E ticket for the Surfliner!

[arizonachris]

OK, some of y'all have had nice vacation trips last year (or this year), so this isn't much. But I get a chance to take a nice day trip with some shipmates from the Iowa. We're all getting on train #562 (at several different stops, tho) bound from LA Union Station to San Diego Union Station. Leaves LAX at 6:15am, arrives SAN around 9am. Unreserved coach seating, round trip, $74. Gets us down south in time for a snack before a 4 block walk over to............

............The carrier Midway. One of the Iowa crew swapped 20 Iowa tickets for 20 Midway tickets. All we have to do is show our ship's crew ID's and we're on board free. ($20 regular adult) Looking at the Midway's website, that thing is huge, and has lots of cool stuff to see, including flight simulators and restored aircraft. I'm told to sign up for the Bridge tour first. Was also told it's a good 4 hours to really get a good look at everything.

I think train #562 is an F59PHi? Yep, camera batteries all charged up. Not sure how full the train will be or what level I can sit on. Be neat to ride in the cars that Cesar modeled. No, not gonna compare "stuff". No light bulb counting, either.

See y'all later!

[CARex]

Have a great day!!

[Ericmopar]

Oh I'm jealous.

[arizonachris]

6:15 am depart, 9:00am arrival. ON TIME! Then return 4pm depart, 6:55 arrive, ON TIME. Nice, smooth, quiet, clean Superliner coach cars. Fast, too. I couldn't feel the acceleration, but I did feel the braking. Freeway from my place to Downtown LA was less than 30 minutes each way. Parking all day = $6. $10 for a monster chili cheese dog with onions and a soda onboard the carrier.

Really nice day, really big/ HUGE carrier, lots of stuff to see, restored aircraft in the hangar deck and on the flight deck. About 80% of the ship open to tour thru. The Midway staff made us battleship folks feel right at home, too. Several docents walked us around and showed us the ship. After about 5 hours, we still hadn't seen it all, had to get back to the station for the trip home.


Amtrak train #562: (shot after arrival in SAN, LA don't like you to wander around)


Inside of our coach car:


Part of our motley group in SAN:


Random shots along the way to SAN:









I have a bunch more of the Midway, plus more pics for the Iowa. I need lunch and a nap first. Zzzzzzzzzzzzz.

[arizonachris]

OK, waiting around for the return trip, a few more pics :

San Diego Metro line:


Couple of Coasters waiting to depart, and our North bound "Cab Car":






The engine that pushed us all the way back to LA filling up with go-go juice:


At Anaheim (return trip):