Amtrak Snapshots From Chicago To New York

Who would endure riding a choo-choo train chugging down the track for 20 hours from Chicago to New York City (NYC)? And why?

Well, I would and I did, for a couple of reasons. First, I’m scared of flying. If there is any sound alternative like a ship, bus or train - probably anything not up in the air and seemingly suspended ad infinitum – I’d grab hands down. Second, plane rides yield the same experience more or less: take off, in-flight with mostly no scenery but blindingly white clouds or turbulence-inducing dark clouds at 30,000++ feet, then touchdown.

A train ride definitely offers much more.

Here are snapshots from my first Amtrak experience via Lake Shore Limited from Chicago to NYC. 

Departing Station. Boarded the train at Chicago’s Union Station which is quite clean and clutter-free. Train promptly left the station from its assigned track at 9:30 PM.

Inside Chicago's Union Station

So clean one can lie down on the floor and have a good sleep. 

Arriving Station. The ride terminated at NYC’s Penn Station adjacent to Madison Square Garden along 7^th Avenue. With its frenetic atmosphere, the Penn Station is a total contrast to Chicago’s Union Station.  Upon arrival at 6:30 PM the following day, people I saw at the terminal looked more anxious than excited, staring intently at the electronic board monitoring various departure and arrival schedules and the trains’ track assignments.

Inside New York City's Penn Station 

The Train. It was decent and comfy even if I was just seated on one of its regular coach seats. This experience was better than my first long train ride of 12 hours from Beijing to Xi’an in freezing winter on a sleeper cabin (or sleeping car). 

And by the way, Amtrak has strict rules on luggage allowance and dimensions: 2 free check-in luggage only per passenger not exceeding 50 lbs. each and within the 28”x22”x14” specs. Whereas Amtrak does not charge for the 2 check-in luggage, the domestic airline I previously took (United Air in particular) charged USD50 for my 2 check-in luggage. So there goes the USD50, it flies away with the plane too.

 Enough leg room for riding comfort

L: Each seat comes with a small table that one can pull down and stow 

after use. R: Aside from adequate leg room, the train also has a wide 

overhead space for carry-ons.

The dining car - food is pricey, nothing to rave about. 

Those in sleeping cars however get complimentary breakfast.

The scenery. I remember the train cutting through several states: Illinois, Michigan, Ohio then New York State. Half of the ride is at night time and the other half, day time. Most of the photos shown here were randomly taken somewhere in New York State when I was already wide awake and while the train was rolling along. Speaking of New York State, the train captain emphatically announced during a quick stop at Albany that it is New York State’s capital and not NYC. He said that a lot of people think of NYC as New York State’s capital. Well, I thought so too. But he said no, it’s Albany. I said oh . . . ok. I think it was my most valuable learning for that day.

As the train was passing by the Hudson River, I took a picture

of what seems to be an islet right smack in the middle. This must

be a light house though; who would like to live in the middle 

of a big river that flows both ways?

This is just one of the many marinas by the Hudson.

Could be a millionaire's row up there. 

Huge mansions nestled in expansive lush greenery.

Please give me a yacht or a speedboat plus a fat bank account 

and I can live on interest here. I can have my own fun living 

my own brand of high life.

Could those two domes on the right belong to a 

nuclear power plant?

There is a big settlement over there. I'm pretty sure they 

still get enough view of the river and the surrounding greenery.

Subsequently, I also took Amtrak trains from NYC to Katharine Hepburn’s Old Saybrook in Connecticut via Northeast Regional, which is a breeze in 2 hours. Then much later, from NYC to Chicago and finally from Chicago to San Francisco via Amtrak’s California Zephyr for 2 days-2 nights. 

Except for California Zephyr which is a double-decker, the rest of the trains are single-decked. As I write this, only the NYC-Old Saybrook-NYC train from among the trains I've boarded has wi-fi. But wi-fi deployment for other train routes is on-going. Will blog about the other rides separately.

Chicago Sights

After experiencing Chicago through Morton’s, Garrett, Pizzeria Uno and Gino's East, I had every reason to think that I’m good and can stay cool for the rest of my stay. Anything beyond is a bonus.

Such contented feeling set the pace for a leisurely do-it-yourself riverside walking tour from where the Union Station and Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) are, up to the John Hancock Observatory. It was a very long walk but seeing the Chicago River up close framed by sky-high buildings both classic and modern, Chicago’s iconic steel bridges spanning a good stretch of the river and al fresco restaurants and bars dotting the riverbanks made the riverside walk less taxing.

A slight detour to the Millennium Park, passing through the Magnificent Mile where lots of stores and shops are, is also worth every single step.


Where we started. Union Station and Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower):

I take it to mean that Union Station is Chicago's counterpart

to New York City's Grand Central Terminal, but the latter is

more grandiose, elegant and beautiful. As it is, Union Station

is a vital link to the railway network of the US as trains here 

take passengers to key cities like New York and Washington, DC 

and even to San Francisco in the West Coast.  

Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower); 

often visited for its ledge that affords

a breathtaking view of its environs.

What we saw. The river of course, accented by the age-old steel and steel-decked bridges of Chicago. The city's classic and modern landmarks also dot the riverbanks with a good number of bars and restaurants to choose from. 

One of the steel bridges near the Union Station and Willis Tower; watching

the bridge split in half and raised for a few moments is quite a spectacle.

Might be hard to imagine that Chicago River used to be one of the 

dirtiest and most polluted rivers several decades back but through 

conscious and deliberate restorative efforts, it has become one of 

the cleanest; certainly a ray of hope for our Pasig River. 

The bars and restaurants by the river provide good respite from long

and arduous walks. One can easily drop by for some coolers or canapes.

One of the double-decked bridges spanning across the Chicago River;

this one I believe connects the south and north sides of Michigan Avenue.

Looks like the river is one of the top earners for the city 

with its numerous day and night tours.

Where we ended up in. After hitting Michigan Avenue Bridge, we headed for John Hancock Observatory to view the city from a different perspective. One is usually torn between choosing Willis Tower or the John Hancock; or one can do both but there are financial implications - admission fees do not come cheap. In my case, I chose John Hancock because for one, I sensed somehow that it affords the better view both of the city and the enormous Lake Michigan and the fact that there are more interesting dining places near the observatory - Cheesecake Factory, Ghirardelli, Hershey's, etc. 

L: view from John Hancock showing the Navy Pier protruding into Lake Michigan

R: view from John Hancock showing what they call the lakeside beach/es. 

The high-rise on extreme right is Willis Tower; that's where we came from 

before ending up in John Hancock Observatory. 'Twas a long walk indeed.

Ghirardelli vs. Hershey's. An interesting sidelight across the John Hancock Observatory is the battle royale between these two chocolate icons. Crossing the street is like cruising between Scylla and Charybdis. 

Which one would you choose?; Hershey's building is nice though.

The Millennium Park. We made a slight detour to Millennium Park to see its amazing centerpiece, British artist Anish Kapoor's Cloud Gate which is popularly called the Bean, obviously owing to its shape as seen front and back. This sculptural monolith provides yet again a view of the city from another eye. More pieces of public art are also on display within the park.

The Cloud Gate a.k.a The Bean

I am somewhere "inside" . . .

Everyone is practically drawn towards this singular artistic piece to 

marvel at it and to admire themselves and the captive view. People 

really stop, stare and photograph themselves as captured by The Bean.

Oh how I love Chicago. I wanna be back there someday.

Eats Chicago !!!

My first time in Chicago - September 23 to 28, 2013 – and I thought it was a relatively long stay. I was half-excited and half-just-feeling-okay knowing fully well that I was sent to Chicago primarily to attend a conference on governance, a non-negotiable and obviously a must-do professionally.

That said, I secretly drew up my own list of personal non-negotiables. I identified three: (1) Deep-dish pizza (I know of some deep-dish pizza in Sbarro along Ayala Avenue, Makati City but I never succumbed to buying a slice anticipating that Chicago’s deep-dish should be my first bite; my governance friends were also telling me not to miss it);  (2) Garrett popcorn (although there are Garretts galore in Singapore, I wanted a grab of it in the very place where it all started); and (3) Morton’s (although Morton’s either in Hongkong or Singapore seems within easy reach, I’ve always been able to muster enough EQ and wait out for Morton’s right in Chicago itself).

Glad I’ve checked out all on my list.

Here are some pics of what I call classic Chicago eats. 

Deep-dish Pizza. Our Chicago-based governance colleague (an American) recommended Pizzeria Uno, Gino's East and Giordano's. We tried Pizzeria Uno (along East Ohio Street) and Gino's East (off Michigan Avenue and Superior Street). Both claim to be original but in-house brochures reveal that Pizzeria Uno pre-dated Gino's East (1940s vs. 1960s). Wondering why it's called deep-dish? It's simply because of the fact that the pizza is baked on a deep dish.

 Pizzeria Uno

Pizzeria Uno's crust is unique in the sense that it is pastry-ish;

a bit sweet compared to the usual crusts we know . . .

Gino's East

Ambiance-wise, Gino's East is more hip as compared 

to Pizzeria Uno which feels more formal albeit subdued.

Unlike Pizzeria Uno, the crust of Gino's East pizza is not sweet; 

the crust tastes like the usual thing. 

Deep-dish pizzas take 45 minutes to bake; they usually recommend

some salad or starters while waiting out for the pizza;

in the case of Gino's East, I decided to read the writings on the wall

(right) while waiting for our pizza to be served . . . 

Garrett Popcorn. Garrett's a favorite. Needless to say, we didn't pass it up, the long line notwithstanding. If I remember it right, this is off North Michigan Avenue.

The line was quite long but who cares, this is Garrett in Chicago;

it was bearable though as it moved relatively fast . . .

L - end of the line; R - getting closer to the entrance 

success !!! got our stash of Chicago mix and double cheese

Finally, Morton's of Chicago !!! I've tried the steak in Ruth's Chris when I was in Anaheim years ago. Knowing that gourmet steaks in the US are very pricey, we made sure that we've set aside some cash for Morton's. We ended up saving our dollars though, because one of our governance bosses gave us a surprise treat. Many thanks !!!

Surprise treat made for a perfect night - at Morton's

enjoying our piece de resistance.

Photo courtesy (this photo): Atty. Gerry Ramiro