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This past Christmas/New Year we (myself, husband John, our eight year old
daughter Heidi, and our six year old son Kory) made ourselves known to
Amtrak. We boarded the train in Portland - we were seated upstairs, and
travelled to San Francisco. The sights were wonderful [the return journey
was even better because the daylight hours were opposite to the outgoing
journey] and we enjoyed it very much. I had made the children their own
'Smiley' fleece blankets and pillows and a snazzy backpack (for Christmas)
to carry them in, and they were able to use them to the full. The meals
were really good, although I had packed a lot to eat and that helped a
great deal.
San Francisco was delightful; we visited the Exploratorium, the Steinhart
Aquarium, the SF Zoo, an Asian Art Museum, a couple of other museums (whose
names escape me) and if memory serves, these were free because of our
Portland science museum and zoo membership cards which operate on a
reciprocal basis. We also walked both ways across the Golden Gate Bridge
(I piggy-backed Kory on the way back - he wasn't used to walking that
length!) - we started out in fog but came back in sunshine. We were able
to stay at a clean, old family hotel (top (4th) floor) with our own
kitchenette.
Oh yes...we did get to see Haight-Ashbury and some obvious hangovers from
the 60's. Christmas morning the children opened their family presents
('Santa's were reserved back in Portland for our return) and stockings and
enjoyed the excitement nonetheless. We enjoyed SF very much and feel that
we will go back. We only really scratched the surface and as the children
mature I feel that the list of desirable sights to see will also increase.
New Year's Eve we boarded the train just outside San Francisco (via
shuttlebus) and travelled on down to Simi Valley. I forgot to mention that
on the train there is a children's room where they have 'space' to move,
toys to play with, videos to watch, and a place to meet other kids. There
is a 'resident' magician on the train and every day he gives a show and
blows fascinating balloon shapes for the children. On the first leg of our
train trip on Christmas Eve there as a Santa who came to visit the
children, take their wishes and hand out party favors. We have this
videotaped, and when Heidi sat on Santa's lap and he asked her want she
wanted for Christmas, she remarked that there were a couple of things she
wanted. At this point I think Santa braced himself for the worst, and
Heidi shared with him that she wanted 'paper and pencils,.....and a
telescope'!
Before this sounds like something out of a bizarre Dickensian 'Christmas
Carol' you need to understand that our daughter ploughs through paper and
pencil like a beaver. She draws daily and her room frequently has to be
rescued from a rising tide of successful/semi-successful/unsuccessful
attempts. The telescope is still on the Christmas list.
After a week in Southern California (not long enough), it was time for us
to return home....this time we boarded the train for a single journey back
to Portland. At least also the menu changed because of the direction we
were going. The menus per trip reflect
the cuisine of the point of departure. Hence we enjoyed NW cuisine
outbound and California/Baja inbound. As this trip was a budget one we
didn't get to taste all of the meals we would have liked to. I forgot to
mention that on our return trip we spent more time in the observation
lounge upstairs and there was an elderly English gentleman who obviously
had spent some time in the NW who acted as a narrator/guide as we travelled
back through the mountains.
The children made friends as they went. Heidi even struck up a
conversation with a young mother travelling with her baby son. Heidi spent
some time down at the girl's seat chatting with her. She was a young
mother whose husband was with the coast guard away at sea and she was
making the rounds of the relatives. On the trip from SF to Simi Valley
Heidi and Kory made friends with a young girl and her mother, a fire
fighter, who were returning from scoping out new accommodations for when
they relocate for a summer training session.
We are entirely determined that we will Amtrak again. Next time we will
go first class and book a family room. This will have beds that are made
up everyday, all our meals will be paid for, there is a separate lounge
with a book/video library and we will still have the freedom to roam the
train.
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