The usual morning scramble to finish all the little things that need to be done before taking a trip. A trip to Target on the way to the train station to get the last few things and the box carrying all my gear could be taped shut. A the train station as I checked in my two boxes (one containing my bike, the other all my gear), I looked on as they weighed them. As predicted, it was heavy; 37 pounds for the bike, and about 48 for the gear, making a total of 85 which seems like a lot. Going to have to think about that, and see if I can get that down some. Or maybe redistribute some of that towards the front, since all of the weight will be toward the back of the bike (except for some of the bike weight). Once I get to Kansas and actually start riding it, I'll be able to make a better assessment if any adjusting needs to be done.
It's been surprising in the buildup to this trip how many people can relate to some aspect of it. In any group I told about it, there as always at least one person who had taken the train to Denver, and many knew someone who had undertaken some kind of long tour like this, though it seems doing it by motorcycle is more common. At the train station, the attendant showing is to the train was a lady from the Midwest who had ridden the Katy Trail in Missouri, and the man I was seated next to on the train recommended the Mammoth Caves in Kentucky. So it seems we'll see some cool stuff out on the road. Not that that was actually in doubt, but it's still good to hear.
As for the train ride itself, it's a neat experience. Very different than flying. First, the seats are much bigger and spacious, with ample leg room and above seat storage. The train is also much quieter than an airplane. I imagine it's a lot like flying first-class, but having never actually done that, must leave it as a guess. The second big thing is the station experience. There's no real security screening, so checking your bags is easy and you can walk directly to the platform. There were a couple of sheriffs milling around asking where you bought your tickets (online? at the station?) which I thought was an interesting question, and where people were going, but that was it. Maybe they can tell just by watching your reactions and answers to those questions if you're up to something shady (or maybe I watch too much Lie To Me) or maybe they're just providing a presence. Either way, boarding the train is a painless experience. And lastly, and perhaps the biggest thing contributing to a positive experience is that the people on the train want to be on the train. You don't really take a train to get somewhere. You take the train to see the country from the ground and have the train experience. Nobody actually wants to be on a plane, they want to be where they're going, and that makes people grumpy. Couple that with the cramped, uncomfortable nature of planes and it's no surprise that flying can bring out the worst in people. The train has none of these shortcomings other than being a rather slow way to travel. So if you have time, trains are cool.
Of the trip there's little to report. We went up through the Sierras which are lovely, and it was overcast and rainy. The only downside is the train is a little chilly, like they have the air conditioning set a bit too cold. Not too big of a deal. And with a big bag of food mom packed for me, I was set for the long haul. Overall, not a bad first day of travel.
At the station waiting to board
There's my luggage headed to the train, the two boxes on the very back of the cart.
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