We decided to be very un-American and ditch the car last weekend. Not that we are American but living in America does make us more American than we think we are. We took the Amtrak instead, for the long Memorial Day weekend. Our close friends, D and K had this idea for a train adventure and we hopped on.
S1 and S2 were excited. A was skeptical. I was glad to have the freedom of a moving train. I recalled my train trips in India and wanted to relive those days of carefree abandon. and the days of walking to a restroom without stopping the car and getting stressed about which exit on the freeway we needed to take.
It was a big hit. The kids learned that they had to wait for things, like trains, to arrive. A and I experienced the joy of not driving. and the sun...reminded me that I am off to India soon to bake in the glorious kiln that is Chennai.
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| The Capitol Corridor train - beaming magnificently under the Sacramento Sun |
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| Amtrak - I heart you |
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| We rode from San Jose to Sacramento |
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A with the girls - can you believe there was not a soul in sight? I have never seen a railway platform in India without a teeming crowd of humans sitting, squatting, running or standing everywhere. The emptiness was refreshing but I missed the people-watching and glorious judging that is freely available in Chennai Central station.
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| This is a terrible picture that does absolutely no justice to the breathtaking, magnificent scenery we witnessed through our journey. This time, it was all about the journey and not really the destination. The destination was a mere excuse. |
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| S2 patiently waiting for the train with a pack of Coffee Beans. |
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| We hit the Zoo. The girls loved seeing the animals. I felt sad for them and vowed to do something about freeing animals. Then I learnt that most of these animals were endangered and the Zoo was helping keep the species alive. Then I didn't feel so bad after all. |
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| I would love to have one as a pet. |
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| Tall, tall Tiga. |
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| We visited FairyTale Town and stumbled upon the Crooked Mile |
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| The girls think this is a real thing. In FairyTale Town, it was! |
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| Humpty Dumpty reminded us to watch our step and our heads as we made our way out. |
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| Oh glorious Sacramento Sun and palm trees! You call my name. |
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The Capitol Building |
The 3-hour journey was as carefree and chill as could be. I took advantage of having A's undivided attention and problem solved/ brainstormed some life stage challenges as well. I call it problem-solving but he calls it arguing. I wonder why. Note to self: Maybe I need to tone down all this impassioned brainstorming that I love to do. :)
