This year’s vacation we did a little different then our usual camp out. I thought we were overdue for a trip to see Paula in Baltimore and that we drag mom along. It was suggested last year that we take the Amtrak. I though how fun if we spring for a sleeper car cause I didn’t think an overnight Amtrak ride sitting in coach sounded much fun.
I really wanted it to be a girls only trip but knew RAW always wanted to take a train trip so I included him to head out east but then he was going to launch himself to North Carolina via a rental car. He has been (still) driving a lot going back to Indiana pretty much most weekends and the thought of driving 7 hours to get to his cousin’s after getting off the train daunting so I told him we will try the train again sometime and plan a camping trip the begining of August if he stayed home–so he did.
The train was scheduled to leave at 6:10pm from Chicago. The plan was to meet mom by the Art Institute around 1:00. I was worried we wouldn’t connect for some reason and be at a loss since she doesn’t have a cell phone. We found each other alright. We hung around Chicago for a bit before taking off to Union Station for no other reason to unload her suitcase (Hollace and I already did so since Amtrak is right next to our commute train). One of the perks of springing for a sleeper car was to check our suitcases and sit in the nicer lounge.
When we finally got on the train we were told they would come around to get our dinner reservation. They never did. I guess that was really suppose to happen when we checked in the lounge at the station. By the time we found our car guy they told us the soonest we could get in was 8:30pm.. Another perk of sleeper cars was dinner was included.
Big storms were rolling in and we were 
delayed in South Bend after a tree fell on the tracks. Apparently they don’t serve dinner when we are stopped because they didn’t call anyone to dinner during that time. The 8:00 folks didn’t get called until 8:30. Around 8:45 I seeked out the car guy again and he was able to get us in. Not a moment after we got in they called the 9:00 folks! No 8:30 people at all.
Sally was the name of the woman who joined us at our table. She was a folk singer and song writer who was going back to Maryland after a folk jam session in Chicago. Mom and I (and Sally) had steaks while Hollace had a hot dog. She didn’t really want anything but it was part of our ticket price so I made her order something anyway.
Hollace spent her time on the train (as well as our week in Washington D.C./Baltimore) on a quest to drink up as many creamers as she could. I think by the time we got home, she downed 42.5 of those little suckers.
By the time we got done with the dining car, our sleeper car had been turned over for bed time. I told him 10:00 was ok but I didn’t realize we would just be getting done with dinner by then.
Then I became selfish. I made mom sleep in the top bunk. I think two people were suppose to sleep below. I know, how horrible of me. I didn’t sleep too well so I guess that is my payment. I couldn’t get the temperature right and well I am on a train. I was aware every time we weren’t moving. I was reluctant originally booking these tickets because there was a caveat that if the train is delayed enough and didn’t make a certain point in Ohio by a certain time, everyone was to de-train at 3:00 a.m. and get on a bus the rest of the way! I was paranoid that was going to happen even though it seemed to be rare.
We got to Washington D.C. by 2:00 which was about an hour late–not too bad.
We then got in a cab to a hotel that Paula had booked called the Topaz. Hot and muggy was the weather over there. Paula eventually got to the hotel after she finished up her work day and we went to a Mexican restaurant where mom posed with the Obamas 😉
The next morning (Wednesday) we headed to the zoo to meet a kiwi. We missed this opportunity five years ago when we last when, back in the days when Hollace was crazy for kiwi. There was no way we were going to miss it this time. They have this every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 11 first come first serve. We got there by 10 and there was already one family sitting there waiting. The lady working the room said we could walk around and come back closer to 11 but I am like no way. Another mother with her 
crazy kiwi loving kid came right after that. By 11 the room had their limit of people and the kiwi woman came in. Normally this talk is a short one depending on the kiwi’s mood but we were there for close to an hour. Check one thing off of Hollace’s bucket list!
We headed back to Baltimore. That night we met up with Paula’s friends at a place that claimed had the best crab cake in Baltimore. It was delish. One of Paula’s outgoing friends, Brenda insisted that Hollace sit by her and played with her hair, fed her her crab cake and told her that sit up straight because boobies are power! I made mention of Brenda’s fork bracelet and she then slapped it on my wrist. When I was able to get it off to give it back to her (not easy) she told me I could keep it. I didn’t though.
Let’s see, the next day we went to St Michaels which is a little gift shoppie town much like Galena.A had a soft shell crab sandwich or as Paula called it, a bug on a bun.
On Friday we hung out in Baltimore and checked out the Edgar Allen Poe grave yard and eventually went shopping. RAW had given Hollace $40 to spend and told her if she didn’t spend it she had to give it back. We tried to find a hat to buy but nothing quite was right so we went to Barnes & Nobel for some manga, a sure fire way to burn off the money. There was no close parking so we were going to hoove it over there some way away. Only it started raining and no one had an umbrella. We ducked into a hotel and was going to go to a restaurant in the back that apparently wasn’t there any longer and the back door had no way back in so we ducked the rain in the doorway. Eventually the rain let up and we made it to B&N.
Saturday morning it was now time to pick up the rental car and start our journey back west. Saturday was also Dorothy’s 90th birthday and only 9 hours away from Baltimore so Fort Wayne we head! We kept it a secret from her that we were coming. I had some flowers sent to her. The ride was uneventful and surprisingly quick. We stopped at one rest stop and one gas stop but never stopped for lunch. We got to Fort Wayne at 7:00 where RAW was waiting. 
We ate then but didn’t see Dorothy until Sunday when he brought her to the house after church. She was surprised and thrilled to see us and to have mom there too.
Sunday afternoon we finally started our last leg of the journey. We took the rental car back Saturday night and RAW drove us the rest of the way home. Of course we dropped mom off first. Dad seemed to survive his week alone. I guess he did have one mishap trying to get the mail and had to call 911.
I still had Monday off but Hollace didn’t. It was her first day of summer school. I originally had called off the whole week but since she was in school, it didn’t make much sense for me to waste those days so I went back to work on Tuesday and Wednesday and use those days for our upcoming camping trip. Thursday was 4th of July and I took Friday off where we hosted Emma for the weekend. On Saturday we went to the Renaissance Fair and Sunday took Emma home. The end.