2 Blondes, 12 Stops, 1 Train: 48 Hours on the Train... Oy Ve.

Early Monday morning on June 11th, we began our 48 hour epic journey across the southern region of the U.S. We do not recommend this journey for anyone. This was the longest 48 hours of our lives. We passed through Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and finally into California. We were in Texas for the longest amount of time. Even though Lynea is a huge fan of Texas, she was ready to move on to the next state after the first day of travel through the state. However, we did see a LOT of pretty scenery throughout the 2 days on the train. Lynea enjoyed all the desert scenery because it reminded her of her time spent in Utah with her grandparents. Lauren did not have a favorite part of this journey. She dreaded it.

Passing over the Rio Grande (we think...)

We passed over miles and miles of barren land like this when riding through Texas

While on the train, we had to find ways to entertain ourselves. While we watched a couple movies together, we spent the majority of the time doing our own things. Lynea practiced writing Japanese characters and learning key phrases to pass the time. She also read a book entitled "Getting Stoned with Savages" and reading articles about primate behavior. Lauren spent most of her time listening to music, watching Netflix on her phone, or sleeping (but not really cause it's physically impossible to sleep on the train). While Lauren may seem less intellectually inclined with her choice of activities on the train, it's just because she gets sick if she tries to read on the train.

Nerd alert! :P

We got to experience a little of the Amtrak dining services during this train ride. We got dinner in the dining car one night and sat with an older couple who make the trip from Tuscon, Arizona to Louisiana twice a year (WOW!). After his wife ordered the salmon fillet, he told the server to give him the same order and explained to us that this is what happens after you have been married for so many years. We then both ordered the pasta dish, and he jokingly asked how long we had been married. Even though the food was okay, it was a little pricey and so we stuck to our snacks for the rest of the trip. When we made the stop in El Paso, Texas, the conductor announced that a lady outside was selling $2 burritos. We jumped on the chance to get some fresh air and some cheap, local food. However, when we stepped outside of the train, we discovered it was over 100 degrees F, and after getting a couple burritos each, we went back into the air conditioned train.

These were definitely worth $2

We came across many interesting characters while on this train ride, many of whom traveled the whole 48 hours with us. There was one couple who sat across the aisle from us that brought a big cooler filled with enough food to feed a family of 6 for two days. Talk about prepared! We also sat by a young lady who completely wrapped herself up in two blankets (probably because she was wearing a very skimpy outfit underneath). There were lots of small children on the train as well, more than any other trip that we have taken so far. Surprisingly, they were mostly well behaved, other than an occasional outburst, which is expected among children that age.

We wish we could sleep like this on the train!

Our friendship almost came to an end after the two FULL days spent on the train. Thank goodness California finally came because we deep down, we really do love each other. 48 hours on a train would probably make anyone go crazy. Luckily, we did manage to get a few hours of sporadic sleep. We're glad our next couple of train trips along the West Coast are only a few hours each. We dread the trip from Seattle to Chicago, another 48 hours. Wish us luck!