Yes we made it to Florida and back on the renown Auto Train - and thanks for all the well wishes and good thoughts we needed them all. Also thanks to you who are using our adventure as an experiment to see if you should travel this way with your own families..... well it was quite an adventure but think overall the family had a great time - not want to travel this way next week great but fun.
We left from scenic Lorton VA and left our SUV to be loaded onto the many cars that trail the train carrying every one's cars. We then had some quality time in the station where we chased Nino around for an hour before we loaded (see note below). Once on board our little cabin was perfectly nice - it had one large couch and a small seating area with pull out tables at both ends. We were lucky enough to have the early (5:00pm) dinner seating both times which was a hazard to our beloved nap time which the boys enjoyed the moment the lulling of the moving train began. After dinner there was plenty of time for gazing out the window, activities and of course wrestling your little brother in our tiny confined space. Afterwards we got the boys dressed for bed and the attendant got the beds ready (which really were not bad sand David in the poor sardine can bunk - but he does love sardines). Everyone slept well and then in the morning we pulled everyone out of bed for breakfast in the dining car and we were less then an hour to our destination at that point. You are off-loaded into again very scenic Sanford, FL and it took only about twenty minutes to get the car back and on the road for the two hour drive from there to PopPop's house. It was a long trip but really interesting and so glad to know there is an option there for non family flight loving Daddys. HA!
So here are the top 10 things we learned on the Auto Train -
10) Logistics - the thing is 3/4 of a mile long and thus the longest passenger train in existence in the country. The thing is huge and the passenger portion is actually double decker - carrying over 600 persons and something like 250 cars and 40 motorcycles. Crazy! There were a lot of families but since tis the season we think most of the rest of the year it is more likely populated with all of Pop's neighbors the snowbirds.
9) It seems that "Wolly World" rules are in tact and if you are one of the last cars loaded you will be one of relatively first to see your car again - this is important when everyone is exhausted and ready to "move." The only issue with being one of the last persons there is you do get the 5:00 dinner seating which is fine but a little hard with the little ones. Then you have a lot of time after dinner for rambunctiousness. We also brought little Nino's stroller on the way home so boarding, waiting and getting around was easier - well a little easier - HA!
8) We did have a very nice cabin which is a luxury - it seems the vast majority of persons travel on the auto train in one of the coach cabins. This is not ideal and does not get you into the nice sleeper dining car and lounge that we enjoyed. Also think there were some very large families traveling to see the mouse together and you could be traveling with 26 people from the Jones family proudly from Ohio.
7) People who visit Florida - I have someone to introduce you to - his name is "SUNBLOCK" do yourselves a favor and become friends. I can not believe that people still get sunburned like that and this from the person married to a crazy Italian who loves to get sun covered in his old school banana boat coconut oil.
6) Yes people still smoke - this must be miserable on the train - they were always the last people on and the first people off to get "air." Also there was only smoking in the downstairs lounge car which was literally still haze filled when we pulled into the station. urgh!
5) Yes Jessica Simpson it does seem that Mom Jeans are alive and well and very popular in some "un-named" Midwest states. The same can be said for crazy tattoos, children in desperate need of haircuts (ADL being one of them) and women in much more bare dressing then required. This is all given up to be "Florida" by my husband and I get it - enjoy! Just don't expect me not to stare a little.
4) The food was actually quite good - the dinner was a white linen three course and the beef was quite good. They serve you as much wine as you can drink - likely to help all those blue hairs sleep a little better - and they were very nice to the kids. Breakfast was a simple continental but just what we all needed to get going (mostly good coffee for Daddy).
3) There are facilities on the train but there were none in our cabin - the family cabin we had was the largest but does not have it's own attached. There are two in the car and only a few steps away so that was easy - not as nice as an airplane but better then Penn Station is all I have to say about that. We literally bathed in purell and wipes and temporarily set ADL back on potty training for the two days of the trip.
2) The Amtrak people were actually really nice. They were!!!! This I know after years about complaining about Amtrak as I went back and forth from DC to NYC on the northwest lines. The attendants were nice and so were the wait staff for dining. This must be a renegade branch inside Amtrak because also brace yourself we arrived over an hour early on return...... Yes Virginia that is how the Auto Train rolls....
1) The perfect "activity packs" that we had for each boy were useful - these included toys, books, crafts, coloring (thanks Amy) and anything we thought would entertain them. The only problem they were done with the backpacks before we actually left the station and looking for excitement. So on the way back we did break down and buy a personal DVD (thanks Alex and Kate we knew you were right) which did entertain everyone - after all what fun is seeing America when you can see Caillou and Thomas????
Hope that answers all your questions - anyone ready to go???
All ABOARD!
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