Up in the morning for the free breakfast. Two eggs sunny side up, home fries (not in my home), biscuit (great doorstop), and turkey sausage links that were just plain odd. Of course, on the up side, this is still one of the long distance trains that ACTUALLY cooks their food, rather than reheating pre-made things.
One photo from last night — of a Toyota that has been fitted with swivel rear wheels to teach people how to drive in icy conditions, and just a random view from the train.
The answer is a VERY EXPENSIVE rental car being brought up from Great Falls (which is an hour and a half away). I think this classifies as poor planning on my part. Either I should have asked the hotel when I made my reservation, or reserved it earlier so that there would be a car waiting here for me — or I just could have driven here from Seattle. Live and learn. Next time by an electric bike to make the trip — could check that on the train. Below is the lovelyShelby, Montana Amtrak Station.
So here I sit in the lovely O’Haire Manor Motel with bad 70′s furniture, but at least the wireless Internet works, though not without some trouble. A call to the desk, a call to tech support — and even though it gave me an error, it apparently is working. Down side is that I won’t get out to the prison until 3pm at the earliest, which means only two hours of visiting today.
Finally made it to prison at a little after three. Not bad, it gives me a couple of hours with Steve. Not many people visiting this week. My anxiety level is much less than it was the last time I did this (last June). Bought us some sodas and snacks, brought him up to date on Lewis and the job front. He seems in good spirits. The shot below is of the lovely prison.
Back to the lovely O’Haire, home of free wireless, indoor parking, huge ice machine, and 50 cents cans of soda (the machines are so old, there are no dollar slots). In fact, they are the age of the two machines I have at the church. Might have to stock up on sodas since the train doesn’t provide them free on the Empire Builder.
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