Travel Planning

[kevin_standlee]

I have my annual medical exam scheduled for Friday morning in the Bay Area. While I could fly or drive down there, I don't want to drive over the passes with winter weather coming, and flying is annoying if there is an alternative. So tomorrow morning, Lisa will take me to the Amtrak station in Reno and I will take the California Zephyr to Emeryville and the Capitol Corridor train from there to San Jose. On Friday morning, I'll work from my hotel room in the morning, then take light rail to Caltrain for my first ride on the newly electrified system.

Yes, it takes longer to take the train that flying does, but it's generally more pleasant, I don't have to deal with Security Theater, and besides, some of those one-hour flights between RNO and SJC have actually been eight-hour flights when you factor in arriving early and having your flight delayed. And for that matter, my choices between the two cities aren't much better than Amtrak. While Southwest offers lots of flights on that city pair, only one is direct each way. The others mean going through Las Vegas or Burbank or even Phoenix, which doesn't really make them that much faster than the train ride.

There's apt to be snow both going and coming. Here's hoping that it's not so much snow that Union Pacific or Amtrak don't get a fit of the vapors and decide that it's too hard to keep the tracks clear. For now, anyway, the train I'm scheduled to ride is on time making its way toward Helper, Utah for an arrival in Reno at 9:24 AM tomorrow.

Comments

[a_cubed]

I know you enjoy train travel, but is there a reason to still be having your annual medical (*) in the Bay Area instead of Nevada. Just curious.


*: in Japan this is amusingly called the ningen dock: literally people dry-dock

[kevin_standlee]

Because I've been seeing the same doctor for more than twenty years and I've been reluctant to find a new one. This is the doctor who originally diagnosed my diabetes. It was less of an issue when I had to go down there for long stretches at a time, but yes, it's getting increasingly difficult.

[a_cubed]

Assuming your plan is to retire in your current house, I would suggest you look for a suitable medic in a more local area. Best to have one you've been seeing while still pre-retirement (ideally a practice/medic young enough they won't retire out on you themselves) so they know your long term situation as you change status.

[wild_patience]

We're experiencing Weather down here right now, so the train is probably the safest transportation option. That storm from the Pacific Northwest has moved in. We're supposed to rain any time now and tomorrow (when my orchestra concert is - oy!) is expected to have the heaviest rain. But in the meantime, there's enough wind to feel rocking your car as you drive.