Train

When I said I would take the train to Rockport I had no idea what a spoiled brat I am! 

My usual is renting cars, taking a Lyft, an Uber and/or friends and family willing to shuttle me to and from the airport etc.

Don’t get me wrong, I highly recommend anyone take the train from Boston Logan Airport to Rockport, MA.  It’s one of the most beautiful rides on a train you may ever see on the East Coast.

First of all, I downloaded directions online to get me to the train station, but nothing prepared me for the lack-of-signage.  I do not take public transportation in my daily life.  When I read the instructions that said, get on the bus headed to North Station…well, it doesn’t say North Station—it says something else.  So, I blindly followed another lost individual onto a bus that looked like it might be going the right way.  And yes it was.  It stopped at the Subway terminal.  I asked the bus driver how to get to North Station.  These were his exact words, “Go to the end of the sidewalk, go left up the stairs, get on the Red Subway to Parker Ave, cross the street to the Green Subway to the North Station.”  OK, sounded easy enough.  

I made it to the Red Subway, boarded, then got off too early, I was lucky enough to ask the director and she rolled her eyes, “Get back on, this happens all the time!”, as she glared at my luggage.  Wew!  Two down, two to go!  I followed the signs and arrived at the Green Station.  In front of me (I was so relieved) I saw a wall of windows and round metal voice boxes.  Thankfully, someone, I can ask.  Nope!  I could see people in there, but they pretended ‘no one was home’ (I can see you!).  It didn’t matter, they refused to come to the window.  OK, there were many kiosks and I’m smart—I’ll buy my train ticket there.  However, I couldn’t get the machine to do what I wanted, I felt helpless and honestly wanted to cry.  My energy must have been so sadly strong that a woman came out from behind the glass and approached me.  She was angry and asked me what I was up to.  I explained I was trying to get to the North Station.  She took what seemed like the longest breath outside a yoga class and exhaled in my face, pointed to the stairs and told me what to do.  I thanked her and she was glad to see me leave.   

I headed up the stairs and when I went down an endless hallway I saw it, like a golden pot at the end of a rainbow, a “North Station” sign.  With luggage in tow, I saw the the neon sign that said, “North Station train arriving in 2 minutes.”  Seemed like the longest 2 minutes ever!  I got on, sat down, loved the old subway car. It was mesmerizing. I felt like I was in an old movie.   

As we started to pull away I realized I was on the wrong car, going the wrong way!  OK!  I got off at the next stop and boarded the right car going the right way.  Once I got to the ‘end of the track’, I asked someone how to get to the actual station.  There were no signs as they were doing construction. (Lucky me!)  After a couple detours, I was at the station and now looking for a friendlier wall of glass to buy a train ticket to get me to Rockport.  The window guy didn’t find my lost puppy look adorable at all but sold me my ticket. 

Then he informed me that I could buy a ticket on the train and then finished his send off with, “did you know there is an app for this now?” No, I did not! If I did I wouldn’t be talking to you and supporting you and your ‘customer service’ job!!

The station was fascinating and beautiful all at the same time.  I had an hour wait before my train and I studied the station and made up stories in my mind of people who may have been there in the early 1940’s or so.  It was a fun escape.

When my train arrived, me and the rest of the station were boarding all at the same time, so I ended up almost last and in the crap car without a restroom.  But the view made up for it—until the end of the ride!

By-the-way, I’m completely OK with being spoiled!  The next time I travel from Boston Airport to Rockport, I will take a cab, a Lyft, or an Uber to the train station. I will board the train car with an upper deck and enjoy all the beautiful scenery there is to soak in.  It’s an amazing ride.