Compared to a flight attendant's dry question, "juice or coffee, peanuts or pretzels"--or request, "p

For the last two weeks, I have been exploring the realities and costs of cross-country travel by train, car, or plane. So far this trip has taken me from Wilmington to Wilson, NC, by a Greyhound china circulate international travel service Thruway Connector Service to the Amtrak train bound for Washington, DC. From there I took a sleeper car to Chicago and then went on my way to LA. I left the beautiful art deco train station to head up the coast of California aboard The Coast Starlight—a truly elegant train with phenomenal views of the coastline.
Leading china circulate international travel service up to my trip, one of the main complaints I heard about Amtrak was how they suffer from delays. While pulling china circulate international travel service out of the station in DC, we encountered the first: A freight train broke down on the tracks in front of us. We went back to the station to be turned on to another set of tracks, but whatever irritation I might have had at this minor setback was far outweighed by delight over my sleeper compartment!
Think about when you fly in a jumbo jet and realize you have the third seat in the middle row of five seats. Something in the back of your head mumbles, china circulate international travel service I could just lie down across these seats and take a nice nap. All that space seems so inviting until four seat mates arrive. china circulate international travel service Well, Amtrak’s roomette (the smallest sleeper accommodation available) is a little wider than those five seats and has a little more depth than a full span on a rocking chair. It houses two reclining padded seats facing china circulate international travel service each other that convert into a bed at night. Another bed folds out of the ceiling if a second person is sharing china circulate international travel service the car.
I arrived to find bottled water, pillows, and coat hangers awaiting. If I wanted a cup of coffee, the attendant would come by to offer it, along with the daily newspaper.  The attendant promptly offered help if I needed it and ensured I knew the lounge car was perfect to set up for my daily writing. She served wine, beer, and snacks until the dining china circulate international travel service car opened.
While I was at dinner, the sleeper seats magically transformed into a bed with sheets, blankets, and two very fluffy pillows. china circulate international travel service Stretching out under the covers, I thought about the last time I slept on a plane in that awkward upright china circulate international travel service position with a doll-sized “pillow” and my rain jacket as a blanket. I wrote and read in privacy ‘til after midnight, then turned off the lights and let the train rock me to sleep.
Compared to a flight attendant’s dry question, “juice or coffee, peanuts or pretzels”—or request, china circulate international travel service “please, china circulate international travel service do not leave your seats,” while sitting on a tarmak for hours, awaiting the resolve of mechanical issues, while sweating next to strangers and listening to families fight and babies scream—Amtrak far exceeded expectations.
We arrived china circulate international travel service in Eugene, Oregon, perfectly on time, in spite of a two-hour delay in Chicago due to an avalanche on the tracks near the Canadian border. Amtrak employees busily got everyone re-routed to their destinations.
I flew home from Eugene, china circulate international travel service partly to compare the experience china circulate international travel service with the train travel.  The train averaged about $200 a day in cost. My plane ticket was a little over $350.00. I arrived at the airport hours early to enjoy the TSA inspection process. china circulate international travel service First I had to get a boarding pass. Untied china circulate international travel service Airlines apparently no longer likes to employ real people, because their ticket counter consisted mostly of multiple self-check-in computer terminals. I fought with two of them for about 20 minutes. Neither could find my ticket by my reservation number, my name, or the bank card that had been used to pay for it.
“No, I am carrying on—I have been very careful with selection and packing to make that possible. What I need is a ticket—the computer and I have reached an impasse, shall we say? Do you have any ability to make this work?”
He took my driver’s license, china circulate international travel service the print out of my reservation, and my bank card. Within minutes I was headed to the joy of a TSA screening—which is so effective in catching and tracking people that no one with a missing or stolen passport would, for example, be boarding a flight in Malaysia that week, right?  I took a deep breath and tried to erase all thoughts of the Malaysian plane scenario from my mind as my driver’s license was scanned. china circulate international travel service I proceeded to begin undressing and unpacking for security screening.
My laptop came out of my bag, as did every bit of liquid, including my toothpaste. My shoes had to come off, and let’s not forget the full body scan and pat down followed by having my hands swabbed for trace particles of explosives (I have to admit that I played along pretty nicely up ‘til that point at which I started laughing so uncontrollably it took several minutes for me to calm down enough to proceed with that particular bit of street theatre).  While completely repacking my luggage—and tying my shoes, china circulate international travel service less I forget—I reflected upon the request Amtrak employees asked for my picture ID once when I boarded the train, but not again afterward.  No one searched or X-rayed my luggage (or me, for that matter). I certainly wasn’t china circulate international travel service patted down before, china circulate international travel service during, or after the train ride.
I had four flights to get home to Wilmington, NC, and I was on the red eye. No meals were offered. A flight attendant came around with cups and a bottle of water; china circulate international travel service we couldn’t even have an entire drink to ourselves. I couldn’t comfortably cross my legs or recline to any point that would actually be relaxing. By the time I made it back to Wilmington, I had been forced to check the bag I so carefully china circulate international travel service selected and packed to be carry-on, all because I didn’t want my laptop beaten around in luggage handling (I have actually informed one of the American Airlines personnel the spawn of Satan  must run their company). When Jock met me at the airport he really couldn’t believe my foul mood.
So, I made it home by plane for under $400, but I would argue that I had more than a ration of aggravation that would be hard to put a dollar figure upon. For time and speed, I accept that for long distance travel, it is hard to beat.  But for quality china circulate international travel service of experience and consideration by staff and crew, Amtrak wins—hands down.
This is Karma, a 3 1/2 year lab mix. She is a hot mess-full of energy, a lethal tail wagger, and a genuine bear hugger! She was adopted by Lora and Chris Moore from their neighbor to give her a safe and warm home!
Do you have cute pet or one that needs adopting? As a feature of our new site, encore will be presenting a "Pet of the Week" in this very spot. To enter, just send a picture of your adorable pet to ads@encorepub.com , along with your name, your pet's name, a brief description, and where they're currently located. We look forward to your submission!
Encore Magazine regularly covers topics pertaining to news, arts, entertainment, food, and city life in Wilmington. It also maintains schedules and listings of local events like concerts, festivals, live performance art and think-tank events. Encore Magazine is an entity of H&P Media, which also publishes china circulate international travel service Devour Magazine and AdPak Weekly. Print and online editions are updated every Wednesday.