Waterfront highway on Solana Beach on Feb. 5, 2006.

Waterfront property on Solana Beach on Feb. 5, 2006.

Surf’s up!

I’m getting the urge to swallow a glass of orange juice right about now.

The parking lot at Angel Stadium is a mess on the morning of Feb. 5, 2006 following the previous night’s AMA Supercross motorcycle race at the Major League Baseball venue.

Primary engine on Pacific Surfliner 564 on Feb. 5, 2006.

Passenger bridge over tracks on early morning of Feb. 5, 2006.

Southwest Chief 3 primary engine during service stop on Feb. 4, 2006.

Construction of new station in Albuquerque on Feb. 4, 2006.

Candidate for Architectural Digest on Feb. 4, 2006.

Shopping area on 1st Street on Feb. 4, 2006.

I wonder if Ed will be showing the Super Bowl at his establishment?

New Mexico countryside on Feb. 4, 2006.

The Spanish Peaks of the Colorado Rockies on Feb. 4, 2006.

An old Sante Fe caboose outside the station in La Junta (Spanish for The Junction) on Feb. 4, 2006.

A wind turbine and a locomotive at the station in Lamar during the early morning hours of Feb. 4, 2006.

The Wanderers perform at the Navy Pier.

The Navy Pier.

Normally on a February morning, this is snow.

I always thought the Sears Tower was a lot taller.

An old locomotive lights up the rail yard on Feb. 3, 2006.

South Main Street rush hour traffic on Feb. 3, 2006.

On Friday, I wake up at 7:18 a.m., just as we arrive in Waterloo, Indiana. We have lost more time during the night and now stand 1:07 behind schedule. I head down to the shower, but it is occupied. I go to the bathroom directly next to the shower to put on my contacts. When I open the door, I am greeted by a Chloe, a friendly guide dog for a woman and man staying in the handicap room. We talk about my destination and I learn that he is going to Chicago and she is going to DeKalb, Illinois. I then head into the show which is no longer occupied.

As I finish my shower, I hear the announcement for our stop in Elkhart, Indiana. I return to my room as we stop at 8:13 a.m. I take some pictures of the dark and rainy morning and the locomotives at the station.

While talking to Larry, our car attendant, Chloe comes up the stairs and into his room. He takes her back downstairs. Later, I hear Larry tell the conductor that Chloe had escaped and they share a laugh.

We stop at South Bend, Indiana 23 minutes after Elkhart. We are now 1:13 behind as we head to Chicago.

(For a route that has only 14 stops between Washington and Chicago, it seems peculiar that there are two stops in Indiana within 20 miles of each other. Same goes for the Rockville, Maryland stop which in my opinion is needless since the trip from Rockville to Union Station can be made via the Metro in 20 minutes.)

Before I call it a night, I’d like to mention a couple of quality live rail travelogues that have raised the bar and set the standard for this type of thing.

Steve Grande, one of the gurus at trainweb.org, recently filed a live blog during his trip to the Sundance Film Festival. His top-notch trip report can be found at: http://www.trainweb.com/travelogues/stevegrande/2006a27a.html

Sean Stevens, known as Hotshot, is currently in the midst of a 30-day North American rail adventure. WhistleStop, which reads like a story from a publication such as Esquire, can be found at:
http://whistlestop30.blogspot.com

After following the Youghiogheny for a couple of hours, we are now riding the banks of the Monongahela, approaching Pittsburgh. We will probably make up a little time when we leave the Steel City, home of the Super Bowl-bound Steelers. I’ll find out where we stand when I wake up tomorrow.

Engine 52, the primary on Capitol Limited 29 on Feb. 2, 2006.

The view down Track 16 at Washington’s Union Station on Feb. 2, 2006.