Many parts of the U.S. and certainly other parts of the world, people take the train. Everyday. To work, to shop, holidays. They ride the train. But in car-crazy Southern California, it’s a limited number of people taking the train. L.A.’s spread out, not bunched up like other cities. If a person lives near a depot and works near a station, they might take the train. Perhaps they’re green, or more likely, they’ve gone crazy from sitting in traffic. Face it, people love their cars here. We’re glued at the hip to our cars. And, our public transportation basically sucks.
An idea popped in my head last Saturday morning, spur of the moment, to check out Union Station, which opened in 1939 in downtown Los Angeles. I looked up the Metro schedule, and with an hour to get ready and drive to the station, I jetted. I made it, bought my ticket, boarded. The train ride was so relaxing!
Union Station was fantastic. I love the architecture, the atmosphere. I then wandered all over the area near the station, from Olvera Street, to Philippe’s for lunch, to the little museums off the plaza. It was great timing, because Olvera Street was more alive than usual, pardon the pun, due to Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations. Below are photos of Union Station. Watch for upcoming articles with further photos of my trip! ~SueBee (photos by SueBee)
What a pretty train station. It looks like it is worth riding the train for the atmosphere alone!
Exactly!