Brendan Nee » amtrak

Hour 64: Thoughts on Amtrak

Brendan Nee — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 03:40:55 +0000

This has been a very interesting trip. Some things I’d reccomend for your cross country train trip:

An extension cord- There seem to be only 3 outlets on the train and they are not placed in areas where you could sit and work. Also, one with multiple ends will allow you to make friends by sharing the power.

Food and water- the food on board is neither good nor cheap. Get some food and drink youll like, and maybe some extra to share if you want to make friends.

A blanket- I was ok in the summer, but in the winter youd probably want something to curl up under.

Eyemask & ear plugs- My earbuds kept things quiet but it would have been nice to shield my eyes from the interior lights.

Something to read- When your electronics run out of power you’ll need something to do while delayed 5 hours on a mountian pass. I was able to borrow a book on the great speaches of the 20th century.

All in all, this was an impressive trip and n interesting, albeit slow, way to see the country.

Amtrak + iPhone = Crazy Delicious

Brendan Nee — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 16:48:23 +0000

Hour 51: Just hit Omaha, NB, 5.5 hours behind schedule. Lots of people got on in Denver so the train was full, now a lot of people are leaving.

Having the iPhone has made this trip much more tolerable. During the trip, both facebook and netvibes launched iPhone versions of their sites, both of which are great. Hopefully yelp and others do this soon.

Nothing to eat in Winnemucca

Brendan Nee — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:59:57 +0000

Hour 10.5: We had a long stop in the middle of nowhere, now a 40 minute stop in Winnemucca, NV. There was actually a basque restaurant across the street from the station (read: gravel lot) which gave me 4 beers for $8.

Train food has not impressed me yet, I think that was the worst bratwurst I’ve had. I was hoping for a gas station or grocery store, and had we stopped in Reno this long it would have been no problem. With my quick winnings at the craps table it might have been free.

Hour 5: Truckee

Brendan Nee — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 20:06:58 +0000

Its interesting being on the other side of Donner pass looking at the interstate. we already passed the highest point of the trip, I guess its all downhill from here for the next 52 hours. The scenery is good, but Ive seen much of it before on trips to Reno/Tahoe.

Internet in the sierras

Brendan Nee — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 17:26:35 +0000

Hour 3 outside of colfax, ca. I’ve gotten pretty constant Internet thus far. There are announcements about every 10 minutes with history and sights. Colfax is quaint mountian town.

Almost time for lunch.

Old & new school: San Francisco to Chicago via train with an iphone

Brendan Nee — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 14:48:51 +0000

I’m en route to Chicago from San Francisco (well, really Emeryville) to visit my brother. I’ve got my iphone which I hacked last night to allow my laptop to use the Internet via ad hoc wireless. I’ve got 3 full batteries, so we’ll see how long I can keep the trainblog going.

Hour 1: Left Emeryville. I could see the skyline, Berkeley marina, Carquinez straight and San Pablo bay. The ATM at the station qas broken so I had to rush out and find a gas station so I could eat for the next 55 hrs. We’ll see how on time this train thing is.