SUMMER 1997 AMTRAK TRAVELOGUE
                           PART VII - THE HIAWATHA

by Carol Larsen
   ka9hfa@itol.com

TUESDAY, JULY 8, 1997

Lenzie Hedrick was right about the Metropolitan Lounge.  The attendant at
the counter said I could indeed use the lounge, since I had been a First
Class passenger on the Southwest Chief, even though I was waiting for a
coach-only train.  She looked at my tickets, wrote my train number 339 on
three stickers for the bags I would put in the holding area, and gave me a
pass to show when I took my bags out to catch the Hiawatha.

After awhile, I saw Lenzie and thanked him for the tip about the lounge.  It
was much nicer waiting there than in the Hiawatha waiting room by the north
tracks.  I again enjoyed a soda and soft chair, while I listened to
"Jeopardy" on the TV.  The lounge was fairly crowded, but cleared out
considerably when the westbound Southwest Chief was called.

I thought back to sitting there almost three weeks before, waiting to board
the Empire Builder.  I felt a bit sad that my trip was almost over, but
recalled all the experiences I had, sights I saw, and people I met.  Those,
after all, are the main reasons for me to travel.  I live in a beautiful,
scenic area and could otherwise be well satisfied with enjoying my home,
yard, friends, and local activities.  It's just a shame that so far none of
my friends have been interested in riding trains with me!

The time passed quickly and soon came the Hiawatha boarding call.
Collecting my luggage, I showed the pass to the attendant.  It was a
straight shot down the hall to the right from the lounge door, bringing me
to Gate B for the Hiawatha.  I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't as
crowded as sometimes on a summer weekday.  I supposed most people were
settled at home again after the 4th of July weekend.

The conductor, Mr. Hildebaugh, lifted my suitcase up the steps behind me and
I placed it in a large luggage/wheelchair area behind the last seats.  There
were only aisle seats available, but there was a vacant one for me just
ahead of my luggage.  Looking around the car, I noticed something that I
hadn't observed before on the Hiawatha.  Half of the seats faced one way and
half faced the other way, all facing toward the center of the car.  Since
the Hiawatha operates in a push/pull mode, this arrangement allowed half of
the passengers in the car to face the same direction in which the train was
traveling.  As it turned out, I was riding facing backwards.  This doesn't
bother me and it was to my advantage to stay there, close to my suitcase and
the door that would open when we arrived in Milwaukee.

The Hiawatha seldom experiences delays in its 1-1/2 hour run.  It has no
connections in Milwaukee and doesn't have to wait in Chicago for late
connections because there are other Hiawatha runs after the connections come
in.  Consequently, it generally leaves Chicago on time and arrives in
Milwaukee on time.  We left Chicago at 5:08 PM and arrived in Milwaukee at
6:45 PM.

Shortly before arriving at the station in Milwaukee, I had my first ever
view of the circus train from Baraboo, WI.  There is always much publicity
in the summer about the circus train coming to Milwaukee and about the
circus parade while the circus is in town.  Whatever mental picture I had of
the circus train was conservative, to say the least.  I have no idea how
many multi-colored circus wagons on parked flatbed rail cars we passed in
the railroad yard.  It was like a freight train that seems to never end.

When the train stopped in the station in Milwaukee, I was pleasantly
surprised to find myself detraining directly opposite the doors into the
station.  Most other times when I returned from a trip, the train has pulled
in on the other track.  That meant I had to haul my luggage down the
platform and a ramp, through a passageway under the tracks, and up another
ramp on the other side before entering the station.  This time I was in the
station in short order.

I expected to find my ride, Gary, standing back further, out of the bulk of
waiting friends and relatives.  Suddenly I heard a female voice calling,
"Carol!"  It was my friend Susan, who rode down with Gary to surprise me.
The three of us had an enjoyable ride home, discussing my adventures,
filling me in on the latest happenings in my absence, and stopping for ice
cream along the way.  Even with the ice cream stop, I was home by 10:00 PM.
The best culmination of the long trip was coming home to pleasantly cool
temperatures and a yard that was still green and thriving from adequate
rain.

When I began this trip in June, I didn't know what to expect regarding
equipment quality, service, and crew morale, due to Amtrak's continuing
problems over funding and the recent route cuts.  In evaluating the entire
trip, I have nothing but praise for the operating and service crews on all
the routes on which I traveled.  If anything, the level of service and
quality in equipment, meals, and amenities I encountered was at an all-time
high.

For comparison, the itinerary of the trip as it actually progressed:

         CITY       TIME      DAY  DATE   CARRIER            SVC. CLASS

DEPART:  MILWAUKEE  12:35 PM  SAT  06-14  HIAWATHA           UNRESERVED
ARRIVE:  CHICAGO     2:07 PM  SAT  06-14
         AUNT COMING FROM CALIFORNIA
         DRAKE HOTEL
         140 E. WALTON PLACE
         CHICAGO, IL 60610

DEPART:  CHICAGO     4:05 PM  THU  06-19  EMPIRE BUILDER     STD BEDRM
ARRIVE:  PORTLAND   10:25 AM  SAT  06-21                      2730-07

DEPART:  PORTLAND    3:00 PM  SAT  06-21  COAST STARLIGHT    STD BEDRM
ARRIVE:  SACRAMENTO  8:30 PM  SUN  06-22                      1132-03
         VAGABOND INN
         SACRAMENTO, CA

DEPART:  SACRAMENTO  6:50 AM  MON  06-23  AMERICA WEST AIR.  COACH
ARRIVE:  PHOENIX, AZ 8:44 AM  MON  06-23   FLIGHT 2546        20F

DEPART:  PHOENIX    11:49 AM  MON  06-23  AMERICA WEST AIR.  COACH
ARRIVE:  SALT LAKE   2:21 PM  MON  06-23   FLIGHT 2805        16D
         NATIONAL RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY CONVENTION
         LITTLE AMERICA HOTEL & TOWERS
         500 S. MAIN STREET
         SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84101

DEPART:  SALT LAKE   1:05 AM  SUN  06-29  CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR  STD BEDRM
ARRIVE:  EMERYVILLE  6:00 PM  SUN  06-29                      0533-05

DEPART:  EMERYVILLE  6:25 PM  SUN  06-29  THRUWAY BUS
ARRIVE:  SAN FRAN.   6:45 PM  SUN  06-29
         WESTIN ST. FRANCIS HOTEL
         335 POWELL STREET
         SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102

BEGIN:   SAN FRAN.   8:15 AM  MON  06-30  GLOBUS TOURS - CALIFORNIA
END:     SAN DIEGO   BRKFAST  SUN  07-06    COAST VACATION
                                            TOUR # AD0628

DEPART:  SAN DIEGO  12:30 PM  SUN  07-06  RIDE FROM BRUCE, A FRIEND
ARRIVE:  OCEANSIDE   1:30 PM  SUN  07-06
         VISIT WITH AUNT AT HER HOME

DEPART:  OCEANSIDE   6:25 PM  SUN  07-06  SAN DIEGANS        UNRESERVED
ARRIVE:  FULLERTON   7:51 PM  SUN  07-06

DEPART:  FULLERTON   9:23 PM  SUN  07-06  SOUTHWEST CHIEF    STD BEDRM
ARRIVE:  CHICAGO     3:15 PM  TUE  07-08                      0430-10

DEPART:  CHICAGO     5:08 PM  TUE  07-08  HIAWATHA           UNRESERVED
ARRIVE:  MILWAUKEE   6:45 PM  TUE  07-08
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Copyright 1997 by Carol Larsen