Why Take the Train?

For our trip to Milwaukee to see the Detroit Pistons play the Milwaukee Bucks a week ago, we chose the train . The other options just weren't practical. Air fare from either Detroit or Flint to Milwaukee was in the neighborhood of $500 each--too much for us. Driving around the south of Lake Michigan and through Chicago--I do not want to do that again unless I have to. So that left the train. We have travelled by train many times before and liked it. To Chicago and to Toronto.

We caught the train in Lapeer at 6 am for Chicago. Comfortable seats, much better than airplane. Relax and enjoy the ride. Hmmm. We are stopped but not at a station. Waited for freight traffic to clear. Hmmm. Stopped again. And again. And again. I should have counted. Finally arrive late in Chicago by nearly two hours.

As we pulled into Union Station we figured about 15 minutes to make our connecting train to Milwaukee, 10 minutes by the time we de-trained. We found out Amtrak has two terminals at Union Station, a north terminal and a south terminal. We also found out we arrived at the south terminal and our connecting train is at the north terminal. How to get from one to the other was not especially well marked, very confusing. No time to get a drink, have a pit stop, or grab a bite to eat.

Whew, we made it. This Chicago-Milwaukee train got stuck in the slow lane and followed a freight train part way arriving Milwaukee 20 minutes late.

But those were our good experiences compared to the return trip.

Milwaukee to Chicago was fine. Long enough layover in Union Station to read, eat, drink, learn the layout, etc. Because of my age we were boarded with business class travelers and those with children under ten years of age. A family with a ten-year-old jostle us and ran their luggage into our heels to get by us! We did not tell the dad his coat was being dragged along through the dirty water on the platform.

The trip from Chicago to Lapeer is scheduled for about 6 hours. Relax, read, talk, listen to podcasts of Science Friday on iPod. Hmmm. Train is not moving, etc., etc., etc. Delayed several times between Chicago and Michigan City so over one hour late to South Bend, sat on a siding for an hour before the East Lansing stop. We arrived in Lapeer two and one-half hours late.

Not withstanding the train delays, we had a great time. And Amtrak credited us with about the cost of the leg from Chicago to Lapeer for our inconvenience.

Next time we plan to try Pontiac to Chicago. Perhaps that route has fewer delays.