Poppinjay

I used Amtrak quite a bit to commute from NC to DC until finally moving here. You can't beat the price, but the tickets are pretty much the same as airline tickets, destination to destination.

If you travel single, they'll likely tell you to sit in a certain seat, even if there are open seats. I don't know why they're so picky about this.

Take a lunch. The lounge food is expensive and not all that great, plus there's nobody to clean the tables in the lounge so you'll be sitting at a dirty table.

If you go north of the Mason Dixon line, then you'll probably change trains at Union Station in DC. If you don't want to take a bag lunch, hold out until then. There's a huge range of eateries at Union Station, from a $2 burger to Sbarro's pizza buffet.

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I think the Apocalypse is happening all around us. We go on eating desserts and watching TV. I know I do. I wish we were more capable of sustained passion and sustained resistance. We should be screaming and what we do is gossip. -Lydia Millet