After a tough first quarter at work, I could not be more grateful to take a “slow” spring break with my Son. 🙌🏾
This Spring Break we decided to go cross country on Amtrak starting in Chicago, Illinois and ending in Los Angeles, California!! I was totally prepared for the adventure, but the culinary journey was an unexpected delight!
This trip activated my sense of wonder… the views of great plains, going through tunnels, mountains, even the rando Alpaca in a trailer community was like a healing balm for my mind.
🚊 Amtrak Cross Country Let’s Goooooo!
“I’m just gonna take my time loving me……
🎵 Loving Me by Valntna
Can we talk for a minute about slow living?!?!? I wrote about the merits of slowing down and its impact on the body many moons ago. Check it out here 👇🏾
We spent time on the train together and independently taking it easy. I did accomplish my goal of teaching my Son to play spades! That was a must before college.
Culinary Delights of Riding Amtrak
*Disclaimer- we were in a sleeper car. Keep in mind, many of these amenities are for sleeper car guests only.
💧☕️ Unlimited Free Water and Coffee in Room!
This was an unexpected delight! I packed water in our snack bag and learned we didn’t need it!
There’s a coffee station in between the sleeper cars and with tea, and water as well. We left the train feeling VERY hydrated.
No lie, the coffee was actually delicious 👀! Our Attendant shared he was surprised how good the coffee comes out when he first started as well.
The Attendant restocked bottles of water, ice, and continuously AND in our rooms. The train did get a bit dry, so the water was clutch to have all day.
🧺 Bring Your Own Snacks!
I was thrilled to learn we could bring our own snacks aboard!! However, if you are not interested they do have a Snack car you can utilize to purchase snacks throughout the trip.
I LOVE packing a good snack bag so that was an easy choice for me.
I purchased this cooler bag from a Vera Bradley Outlet store. It’s soft sided. So I collapsed it in a suitcase for the flight home. It worked pretty well keeping the items cool especially items like fruit.
It was a good investment for me, as I know we will use it again on travels.
The sale price of this bag is $44.99.
3- Course Dinner Menu 🤯
Our first meal of the ride was dinner. I was super surprised by not only the options but the quality of food!
We dined all our meals in the Cafe car. We felt it was a good way to get out of the sleeper car and walk around a bit.
The Dining Car was well equipped. There were many soft drink options as well as juice, water and tea.
As you can see on the menu, there were many options to choose from with some dietary accommodations. Because I am abstaining from dairy, I called ahead to see if I needed to bring my own food. I was assured my diet would be accommodated, and it was.
My Son the carnivore opted for steak. It was well cooked and he had it twice.
He too was surprised by how tasty the food was. Not quite craft restaurant, but better than plane food.
Delicious Breakfast!!
Needless to say each meal was just as delicious! The vegan chili was probably my only item that could’ve used a bit more flavor, but keep in mind I didn’t have the sour cream or cheese. That probably would’ve made it more delish.
For breakfast, I repeated this dish a couple times. The eggs were scrambled well, and the potatoes had a little crisp that delighted texture-wise. I skipped the croissant, a bit too many carbs for me however my Son said it was tasty.
I opted for chicken sausage as I also do not eat pork. I was pleasantly surprised by the dietary variations available to those that ride.
Keep in mind, all meals come included with the sleeper car purchase. It was nice to have travel, food and accommodations all in one price.
Overall I give Amtrak food 4.5 ⭐️S! For the price if your willing to go slow, is worth it. I will definitely ride again. Great for bonding or alone to catch up on zzzs 😴💤 and rest.
Disclaimer
*Disclaimer- Amtrak trains are notoriously untimely. If you choose to travel on Amtrak keep that in mind. Although we left on time, we arrived several hours late 😳!!!
It was ok for us as we did not plan anything for right after our arrival, but there folks with flights or connections that we’re unfortunately at a loss,
We may have been an extreme case, but true nonetheless. Keep this in mind when booking.
Happy Eating!
J
Health is a journey, not a destination…
Dr. Judith Davis is the author of 7 Whispers from My Heart to Yours –a soulful reflection on what a year of pursuing whole-person wellness really taught her: mind, body, and spirit.
This isn’t just a book, it’s a journey through seven dimensions of wellness: physical, emotional, social, environmental, career, intellectual, and spiritual.
https://www.amazon.com/Whispers-Heart-Yours-environmental-intellectual/dp/B0DMD4G2FM
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