Cold and Rainy in Indiana

On Friday, I wake up at 7:18 a.m., just as we arrive in Waterloo, Indiana. We have lost more time during the night and now stand 1:07 behind schedule. I head down to the shower, but it is occupied. I go to the bathroom directly next to the shower to put on my contacts. When I open the door, I am greeted by a Chloe, a friendly guide dog for a woman and man staying in the handicap room. We talk about my destination and I learn that he is going to Chicago and she is going to DeKalb, Illinois. I then head into the show which is no longer occupied.

As I finish my shower, I hear the announcement for our stop in Elkhart, Indiana. I return to my room as we stop at 8:13 a.m. I take some pictures of the dark and rainy morning and the locomotives at the station.

While talking to Larry, our car attendant, Chloe comes up the stairs and into his room. He takes her back downstairs. Later, I hear Larry tell the conductor that Chloe had escaped and they share a laugh.

We stop at South Bend, Indiana 23 minutes after Elkhart. We are now 1:13 behind as we head to Chicago.

(For a route that has only 14 stops between Washington and Chicago, it seems peculiar that there are two stops in Indiana within 20 miles of each other. Same goes for the Rockville, Maryland stop which in my opinion is needless since the trip from Rockville to Union Station can be made via the Metro in 20 minutes.)