HAMILTON: The Trip Home

When the show was over, it was already 4:30, and we said a quick goodby to Jeff on the street (he had to go to work) -- and flagged a cab to take us back to Union Station.

Our train was leaving at 5:55. We found our track area, and had about an hour to rustle up some food. (everything on the train would be cold and old, and very expensive). Lilly and I went first (leaving Jackie and Sandy to watch our bags and coats).

After some wrong turns, we finally found the main Food Court -- and I bought a salad and wrap from Au Bo Pan, and Lilly got some pretzels from that Annie place.

The escalator that took us UP to the Food Court doesn’t have a “down” counterpart...so it took some time to find our way back to our track on the lower level. There was no way I could give directions, so we decided Lilly would be their tour guide (she was thrilled). I stayed with our stuff while the three of them went off to forage for food. Lilly quickly took them up to the Mezzanine level food court -- and they got back in plenty of time.

Amtrak boards SENIORS FIRST...yippee...so we got on the train with our bags o’ food...and it was a very quick clickety-clack two hour trip back to Princeton, Illinois. Lilly fell asleep...

It was below zero when we arrived at Princeton. Sandy went out to start her van, and clear the ice and snow. We waited in the depot for 5 or 10 minutes while she did the warm up.

After a quick bathroom stop at McDonald’s, were back on #80, heading home. As we were approaching the Big X, which is about 30 minutes from home, I asked Lilly to sing one last Hamilton song...and she sang my favorite -- the first song. Which is about 5 minutes long...and she learned it last May, and sang it all summer long.

But, during the Fall, she was kind of burned out on the Hamilton Singing...so I wasn’t sure if she would want to do it. But she was quite happy to sing for us...and she remembered every word. I started crying....thinking I’ve been planning this for 8 months, and waiting for the day, and looking forward it this trip...and it just couldn’t have gone better...but now it’s over...

We got to Bettendorf around 9:00... When Lilly and I got into my car, I was letting it warm up a bit. I said, “how are we going to remember this day, Lilly?”. And she answered without hesitation, “it was the perfect day, Grandma.”...