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Milwaukee-Chicago Train Trip Day 3 of 7
Jun. 15th, 2023 11:59 pmTHURSDAY
I rose about six AM to use the bathroom, and overheard someone bitterly complaining from the ADA suite (not so subtly designated Room H) that they had property damage from what appeared to be an overflowing en suite toilet. I then sat up in my bunk until about 7:30 and went downstairs to use the shower. The space was rather cramped, and I didn't realize until afterwards that the bath towels were over by the luggage rack, but I managed. Pam from dinner was waiting for me to finish so she could use the shower next. I returned to the room, waited for Gary to take care of his morning routine, then tested my sugar before we went to breakfast just after eight.
The same couple we met at breakfast yesterday were seated with us again. The gentleman across the aisle facing us reminded me of my uncle Larry except with sandy hair and beard (like my dad, Larry had jet-black hair until it started to turn white). We both had French toast with strawberries. Gary had chicken sausage and orange juice, while I had bacon and coffee.
After breakfast I took a second cup of coffee to go and we returned to the room to find the bunks still in place, which made sitting uncomfortable. So around nine, just after the stop in Fargo, ND, we returned to the lounge car in hopes the attendant will take the hint. About ten, after a stop in Detroit Lakes, MN, we returned to the room to find the bunks still set up, so I notified the attendant we were ready and we went downstairs to use the bathroom. I noticed Room H had been vacated with the door propped open, and the mattress was marked for disposal because it was contaminated with human waste. Ew. By the time we were done, the room was ready, and we settled in for the couple of hours before lunch. Gary nodded off while I surfed the net and occasionally checked out the scenery. Got pictures in Staples, MN (Yeah, we got that 😊) as well as the Broadway Bridge in Little Falls (northwest of St. Cloud which is just NW of the Twin Cities).
Just after one we went back to the dining car for lunch. We met a couple who are making a great circle trip by train: starting in Sacramento, via Seattle (or perhaps Portland, as we didn't discuss the part of the trip already taken), to Chicago for two nights, New York City for a few nights, an overnight in New Orleans and four hours in LA before returning to Sacramento. We both had Angus burgers and chips with Diet Coke: Gary had a brownie and I had the filled cake. During lunch we stopped at St. Paul, observing the Minneapolis skyline from a distance. We had a nice chat with one of the dining car staffers who is from Chicago and gave us pointers on what to do in town.
As we left St. Paul, the train crossed to the west side of the Mississippi River (which is more south than west at this point) and then followed the river bank for quite some distance. About 4:20, as we approached La Crosse, WI on the east side of the Mississippi, we headed for the lounge car for a light snack since we planned to get dinner in Milwaukee after checking in to the hotel. The dining car offered beef stew for dinner because on the original schedule the train should have been in Chicago long before dinner time, but we wanted to save that for the Chicago passengers. We stayed just long enough to finish our popcorn and beverages, then returned to the room. When we got to Tomah, WI, the platform was so short that our car was stopped across a busy street to allow passengers to board and detrain from the coaches behind us. This occurred once or twice previously.
We arrived in Milwaukee about 8 PM, retrieved our checked bags, and caught The Hop, a free streetcar service, to within a couple blocks of the hotel. We were checked in by 8:30 and walked the short two blocks (one of which was a bridge over the Milwaukee River) to Mo's Irish Pub for dinner. We split an order of fried cheese curds, then Gary had fish and chips with a Diet Coke, and I had a burger with corned beef, cheese, and bacon with a side of garlic mashed potatoes and a couple glasses of Magner's cider. The manager in his tweed jacket and short haircut reminded me of Conor McGregor in his Proper #12 whiskey ads. As it happened, Mo's has discontinued the free shuttle to Brewers games. There was a documentary about Bill Walton on the screens behind the bar.
We returned to the hotel and asked the desk clerk for the information about another nearby bar which provides a shuttle service. Then it was back to the room to unpack, relax, and plan the rest of the weekend.
I rose about six AM to use the bathroom, and overheard someone bitterly complaining from the ADA suite (not so subtly designated Room H) that they had property damage from what appeared to be an overflowing en suite toilet. I then sat up in my bunk until about 7:30 and went downstairs to use the shower. The space was rather cramped, and I didn't realize until afterwards that the bath towels were over by the luggage rack, but I managed. Pam from dinner was waiting for me to finish so she could use the shower next. I returned to the room, waited for Gary to take care of his morning routine, then tested my sugar before we went to breakfast just after eight.
The same couple we met at breakfast yesterday were seated with us again. The gentleman across the aisle facing us reminded me of my uncle Larry except with sandy hair and beard (like my dad, Larry had jet-black hair until it started to turn white). We both had French toast with strawberries. Gary had chicken sausage and orange juice, while I had bacon and coffee.
After breakfast I took a second cup of coffee to go and we returned to the room to find the bunks still in place, which made sitting uncomfortable. So around nine, just after the stop in Fargo, ND, we returned to the lounge car in hopes the attendant will take the hint. About ten, after a stop in Detroit Lakes, MN, we returned to the room to find the bunks still set up, so I notified the attendant we were ready and we went downstairs to use the bathroom. I noticed Room H had been vacated with the door propped open, and the mattress was marked for disposal because it was contaminated with human waste. Ew. By the time we were done, the room was ready, and we settled in for the couple of hours before lunch. Gary nodded off while I surfed the net and occasionally checked out the scenery. Got pictures in Staples, MN (Yeah, we got that 😊) as well as the Broadway Bridge in Little Falls (northwest of St. Cloud which is just NW of the Twin Cities).
Just after one we went back to the dining car for lunch. We met a couple who are making a great circle trip by train: starting in Sacramento, via Seattle (or perhaps Portland, as we didn't discuss the part of the trip already taken), to Chicago for two nights, New York City for a few nights, an overnight in New Orleans and four hours in LA before returning to Sacramento. We both had Angus burgers and chips with Diet Coke: Gary had a brownie and I had the filled cake. During lunch we stopped at St. Paul, observing the Minneapolis skyline from a distance. We had a nice chat with one of the dining car staffers who is from Chicago and gave us pointers on what to do in town.
As we left St. Paul, the train crossed to the west side of the Mississippi River (which is more south than west at this point) and then followed the river bank for quite some distance. About 4:20, as we approached La Crosse, WI on the east side of the Mississippi, we headed for the lounge car for a light snack since we planned to get dinner in Milwaukee after checking in to the hotel. The dining car offered beef stew for dinner because on the original schedule the train should have been in Chicago long before dinner time, but we wanted to save that for the Chicago passengers. We stayed just long enough to finish our popcorn and beverages, then returned to the room. When we got to Tomah, WI, the platform was so short that our car was stopped across a busy street to allow passengers to board and detrain from the coaches behind us. This occurred once or twice previously.
We arrived in Milwaukee about 8 PM, retrieved our checked bags, and caught The Hop, a free streetcar service, to within a couple blocks of the hotel. We were checked in by 8:30 and walked the short two blocks (one of which was a bridge over the Milwaukee River) to Mo's Irish Pub for dinner. We split an order of fried cheese curds, then Gary had fish and chips with a Diet Coke, and I had a burger with corned beef, cheese, and bacon with a side of garlic mashed potatoes and a couple glasses of Magner's cider. The manager in his tweed jacket and short haircut reminded me of Conor McGregor in his Proper #12 whiskey ads. As it happened, Mo's has discontinued the free shuttle to Brewers games. There was a documentary about Bill Walton on the screens behind the bar.
We returned to the hotel and asked the desk clerk for the information about another nearby bar which provides a shuttle service. Then it was back to the room to unpack, relax, and plan the rest of the weekend.