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.
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!