Лекция: By train to Washington

The American passenger railroad is called Amtrak. We boarded the train at Pennsylvania Station. We arrived at the station an hour before departure. As far as I remember, we paid about a hundred dollars for our one way tickets. I checked (in) Rich's big suitcase for him. It was too big and heavy to take into the car as carryon baggage. We chose a nonsmoking car. That was because I had decided to give up smoking.

After we were seated, the conductor collected tickets. He took our tickets and placed seat markers above our seats. I wondered what they were for. I saw our destination — Washington, D. C. — written on them. Rich said that we should take them anytime we left our seat!

It took us just about three hours to reach Washington. Two hours and fifty minutes to be exact. On the train we had some pizza and cold drinks. Rich said he had always traveled by plane to Washington before. It was convenient because the airport in Washington was so close to downtown. But Union Station was literally within sight of the Capitol.