RAIL YES! — The Weekly Opine

Making Abraham Lincoln the underlying theme for my birthday trip to Washington, D.C., was an excellent idea. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

Another big number

Throughout one’s life there are important birthday numbers. Just a few days ago, I celebrated another milestone birthday.

Sure, the sweet 16th birthday, and the freedom that comes with obtaining a driver’s license, is huge. Arguably the most anticipated, most famous birthday is number 21, literally opening doors to establishments that sell alcohol. The 21st birthday also signals that, ready or not, adulthood has arrived.

Further along, on your 35th birthday, you become eligible to run for president of the United States, if you so desire. The 50th birthday paints the line of demarcation. You are no longer young, regardless of how many marketers, and other 50-somethings, claim that “50 is the new 30.”

Brunch at Cafe Du Parc at the Willard Hotel was one of several exceptional experiences that made birthday 64 special. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

At age 50, AARP comes knocking, with their materials mysteriously showing up in your mailbox. (What? I did not request this stuff!) But soon you accept it, without angst. Some may initially recoil at the sight of AARP on their coffee table. Others (like me), rejoice at the plethora of discounts that come with seniority, along with fun, informative articles published monthly.

Fortunately, I have never gotten sad or sentimental on my birthday. Instead, I hear the band Rare Earth singing, “I just want to celebrate another day of living!”

Last Sunday, in my favorite city of Washington, D.C., I celebrated another big birthday, age 64, the last one prior to becoming Medicare eligible.

Vacation anticipation builds as you walk alongside Amtrak’s Capitol Limited train #30 at Chicago’s Union Station. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

All aboard!

Regular readers of The Weekly Opine know how much I enjoy travelling by rail. Alas, the pandemic put a damper on my vacation plans like it did for most people. Travel was confined to a few road trips last fall and earlier this year.

Finally, in June, the first of two significant vacations occurred. It involved my first airplane flight in six years, to celebrate my girlfriend’s birthday in the Palm Springs area. The June trip was the first of a double-header we dreamed up. Go to the desert for her birthday, with me in charge of the itinerary, and then travel to Washington, D.C., in August for my b-day, with Bethanny managing the itinerary.

A lynchpin of the D.C. trip was travelling via Amtrak. There was excitement as departure day arrived. The reason riding the train is so relaxing is basic: you glide along without needing to pay much attention. There is freedom to read, talk, listen to music, write (I wrote this article on the ride home from D.C.), or simply gaze out of the window. I find it heavenly, especially considering that when in a car – going back decades – I am the driver 99% of the time.

This trip to Washington was my eighth round-trip on the train since fall 2017. At the beginning of the trip, when the train gently lurches forward, inching along at first, then picking up momentum as it clears the station, well, that is a priceless sensation. For someone who drives every day, it is freeing and magical, feeling like a kid whose favorite amusement park ride just started in motion.

Kayakers enjoy a leisurely midday on the Potomac River, while Amtrak stopped at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

Amtrak survives today despite unenthusiastic, paltry government funding that results in tired infrastructure. Like the U.S. postal service, in some quarters Amtrak is viewed with disdain, as an entity that is not worth salvaging. Admittedly, trains sometimes arrive way, way late. Trains arriving at Chicago’s Union station are notoriously late, to the point Amtrak should revise the schedule to reflect reality and not a “wish list” arrival time. We arrived from Washington three-and-a-half-hours behind schedule.

Amtrak food works. Breakfast options are very good. Lunch and dinner are quaffable. The rooms are clean, but most are dated. The staff are friendly, service oriented, and proficient. Most troublesome, the temperature inside the sleeping rooms was too cold. For some reason, Amtrak is unable to turn down, or turn off, the air conditioning.

Tuesday afternoon, the much-anticipated infrastructure bill, including $66 billion to fix what ails America’s rail system, was approved by the Senate. Today, Amtrak employees and passengers feel more confident in the future of train travel, with renewed hope that America’s rail transportation system will finally be modernized.

Amtrak’s potential has always been there. But this moment must be acted upon. Talk becomes cheaper by the day. Post-haste action is required. If the government delivers their end of the equation, rail travel in the U.S. can become a more viable, fun, and cost-effective alternative to driving or flying. Now, with the Senate’s passage, the future of Amtrak rests in the hands of the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives.

Union Station is not the only place you see cabs in D.C. It’s refreshing to step off the curb and hail a cab in the nation’s capital. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

There are cabs here

In Washington, you can hail a taxi. Really. They are plentiful in some spots, such as Union Station and Pennsylvania Avenue. Same as cabbies across the country, D.C. taxi drivers feel the impact of Uber and Lyft. The fact is, I have never ridden in an Uber or Lyft and have no intention of doing so. Yes, that probably makes me a curmudgeon, on the cusp of Medicare.

Cabbies readily acknowledge there are fewer taxis in D.C. than before. However, there are more cabs in Washington than you see in Chicago. So, in addition to celebrating my birthday, we celebrated the availability of taxicabs – with one notable exception.

Cabs in D.C. sometimes drive past you when they are empty because they’ve already been reserved. Occasionally, the best way to “hail” a taxi is to call the local cab office and they will dispatch one to your location. It is very efficient. The dispatchers follow up with texts and calls to let you know how soon the driver will pick you up. This worked flawlessly, except the night of my birthday.

Sunday night we got stuck at the Watergate Hotel, a “must see” location, considering its historical significance. After taking in the view from the rooftop bar, there were no taxis available. Finally, at 10:30 p.m., we began a 45-minute walk from Watergate to our hotel. The slog through unfamiliar turf included trekking through Foggy Bottom and the George Washington University campus. Eventually, familiar government buildings were sighted – including the White House and its security detail. From there we pushed ahead to K Street Northwest and our hotel. Weary but buoyant.

A tour of the President Lincoln Cottage revealed new information about the great Abe Lincoln. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

Mr. L.

An underlying theme for the trip was Abraham Lincoln. First-rate Lincoln experiences included a trip to Ford’s Theatre – where you literally stand in the footsteps where John Wilkes Booth stood just before he stormed into the presidential box. One night there were spectacular views of the Lincoln Memorial from a private boat, captained by Pete, a sincere, very talkative tour guide. Twice, lunch was had at the ornate Willard Hotel, where Lincoln stayed before moving into the White House, after being elected president in 1860.

The highlight of Lincoln-related forays was a tour of Lincoln’s summer house, named the President Lincoln Cottage.

Located on the outskirts of town, at the Soldier’s Home veteran’s retirement community, Lincoln spent summers at the cottage. He spent about one-quarter of his presidency at the summer house. The house includes artifacts, such as the handrails on the staircase, that are original from when Lincoln lived there. Climbing the stairs and holding onto the handrail was surreal, knowing you were grasping the exact wooden handrails Abraham Lincoln clutched when he walked upstairs.

During the tour, we learned one Union soldier, among those assigned to guard Lincoln at his summer cottage, referred to the president as “Mr. L.”

Lincoln Park, not far from Union Station, is disheveled, in need of tender loving care from the park district and residents living in the neighborhood. Lincoln Park was clearly worth the visit, completing the Lincoln-themed excursions. However, in the city where he made the hard and brave decisions that saved the Union, and abolished slavery, Lincoln deserves a much nicer park, commensurate with his stature as our greatest president.

The perfect way to celebrate my birthday was a private boat ride on the Potomac River. (Photo credit Bethanny A.)

Another outstanding vacation

Palm Springs in June was fantastic. Washington in August was more of the same. The combination of travelling by rail to my favorite city, having dinner with my cousin and his wife, and learning new historical facts about Mr. L. was outstanding. So was the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial, an expansive tribute to America’s second greatest president. I highly recommend seeing this one-of-a-kind testament to FDR that serves as a reminder of the worthiness and fragility of our democracy and ideals.

Of course, travelling with my sweet girlfriend made this a most special birthday.