This will be a multi installment post of our March 2012 cross country (Myrtle Beach to California) Amtrak trip. I'll break it into notable and favorite legs of the journey. As you may be aware we live in Myrtle Beach, SC. Since Amtrak doesn't have a station located here, our closest location of departure was Atlanta, GA so we left home around 11 pm via automobile and arrived early around 5 or 6 am. We parked our car at a nice, new, secure parking facility called Peachy Parking. We had found a promotional deal online where we could park for free. With minimal parking at the train station in an unsecured location, we decided to leave our truck where there was 24 hour gated security. This worked out really well considering the cost associated with parking for two weeks. From there, we rode the complimentary shuttle to the airport where we caught the MARTA to the Amtrak station. I add this additional info to help with ideas when you plan on an adventure such as this. I was the only person that had traveled via public transportation/subway, so my wife and three young children were in for an experience! But isn't that what makes life interesting?!
We grabbed a bite to eat at the airport. Interesting thing about being on a trip and eating habits, location and time of day become irrelevant. Kids can see food, and it almost turns into a National Geographic special on animals of prey. Their radar can zero in on a fast food joint in the strangest of places. Just remember though these are new and exciting times for youngsters so make the most of it! Something off of the dollar menu in an odd location is better than a five star restaurant to them. They'll thank you, and your wallet will thank you.
My suggestion when placing yourself in unfamiliar waters, so to speak (ie. you are out of your element) is to exude confidence and carry yourself in a manner that looks like you belong. Act like this isn't your first time in this situation. Riding on public transportation in a big city well before the rooster crows can be unsettling. By following these tips, you might just not look so out of place. Okay, so this picture isn't the best example of blending in...but you get the idea.
We hadn't told the children where we were going or for that matter how we were travelling. We decided to tell them of our first leg of the trip at the train station. Since there wasn't much signage, and the train hadn't arrived, they had no idea even while standing in front of the station. So we told them and of course they were excited. I'm blessed to have children that are excited by little things such as eating a breakfast from Wendys inside the airport...but when you, as a parent, are planning something big, it puts a smile on your face as well. Another helpful traveling tip, since children have backs, let them carry their own backpacks!
WOO HOO!! Let the Adventure Begin!! We were all in uncharted waters here as none of us had been on a train trip before. The man behind the camera, that would be me, was pretty excited as well! As was my wife, Hillary. Caleb, next to the window, made sure he figured out which buttons and levers worked the seat and footrest. They were veterans of rail travel within minutes. 
A couple of the great things about traveling on Amtrak is, 1) you are able to bring on plenty of carry on luggage per person to go in the overhead and 2) the best part is being able to bring your own food! It allows you to bring the food that the children like as well as keeping the eating expense down. As you can see there is a generous amount of space in the reclining seats. Also a tray folds down from the back of the seat in front of you allowing for a place to eat from or to place your laptop. Two power outlets are located under the window as well. It didn't take Mark and Caleb long to make themselves at home!
Since I wasn't that crazy about the idea of spending most of the vacation behind the wheel driving around 6,000 miles round trip, I was looking forward to the childhood dream of us all -- riding on a train. The best part of riding on the train to me were moments like this where you can just sit back and focus on your children, as I did with Sarah, taking in God's beautiful creation and viewing this diverse landscape of these United States. Not from the pages of a magazine or the screen of a television but from their own personal live feed of the best motion picture out there. These are precious simple moments that I'll cherish forever.
As we rode through the southland of Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi on our way to Louisiana, we passed rolling hills, creeks, rivers, lakes and rock walls. Old train cars, many miles from their former glory, sat in quaint rail stations with facades that take you back to a simpler, slower time. You can almost see the loading platform filled with men in suits and ladies in dresses donning fancy hats void of cell phones and headphones, laptops and ringtones, waiting patiently in the summer heat for the train to arrive. A different time, a different place, but for a moment I was there and it was actually pretty nice.
As the sun set on the Cresent and our journey from Atlanta to New Orleans, the outside world becomes invisible. We were now getting closer to our first destination where we would spend the night and get much needed rest from a long but enjoyable day. New Orleans is the end of the line for us on this day. So far this adventure was what I was hoping for...and I knew the best was yet to come.
