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We're going to be arriving on the Chief and will have about two hours to wait for a bus to Bakersfield. I'm not expecting to have time to eat between LA and Fresno. What's available as far as food/snacks in Union Station? I can't seem to find much about it other than some photos of the waiting area.
notelvis Member # 3071
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Hi Chuck,
Inside LAUS is a newstand with drinks, trail mix, and other kind of snacks. There is also a snack bar with a grill. At the time of day #3 normally arrives you're probably talking breakfast sandwiches or toasted bagels. This place will be on your left just past the newstand as you head from the trains through the waiting room towards the main entrance.
Have a great trip.
There is a more formal pub type restaurant at LAUS but I doubt that it will have opened for the day by the time your bus departs.
graynt Member # 17
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I m not sure if Phillipes is open yet,but if you have two hours and not a lot of baggage, that place is fantastic. It is down the street from the Metro Plaza Hotel. You can see the hotel from outside Union station
DeeCT Member # 3241
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Union Bagel is the coffee shop just beyond the newstand. It features in addition to bagels -- muffins, cinnamon rolls,cookies and sandwiches (breakfast and lunch on bagel or roll). Coffee, soda, chips etc. There is a fancier Resturant (a little pricey)that is across the room but does not open until lunch time. There is also a pub just beyond the Union Bagel and it opens around noon if I recall. About a block away (the name escapes me) is a street with street vendors and food vendors with some interesting Mexican wares and food
Dee
1702 Member # 4508
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Philippe's is an L.A. institution. It opens for breakfast at 600AM 7 days a week and changes to the lunch/dinner menu at 1030AM. Go out the front of the station to Alameda Street, turn right, you can't miss it. http://www.philippes.com/
Directly across the street in front of the station is the historic Plaza de Los Angeles and Olvera Street, with a wide variety of Mexican fare available, from food stalls with a few seats to formal restaurants. Many souvenir and craft stores and stalls also. http://www.olvera-street.com/
The restaurant in Union Station is the appropriately-named Traxx, open for lunch Mon-Fri and dinner Mon-Sat. http://www.traxxrestaurant.com/
Unless you're pressed for time or don't wish to leave the station, I'd give Union Bagel a miss.
Doc Brown Member # 4724
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Awesome! Thanks for the responses! Its good to know whats there in advance. We don't like to leave things to chance.
RRRICH Member # 1418
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I second the Philippe's option!
George Harris Member # 2077
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Chuck, if "Adventure is just bad planning." is your motto, you may end up with a lot of frustrations in travel and in life in general. Chance can be where the fun is.
train lady Member # 3920
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I agree with you ,to a point, George. Some of the best restaurants mmost interesting places and nicest hosteleries have been by chance in our travels. On the other hand if one has a very limited time knowing of a good restaurant in advance is a big help.
Doc Brown Member # 4724
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quote:Originally posted by George Harris: Chuck, if "Adventure is just bad planning." is your motto, you may end up with a lot of frustrations in travel and in life in general. Chance can be where the fun is.
George, I'm not disapointed at all. I'm a realist and fully expect the unexpected. Amundsen's point was why would we create adventure when life throws enough of it at us without our help. You have to keep in mind that if anyone understood this lesson, it was Amundsen. He was one of the polar explorers. Adventure in his line of work could mean death. I've traveled many places across the US over the past 25 years. I've driven, flown, and towed a travel trailer to a lot of places. I've had no mishaps due to negligence on my part. The advance prep work I put into trips has made for a lot of fun and relativly trouble free travels.
Another Amundsen quote I like is: "I may say that this is the greatest factor -- the way in which the expedition is equipped -- the way in which every difficulty is foreseen, and precautions taken for meeting or avoiding it. Victory awaits him who has everything in order -- luck, people call it. Defeat is certain for him who has neglected to take the necessary precautions in time; this is called bad luck."
-from The South Pole, by Roald Amundsen.
notelvis Member # 3071
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Hi Chuck,
We'll keep you!
Let us know how the adventure goes when you return home!
George Harris Member # 2077
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Got it Chuck. What some people I know have as a definition of planning is actually rigidity. That is to say what they call a plan is a set of must happens and unrealistic expectations. As to Amundsen, yes, failing to properly plan and prepare for the things he did could well equal never being seen again until ultimately found dead. A large part of his planning had to be preparation for dealing with the unanticipated and that means learning as much as you can about where you are going. For that, if you have not met them, the Lonely Planet guidebooks can be very useful, particularly internationally. I have no reason to promote them other than they have been a useful planning guide and travel companion for quite a few places in East Asia.
George
TwinStarRocket Member # 2142
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Even as someone who enjoys planning a trip almost as much as executing it, I prefer no set plan. What I do is extensively research my options before leaving, sometimes capsulizing weather reports, motel/auto rental prices, mileages. etc. on pocket size slips of paper before I go (Thank God for the internet and AAA Tour Books).
Train travel has somewhat restricted this philosophy because it is costly to buy tickets at departure. When our family trips were by car, we would drive to the end of the block and vote: north, south, east or west. This would drive some people nuts, I suppose.
Doc Brown Member # 4724
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Twinstar, that's pretty much how we travel. I use report protectors to keep all of my printed materials together. We know where we are going to be and on what day. But we don't really know what we are doing that day. We always know what there is to do and pick what we feel like doing when we are there. Restraunts are the only real expecption. During the traveling itself, I like to know what's available. But once we arrive at our destination, we try to sample the local cuisine based on what we have a taste for at the time.
I used to have a friend who planned every detail of his trips, almost down to the hour. I would hate that.
railrev Member # 2640
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Well, Philippes is an adventure of sorts. And I plan my trips there carefully.
So, it has my vote as a unique breakfast experience in downtown LA.
Have to be a major time crunch to keep me away from there during a transfer at LAX
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