4 April 2024 - Lakeshore Limited to NYC
Left Chicago area on Thursday, April 4 for our Grand Tour of Europe! An overnight train ride to New York City, a few days in the Big Apple, then a 16 day cruise to Rome, Italy. From there, we will be visiting Italy and London before heading back to New York for a few more days of tourista stuff. It’s been nine months of planning and lots of work getting ready and then adding onto it the excitement of our new grandbaby and the time has just flown. Am going to miss the little guy and his parents, but when we get back, we will be ready for Bennysitting assignments!
Started at Chicago Union Station where we boarded the LakeShore Limited for a 22 hour trip to Penn Station, NYC. The route passed through much of the same area we traveled two summers ago. Weather was dreary, the views were of late winter, so lots of grey and brown. Overall, not the great views that we were treated to when we took the train from Los Angeles to Chicago. It will be much prettier in the summer.
 |
Chris met us at Chicago Union Station so he could drive the truck home. One final hug and we are gone.
|
 |
The Amtrak engine is capable of speeds up to 90 mph. The day we left Chicago, New York had a magnitude 4.8 earthquake and the trains were going slower while the tracks were checked for damage. This was especially true the closer we got to NYC.
|
 |
| Our train car for the next 22 hours. We had a sleeper room, which is a whole lot more comfortable than sitting in coach. It wasn’t the cleanest car, especially on the outside. The windows definitely needed a washing. |
 |
| A view of Westpoint on the other side of the Hudson River. The train traveled down the Hudson River Valley from Albany to near NYC. Still one of the prettiest areas we have visited. |
 | | Western New York State still had snow and there weren't many signs of Spring arriving just yet. |
|
