Trip Report: November 8 - December 10, 2006
by Ted & Sylvia Blishak
31 Day Grand Tour on Amtrak and the Mississippi Queen
Tuesday Wednesday, November 14 and 15, 2006
Chicago to St. Louis
This morning Ted’s brother and his lady arrive into Chicago on the “Capitol Limited” from Pittsburgh. We all have a tasty though expensive lunch at the Custom House, the dining room of the Hotel Blake.
Located on the first floor of Hotel Blake, Custom House restaurant features an atmosphere and style that celebrates the early days of the South Loop. To pay tribute to the Windy City's diverse character, Chef Sean McClain has created a menu showcasing a delightful fusion of contemporary American cuisine and Mediterranean influences. Sample a creative array of game, poultry, and beef delicacies -- along with wine selections from some of the finest West Coast vineyards.
A short taxi ride to Union Station where we check into the Metropolitan Lounge for the new, earlier departure of the “Texas Eagle” at 200pm, scheduled to arrive into St. Louis at 735pm.
While at Union Station, we take this opportunity to check one piece of luggage to Pittsburgh, plus another piece back home to Klamath Falls, with the dead IBM Think Pad. I mail the baggage check to Computer Systems & Information in Klamath Falls, the people who have been taking care of my data systems for over a decade. When they pick up my bag in Klamath Falls, there is no IBM Think Pad in it.
Suspecting that it might have been stolen enroute, I file a report with the Amtrak Police. The detective who takes the report is based in Portland, but with no specific leads, the case is closed and I will have to make a claim with TravelGuard Insurance. This is the first time in 35 years that we have had any problems with Amtrak baggage. Nor have I have ever heard from any clients about problems with Amtrak baggage.
ADDENDUM: To our acute embarrassment, upon arrival back to Klamath Falls on December 10, we find that a bag waiting for us contains the IBM Think Pad. We had sent two identical bags, and I had mailed the wrong baggage tag to my computer store. I owe my sincerest apologies to Amtrak Baggage for even suspecting that someone there might have stolen my laptop. Amtrak’s record for baggage handling is perfect in our experience. I have sent a letter of apology to my Amtrak Service Center and to the Amtrak Police Department.
The “Texas Eagle” schedule is perfect for having dinner in the diner before arriving at the Gateway Arch city at a reasonable hour. This evening, as the “Eagle” rambles down the left bank of the Mississippi, the Gateway Arch appears across the river, illuminated in the misty night.
The St. Louis Union Station has been beautifully restored to its 1890s grandeur, but unfortunately Amtrak stops several blocks away at a decrepit Amshack, where our luggage is offloaded onto mud. Yes, mud. There is not enough of a platform to accommodate a train of two sleepers and three coaches.
This is truly one of the saddest entries that Amtrak must endure into a major city, and it must be the shame of St. Louis, which once boasted one of the grandest railway stations in the entire country. Why a stub end siding was not preserved into Union Station for Amtrak, as it is for Metro Link, is one of those American urban mysteries which has no answer.
We are fortunate to find a minivan taxi with enough room for four passengers and their luggage, even though it turns out to be the most expensive taxi ride we have ever experienced in the USA. In addition to the meter fare, there is a $1.00 extra charge for every passenger, plus a $1.00 extra charge for each piece of luggage.
We have selected the Adams Mark Hotel due to its proximity to the Gateway Arch and the Mississippi River. Tomorrow the “’Mississippi Queen” (MQ) will depart from the wharf at the south leg of the Arch at 7pm, we think. We are swiftly checked into a deluxe suite with a view of the Arch and the river. There is no water in our room and the electronic door locks do not respond to our keys after our initial entry. After several phone calls and several visits from engineering, we can take a shower. And the locks now work.
Although the Adams Mark is a beautiful hotel with comfortable rooms and a perfect location, there are some issues that management needs to address..
Wednesday. We wake up to the sight of a pale sunrise glistening on the Arch, with MQ docked at the south leg. St. Louis has so much to see, and we have so little time, as boarding of MQ begins at 100pm. We choose to visit St. Louis Union Station.
The following information is from: http://www.stlouisunionstation.com
ST. LOUIS UNION STATION'S ARCHITECTURE AN ECLECTIC MIX OF ROMANESQUE STYLES
From its magnificent 65-foot, barrel-vaulted ceiling in the Grand Hall to its Victorian-engineered train shed totaling more than 11 acres, St. Louis Union Station remains one of our nation's true architectural "gems." Built at a cost of $6.5 million in the 1890s St. Louis Union Station was designed by German-born architect Theodore C. Link of St. Louis who won the prized project in a nationwide contest. In the early 1980s , the Station underwent a $150 million restoration.
The Headhouse
The architecture of St. Louis Union Station is an eclectic mix of Romanesque styles. The Station's interior and exterior details are a combination of both Richardsonian Romanesque tradition and French Romanesque or Norman style. In fact, Link modeled the grandiose Station after Carcassone, a walled, medieval city in southern France. These designs are most evident when entering the Station's Headhouse and the impressive Grand Hall, with its sweeping archways, fresco and gold leaf detailing, scagliola surfaces, mosaics and art glass windows. One can imagine the incredible impression the room created in 1894 on opening day. Today, the Grand Hall continues to awe visitors as the Hyatt Regency Hotel's lobby and lounge area.
A most impressive feature of the Grand Hall is the "Allegorical Window," a hand-made stained glass window with hand-cut Tiffany glass strategically positioned above the Station's main entryway. The window features three women representing the main U.S. train stations during the 1890s -- New York, St. Louis and San Francisco.
The Midway And Train Shed
The Second main area, The Midway, once serviced more than 100,000 rail passengers a day. The 610-foot-long and 70-foot-wide concourse was connected to the massive Train Shed, where passengers lined up to board trains through one of 32 boarding gates. The Midway was constructed with a light steel trussed roof of glass and iron. Today it serves as a passageway filled with an array of shops and restaurants.
The Train Shed, 11.5 acres of sweeping arches, was the largest single-span train shed ever constructed. It once covered the greatest number of train tracks (32) than any other station in the nation. Measuring 606 feet wide by 810 feet long, the Victorian-engineered shed soars to 140 feet with its massive space divided by five structural bays. The Shed currently houses retail and restaurant facilities, a portion of the Hyatt Regency, the lake, event and parking areas.
(Today Union Station is served by St. Louis MetroLink which has a single stub end track into the facility. Intercity travelers must take a taxi to the Amtrak station several blocks away.)
Last evening’s mist has turned into a cold driving rain, so the boarding of MQ is going to be a damp and chilling experience.
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