Amtrak Journey 2, Day 1

I got up early this morning and drove to Emeryville, near Oakland. Easy drive with a little early morning fog, but nothing I'm not used to from Seattle. Got there, returned the car, and waited about 30 minutes for the train. Perfect timing. Got on and got settled in my sleeping compartment.
As I traveled through Californina, I reflected on what I learned from my trip to Napa.
First, and most important, was that I REALLY enjoy traveling with my sisters! We never have a disagreement, we all seem to be in about the same mood (is this a lazy day or shop our brains out day). If one wants to do something a little different, the other two don't take it personally and perceive it as criticism. We always seem to have the same appetite for dinner - is it fancy steakhouse tonight or burgers and fries? We know not to chatter in the morning until everyone has had just the right amount of coffee. Even though we seem to live very different lives, we seem to have some very basic similarities. What's that saying: Different flowers from the same garden. That's us. We usually so look forward to our next Chick Trip that one of the things on our agenda is to plan the next one. This year, we outdid ourselves and have planned the next two!
The other thing that I learned was that grapes grow off the bottom of the staked plant. I had no idea - I thought the grape clusters were scattered throughout the greenery, but they hang off the bottom. A whole lot easier to pick than the way I had imagined it. I learned a lot about grapes and vineyards this trip; before I had visited wineries, so knew how grapes are made into wine. This time, got to see and hear a lot more about the grapes and vineyards themselves. I have a new appreciation for wine; and still my absolute favorite is champagne, the drier the better!
Am enjoying my first day back on the train. This part of the trip takes me from Emeryville through Reno, Salt Lake City, Denver, Chicago - where I change trains and have a little layover. The Chicago through Pittsburgh to Washington DC, where I again change trains with a little layover. From DC down to Savannah.