Car-free chaos

Yesterday was an epic adventure involving four different kinds of transportation--walking, light rail, Amtrak, and cars. It was pretty exhausting and kind of expensive but it was very fun. I'm not sure if I would try this route again but it was certainly a fun day, especially for the boys. We had a lot of time to talk, play, and just look out the windows. Our trip brought us to the Bay Area where we dropped the boys off for the week (yep, that's right, we just dumped our kids for the WEEK!). It was a last-minute decision so we bought Amtrak tickets--$97 for the four of us (Little Brother is free, Big Brother is 50% off) to go to San Jose. At the last minute, Jose decided to check out Zip Car. Turns out, he gets a membership for just $25/year because of his job. For a day trip like this, that would have actually been a cheaper way to go. It didn't work out for us this time but it's great to know that we have another option for next time. We also now know that if we plan our Amtrak trips earlier, we can get companion fare discounts. We are going to sign up for Amtrak Rewards, too. 

The first leg of the trip involved packing up the boys' carseats and putting them in our Chariot trailer/stroller. The carseats took up all the space inside so I carried Little Brother in the Ergo and Jose carried Big Brother on his shoulders. We walked the 1.5 miles to the Light Rail station. 

Big load.

Little load

The cutest view, ever!!!

Luggage and carseats.

Next, we got on the Light Rail. Jose gets on free because he's a student, each adult is allowed two children under the age of five, and I had to pay $2.50. The conductor wasn't pleased that we couldn't fold our "stroller" and took up too much space in the train. It's a bit ridiculous to ask parents to unload their children and cargo just to get on the train but it seems like standard practice. Jose had to sit at the front with the trailer so he could move off/on if needed. It was another three miles to the Amtrak station downtown. 

Funny faces distraction time on the Light Rail.

The Amtrak was perfect. We found space in the first car, parked the trailer in the empty bike hanger and sat ourselves at a downstairs table. There, we stayed happy and comfortable and busy. Big Brother got tired and took an hour-long nap. 

My cute boys.

Cows are fun!

More funny faces!

So much better than carseats!

Watching.

More watching.

Finally, we got picked up by Jose's dad, installed the carseats and drove to their house 10 miles away. Easy! 

Quick trailer ride.

Latched down.

The boys were safely deposited with their Grandfolks. Jose and I rested up for a bit then took their "spare" car until Jose goes back to pick up the boys on Friday. 

This would have been a million times easier with a Zipcar or at least without the carseats. The Grandfolks needed the seats while the boys were there. If we had a second set of carseats for the family, we wouldn't to cart these giant things around. I'd love to try this Amtrak trip with the bikes instead to cut down on the Light Rail and need for getting picked up. Too bad Amtrak won't allow cargo bikes onboard, that would be the easiest and most convenient way. 

It is an empowering feeling knowing that we can go through all this as a family. I would hate to think that our lives would grind to a halt just because things got a little more difficult. It was a long day but it was a great adventure! The boys are so much happier when they are given the freedom to move and explore. Those benefits totally outweigh the effort it took to plan and execute this ordeal. I can't wait until our next trip!