NOL 5 New Orleans, LA 2009
Amtrak #20 "Crescent" NOL, "the Crescent city" back home to Birmingham
You never drink twice from the same stream.
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Short 3 to 5 day trips are always fun especially when you get to travel cheap.
heading back home on Amtrak. I Love Amtrak!
Trains define the power of America,... the industrial know-how and labor that built not only the trains... but the railroads that built America to be an industrial power. Also see the -- Trains,... post on the ITW blog http://stonebeartracks.blogspot.com/2010/12/trains.html
No, we don't have high speed rail like other progressive thinking countries... ie... the Eurostar / chunnel train from London to Paris and Blegium. Or high speed rail in Japan or China; we have Amtrak and it is fun to ride.
The Tracks of the StoneBear rule is: Do not want what you do not have; enjoy what is at hand and the gifts provided for you in a day.
The plan on this short trip to the big easy was, fly down, Amtrak back to Birmingham. The Southwest flight down was ridiculously cheap. Birmingham to NOL; $49. 3 days in the big easy and now time to hop on Amtrak back to BHM,... like $36 ; the best travel bargain i know. (now it's $57)... still a bargain.
You get a united cab at 5;30 to 6am to union station. (Not that easy when you were out late in the French Quarter-- and saw the ponies at midnight.) Maybe 15 blocks away from Canal street ... $15 & always... always, tip the guys well... $10 minimum. It;s worth it and the guys are out hustling a buck. I like that.
Check in at union station at 6;15. It's also the greyhound bus terminal at an adjacent counter... it's a good/ interesting people watching place.
The Amtrak agent will ask you if you want to upgrade to a mini sleeper -roomette- compartment... for like $39 extra. Take it! It includes meals in the dining car and you can nap some on the sleeper beds rather than the coach seats... which are ok to nap.
The # 20 Amtrak "Crescent" -- named for the Crescent city of New Orleans-- leaves at 7am; destination New York City via BHM- ATL- CLT- DC- BALT- PHL- a great route . But going back to BHM, or Atlanta(for like $46) is a true bargain.
The coach is cool from the AC, slowly pulls out and on the right side is the NOL superdome, site of recent Katrina disaster history. About 20 minutes later you go across Lake Ponchatrain; beautiful at sunrise.
Steam rising off the lake. Water/ lake forever. And soon back on land... a stop in Sliddell& Picayunne, LA for a few minutes. Then you start picking up speed and heading north through the Mississipii small towns and rural countryside.
I love The South. I grew up in it and understand it, and it's people. Seeing the rural south and it's poverty may upset some... but there is a rich southern culture in these places. Southerners are a proud people in any town.
Now one of the true treats of life is when they open the dining car and you walk up the asiles, rocking back and forth w/ the rock of the cars, holding onto the seat backs for stability, and you get to the dinning car(past the canteen car),... and smell bacon cooking. Oh,... this is going to be good.
An immaculate Amtrak dining car w/ a half-dozen booths on each side of the center asile, you're seated at a booth with the Amtrak white linen tablecloths,... silverware in cloth napkins, and the steward smiling asks if you'd like to start with "Coffee or Orange juice?" BOTH, is the correct answer!
Seated at a booth with other travelers you get to meet people on their journey. Our new friends were on the way home from their honeymoon in NOL. This is the real South!
Being served breakfast... bacon and eggs... and of course... Grits... real grits, not instant grits, which any true southern boy knows the difference... w/ a couple of biscuits... rolling 60 mph through the Mississippii countryside of farms and small towns... I have to borrow the phrase, " It just don't git no better than this". Only sausage gravy w/ the biscuits could make it better.
Back to coach seats and stretch out, liesure travel... the clickity clack of the rails encourages a nap, or read a little. Cool AC, almost need a blanket. Some travelers are snoozing from being up in the casinos all night.
Short stops in Hattiesburg.. home of the Southern Miss "Golden Eagles", Laurel, Meridian, past the white chalk cliffs of the Black Warrior river, Tennessee- Tombigbee waterway, catfish farms.... The South for sure.
About 10 miles before Tuscaloosa you go by Moundville, ALabama; 800 years ago the center of the universe of the Missippian era indian culture... and then Tuscaloosa- home of The Bear,... THE University of Alabama, picturesque old train station... past the universitys athletic practice complex, past DCH where Moosedude worked. (now you can see some of the 2011 tornado damage)
After Tuscaloosa, lunch in the dining car-- WOW again. And tip the stewards well; they're hard working and very friendly!
The run up to Birmingham... the slow entrance on the west side of Birmingham... I have to tell you... no other way... breaks my heart. In the '70s the steel mills closed down and the jobs evaporated from this side of Jefferson county. It;s appearant the homes need upkeep from families hanging on and struggeling after the loss of capital on this side of town; this is the south. Still proud people making due; we have to fix this country. It is up to us.
The Birmingham Amtrak station is an embarrassment. Looks like a run down greyhound bus station. There used to be a magnificent union station in Birmingham... and they tore it down. It was run down from neglect ... also something to do w/ the history of Jim Crow separate "white / colored" facilities ;... maybe to close that ugly chapter of the south. It was said that with the civil rights demonstrations the previously segregated station was on the chopping block for closure. Changes in Birmingham rumored that the new administration would not support anything with the word "dixie" in it or associated with past oppression. The Heart of Dixie Railroad association was in the deteriorating station and moved to Calera. It was a grand station in the 1920's.
But 3 blocks away is the Historic Alabama Theater -The Showplace of the South- and downtown. Back home in birmingham; no place like The South! You get a chance to Amtrak from NOL back to BHM, ATL or points north; you take it!
NOL 5 New Orleans, LA 2009
Amtrak # 20 "Crescent" NOL "the Crescent city" back home to Birmingham
Short 3 to 5 day trips are always fun especially when you get to travel cheap. heading back home on Amtrak. I Love Amtrak!
Trains define the power of America,... the industrial know-how and labor that built not only the trains... but the railroads that built America to be an industrial power. Also see -- Trains,... on the ITW blog http://stonebeartracks.blogspot.com/2010/12/trains.html
No we don't have high speed rail like other progressive thinking countries... ie... the Eurostar / chunnel train from London to Paris and Blegium. Or high speed rail in Japan or China; we have Amtrak and it is fun to ride.
The Tracks of the StoneBear rule is: Do not want what you do not have; enjoy what is at hand and the gifts provided for you in a day.
The plan on this short trip to the big easy was, fly down, Amtrak back to Birmingham. The Southwest flight down was ridiculously cheap. Birmingham to NOL; $49. 3 days in the big easy and now time to hop on Amtrak back to BHM,... like $36 ; the best travel bargain i know. (now it's $57)... still a bargain.
You get a united cab at 5;30 to 6am to union station. (Not that easy when you were out late in the French Quarter-- and saw the ponies at midnight.) Maybe 15 blocks away from Canal street ... $15 & always... always, tip the guys well... $10 minimum. It;s worth it and the guys are out hustling a buck. I like that.
Check in at union station at 6;15. It's also the greyhound bus terminal at an adjacent counter... it's a good/ interesting people watching place.
When checking in the Amtrak agent will ask you if you want to upgrade to a mini sleeper compartment... for like $39 extra. Take it! It includes meals in the dining car and you can nap some on the sleeper beds rather than the coach seats... which are ok to nap.
The # 20 Amtrak "Crescent" -- named for the Crescent city of New Orleans-- leaves at 7am; destination New York City via BHM- ATL- CLT- DC- BALT- PHL- a great route . But going back to BHM, or Atlanta(for like $46) is a true bargain.
The coach is cool from the AC, slowly pulls out and on the right side is the NOL superdome, site of recent Katrina disaster history. About 20 minutes later you go across Lake Ponchatrain; beautiful at sunrise. Steam rising off the lake. Water/ lake forever.
And soon back on land... a stop in Sliddell& Picayunne, LA for a few minutes. Then you start picking up speed and heading north through the Mississipii small towns and rural countryside. I love The South. I grew up in it and understand it, and it's people. Seeing the rural south and it's poverty may upset some... but there is a rich southern culture in these places. Southerners are a proud people in any town.
Now one of the true treats of life is when they open the dining car and you walk up the asiles, rocking back and forth w/ the rock of the cars, holding onto the seat backs for stability, and you get to the dinning car (past the canteen car),... and smell bacon cooking. Oh,... this is going to be good.
An immaculate Amtrak dining car w/ a half-dozen booths on each side of the center asile, you're seated at a booth with the Amtrak white linen tablecloths,... silverware in cloth napkins, and the steward smiling asks if you'd like to start with "Coffee or Orange juice?" BOTH, is the correct answer!
Seated at a booth with other travelers you get to meet people on their journey. Our new friends were on the way home from their honeymoon in NOL. This is the real South!
Being served breakfast... bacon and eggs... and of course... Grits... real grits, not instant grits, which any true southern boy knows the difference... w/ a couple of biscuits... rolling 60 mph through the Mississippii countryside of farms and small towns... I have to borrow the phrase, " It just don't git no better than this". Only sausage gravy w/ the biscuits could make it better.
Back to coach seats and stretch out, liesure travel... the clickity clack of the rails encourages a nap, or read a little. Cool AC, almost need a blanket. Some travelers are snoozing from being up in the casinos all night.
Short stops in Hattiesburg.. home of the Southern Miss "Golden Eagles", Laurel, Meridian, past the white chalk cliffs of the Black Warrior river, Tennessee- Tombigbee waterway, catfish farms.... The South for sure.
About 20 miles before Tuscaloosa you go by Moundville, ALabama; 800 years ago the center of the universe of the Missippian era indian culture... and then Tuscaloosa- home of The Bear,... THE University of Alabama, picturesque old train station... past the universitys athletic practice complex, past DCH where Moosedude worked. (now you will see some of the 2011 tornado damage)
After Tuscaloosa, lunch in the dining car-- WOW again. And tip the stewards well; they're hard working and very friendly!
The run up to Birmingham... the slow entrance on the west side of birmingham... I have to tell you... no other way... breaks my heart. In the '70s the steel mills closed down and the jobs evaporated from this side of Jefferson county. It;s appearant the homes need upkeep from families hanging on and struggeling after the loss of capital on this side of town; this is the south. Still proud people making due; we have to fix this country. It is up to us.
The Birmingham Amtrak station is an embarrasment. Looks like a run down greyhound bus station. There used to be a magnificent union station in birmingham... and they tore it down, ...something to do w/ the history of Jim Crow separate "white / colored" facilities ; go figure... maybe to close that ugly chapter of the south..
But 3 blocks away is the Historic Alabama Theater - The Showplace of the South- and downtown. Back home in birmingham; no place like The South!
You get a chance to Amtrak from NOL back to BHM, ATL or points north; you take it!
