Taking the Amtrak Train, San Marcos to Fort Worth Part 1

Once again, your Wild About Texas blogger has gotten to ride the Amtrak train to visit grandchildren who live in Fort Worth. I boarded the train at the San Marcos station, though "station" hardly describes the single metal bench sitting within fifteen feet of the tracks.

I love riding the train.

The seats are comfy and generally, there are plenty of seats to choose from. I have only had a seat mate once, and I have always been able to sit next to the window, so I can take photos. The train runs smoothly and quietly. Even the train whistle, which toots several times at every crossing, is not loud enough to be a nuisance.

After the train departs from each stop, the Amtrak attendant comes by each new passenger after they have chosen their seat. He has a pad of card stock stubs and he marks the three letter code for our stop on the stub and sticks it in a slot overhead. San Marcos is SMT, Austin is AUS and Fort Worth is FWT.

There are two cars set aside for eating. The first is the concession car, where someone can purchase snacks and soft drinks.  There is also the more formal dining car. The chef serves five star meals to diners, who are seated community style at tables that seat four people. Choices usually include a steak dinner, some sort of baked chicken dinner, a pasta meal plus a couple of other varying choices.

People pass the time in different ways. This lady knitted the entire trip. I bet she got quite a bit done.

As this gentleman passed my seat, I stopped him and commented on the patches on his jacket. He looked a little self-conscious when I asked permission to photograph him, though he did agree to pose.

Here he is in the concession car, enjoying his coffee with a couple of other passengers.

The young lady sitting next to me had her two year old with her. He was such a good boy. When another mom and her girls walked past, the two toddlers instantly noticed each other and squealed with joy. Even though they had never met, they wanted to be friends.

Momma read to her sweet boy,

And entertained him by looking out the window at the passing scenery.

And the scenery was very interesting. Come back tomorrow to see some of the quirky things I spotted as I looked out my window. There should be a post highlighting cars, trucks and heavy machinery, one on wonderful buildings, one on folks who were close to the tracks as they did their normal, routine tasks, and maybe even a post on the farms, ranches and wilderness that we passed.