Backpacking While Black

New York City, March 2007: Day 2, March 8, 2007 (All Aboard!)

Let me first say that I love train travel. Experiencing European trains during my study abroad trip in 2002 hooked me on the comfort, convenience and shear enjoyment of riding the rails. American rail travel on the other hand needs some work, but not aboard Amtrak’s Acela Express. This was the reason for my trip to NYC in the first place.

I work for IMAGES USA, a multicultural marketing agency in Atlanta, GA. We were tasked by Amtrak to help build their African American and Hispanic ridership. This trip was for the African American and Hispanic media from New York City and Philadelphia. We rode the Acela Express from NYC’s Penn Station, stopping in Philadelphia to pick up more media and ending in Washington, D.C. for lunch. We then reversed our course to bring all the media home.

Acela Express is Amtrak’s premium train offering only business-class and first-class accommodations. The train only travels between Boston and Washington, D.C., Amtrak’s busiest route. The extreme benefit is that instead of spending almost four hours getting to the airport, going through security, flying on a shuttle flight, deplaning, catching a cab and getting to your destination…you get the picture. It takes too long for such a short distance. Acela Express gets travelers between these two destinations in the same amount of time, but with less hassle. Traveling at 135 mph, this modern, sleek, bullet train whisks passengers through the hustle and bustle of New York City, the picturesque New Jersey countryside (well some parts), the brotherly love of Philadelphia, down through Baltimore and terminating in the grandeur of our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C.

The media aboard our trip included Black Enterprise, El Diario/La Prensa, Impacto Latin News, Today’s Black Woman, Globetrotter Jon Haggins and The Network Journal. I’ve always wanted to do travel public relations and now I had the opportunity to do so with a media who doesn’t get the attention they deserve from businesses.

We arrived in Washington, D.C.’s Union Station within two hours and 45 minutes, stopping only four times. I was impressed at how fast the time had flown by. Maybe it was the conversations or possibly because I was working throughout the entire ride. I did find time though to look at the scenery passing by. Sometimes, right in the middle of conversations, I found myself entranced by the swiftly passing, but beautiful scenery through Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland. This is the part I enjoyed most about train rides. Instead of looking down on the world everything was eye level. I saw the snow melting on the ground. Ducks swimming in iced over rivers and ponds. Looking at life from above has a sterile quality, but on the ground level you still feel a part of something.

I digress in my pontification. After disembarking from the train, we went to lunch at B. Smith’s at Union Station. B. Smith was a former supermodel turned marketing guru with her restaurant chain, cookbooks, cooking shows and product endorsements. Her Washington restaurant was an impressive space occupying a former presidential reception room. The restaurant’s slogan is: “Southern cooking…New York style.” The menu was rife with Creole and Southern inspired dishes, and the service and attention to detail was definitely New York styled – prompt!

Our party of 10 was seated quickly thanks to advance reservations. Within moments our table was adorned with B. Smith’s famous corn muffins. I had to control my appetite as not to fill up on bread before my meal. The orders flowed. I ordered the crab and mushroom soup for an appetizer, the chicken parmesan fettuccine for my entrée and the Bourbon St. bread pudding for dessert. The conversations ensued with questions flying around about Amtrak, Acela Express and Anna Nicole Smith’s death. Everyone was extremely comfortable as the first courses arrived. I’m a big fan of she-crab soup and mushrooms. The crab and mushroom soup I ordered had a hint of spice amongst the cream, pieces of crab and slivers of mushroom. If the soup was hotter, I probably would’ve enjoyed it more, but it was satisfactory. The chicken parmesan fettuccine arrived eliciting a big smile from me. I usually finish my plate, but I couldn’t make it past half the entrée. Not that it wasn’t appetizing; I just ate too many muffins. Dessert arrived and my stomach miraculously cleared. After four bites I had wolfed down a moist, buttery concoction of bread, milk, eggs, chocolate and rum. If the rest of a meal is satisfactory, but the dessert is exceptional, a restaurant gets an okay from me. My next trip to D.C. would include a stop at B. Smith’s at Union Station.

The last part of the media tour included a historical tour of Union Station and some downtime in the first-class lounge, Club Acela. I was impressed by the Greco-Roman inspired architecture of the station, but after almost eight hours of ushering media, my mind was more focused on sleep than on the tour, it was still enjoyable though. Around 6 p.m. we boarded our return train for another two hour and 45 minute ride. Most of the media were visibly tired, but satisfied with the trip. I have faith that their articles will turnout positive for Amtrak.

After saying goodbyes to everyone at Penn Station, I met up with an uncle of mine who runs a business out of Connecticut. He took me to this great Thai place called Regional Thai (208 7th Avenue at 22nd Street). He convinced me to try the doubled crusted flat spring rolls. It was spring roll dough stuffed with bean threads, shrimp, chicken and cilantro foot served with this apricot plum sauce that I almost tipped to my head to drink because it was that good. My appetite wasn’t as ravenous as I thought or it could’ve been that I was tired. I ordered the staple at any good Thai restaurant, roasted duck in red curry sauce. It was served with apricots and pineapples, and rested in a mixture of sweetened coconut milk and red curry sauce. It was some of the best duck I’ve ever had. After some light conversation about the lessons learned in marriage, what’s planned for our futures and what family really means, my uncle and I concluded dinner and he dropped me back at my hotel. I was completely exhausted, but in a good way. I had thoroughly mixed business and pleasure on this trip and I was content. All aboard for dreamland!

posted by Dre' @ 3/08/2007 01:02:00 AM