We slept restlessly. Our first time in a sleeper for several weeks, this small room is different than previous ones but they all vary. The upper bed is a one piece unit that slides up and down. Our two chairs face each other. The big change is having a toilet in the room. It lifts to open and is out of the way when shut like the pull down sink. It serves as a bench seat or step otherwise. The other sleepers had a toilet in a small closet within the room. These sleeper cars don't have bathrooms at the end of each car like the coaches do. The coach cars are on the other side of the sleepers, dining car and cafe cars. There is no observation car on the train so most time is spent in the room when not eating. It is quiet and peaceful there.
We read in bed and I tracked the Giants game last night. Later, I lay in bed with the curtain open so I could watch the lights go by while wrapped in thin blankets. This morning we got up one at a time squeezed into the open space in front of the sink to wash and dress. We were ready early this morning and had a good laugh about the accommodations and such. All part of the experience.
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| Kudzu covering much of the other vegetation |
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Oaks and hardwoods too early for fall colors
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The meals are cooked on the train and are very good. The help all has different personalities and provide good service with a mostly friendly attitude. We dined alone this morning which was unusual. Last night we shared a table with Paul and Sally going to Birmingham to visit a son for the first time there and by train. They are elderly but had a good attitude and laughed s lot. We traded stories and photos after breakfast.
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| Paul and Sally got a nice send off from attendant Shana including a hug |
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| Their son met them for a nice reunion |
Our attendant Shana is full of Bigfoot, mermaids and other stories. She is creole from New Orleans and likes to camp. We got some good tips about places to visit for coffee and to visit the zoo. She wants to give us a longer list of tips for another visit next year. We gained an hour back this morning somewhere in Georgia or Alabama. The views are very green with thin forests of oaks, hardwoods and pines. The ground was covered in what we think is kudzu. As we crossed Alabama and especially Mississippi I noticed they like to mow a lot and keep things tidy.
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| Lots of mowing in Mississippi |
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| Some of the trains don't move much |
We got into New Orleans nearly on time and collected our baggage. Warren and Sharon from the train offered us a ride but declined and caught a cab to the Frenchmen hotel. We checked in and quickly found out what it means to be in the French Quarter. The music, food, and drinking crowds filled into the streets on a Thursday in this vibrant city. A couple of hours was all we had energy for. Wow!
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| A long water crossing coming into New Orleans |
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| We missed the partial eclipse but got a great sunset |
Lots of nightlife right by our small hotel
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| Some say New Orleans can be a scary place |
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