure to the faucets, and after I had put liquid soap into my hands.   A few tissues took care of this minor issue, but my reaction to the lack of water pressure could be summed up in one non-word: “Hmmmmmm…”.   This issue was rectified by the time I woke up.  

Oh, and uh, one more thing:  WHERE IS THE INTERNET?
(It's in the Parlor, Observation, and Dining Cars.   In the sleepers, it's a dicier proposition.)

A word about pricing. If booked two weeks in advance, the Sacramento-to-Portland leg of this trip was listed at $447 one-way.   The price includes the train fare, the roomette, and meals.  Yes, it's steep - I was able to do it because I had accumulated enough points on an old Amtrak Rewards Credit Card from my days as a traveling consultant.  I highly recommend that if you want to take a trip like this - a multi-day trip involving sleeping accommodations - that you consider getting the new Amtrak Rewards card and accumulate the requisite points.  I used about 37,000 points in total for all of the train-based legs of the trip. 

More to come.   

Too Much...Megabus

I had that classic Who song running in my head this morning at before six, as I made my way via light rail to my first encounter with Megabus.   This is the newish bus service that promises direct-to-San Francisco-and-back-travel for really cheap (One dollar like they advertise? Come on, I thought!)  In most of my previous jaunts to the Bay Baghdad, I took Amtrak to Richmond, hopping on BART to whisk me in to the city proper.   As much as I love trains, I'm looking for a cheaper alternative, as are so many other people in this economy.   I saw one of their garish buses on the freeway (with the logo of a portly driver), looked them up on the Google machine, and decided, OK, I'll bite.  Let's see what this is about and if it compares to my other ways of getting to one of my favorite cities on the planet.  

I bought the tickets online earlier in the week.   Their fares work not unlike those of other long-distance travel providers - pricing is influenced by the time of day (demand) and distance.    The trips I took, had I decided to get unreserved seats (anywhere I wish on the double-decker bus), the entire trip would have cost about $13.   That isn't bad - at all.   I decided, however, that I could afford the $7/surcharge per way for reserved, premium seats - this brought the price, in total, to $34.    Greyhound, on the other hand, would have cost $18 for the same round trip, but if I wanted priority boarding and reserved seating, I would have paid $5 extra each way.   So, to take Megabus, you have to be willing to pay a $6 premium for the round trip.   What does that six dollars get you?   Unlike Greyhound, which has stops along the way, Megabus was an express trip - Sacramento straight to San Francisco, with the destination stop being two blocks away from AT&T Park.    But, there is a catch - no refunds for Megabus.  You can't "cancel" a trip, but you can use the value already paid for another trip in the future.   Both Amtrak and Greyhound have limitations on their refund policies, but if you purchase the right kind of ticket, you can get your money back.    Considering the relative value to me between Greyhound and Megabus, then - I consider it a bit of a wash.   

I got on the bus, climbed the staircase to the second deck (my first time on a double-decker!), and made my way to the seat reserved for me.   I thought that I was going to be inundated with advertising on every available inch of space in the interior - how else do they make money if their fares are so cheap?  That was not the case, however.  In fact, the interior was reminiscent of most of the charter-type buses I have been on.   Wi-Fi service is included, and there is a plug-in for your laptop or your cell phone underneath the seat.    What I had never seen on a bus before, however, was the introductory video, which is highly reminiscent of many of the videos you see on planes these days and replace the "show and tell" instructions for how to buckle a safety belt.    Once finished, it was speed-limit travel, contending with the expected slowdowns, all the way down to the destination.   

The verdict?  Greyhound takes you to more places but makes more stops along the way.   Megabus is an express service for just a bit over the price of a Greyhound ticket.    (By the way, Greyhound operates the BoltBus in some cities, which is designed to compete directly with Megabus in the cheapo express bus market.)   Neither one offers much in the way of frills, save for the stations Greyhound uses as opposed to Megabus' use of existing infrastructure.    If you need to get to where you want to go and are willing to pay just a bit more for express service with no in-between stops, then Megabus is the ticket.    If you're willing to sacrifice a bit of time for a few extra bucks' savings, then stick with the venerable 'Hound. 

Share and Share Not Alike

           Before I start getting into my East Coast Adventure 2.0, I think it wise to discuss a very recent development in the world of travel and getting around: the “sharing economy” as demonstrated by the success of Airbnb, Uber, and such apps.  

            First, what created the demand for services such as these?  What did their entrepreneurs see as opportunities? Here's how I see it:

1.     The price of taxi fares.   These can seem like highway robbery at times, in some cities more than others.    The fare of a taxi from the Sacramento Train Station to my place, for example, was just short of $50, not including the tip.   This fare, in theory at least, can be halved with a service like Uber, if you’re not caught in the high-demand periods that trigger Uber’s notorious “surge pricing”;

2.     Idle cars and idle car owners.    Why have cars just sit unused, when the time they sit, and the time their owners otherwise sit, can be used to generate revenue for themselves and a dispatch organization like Uber?   Or for that matter, a homeowner who can use the extra cash and has an extra room in his/her house can rent out that room through a service like Airbnb?  Empty, sitting cars and empty, sitting rooms equal potential revenue opportunities;

3.     The consumer, by booking through Airbnb, stays in a private home (much like a Bed and Breakfast), getting to know the owner of that home, potentially saving money over a comparable hotel, and getting to know the area on a more personal level.

            I’m all in favor of economic and technological innovation.   These two apps are certainly representative of this innovation which capitalism can breed.   For example, I was tempted to use Uber in at least a portion of my recent East Coast jaunt.    I didn’t in part, because of habit, but also because of a bit of uncertainty about the “product” I was purchasing if I go through Uber: how familiar are the drivers with the roads and the short cuts?  Will he/she need to constantly refer to a GPS app or device, or do they know the area like the back of his/her hand?   What about insurance – is there any difference between a taxicab and an Uber car in this regard, and if the car should be involved in an accident, will I be held liable in any way?   Taxis were more of a known quantity to me, and for the most part, the drivers I worked with knew where to go and how to get there.    I’ve yet to use Airbnb, so I can’t comment about that specific service.   The hotels I have stayed at, for the most part, have represented what I feel to be good values for my travel dollars – though they have had their quirks and have been far from perfect.     I’m sure that Airbnb listings may be the same way, in their own ways. 

            “Disruptive” is a word commonly used to describe the impact of these new apps.    This word is an understatement if there ever was one, as witnessed by the recent violent reaction to Uber by taxi drivers in France.   The attorney general in New York has launched an investigation into Airbnb, subpoenaing information from Airbnb in what the organization described as a fishing expedition.   A similar situation erupted in San Francisco, which led to the passing of a new city ordinance allowing for the short-term rental of rooms through services such as Airbnb.   Whether New York and other cities make a similar move remains to be seen, depending on the relative strength of the high tech lobby vs. the hospitality companies such as Hilton, et. al.  

            Taxi drivers have especially felt this disruption.    It isn’t just that Uber drivers can undercut typical taxi pricing.    Taxi drivers, and taxi companies, pay for the right to drive taxis in municipalities through the purchase of medallions, which can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars each.    When the drivers retire, they sell the medallions, which often represents a substantial part of their retirement savings.    This entire system is under threat by the Uber business model.  

            Hoteliers, similarly, see the new business model offered by Airbnb as cutting into their profits.   When one compares the offerings on Airbnb to those of a comparable quality hotel in a given locality, it’s often easy to see why – an Airbnb listing will typically not carry the same costs as a hotel room run by a business (labor, overhead, etc.).   Additionally, Airbnb has been blamed for declines in affordable housing in certain areas such as New York City, further driving up rents and forcing those unable to afford those rents out of those cities.        

            So, what to do?   Who is right in this?

            Here’s my take.  When a new technology such as Airbnb or Uber comes into existence and “goes viral”, all affected sides must be taken into consideration for there to be a smooth transition with as little impact to people’s livelihoods as possible.   The business community and markets will handle their profit drive just fine, but who is looking out for the consumers and those businesses and individuals whose livelihood will be adversely affected by this “disruption”?  Who is speaking for them?  This is typically the role of government agencies and the regulations they enforce, which in the United States is a patchwork of differing laws from state to state and city to city.    These laws are just now starting to address these technologies (see San Francisco’s response to Airbnb), and will need to continue to be addressed, with government involvement, if all sides are to get along in this transition.    

          What do you think of these new arrangements?   Please comment...

 

           

           

Change in Approach

Allright, I have an apology to make.  I wrote checks my bandwidth and energy levels could not cash over the last two weeks. 

The entire ten days has been a constant go-go-go, for reasons I'll explain in succeeding posts.   Finding time, then, for doing daily posts has been quite the challenge.   So, my apologies. 

Intead, you will see posts dealing with various aspects of the trip, and comparisons between the two cities on those aspects.    I'll compare the transit systems, the ease in getting around without a car, the hotels I stayed at, the attractions between two cities, restaurants, and other things.   I won't be completely married to this approach, but I'm thinking this is the best to take at this time. 

As you'll see, I've got a lot to say.  Stay tuned!

Day One - NYC - Blamin' it all on the Lights on Broadway

So begins the journey and the adventure.  The following are entries from my journal, duly edited for grammar and content.   

SFO, Terminal 3. Near Gate 64, waiting for flight 637 to NYC, due to depart at 1:10.

Took a taxi to the train station, to catch the 7:00 Capitor Corridor.   This taxi trip, for a 12 mile jaunt,  set me back $50 - no wonder Uber is gaining in popularity. Any of you cabbies or cab companies taking notes? (They’re literally getting violent over this in France!) This tells me what to do when I get back home – take the light rail, and call for a taxi or Uber a few stops before I get to the Mather Field station.   $2.50 for the light rail ride plus the cheapo trip from the station to my place - lesson hopefully valid and learned.  

The Amtrak leg of the trip, from Sacramento to Richmond,  was pleasantly uneventful. Just a bottle of water and cinnamon roll, a clear morning day in the North East Bay Area, and a few games of backgammon on my smart phone. So far, so good.  

BART was a bit, uh, CLUMSY. I got to experience that in all of its permutations in one hour – sitting with a few people, standing with a stuffed car, transferring from one train to another, pushy people who cut lines,  and riding the entire length of the line from Richmond to SFO,  all while hauling my carry-on AND my roll-aboard, which had to be checked in since it was too big for the sizing models United uses.  By the way, as a tip, the airlines are tightening up their enforcement of the baggage-size limits – an argument for using the Rick Steves no-rollers backpack if your back and shoulders will allow for it.) Right now, you can’t ask for better weather, even with the little bits of haze that graced the San Francisco Hills.

I arrived at SFO, about three hours before my departure.  A pastiche of races, colors, ages, dress styles pass me by and come towards me as I angle my way toward my gate, and taking the escalators up and down to the check-in point. I have pre-TSA clearance, so I was surprised to see that so many other people did, as well. The security lines are more lax for those flyers with this clearance - no taking off of your belt, and you can leave your shoes on - just empty your pockets and put your carry-ons through the machine.   I discovered that my blue roll-along was too big even with all of my trying to scrunch it into its sizing model, then was directed to a wonderful lady who took my photo ID and my $25 credit card payment for the bag. This means that I’ll get to experience another part of JFK that I didn’t previously (and would rather not have to if I had my way about it) – the baggage claim area. A new route to the Jamaica station Airtrain will be found in this way, as well.

The flight itself was delayed by two hours, due to an issue with the pilot being unavailable and United having to call a last-minute replacement.   Now, just as a suggestion - when an airline screws up like this, would it not behoove them to compensate the inconvenienced passengers?    Nothing fancy - just some small token of appreciation in the form of a travel voucher, points on the mileage plan, or some other goodie, would be a nice gesture at these times.    In the meantime, I did what most people would do during those wait times: I ate very expensive airport food.    That's how they get you.  

Because of this little inconvenience, I called the hotel and told them that I was going to be late checking in because of my flight.   The Hotel Pennsylvania was gracious enough to pre-register me, so I kept my room.    (This is another tip I suggest, in case you're caught in the same situation).  

The flight itself was uneventful, which is always a good thing.    The entertainment options - movies, TV Shows, music, etc - were all complimentary and available to each seat through the touch screens.  I checked out two episodes of the Foo Fighters' excellent series (don't miss it!).    But I've got a beef with gogoinflight.com.    Their rates for inflight WiFi have skyrocketed to the completely unreasonable.   For this jaunt, 30 minutes of on-line time would have set me back $10, and I would have had to pay $34 for access for the entire flight.   Unless I'm writing it off to an expense account, I'd have to be absolutely CRAZY to bite at those absurd rates, especially when they were considerably cheaper not too many years ago.   Gogoinflight.com can eat it, as far as I'm concerned.  

We landed at 11:30 EST, waited an average amount of time for the luggage to drop down into the Terminal 7 carousel, and started out toward the Airtrain to Jamaica Station.   The walk was not nearly as long as my prior trip (or at least, didn't seem as long).   The Airtrain fare, payable at the end of the journey, is $5.   I paid this, with my $2.50 subway fare and $1 surcharge, hopped on the E train, and began my 45 minute journey to the 34th street station.  

I arrived at 1:15am,  got into the room, set up shop, and slept for the next four or so hours (I lost count, I was so brain dead).   

I've got more tomorrow, on the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum, and a few other things.   Stay Tuned! 

T Minus Three Days...

Three more days.

Actually, two more days and I'm not keeping exact track of the hours, before I begin my next Eastern Seaboard jaunt.  

Here's how the starting out will go down.   On Wednesday, July 1, I will place a call for a taxi, probably at around 5:00am.    Said taxi will whisk me to the train station for the 7:00 edition of the Capitol Corridor, which will wind its way through the North East Bay Area (itself a lovely ride, when at the right time day and weather conditions.)   My Amtrak leg ends in Richmond, where I transfer to BART, and just ride the full length of the line all the way down to SFO.    No glitches or delays in either legs of the rail trip mean that I will have two hours to wait.   Two hours should be plenty of time for the security line and negotiating the people movers to my gate.  At 1:00 pm, I should be onboard, hearing the safety instructions which I've heard literally one hundred times before.   

Gotham awaits.   So does Brooklyn, Beantown, and northward to Portland, ME.   

I'm committing myself to one post per day, at a minimum.    Expect tips, reviews, some pics, perhaps even a video or two.    

I'm ready.