For Christmas I bought Lea a different kind of present. It was an Amtrak train ticket to Washington, Missouri along with a reservation to an AirBNB. I wanted to pick a weekend in the spring since we were going to take the train we would be walking everywhere. The weekend of the trip finally came and we began this unique off the beaten path trip.
Our departure station was out of Kirkwood, Missouri. The station is easy to find and well marked. We have never traveled by train before so weren’t really sure how early to arrive, the check in process, or if there would be any security checks like at the airport. The Amtrak website suggested to get to the station 30 minutes prior to departure time, which we did. There is parking around close to the station but most spots have a 2-3 hour parking limit Monday-Saturday until 7pm. We arrived at 4 pm on a Saturday so we found a 3 hour parking spot. We lucked out leaving on a Saturday so we didn’t have to worry about exceeding the parking times and getting a ticket. I did overhear a volunteer at the station telling another passenger that there is additional parking away from the station that isn’t time limited.
As far as the check in process, there really isn’t one. We showed up at station and just waited for our train. I guess I am used to airports and standing in the TSA security lines. In my mind I was expecting something similar. It was kind of nice not having to go through that process. Another cool thing that I didn’t know about is Amtrak allows people to bring their bikes. Since most of the stops are on the Katy trial I thought that was pretty cool.
The inside of the station had an old time feel. Old wooden benches, and the schedule wasn’t on a tv monitor but a chalkboard. It was such a different experience from the hustle and bussel of a busy airport. It was very refreshing and a good way to start our weekend get away.
The train arrived on time. We rode in coach class. It wasn’t very crowded and Lea and I had our choice of seats. Again, I was pleasantly surprised about the amount of leg room. The expectation in my head was we are going to be crammed in like they do on airplanes. However, that was not the case. At 6’2“ leg room is very important to me and I found I had plenty of room and didn’t feel cramped. There are two seats to a row so if you are traveling with more than two make sure you stick by the person you like better.
After finding our seats the train rolled out of the station and we were off. I set by the window and for me that was an extra treat. I loved seeing the different sides of towns that we passed through that a person wouldn’t see from the road. Lea never asked but I’m sure she appreciated me calling out every town we passed through, Valley Park, Eureka, Pacific, Gray Summit, Labadie, and finally Washington. Having grown up in this area it was just another aspect that made this trip so special and cool. I will say that I normally don’t get motion sick but looking out the window and zipping down the tracks at 70 did make my stomach a bit uneasy.
We arrived at Washington on time and Lea and I almost said at the same time to each other we wished the ride had been longer. We really enjoyed the train ride.
When booking the room I wanted to find something that was in walking distance of the train station and also downtown shops and restaurants. Also, Lea and I had set a limit on the monetary amount we could spend on each other for Christmas so it had to be affordable. There are many great options in downtown Washington but the Martin House on Elm checked all three of these boxes. It was close to the train station, affordable, within walking distance of downtown shops/restaurants and the riverwalk. Found it on AirBnb and it definitely exceeded our expectations.
After dropping off our stuff at the house we set out to find somewhere to eat. There are many great restaurants in downtown Washington and we decided to try the Twisted Skillet out. The food and service were both great and it wasn’t too expensive. Definitely would eat there again.
Unfortunately, Mother Nature did not cooperate for us the first night in town. It was cooler, windy and rained the whole evening. Someone forgot to bring the umbrella, not pointing fingers but his name rhymes with bike. We decided to brave the weather and still wandered down by the river and came across a local bar having karaoke night. To the disappointment of many, We did not perform a duet. Downtown is beautiful at night and there are a variety of bars and restaurants. We definitely would have explored more if the weather had been better.
The weather on Sunday was much better. Sunny, blue skies, and warmer weather greeted us on the second day. One limitation about taking the train is the schedule. There is only one option for the departure time on Sundays and that is at 12:31pm. That, along with our breakfast turning into an hour and a half event really put us on a time crunch.
I also haven’t even really talked about one of the big things that drew us to this place - the river. The Missouri River runs parallel to the train station. Our main goal was to explore the area along the river and we found the Washington River Walk trail. It runs along the river and wetlands, and is fairly flat and paved. The area is beautiful, scenic and the trail is very nice to hike.
Due to the time crunch, we were unable to explore the whole trail or the many different shops and stores in downtown Washington. Also, on Sundays a lot of the downtown stores are closed and the ones that are open don’t open until 11:00am.
This trip was unique as it was fun. The different type of pace train travel provides was a nice surprise to one of our adventures. Washington is a very friendly, warm town that offers something for the whole family. It has good food, great lodging, great outdoor scenes/activities, and felt very safe to us. We will definitely be doing a train ride again.
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