From Norfolk to Washington

NFK Station

Destination: The District of Columbia by Train
My backpack and I are off to Washington, D.C., on one of the two Amtrak trains that make the run daily. It will be the first American non-commuter train I have ridden since the 1970s when Debbie and I enjoyed the seemingly long ride from Rhode Island to Harrisburg, Pa. Only vague memories of that trip remain: watching the scenery whiz by, dealing with our luggage, and changing trains in Philadelphia. But, why has it been so long, and why don't more people avail themselves of this Northeast Corridor Route? Especially given the price: I bought a ticket for $35 OW. Even the bus costs more. Of course, in the 1970s Debbie and I were childless, but now we have two grown children one of whom is dropping me at the Norfolk Station before he goes to work. In the 1970s, we had no technology either, but now I am traveling with a cell phone/charger, wireless ear buds/charger, a laptop computer/charger, and a digital camera/charger. Yes, four chargers (and a outlet adaptor)!  Entrepreneurs, where are you? Speaking of technology: To check in onboard, I simply got out my cell phone so the conductor could scan the QR code. And, there were two plugs under the window so I could charge my devices.

The trip was supposed to take 4.5 hours but ended up taking 5 because.... as the conductor put it: The President is on the move and it is holding up traffic. By the time we arrived, the seven cars (which included one dining car) were pretty full. These were the stops we made to pick up and drop off:

All aboard!

• Norfolk (newest)
• Petersburg (quietest)
• Richmond (blandest)
• Ashland (showiest)
• Fredericksburg  (viewiest)
• Quantico (quaintest)
• Alexandria (busiest)
• Washington (intermodalest)

The Northeast Corridor Route ends in Boston. But, my trip ended at Union Station in Washington, just downslope from Capitol Hill. Wow! Does the food court (a ham and cheese sub for me) and everything else about Union Station look like it has been devastated by Covid? It's the end of May, usually prime time for school field trips and other visitors, but there were few people around. Perhaps they wanted to come but decided that too few museums were still closed, or they didn't know a lot had just opened. My intention was to walk to the hotel on C Street SW, but it was raining, so I took the Metro: no problem, since I had $6.45 left on my Metro card from the last trip, which was to a Washington Map Society lecture before Covid hit. 

The Holiday Inn is located in South West Washington, a part of the city I never knew very well. It's very institutional with nothing of historical value. But, first impressions could be wrong. Since it continued to rain, I decided to go to the movies. Why? (1) I wanted to prove to myself that Covid was over. No comments, please. (2) I wanted to get some value out of my Regal Cinema yearly subscription which I used for about 3 months before all the theaters closed. I wasn't even sure it had been extended into 2021, but it had. I saw a movie with a strange title: Those Who Wish Me Dead, a thriller with a few light touches and plenty of gore, not to mention life-threatening Montana forest fires. Good action, good acting; weak plot but well worth seeing. And, it should be seen on the big screen for full effect.

Empty storefronts on 7th

I made my regal adventure into a field trip. I took 7th Avenue from SW to NW Washington and found the cinema inside Gallery Place, which is the site of a Metro stop on a major north-south business corridor which includes the Capitol One Arena. The whole area looked like it had been hit hard by Covid: rows of stores looked abandoned, many restaurants still closed, night life non-existent. A few establishments had just reopened, including Regal only a few days ago. I was the only person in my theatre (one of at least 13); on my way out I thought I saw one other patron; and there were only two employees working. It was a really comfortable theatre, though! 

Beacon of democracy

Walking there and back, I crossed the National Mall. In one direction was the Capitol and in the other the Washington Monument, Inspiring! Even in these times.