Train ride to Iowa

Ah, where to begin, where to begin...

In March Tony left for Iowa with all of our belonging and our car, under the assumption that his mom would drive us out to Iowa in April when our apartment opened up. As the date for us to drive out got closer and closer we started looking at the numbers and realized that it was going to be extra expensive for us to drive (We only had Tony's Dad's big gas guzzler truck :) available to us). So we started looking at other options. We could fly, but the only flights available in our price range, with such short notice, had several connecting flights, and I didn't think that it would be fun to drag three kids and luggage through different airports trying to catch our flights. Several months ago I had looked into Amtrak's trains and found out that there was a train that went from Utah to Chicago, so I really started to research and realized that the train could take me from Provo, Utah, to Galesburg, Illinois (only about an hour away from Davenport) for about the same cost of flying (but meals were included...I think that's a plus ;) ). So we got tickets for the train, tried to fit our whole life into eight little carry on bags, and had Mom and Dad take me and the kids to the train station bright and early Saturday morning (we left the house at 4:30am to try and catch the train that was suppose to leave at 5:15 but was about a half an hour late). (Thanks Mom and Dad for taking us:))

When we first got on we were all tired and our nice train car care guy (kind of like a housekeeping guy for trains) had our beds all laid out for us so we went to sleep. (We got a sleeper room because our train ride was scheduled to take 29 hours and 59 minutes. It ended up taking about 31 hours, but who's counting?)

Fox slept with me on the bottom.

Liam slept on the top bunk (it folds down kind of like a bunk bed in a trailer)

Emma slept in the "child sized" bed at my feet. The top bunk "child sized" bed [not pictured] was full of all of our luggage...we had a lot.

Then the sun came up and our nice train innkeeper man transformed our bed into seats!! Yippie!

Here's one side of our room with the smallest closet you have EVER seen! Barely fit my coat. :)

Here's the other side, this is where the kids played most of the time.

We travel through some of the most beautiful places ever!! And (according to Tony) slept through the more "boring" parts (Nebraska). It was absolutely gorgeous! If you ever plan on taking a train just for fun, I would say to travel from Utah to Denver, prettiest sights ever! There are parts where it is sheer cliff and all you can see is the valley below you, it feels like you are flying! We saw about twenty head of elk and countless deer. And went through I think something like 28 tunnels, one of which was six miles long! (during which we were eating and Liam had to go to the bathroom, but I wouldn't let him until we were out of the tunnel because I didn't know if everything was lit, and what if he couldn't see!! Anyways I was a little bit paranoid...but he finally got to go after we were out of the tunnel) Here's some of the sights. I only took pictures of outside for about ten minutes, so this is only a itty bitty glimpse.

this one you can see Liam's reflection...I thought that was pretty cool.

We got to play a whole lot. And since I didn't think to charge our DVD player, all we did was play. So thanks to all of you who sent gifts, toys, and activities, they really, really, really did help! And made it so that I didn't go insane!! :)

Emma showing off new toys and candy

Liam with new Transformers (best gifts ever, they kept him entertained forever)

Fox just ate the paper

Fox eating the lid off the pringles can (he's easily entertained, what can I say?)

This is where Fox was most the trip. Usually chewing on some random thing or sleeping.

Me and Fox

We got all of our meals free with the tickets we bought. Some body warned me that the food was no good, but I was fairly pleased with how good the food actually was. We got to eat four meals all together (2 breakfast and one lunch and dinner), I ate every last drop they gave me, the kids, not so much...:) (I had salmon for dinner [not pictured here] it was sooooo good)

Liam and Emma waiting for breakfast to be served (yes, they are still in their pajamas...we were on vacation!! I only got a couple of weird looks from people)

Liam's awesome hot dog and chips for lunch

My delicious salad. Mmmm, it was so good, blue cheese, apples, walnuts and chicken...drool...

Emma's pasta that she didn't eat. I tried to talk her out of getting it, I knew she wouldn't eat it, but she wanted it, so she got it.

Happy Emma (usually she gives me this smile right after she's done something she not suppose to...I wonder what she did. :) )

Liam was proud that he put this Mickey Mouse puzzle together (with a little bit of help from Mom)

Happy Fox playing with lots of links

Emma happy to be eating a delicious granola bar

Liam looking all chipper

It was fun! Even with three kids :). I had one elderly lady look very serious at me and say, "you are one brave traveler." Other people say, "Are all three of these yours!?" And the guy that served our food acted a little annoyed that I would bring three kids under the age of five on to the train, but for the most part people were very nice. Liam and Emma got to hang out with the conductor. He gave them "tickets" (little pieces of paper that he called tickets, they were thrilled). One man would hide his eyes when we went through the tunnel, just like Liam and Emma where, and make them giggle every time. And several people would stop just to talk to the kids and ask them if they liked the train, or how they were doing.

So train A+. Would I do it again? If it was cheap enough. So far for the dates I want to go back home the train prices sky rocket! We must have just chosen the right time! But all in all it was a great experience and really how many people can say they've rode a US train? Now my kids can say they have ;)