One of the reasons we moved to Trinidad had to do with transportation. As awful as it is to comtemplate, there will probably come a time when neither of us will be able to drive. While we still drive, Trinidad is located directly on Interstate 25 and two other interstate highways are accessable. There is a local transporation system that runs a bus on a regular circuit and also has smaller vehicles for specialized transportation. This service goes to Raton and Walsenberg and twice a week goes to Pueblo for medical appointments.
The other long distance transportation is the AmTrak line that stops in Trinidad. The train is the "Southwest Chief" and runs daily between Chicago and Los Angeles. We have relatives at both end of the line. It is possible to transfer to the "River Runner" in Kansas City and go to St. Louis. We decided to take the "Southwest Chief" to Chicago to visit are new grandson (and family, of course). The bus in Trinidad picked us up at our house and dropped us off at the train station.
The eastbound train arrives in Trinidad at 4:46 p.m. and arrives in Chicago at 3:15 p.m. the next day. The only problem is that freight trains take priority over AmTrak and this can play havoc with the schedule. The train was 45 minutes late getting into Trinidad. Despite further delays, the train was only 1 hour late getting into Chicago. As an aside, it would be easy to get upset over these delays but if you think about it, it is no worse than being delayed by a traffic accident, slow service in a restaurant, or oversleeping at a motel. It is a delay of about 4%. The cost was about half of what it would cost and took only one-third of the time to drive. The cost was about the same as flying but without the discomfort.
So we boarded the train, were shown to our reserved seats and set off across the high plains of eastern Colorado and Kansas. The views were good - ranches and cattle, pronghorns and a coyote, Fisher's Peak as we left Trinidad, and a rising full moon over the prairie. It was more enjoyable than either driving or flying.
We went to the dining car for dinner. DMM had roasted chicken with rice pilaf and green beans and I had pork loin with mustard sauce, creamed spinach, and wheat bulgar. The food was excellent and the cost was no more than it would have been in a typical restaurant. The service was very good. For breakfast the next morning we went the beverage and snack bar in the observation car and ate while we watched the Missouri and Iowa landscape. Lunch was again in the dining car - hamburgers, chips and iced tea.
On the evening of the first night, the attendant came to the car, distributed pillows, and adjusted the lights. The seats are wider than airline seats and there is probably three times as much leg room. The seats reclined and were as comfortable as a reclining chair at home. What was missing was the television and a glass of Tulamore Dew. We slept the night in the coach car. Any complaints about sleeping are due to our age and physical conditions rather than the accommodations.
Returning home we called the bus from LaJunta and it met us at the station and took us home.
All in all, the train ride was enjoyable. It was much nicer than flying or driving. Both DMM and I would do it again. We would like to try a sleeping car, if we can afford it. It is really a shame that train travel isn't more widely used and available in this country. I guess it says something about the power of the airlines and highway departments.
