Amtrak/New York 6th July 2023

After dropping off our rental car at Glacier Airport, we got a taxi to Whitefish Amtrak Station, ready for our 7.30 am train, only to be told it was running two hours late.  Whitefish wasn't exactly a bustling town but rather a one street town that could be explored in less than half hour.  Fortunately there was a bakery open and we were able to get a coffee and pastry to keep us going.  Whilst waiting on the platform a couple of deer wandered across (which is the photo below).

The train, the Empire Builder, was destined for Chicago and was going to take 33 hours.  We had a roomette which comprised a four feet wide compartment with two seats by day and bunk beds at night.  There was a small closet with a couple of hangers and that was about it.  But it was very comfortable and sliding doors and curtains made it private.  Meals taken in the dining car which was really nice and the three course evening meal included an alcoholic drink (meals were included in the ticket price).  We both slept really well and were able to take a shower in the morning which was surprisingly good.

We arrived into Chicago and had a couple of hours before our next train bound for New York (22 hours) and followed a similar pattern.  Paul took the opportunity to photograph the station in Chicago which has featured in many movies.

New York has been very hot and we've seen some of the tourist sites including a trip to the top of the Empire State Building.  The views from the top were incredible although we both agreed it didn't compare with some other cities we've visited (and especially London) because there's not the number of historic and iconic buildings.  

We chose to do the Hop On Hop Off bus today which got held up by about thirty minutes at an intersection where the police had cordoned off a couple of blocks, and there were several firefighters waiting around (hence the photo).  Then we saw a van arrive indicating that it was the Bomb Squad, but our bus moved on before we saw what was happening.

We strolled around Central Park and visited the memorial dedicated to John Lennon which is close to where he died.  There's no photos of the Statue of Liberty as yet because we're hoping for a closer view from the Queen Mary ship which we will be boarding tomorrow, so there will be one final blog before we arrive back into Southampton.