# '18 Travels through America



## v v

The route is now set, but we are prone to making 'on the hoof' changes on occasion, so here is the booked but until it's finished theoretical route plan. It's around 9000 miles within the US, all on public transport. Plane, train and bus is what we'll use unless we get stuck somewhere (MSP for example) where we may resort to a cab.

Plan to rent a car 2 or 3 times but for the local area only. After each stop-over we'll generally re-board at the station we got off at or at least the same town if train to bus or bus to train.

Unless we win the lottery this is the last USA extended journey for us, we still have central Asia and South America to explore. Borrowing an American phrase we've had blast making these US long distance journeys. The winner has always been the American people, rich, poor black or white, from the roughest to the most refined we have been genuinely welcomed to the great USA.

When we decided on our first Amtrak LD trip we had taken 2 such journeys in Europe and one in Australia. Before each one we have been as excited as kids, and now looking forward to this February start we feel even more excited than before.

So after all that here's the booked route which starts in South Woodham Ferrers (SWF), UK on the 20 February 2018 and ends at South Woodham Ferrers, UK on the 6 April 2018 (theoretically) -

*Part I*​
*20 Feb 2018 * SWF to Brentwood, Essex, UK (small branch line train)

*21 Feb* Brentwood to London Heathrow Airport (LHR) (main Line and London Tube)

*21 Feb* LHR to San Francisco Airport (SFO) direct flight

*21 Feb* SFO to San Francisco TransBay Temporary Terminal (SFC) (BART or bus)

*21 Feb* SFC to Emeryville (EMY) (Amtrak 5014 Thruway Bus)

*21 Feb* EMY to Seattle (SEA) (Amtrak 14 Coast Starlight - Sleeper)

*22 Feb* Arrive SEA evening, (Light Rail) out to hotel at SEATAC Airport

*22 - 25 Feb* Seattle, WA

*25 Feb* SEA to Essex, Montana (ESM ) (Amtrak 8 Empire Builder - Coach)

*26 Feb* Arrive ESM for a stay at the legendary Izaak Walton Lodge, winter wonderland

*27 Feb* ESM to Minneapolis Saint Paul (MSP) (Amtrak 8 Empire Builder - Sleeper)

*28 Feb* Arrive MSP hoping to visit one or two of MSP's delights before again hoping to meet a fellow AUer for dinner, then onto a Greyhound that night

*1 Mar* 00:01am MSP to Lawrence, KS (LRC) via a _transfer_ at Kansas City, MO (KCY) (Greyhound/Jefferson Bus)

*1 Mar* Arrive LRC for family visit

*2 Mar* Transfer LRC back to KCY

*2 - 4 Mar* Kansas City

*5 Mar* 00:25am KCY to Denver, CO (DEN) (Greyhound)

*5 Mar* Arrive DEN local bus to hotel

*6 Mar* DEN to SFC - back to where we started - (Amtrak 5 Californian Zephyr - Sleeper) this is the first LD rail journey we will have ever ridden twice, can't wait.

*7 Mar* Arrive EMY to take Amtrak Thruway Bus 5005 back to SFC. Local bus to hotel just to the west of Van Ness Avenue. Any ideas where to eat an evening meal in the Van Ness area please?

*Part II*​
*8 Mar* Local bus back to SFC. Am Thruway Bus 4796 to Salinas, CA (SNS). Second attempt to visit the Steinbeck Center.

* 8 Mar* Local bus to Monterey, CA (MRY), direct to hotel

*8 Mar - 10 Mar* MRY - whale watching if lucky

*11 Mar* Local bus back to SNS

*11 Mar* SNS to San Luis Obispo, CA (SLO) (Am 4792 Thruway Bus)

*11 Mar* SLO to Nan Nuys, CA (VNC) (Amtrak 796 Pacific Surfliner - Coach) this is the second LD-ish rail journey we will have ever ridden twice, can't wait again

*11 Mar* Arrive VNC and meet up with our great friend M

*12 Mar - 18 Mar* Los Angeles. Very little arranged except definitely re-visiting Du-pars pie shop and hopefully Philippe's by Union Station

*18 Mar* LAX to San Diego (SAN) (Amtrak 580 Pacific Surfliner - Coach)

*18 Mar* Arrive SAN and make our way to downtown hotel by?

*19 Mar - 21 Mar* San Diego. Nothing arranged, a former resident suggested it's just good to be there.

*Part III*​​*21 Mar* SAN to Tucson, AZ (TUS) (Greyhound)

*21 Mar* Arrive TUS and make our way to hotel by?

*22 Mar* TUS to Austin, TX (AUS) (Amtrak 422 Texas Eagle - Sleeper) Still debating whether we should take a chance and walk round to the Alamo while train is re-organised into it's separate parts?

*23 Mar* Arrive AUS and make our way by ? to hotel. Hope during that day to meet the inimitable Bob Dylan and shown the secrets of Austin.

*24 Mar* Leaving late evening AUS to Memphis (MEM) (Greyhound)

*25 Mar* Arrive MEM and make our way to hotel downtown by local bus

*26 Mar - 28 Mar* Memphis. Have a question about Memphis, will post separately

*28 Mar* MEM to New Orleans, LA (NOL) (Amtrak 59 City of New Orleans (CONO) - Coach). We have a 6 hour layover if on time, good place to take a walk after all the sitting

*28 Mar* NOL to Jacksonville, FL (JAX) (Greyhound) via the coastal route

*29 Mar* Arrive JAX and make our way to hotel near Airport by local bus

*30 Mar - 1 Apr* Jacksonville. Rental car from airport and hopefully meeting with fellow Amtrak rider D who hails from JAX. Cumberland Island and Amelia Island on our visit list.

*1 Apr* JAX to Miami , FL (MIA) (Amtrak 97 Silver Meteor - Coach)

*1 Apr* Arrive MIA, round to Airport car rentals by? then drive down to Homestead, FL hotel

*2 Apr - 4 Apr* Southern Florida. One full day in Miami, one full day in the Everglades with long time barge friends who are driving across from Naples, FL

*4 Apr* MIA to LHR evening departure direct flight

*5 Apr* Arrive London morning, London tube and Main Line back to Brentwood, Essex.

*6 Apr* Brentwood to SWF Main Line and Branch Line, back at the start more than 6 weeks before (theoretically).

If we achieve a lot of this journey we'll be pretty pleased. If we achieve most of this we'll be amazed. If we achieve all of this it could be miracle level... we'll see.


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## oregon pioneer

Can't wait to read your trip reports!


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## Ronbo

Boy, you have got a busy day on 21 February!


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## v v

Yes!

If we survive to write it Jennifer


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## Bob Dylan

Looking forward to the rest of the Adventure and for sure meeting y'all upon arrival into Austin Jamie!

Your flight across the pond is on my birthday, so I'll hoist a pint to yall!


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## v v

Bob

After we board the plane we'll raise our first cup of tea to you, looking forward to Austin a lot


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## Seaboard92

I love Seattle and because I used to date a girl from there I can make fine recommendations of places to see. Make sure you go to Ballard there is a fantastic record store Bop Street Records there. I highly recommend that you go to have lunch or dinner in Smith Tower. It's a lovely place to eat with a view of the skyline.

Take the Washington State Ferry across the water to get a lovely view of the skyline from the Sound. I recommend late evening so you get daylight leaving and a night cruise on the return. And it's inexpensive.

If you want a Mediterranean restaurant there is a lovely one on east bay next door to my ex's apartment. If you would like the address just PM me and I'll relay it to you. It's just two doors down from her place.

Be sure to ride the Seattle **** (South Lake Union Trolley). If you had more time I would suggest popping down to Portland where I can make more recommendations. Or up to Vancouver.


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## v v

Thanks Seaboard that's a really varied set of ideas for us and kind of you to take the trouble.

But we only have 2 1/2 days in Seattle and it's a long long journey so we'll stroll rather than run sometimes. When you write Mediterranean restaurant what would that mean? As Europeans we'd see Greek food as quite different to Spanish, or French or Italian, or Turkish without the cuisines of North Africa too.

Obviously it's a term used in the US but not sure how you mean that.

If there's a different restaurant that you recommend we would certainly like to hear about it, I'll send you a PM.

We have a Dutch friend who was in Seattle a couple of years ago and he too suggested the ferry, but what a good idea of going out in the day and back in the evening, we'll do that providing there aren't 6 foot waves in the sound, Rosie only just survives a ripple in a Mill Pond.

We thought to go up Discovery park to get a view of the city with Mt Rainier behind it, have you done that? The Seattle **** is a name to conjure with isn't it, could be fun.

Thanks again


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## Woodcut60

I had breakfast at the _Athenian Inn_ at the Pike Place Market in Seattle. Good food and a friendly waitress. Nice views of Puget Sound, and as icing on the cake, scenes from the Tom Hanks movie _Sleepless in Seattle_ were shot at this restaurant.


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## v v

Taken a note of that Woodcut, thanks. Was there anything else you particularly liked while in Seattle?


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## Bob Dylan

v v said:


> Taken a note of that Woodcut, thanks. Was there anything else you particularly liked while in Seattle?


If y'all haven't ridden the Bainbridge Island Ferry and had Lunch while there, it's a great day trip for a bargain price.
And I hear that there's even a few Coffee Places in the City!


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## v v

Depending on weather we are going there or Bremerton Bob, do you have a preference of the two?

Still much to do here including work working this coming Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Just about recovered by the time we get to S California

See you soon


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## Bob Dylan

I've never been to Bremerton Jamie.Perhaps Charlie Hamilton or another Seattle resident can give you the scoop on it,I know it has a strong Naval presence since the US Navy has a base and ships there.

The Ferry trip to Bainbridge is a shorter ride and,I've really enjoyed riding over for Lunch in the Small Village close to the Dock.

Have a good trip across the pond, I know youre leaving on my Birthday. Looking forward to meeting y'all @ the Amtrak Station when the Eagle rolls in!

Keep in touch,look forward to y'alls adventure thru trip reports! Jim


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## caravanman

I took the car ferry to Bremerton, cost for a senior foot passenger was $4.10, return. Quite a long journey, took about an hour each way. Not a great deal going on in Bremerton, as far as I could see, there seemed to be an “art” district which was long past its prime. Some of these “created” zones, created not by artists but by local committee, don’t seem to thrive no matter how much public money is thrown at them...

I just chose Bremerton as it was the next ferry leaving. A great view of Seattle from the ferry, but I found Bremerton itself a bit empty of attractions. I would be the first to confess that I don't do much research on my trips, so there may be some fantastic sights there!

Ed.


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## mushmonster

I love routes a lot! They give me inspiration and good ideas about what to take when going to somewhere etc. I like your route, too. Good luck in your trip!


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## v v

Ed, we're not looking for anything in Bremerton or Bainbridge, it's the ferry ride we are looking at and probably taking the next return ferry. We just like being on the water and want to get a view of Seattle, so we're easy to please.

mushmonster, much of our route information for these US trips came from this forum. People here are very generous with their insights and it often allows us to develop an idea further, it's a good place to be.

Thanks for the good wishes, we'll need a bit of luck as day one is starting to look daunting...


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## Woodcut60

@v v: "Was there anything else you particularly liked while in Seattle?"

I went for a stroll. The walks tired me because the city is very hilly. And, not very original, I visited the Space Needle on a sunny day with spectacular views of Puget Sound. I took the monorail (very short ride) and was there long before the Needle opened so I did not encounter any long lines. I also visited the very first Starbucks which opened back in 1971. The shop is close to Pike Place Market.


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## v v

Thanks Woodcut60, all ideas are welcome.

As the weather is changeable at this time of year we're open to whatever suits the moment. We are definitely going to the Museum of Flight and the cinema 'Cinerama' as it is supposed to be very high tech, that still leaves 1 1/2 days. There will now be 5 of us meeting up there so we may be sight-seeing by committee majority .


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## Devil's Advocate

I remember enjoying the ride and a bit of exploring on Bainbridge but I'm not sure how much appeal it would hold for others. That experience didn't look or feel like anything from home but it did remind me of some long lost childhood memories of my first trip to the Northwest.


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## JayPea

I have been to Bremerton and back on the ferry several times and can echo Caravanman's opinion on the great views of Seattle. The views of the Olympic Mountains can be breathtaking, too, provided they are not shrouded in clouds.There's a small park near the ferry terminal which features great views of the surrounding environs and also features several fountains with geysers of water that shoot upwards at varying intervals. Given the weather this time of year which tends to be rainy there I don't know how much of an attraction that might be, however! I second the Athenian Inn, too. And as it's right within it, Pike Place Market is always an interesting place to look around.


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## trainman74

The Seattle Underground Tour is fun.


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## v v

*Wednesday 21 February - Day 1*

And we're off...

Writing this using very good Greyhound wifi at the Temporary Transbay Terminal (SFC) in San Francisco. Just waiting for the Am Thruway Bus to take us across the Bay to meet up with the slightly late Amtrak Coast Starlight train in Emeryville.

We had 3 hours sleep before we left and about 3 on the plane. It's exactly 24 hours since we left and are really feeling it.

Started at 4:30am in Brentwood, Essex, UK walking out to a waiting taxi, very prompt, friendly and very much on time. Mainline train into London, Tube across to Heathrow (HRW) and into Terminal 5.

I don't like the performance that is deemed necessary to be able to get on a plane and Terminal 5 London's newest terminal is a few steps backwards from the older ones. Very crowded, slightly chaotic and badly organised, no wifi and very little obvious info desks or other help or advice. There are more shops though if that's what you need.

Still we survived and managed to board our British Airways plane for San Francisco. It was comfortable and the on-board staff very amenable and helpful.

More later as the Thruway Bus is due...


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## oregon pioneer

You are headed off for your adventure, and I am on my way home! We will pass, not even like ships in the night, but rather like planets on different orbits...

(written on the LSL approaching Chicago, boarding the EB #7 this afteroon).


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## Bob Dylan

Glad to hear you made it to the Bay Area, and looking forward to your travels as you roll across the States ( Planes,Trains and Buses) heading for for Austin where I will meet y'all when you step off the Eagle!


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## Devil's Advocate

v v said:


> I don't like the performance that is deemed necessary to be able to get on a plane and Terminal 5 London's newest terminal is a few steps backwards from the older ones. Very crowded, slightly chaotic and badly organised, no wifi and very little obvious info desks or other help or advice. There are more shops though if that's what you need.


The current T2 is about six years newer and it's hard to imagine that T5 is objectively worse than the old T3.




I'll never forget the missing ceiling tiles and moldy air in the drippy arrivals dungeon or the scratched plastic windows and soggy carpets on the way to the departure gates. The new T2 is a clean and welcome surprise to anyone who remembers how things used to be.


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## jis

I agree new T2 is wonderful and a very pleasant surprise specially compared to the original T3 which was - to put it mildly - a disgusting cesspool. T4 was ok the last time I went through there on Continental. Haven’t been to T5 except to walk through to the Hilton and yes signage is a bit chaotic.

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum


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## v v

Devil's Advocate said:


> v v said:
> 
> 
> 
> I don't like the performance that is deemed necessary to be able to get on a plane and Terminal 5 London's newest terminal is a few steps backwards from the older ones. Very crowded, slightly chaotic and badly organised, no wifi and very little obvious info desks or other help or advice. There are more shops though if that's what you need.
> 
> 
> 
> The current T2 is about six years newer and it's hard to imagine that T5 is objectively worse than the old T3.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'll never forget the missing ceiling tiles and moldy air in the drippy arrivals dungeon or the scratched plastic windows and soggy carpets on the way to the departure gates. The new T2 is a clean and welcome surprise to anyone who remembers how things used to be.
Click to expand...

Happy to be corrected re T2. If it were my choice alone I would look for another airline if I had to fly from T5 again


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## v v

*Wednesday 21 February - Day 1 continued...*

_Updated Thursday 22 February on-board the Coast Starlight._

​Interesting arriving at San Francisco (SFO) by plane for the first time as it's over water of the bay. After a reasonable wait for passport control had an interesting discussion with the border officer about travelling by public transport, America in general and Oklahoma. When we got round to the reason for being at passport control and he asked what we were going to do but first where we were going I said _"you don't really want to know"_ but corrected that immediately with _"but of course you do it's your job!"_.

Great reply though,_ "well I might want to know as I may want to come along too"_. Very jolly he was too and a credit to his profession.

Just called for dinner as it's early today, we're just under 2 hours outside of Seattle

More later...

As we wanted to try to get a look at the Bay and Bay Bridge we opted for a SamTrans bus into the TransBay Terminal (SFC). About 50 minutes door to door with a full fare price of $2.20. There were 3 or 4 buses per hour picking up from several terminals including the I (International Terminal).

TransBay is also the bus transit center for Amtrak Thruway buses across to the Emeryville Amtrak station.

(If arriving at the I terminal it's right out of the arrivals gate, to the end of the concourse, down one level by escalator, walk about 30 yards straight ahead then through the the door, right then the bus stop for the #292 bus is another 20 yds further on. At this point you will be at Courtyard A, Bus Stop F).

Arrived at a bus stop opposite SFC on Folsom St and Beale. Well done San Francisco for having interconnected transport systems.

We had a 6 hour layover before our Thruway bus across the bay to Emeryville, so after such a long flight decided to walk into China Town and find something to eat as we will board the Coast Starlight after the on-board diner is closed.

Had the names and locations of 2 Vietnamese restaurants which were about 30 yds apart, so took a pleasant stroll through downtown into China Town.

Stood looking at both restaurants and saw maybe 8 or 10 people walk into the Golden Star in Walter U Lum Place, so decided to follopw the crowd. Good choice as it was very busy with people giving their meals serious attention. Was seated and ordered, just hoped we had got it right.

Have to say it was delicious if too much, it was our 3rd major meal in 24 hours since we had started out.

Back at SFC we had 30 minutes to spare so started this report using the excellent Greyhound wifi, then Thruway bus out to meet our train at Emeryville. We were directed to our sleeper car and there was our friend Milton waiting on the platform for us. He had boarded the 14 Coast Starlight back in Los Angeles. Quick hugs and after 30 hours of constant travel we fell into and up to our bunk beds. We had survived the first 'busy' day but paid the penalty with being properly exhausted. Fell asleep with the gentle rock and roll plus train noises helping.


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## v v

oregon pioneer said:


> You are headed off for your adventure, and I am on my way home! We will pass, not even like ships in the night, but rather like planets on different orbits...
> 
> (written on the LSL approaching Chicago, boarding the EB #7 this afternoon).


Guess you are home now Jennifer, hope it was as enjoyable as your trip out.



trainman74 said:


> The Seattle Underground Tour is fun.


We have 1 more full day in Seattle with unsettled weather, may well take the underground tour, thanks


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## v v

*Thursday 22 February - Day 2*

*​*_Updated Friday 23 February..._

​Interesting ride between SFC and Seattle King Street station. The diner which we think is the real centre of Amtrak train life had a real character as dining car boss. An Asian-Indian man who had arrived with nothing more than hope and determination and was now doing very well indeed, as were his wife and daughter. He explained a number of things Indian to us and how he had and does work all hours possible whether on-board or away from Amtrak on his days off. It is the true story of how many immigrants arrive with a will to succeed which often outshines the local population.

Rosie, Milton and I were allowed small liberties in the diner which always ended with another piece of the story of how this man went from a Mumbai slum boy to a respected person in American society.

He intends to try to make a small budget film of his life story, it sounded pretty amazing to us and we wish him well too. We wouldn't be surprised if he succeeded in getting such a film made.

A second part to a very enjoyable journey on the north-bound Starlight was it had snowed heavily from Klamath Falls and all points northwards, a true winter wonderland which equalled in our minds some of the best of the Californian Zephyr in winter.

The third part was once again sharing an Amtrak rail journey with our friend Milton. We were instantly reminded why we enjoyed sharing our travels with him.

We all three were still tired from our various exertions to get ourselves to the point of joining the CS so were pleased that we arrived at Seattle on-time, managed to buy our transit passes and get out to the airport hotel for an early night.

We planned to visit the wonderful Museum of Flight to the south of Seattle the following morning then on to the cinema in the early evening, so another long day ahead.

More later...


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## willem

v v said:


> oregon pioneer said:
> 
> 
> 
> You are headed off for your adventure, and I am on my way home! We will pass, not even like ships in the night, but rather like planets on different orbits...
> 
> (written on the LSL approaching Chicago, boarding the EB #7 this afternoon).
> 
> 
> 
> Guess you are home now Jennifer, hope it was as enjoyable as your trip out.
Click to expand...

 If I'm reading the status for the correct train, Jennifer's Empire Builder lost three hours between Devils Lake and Rugby and five hours between Cut Bank and Browning. She hasn't made it to Spokane yet.

Jennifer, if you see this, what happened?


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## caravanman

Glad to know you have arrived safely in the USA, and that your first few rides have been on time. I agree that Terminal 5 is a big disappointment, it was supposed to be "super special", but I think each time I have had to get a shuttle bus to the B.A. plane, rather than walk straight on via a ramp.

Keep enjoying yourselves!

Ed.


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## v v

*Friday 23 February - Day 3*
​_Updated Sunday 25 February..._

_​_The wonderful Museum of Flight south of Seattle is wonderful, the range of exhibits is enormous. Our museum favourites are the mysterious drone next to the Blackbird spy plane, the NASA Apollo mission exhibits and the very passionate talk by a docent of some of the Apollo mission high and low points. Also the 2 young children who were in awe of the very tall well dressed man who gave the passionate talk, and possibly our favourite, Airforce One used through the 1960's and 70's.

We were left remembering the 10-ish year old boy who kept coming back with incredible technical questions and his 9-ish year old sister who had a string of more practical questions. When they were asked would they like in future to go into space the young man declared that he thought not as he had a weak stomach. His sister took time to consider her answer and finally said she would like to know a bit more about what would be involved in such an undertaking, both priceless answers!

Airforce One fascinated all 5 of us as we tried to imagine Kennedy and Khrushchev on board using various sections of the plane. From these deep thoughts we all declared the most interesting aspect was what did each of them think when sitting on one of Airforce one's toilets.

Midway through our visit we 3 were standing in the center of the main hall as I caught site of a well built man, head down, scowling and charging towards us, it was obviously trouble. As he got nearer I thought I had seen him before but where and then it clicked, it was one of our friends we were due to meet the following day! What the Hell was he doing in the museum a day early charging towards us for? At 5 yards away he breaks out in one of his big smiles with handshakes and hugs all round, but it didn't explain why he was there.

After being told he had driven with his wife Dee Ana to our hotel, been directed to our room which had a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door, then had waited for 2 hours patiently in the lobby for us to appear (very polite people). At some point they worked out we were not actually at the hotel decided to track us down as he knew we were off to the Flight museum. But why didn't he let us know they were going to arrive a day early as we would have waited for them?

Internet on the Coast Starlight was patchy or didn't exist, only got a few minutes of it over the whole journey. They did write they were arriving tomorrow but we read the email a day after it was sent...

We all laughed at that and continued on as a growing bunch of visitors to Seattle having a great time.

More later...


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## oregon pioneer

willem said:


> v v said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> oregon pioneer said:
> 
> 
> 
> You are headed off for your adventure, and I am on my way home! We will pass, not even like ships in the night, but rather like planets on different orbits...
> 
> (written on the LSL approaching Chicago, boarding the EB #7 this afternoon).
> 
> 
> 
> Guess you are home now Jennifer, hope it was as enjoyable as your trip out.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> If I'm reading the status for the correct train, Jennifer's Empire Builder lost three hours between Devils Lake and Rugby and five hours between Cut Bank and Browning. She hasn't made it to Spokane yet.
> 
> Jennifer, if you see this, what happened?
Click to expand...

I finally got home (to an internet connection) just a couple of hours ago. The full saga is now posted here. So glad I was keeping a trip diary! Photos soon, to be linked from the trip report.


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## oregon pioneer

Jamie, did you and Rosie get to the Izaak Walton this morning? If that's the train you were on, you dodged the worst of the problems! It looks like your train was only 55 minutes late at ESM, but went later just east of there, in the canyon between there and Browning. Here's hoping you had a fantastic day in the winter wonderland I passed through only a few days ago.

Tomorrow's train is now on the way. I have my fingers crossed it gets to you at a reasonable hour, and stays reasonably on-schedule.


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## v v

oregon pioneer said:


> Jamie, did you and Rosie get to the Izaak Walton this morning? If that's the train you were on, you dodged the worst of the problems! It looks like your train was only 55 minutes late at ESM, but went later just east of there, in the canyon between there and Browning. Here's hoping you had a fantastic day in the winter wonderland I passed through only a few days ago.
> 
> Tomorrow's train is now on the way. I have my fingers crossed it gets to you at a reasonable hour, and stays reasonably on-schedule.


Yes thank you Jennifer we arrived exactly as you write, only 55 minutes late. Lots of people on the train de-training. Apparently this is becoming the ski area to head for at the moment as it has had it's largest amount of snow through the winter since 1996!

It's a true Winter Wonderland, we were out walking for hours today and will probably fall asleep at dinner. All the snow is very pristine indeed, hardly any animal tracks either as it keeps falling, 10" last night alone and has started snowing again now at 7pm.

Hope your family visit was all you hoped it would be but bet it was good to get back home to hubby.


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## oregon pioneer

Essex looked like the best place for snow in the entire west. Yes, it was great to get back home to Hubby, and especially to my freezer and root cellar full of home-grown vegetables.

I sent you a message with photo links.


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## v v

*Friday 23 February - Day 3 continued*

​_Update written Monday 26 February.~ Izaak Walton, Essex, MT_

_​_​Following the Museum of Flight visit we jumped into Steve's car and headed for Pikes Place and market. Predictably touristy but some of the produce on sale looked superb and pretty interesting. Not sure how it carried it off but even with the slightly tacky side and lots of visitors it didn't diminish our enjoyment even though we are not very good at being tourists.

After an hour or so we decided it was time to eat and remembered the recommendation by Woodcut60 for the Athenian (thank you), so upstairs for a table for 5. It was all Woodcut wrote except we had a savvy waiter with a good sense of humour. Excellent menu choice, two of us had Halibut for the first time and all agreed well presented and prepared meals. No deserts all round except for me, a very strong willed person usually until it comes to deserts, puddings and pies.

There were a couple of knowing grins when I ordered the chocolate brownie but nothing was said, waiter had a smile when he handed me 5 spoons, me still none the wiser except he'd got it wrong as only I was having pudding.

Then the brownie arrived and even a pudding fanatic wasn't going to cope with that chocolate brownie. It's lovely to eat a communal desert, wonderful way to end a meal. Thank you waiter.

End of a great day as we had enjoyed our friends company (2 1/2 hour meal Jennifer), Milton had picked up some tips for running his new combine from the expert Steve, and Steve and Dee Ana now have a an invite to upper New York for the next amateur rocket launch that Milton encourages his local rocket club enthusiasts to stage on his farm. Milton and Steve + Dee Ana had never met before today but got on so well.

Next day Saturday 24 February (Day 4) was also a full one with us seeing Milton off at King Street Station for him to return to Los Angeles on the Coast Starlight, later meeting with Steve and DA again, then off to the Gates Foundation, a meeting in a cafe with 2 lovely ladies, across to the LeMay Car Museum (up there with the Museum of Flight), then to Discovery Park to get a view of Seattle at dusk (here Steve and DA persevered for around 30 minutes to find the perfect view point as some of the roads in the park were closed), and finally an evening meal then on to a cinema showing a 3D version of Black Panther. What a day again! and what memories of our first visit to Seattle.

They are a generous couple indeed running us around Seattle and back to our hotel at SeaTac all the while pretending they enjoy driving in traffic.

Tomorrow leaving Seattle on the 8 Empire Builder...

ps: Rosie and I know nothing about movies so here's our review of Black Panther:

Enormous fully reclining seats 5 / 5 ~ Actors and make-up - very dramatic 4 / 5 ~ Credits at the end of the film 5+ / 5, never seen the like of 20 minutes of credits ~ Story line 4 / 5 ~ Filming and special effects 3 / 5 could do better

pps: For rail fans. While sitting quietly writing this update there are numbers of powerful locomotives rumbling backward and forwards outside our window, wonderful...


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## v v

*A few photos of the start *

Ready to go, Brentwood, Essex, UK Railway Station very early morning




Rocky mountains in southern Canada near the US border




Exciting




Here you are Rob & Martine, Temporary Transbay Terminal (SFC). Excellent multi transit center in downtown San Francisco. Amtrak, Greyhound and local bus


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## v v

*Sunday 25 February - Day 5*

_Updated Tuesday 27 February.~ Izaak Walton, Essex, MT_

​Lazy morning at hotel then into Seattle with the Link light rail, such a well thought out transport system. That regular downtown buses use the same (downtown) platforms as the Link trains is something we have never seen before, very clever use of a rail / roadway.

The incoming 7 Empire Builder (our outgoing 8 EB) was several hours late arriving. It arrived almost exactly 2 hours before our scheduled departure but they still had to clean and re-stock it for the long journey back to Chicago.

Amazingly we left bang on time to the minute, all credit to the Amtrak staff who managed that.

More later as our outgoing 8 Empire Builder is due...


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## Mystic River Dragon

Wonderful start to your trip--looking forward to the rest!


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## oregon pioneer

Can't wait to see how you liked the Izaak Walton, so glad you were not scheduled to leave Seattle one day earlier!


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## v v

San Francisco to Seattle photos

14 Coast Starlight arriving on-time in Emeryville (San Francisco)




Plenty of snow at Klamath Falls, OR and northwards




Going home from work




Not seen this older? logo on an Amtrak train before




Activity at Klamath Falls




Lot of snow indeed...







... and then it was gone in northern Oregon


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## v v

*Sunday 25 February Day 5 - leaving Seattle*

_Written sitting waiting for freight at a pass just after ESM Tuesday 27 February_

Train was very busy as we left Seattle, with a further announcement that after the next two stops we would be full, all seats sold.
Travelling coach this time as it was a not too long 16 hour overnight and we like to mix up how we ride. Amtrak coach seats are like nothing else we have ever used with the exception of the 'Mountain Train down the center of Malaysia riding 1st Class. Size, space and comfort are unparalleled, fantastic value for money.

The Sound to the left of the train as it heads north is very pretty in places, for us some of the best views in the north west.

By the time we had left the sound and turned east towards the mountains every seat was taken in our car. A largish group of younger people had boarded, turns out to be a college basketball team on their way to tournament in/near Chicago. What a good way for a team to travel with time to relax before their big competition.

That evening we were seated at an empty booth in the diner but not for long, first a 30 something woman joined us and then a 20's man. Both were intriguing companions for the couple of hours we sat eating and talking.

She was a social worker employed by a not for profit organisation (charity?), her area of operation was various aspects of counselling and more so prevention of children and adults who were abused, mainly sexually. She is very passionate and dedicated about her work as we have found with a friend of ours who works in a similar field.

He was a professional Skate Boarder and apparently very well known within his own sport? art? His name is Bobby Dodd and can be found on YouTube. At 28 years old he has travelled the world with skateboarding, is married with 3 children, but now on the edge of being too old to compete! His efforts now are aimed at inventing, perfecting and displaying new moves. He was a very confident and happy many, couldn't stop smiling and also had many wise words too. His parents and he are Native American and he's very pleased to be so it appears.

Both he and she had never met or knew of each other, but small world comes to mind when they realise they both know Def Paul a BMX proffesional rider. To her Def Paul is her ex husband, to him a good friend, co-incidences where-ever we go.

We enjoyed this EB train journey in coach, comfortable, warm, good company and superb scenery in extremely heavy snow. How they managed to arrive at Essex, MT up in the mountains with all the snow they had had the previous week only 55 minutes late is amazing, leaving would be a little different...


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## v v

*In Seattle Friday photos*

King Street Link light rail station. A regular bus pulls up at the same platform a Link train had stood just a few minutes before







A wonderful Blackbird spy plane, pretty dramatic




Spooky spy drone (pun intended)




A Monk Fish at Pike Place market




Large Ferris Wheel outside the Athenian restaurant


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## oregon pioneer

Nice photos! Not an especial lot of snow for the Chemult area in Oregon, and I hope you waved in a general easterly direction as you passed. Western Oregon usually has no snow, as the elevation there is near sea level (as compared to 4,764′ at Chemult).

I am sure the reason your train was full is that the days before, #8 was cancelled. Some took the 11 & 6 option (that I heard was offered), only to arrive at CHI on the same day as those that rebooked for the #8 you were on.

The "vortex" that eats trains was just east of Essex, can't wait to hear what happened as you continued east, after your snowy sojourn at the Izaak Walton!


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## Maglev

Thanks for taking time out from your trip to post reports and photos here! I enjoy it all!

The "Amtrak America" logo and paint scheme is on the new Viewliner II baggage cars and diners.


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## v v

*In Seattle Saturday photos*

*​*Lost my heart to this Porsche 918 Hybrid car




Perfect colour match




Seattle at dusk


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## v v

*Leaving Seattle Sunday 25 February photos*

*​*Views of the Sound from Seattle to Everett










From Everett to Spokane


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## v v

*​Arriving at the Izaak Walton Inn, Essex, MT ~ Glacier national Park - Monday 26 February*

*​*Only 55 minutes late even though heavy snow en-route to the mountains


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## v v

*Monday **26 February Day 6 - 24 hours at the Izaak Walton, Essex, MT* 

_Written in downtown Kansas City Saturday 3 March_

​First, we are from Essex, that's the original Essex, England. A mainly flat but surprisingly pretty County (in the north) to the east of London and renown for centuries to breed political activists!

An unexpected large number of passengers get off at the Izaak Walton Halt/platform/station? It is after all Monday and they are supposed to be busy mainly at weekends. Appears to be the Glacier National Park is one of the few places in the US with good snow cover at the moment, at least according to our fellow IW guests some of whom had chased snow around the country.

Staff of IW had two vans sitting at the end of the platform waiting for the train to arrive, luggage loaded, people loaded and we are driven the 300 yards to the Inn.

The skiers and the IW staff talked a completely separate language to us non skiers, half of the vocabulary were words we had never heard before! or certainly not with any connection to snow. The log fire was there in the sitting room, ablaze and surrounded by 5 or 6 armchairs. The settings is idyllic but the armchairs were always occupied day and night which was slightly disappointing, although have to write there were a few vacant armchairs as we checked out the following morning...

That apart it was all we had hoped it would be. It felt like a lodge, looked like a lodge and catered for guests and visitors very well. It was quite atmospheric with it's subdued light level, a photo of our room below paints the picture.

The prepared cross country ski routes were in pristine condition according to the skiers, it meant we could walk them without snowshoes quite easily with good walking boots, that's what we did. In every direction the views were beautiful, the silence was intense and the skiers scattered all around the Inn so hardly a soul was seen.

Some of the views with trains and equipment in showed quite clearly what could happen if a lot of snow fell for a few days, they had of course had problems in this area up until we arrived.

One snippet of information we did understand about the snow conditions was they had had the most snow at the Inn since 1996, over twenty years! and just the previous evening 10" had fallen, weren't we the lucky ones.

During our day there the sun shone and later turned to light snow fall but still quite bright, we couldn't have asked for more perfect conditions, not at all like February in London.

Apparently one downside to all this snow may be the snow melt. Staff admitted they are a bit worried if it all melts suddenly, they know lots of places will flood.

After a great day we ate at the restaurant, nice meal, good service and even better pudding, bread pudding with Huckleberries. The server was very charming to everyone, we heard her warn some ladies not to wear pompom hats at night as nesting owls were swooping down and taking them.

Warm room, good bed and the gentle noise of the freight locomotives moving around and passing by slowly as they were obviously trying to catch up after the heavy snow falls. End of a memorable day.

*Note for rail fans*​ - We had room 10 on the second floor, it's at the far left corner of the building when looking from the track. I think it's called an Empire Builder room and it's advantage is the front window looks directly on to the track, the side window is overlooking the train maintenance yard.

Lots of snow


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## v v

*Monday 26 February Day 6 - 24 hours at the Izaak Walton, Essex, MT ~ Photos Part II*

A self propelled snow plough




A large pushed snow plough




Soaring mountains all around




Did I mention a lot of snow?




Really a lot of snow




The rail yard




That's where our 8 Empire Builder will arrive from




Our room


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## Bob Dylan

Winter Wonderland!

Great pics Jamie, it's Spring already down here in Texas!


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## oregon pioneer

Oh my goodness, your photos are wonderful and it appears you had the BEST.WINTER WEATHER. EVER!

Glad to see those snowshoe tracks on the pristine canvas of the snow.


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## v v

*Tuesday 27 February Day 7 - Essex, MT to Minneapolis Saint Paul*

_Written in downtown San Francisco Wednesday 7 March_

​The 8 Empire Builder was 1 hour 30 minutes late into Essex, MT, we were the only ones leaving but still were driven in the van to the platform. Light snow in flurries but not much. Good to be back on board and this time with a Roomette.

Our Empire Builder arriving in Essex, MT with a freight locomotive attached in front of the 2 regular Amtrak passenger ones.




Snowfall increases a little until we experience a whiteout and come to a stop, but the stop has nothing to do with snow rather another delay waiting for a freight train to pass. The weather conditions slowly improve but after more delays waiting for freights we are now 3 hours late.

So Jennifer, the train eating vortex didn't manage to delay us, but it had affected freights badly and their attempts at catching up did for us.

Rosie's detailed notes help write this blog




Weather closing in







... and then begins to improve







Three or four cars either bringing or collecting a small handful of passengers, this Montana stop was very remote indeed




A barn and this tower were close-by, anyone know what this type of building is used for?


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## v v

*Tuesday 27 February Day 7 - Essex, MT to Minneapolis Saint Paul ~ Part II*

_Written in downtown San Francisco Wednesday 7 March_

​We are passing through the incredible emptiness of Montana while starting lunch. In this vast space we come across a freight coming from? and going to?

Long train running




We are joined for lunch by the delightful Rachael, a young lady who came from exactly this part of Montana and grew up in a small remote town. She successfully designs women's sportswear and had travelled around the world with her company. On her way to Havre, MT for family reasons she described vividly what it was like to grow up in an area where there was not a lot beyond the town's bounderies. She thought she had a wonderful childhood as doors were never locked and children could play outside without parents worrying.

Working in Seattle for 10 years she was now ready for a life change, and was contemplating how best to sell up in Seattle and move to Los Angeles. There were a number of reasons with the largest appearing to be better weather along with more opportunity.

A remote homestead in the distance




After lunch Rachael visits us in our room, we learn even more about both Montana and Seattle. Eventually we arrive in Havre, Mt which turns out to be a major halt for local people. Goodbyes to Rachael and wonder if she will make her big move.

Surprising amount of activity on the platform at Havre







Large small town Havre




Relaxing rest of the day, what a great day to travel. The snow is thick on the ground all the way across to Minneapolis Saint Paul (MSP), gradually losing a little more time again due to stopping to allow freights through.

Not sure if these cars hadn't moved for hours, days or weeks?


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## v v

*Wednesday 28 February Day 8 - A day in MSP and get to meet Forum manager Jeb and wife Chelsea*

Mississippi river at Saint Paul frozen complete with ice floes




To be continued...


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## JRR

Thx for sharing. Great pics!

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum


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## Hans

Finally we managed to login on this forum, so not only we can read the as always great reports, but see the pictures as well.

Yes that is snow (we just had 2") partially liked the barn with it's white hat.

Btw, that Black Birth has 2 engines, the 3' one in the middle is the engine of the only remaining drone of that project sitting on the back of this SR-71 make this combination ever so unique.

Next to the Concorde (sitting outside of this museum) my all time favorite plane. I'm sure that's an other forum though.

Have a safe trip

Hans


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## oregon pioneer

The structure in Montana that you are interested in is a "wigwam burner" used back in the old days to process sawmill waste. Back in the 1970s, I worked as a packer in a small mill that made cedar shakes ("hand-splits") and shingles for roofing. Don't have photos of me on the job packing shingles, but here's what I mostly did:







Wigwam burners were a landmark in most western timber towns. There is still one standing within 15 miles of my home. Most stand alone now, the mill they were attached to having been torn down. Here's what they looked like in use:






And here's a little wigwam burner history, if you should want to follow up.


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## caravanman

Thanks for that most interesting information, Jennifer.

I too had seen these rusty metal cones from Amtrak trains, and had puzzled over their purpose!

Ed.


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## v v

*Wednesday 28 February Day 8 - A day in MSP and get to meet Forum manager Jeb and wife Chelsea ~ continued*

*​*_Written at Seaside, Monterey, CA Thursday 8 March_

_​_Wake to find we are now 4 3/4 hours late into MSP, expecting to arrive at around 1pm and not 8am as scheduled. This makes us think which plans for MSP we have to leave to another day and what is important in the shortened time we have, but first back to breakfast.

Today we are seated with two retired ladies who were both teachers, they and Rosie had plenty to talk about. Rosie asked their opinion on arming teachers to defend schools, both were adamant that it was a very bad idea, but I'll leave that there...

Rosie spent the morning in the sight seeing lounge and was given a vivid description of when Mount St Helens blew up by a man who lived in the area and as a local garbage collector was very busy for months. He earned a fortune from the explosion because it all had to be cleaned up! And from another man a tale about young people entering the military for 3 years at 18 to get a start in life or help to decide whether to go to college at 21. When this man changed the topic to whether it was right for gay people to have relationships Rosie changed the subject as she feels passionate about that. Conversation topics are as varied as the people we all meet...

Arrived at Union Depot Saint Paul close to 1pm, we had until midnight before our Greyhound to Kansas City left from Minneapolis so in effect the rest of the afternoon and most of the evening. Decided on a visit to the Mississippi River Center, a look at the State Capitol and make our way to The Nook eatery and bowling alley to meet Jeb and Chelsea for dinner.

First we stored our 3 bags in Union Depot at $5 a time. Not cheap but very convenient and a price we were willing to pay. Then a walk along the river to the River Center, smaller than we thought but a couple of interesting insights into this mighty river. Another walk up to the Capitol followed by a visit to Leif Erikson (father Erik the Red) on the perimeter of the capitol grounds. We just wanted to pay our respects to a traveller and explorer extraordinaire.

Following all this we return to the Union Depot area to catch a bus up to The Nook where we should manage to meet with Mr Jeb. We had no clue what Jeb looked like and he had no idea about us. He did deduct we maybe wouldn't look quite like the regulars of The Nook and he would spot us, this was about right too.

Going back a step or two. We were taken aback by the Mississippi being half covered in ice and snow, shouldn't have been but think it was down to having spent quite a lot of time alongside other sections of the river (but further south) it was a shock to realise it was another facet of this river.

The State Capitol is wonderful and surprisingly open to enter and wander around. It's a grand building if you ever get the chance with many superb aspects. I think Jeb is proud of his hometown and state Capitol and can quite easily see why. Hope the photos to follow will tell the story better than I.

Visiting Leif Erikson was all we had hoped although don't know if the statue is a good likeness. Still, he looks pretty impressive on his plinth and that was enough.

Also have to say that MSP was having a sort of mini heatwave by their standards on the day we were there, we were certainly overdressed for the temps we experienced.

Bus ride to The Nook was straightforward, now to find Jeb (we didn't know of Chelsea until later).

Great Hall at Union Depot, Minneapolis Saint Paul




River Boats on the part frozen Mississippi




First sight of the State Capitol




To be continued...

The Capitol in all it's grandeur




Beautiful stairway from the Ratskeller in the basement to the first floor




Cupola and other interior photos










And finally Leif Erikson in the grounds


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## v v

*Wednesday 28 February Day 8 - A day in MSP and get to meet Forum manager Jeb and wife Chelsea ~ continued - Part II*
​_Written at Seaside, Monterey, CA Friday 9 March_

We find The Nook easily enough, 30-40 yards from the bus stop. Even with minus temperatures there were people standing outside as the place is so full. In particular there is one man in a T-shirt, the MSP mini heatwave didn't mean warm so these people are really hardy. Make our way inside and stand and ponder. The Nook is tiny and unassuming from the outside, inside it's the Tardis (check-out Dr Who if you don't know it).

The placed is heaving and there are other areas to it too, hundreds of people really fill this buzzing place, so how to find Jeb?

We stand there looking a bit bewildered I guess, but happy to take it all in as it's pleasantly warm and the atmosphere is great. Man from outside in T-shirt comes through the door and tentatively asks us if we are Rosie and Jamie, phew, he had spotted the backpack and of course we are not quite as young as most here.

If you haven't met your forum manager Jeb he is a very nice person, I'll only add that his wife Chelsea is delightful too. Jeb suggested The Nook as it one of the places to get a genuine Juicy Lucy burger, of course we were curious as to what a Juicy Lucy could be, the mind boggles! It was indeed very busy, a 45 minute wait for a table but we had loads to talk about so the time flew.

Great evening with very good company, also perfect place to eat, people watch, good service and good sized bowling alley is located in the basement. The big problem was the evening was so good we left about 30 minutes after our last bus back to Union Depot to recover our bags, but no fear Jeb and Chelsea gave us a lift back to get us there before the Baggage office closed.

Jeb wasn't finished with us yet though. Although he was on his way home I had to text to ask if he would contact The Nook as I had lost a glove and it could have been there. He generously diverted from his way home to take a look himself, and yes he found it, thanks Jeb.

It's now in the post to Milton in California where we'll arrive in a few days so it can be reunited with the left one.

Bags recovered we had to find our way to the tram terminus only 1 block away, then on to the last but one stop to the other end of the line. Again we found the ever increasing amount of bus, trolley, tram and light rail in American cities really works and is so well priced. Something that the US was terrible at years ago has been turned around with clean and efficient transport systems all over the country, well done as it was needed.

Arrive at our stop and now a 500 yard walk with bags, but we are in the swing of it now and no big problem. Greyhound bus station is a large one and pretty busy, staff seem a bit hassled and not as helpful as we remember but that may only be this bus station. We find the reason for this a few days later elsewhere.

Normal mixed collection of Greyhound bus riders as ever, perhaps a little more ragged than before but again could be night and very long distance buses encourage things like blankets etc.

Greyhound functions very well as usually we leave and arrive on time, the drivers are always correct, and they get you to where you want to go. This was a Jefferson Lines bus, not quiet as comfortable as the regular Greyhound type but we both managed to sleep most of the way to Kansas City where we had to transfer to a real Greyhound for Lawrence, KS. Depart on time and away we go to the next part of this adventure...

The section of The Nook we were seated in, there were 2 other sections




This photo is for Chelsea, as we saw it we thought of you. At the John Steinbeck Center in Salinas, CA yesterday we had to beg and plead to get this card as it is/was a display item at the center.


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## v v

*Thursday 1 March Day 9 - From MSP to Lawrence, KS via Kansas City ~ by Greyhound*
​_Written at Seaside, Monterey, CA Saturday 10 March_

_​_At 12:01 am our Jefferson Lines bus pulls out, we have a driver who's answers to passenger queries are a little too sharp and a fairly full bus.

We sleep pretty well only waking for a few minutes at each of the 4 or 5 stops before reaching Kansas City. Here we have to transfer to a Greyhound for the last leg of the journey to Lawrence, KS. One thing we notice is the KC to Lawrence Greyhound bus is different and a little more comfortable, but not much in it.

55 minutes down the road and we are outside the library on a cool dry day, lucky for us as there is no shelter just a bare sidewalk stop.

Within 5 minutes Milton turns up with older brother Art to collect us. We're meeting up here as Milton wanted to ride the Californian Zephyr with us and we had planned to re-visit Kansas City anyway, so one night at one of his nieces home, Milton remains in Lawrence for a family visit and we return to KC for a couple of days then off to meet the Zephyr.

Milton has decided to drive to Lincoln, Nebraska to meet the train, we are taking another Greyhound from KC to Denver where we will board.

Our day and evening with Milton's family was very nice indeed, we were treated as though they had known us all their lives. Same for the following day until late afternoon when we were driven to our KC hotel to drop bags and then to dinner at Grunauer's Austrian/German restaurant behind Union station. Our treat this time for Milton and niece Michel, a good evening had by all.


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## v v

*Saturday 3 March Day 11 - Kansas City*
​_Written at Seaside, Monterey, CA Sunday 11 March_

​Easy start to Saturday. When ready bus down to Union Station to confirm the hours for baggage storage on Sunday as that's our leaving day and we will be heading to the Greyhound Bus Station from the Union Station area.

We get to the station to find 7 or 8 food trucks corralled around one side of the front of station parking. Check out baggage times, notice a poster by the ticket office about the rise and fall of US train travel complete with streamline trains (photo below) and head to the station forecourt to check out the food trucks for eating later in the day.

Note: There is a theme occurring for evening baggage collection. It's the 3rd time we have been warned that when a train is due in during the evening that all available staff (1 or 2) will be attending the train and the ticket and baggage offices will be closed. If baggage collection is time critical the Amtrak staff have given us details of when the baggage is not manned. This can be really helpful as sometimes the station closes at 10pm say but the ticket/baggage office is closed from 9:15pm till the next day.

Poster explaining the rise and fall of US train travel and one of the reasons why streamlined trains were introduced




One of the food trucks at KCY




Soon we were off on the free 2.1 mile tram from Union Station to the north of downtown to the market district by the river, our main purpose for Saturday was to visit the Arabia Steamboat Museum. On our previous KC visit 2 years earlier we had heard of this and the WW I museum as must sees, so here we were back again with the free tram up and running.

The story of how and why this particular steamboat was searched for, found and excavated is remarkable, that the full complement of 250? tons of general and specific goods to be shipped and traded was recovered is even more remarkable. All the goods were new, this boat sank in 1856 and the cargo was only recovered a few years ago. It's all housed in a new purpose built building which is a credit to whoever was responsible for it to be built. If you are in town we would thoroughly recommend a visit, a few photos below.

On a personal note we found items similar to those we trade in Europe. That these are probably European designs that were manufactured before 1856 in the US gives us a much earlier date for our France sourced items.

Free tram arriving close to the museum




A small sample of the recovered items













Apparently the oldest US built steam engines in America




To be continued...


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## v v

*Saturday 3 March Day 11 - Kansas City ~ continued*
​_Written in Los Angeles, CA Tuesday 13 March_

​We return from the Arabia Museum on the free tram, it's now late afternoon. Many people on the tram are very well dressed, women in particular in their very best finery with the men a little more conservative in their appearance. Arrive back to Union Station and choose a food truck to buy a late lunch, only 3 trucks left and we choose Greek food, pretty good too. There are bench seats outside the entrances to the station and sit in the sunshine eating and watching increasing numbers of people well dressed going into the station, what's going on?

Busy Greek Food truck




Believe the bike rider is the owner of one of the food trucks that had just left




Next is a crazy 30 hours in Kansas City, but think this could happen in many cities?

Rosie is very curious about where are these 100's and 100's of people going, they are queuing right around the entrance hall (huge if you have never visited KCY station) from both sets of entrance doors, there's a lot of money in this place.

It's a wine tasting evening in the great hall, the organisers had asked for people to dress glamorously for the event and the visitors had obliged. It's our 2nd visit to KC and we do have the impression that it is quite a prosperous city too. This sets the scene for the contrasts we experience until we leave Kansas City 30 hours later.

Some of the people attending the wine tasting at Union Station




We have a couple of chores to do before we return to the hotel, the bus service even on Saturday is superb. Arrive at Broadway and Westport, walk down Westport and the whole area is really bustling with people enjoying themselves indoor and outdoor. This is busier than downtown and has the atmosphere all over that The Nook in MSP had. We'd certainly spend an evening here if we ever return to Kansas City.

Chores done we return to our return bus stop and see this store front sign, don't know why but love a store named 'Big Dude's'.




Back at the hotel and we have an exciting night-in clothes washing, we know how to travel the world and have a good time.

Saturday evening - in between washing clothes I run downstairs to get a couple of cups of hot water to make tea. There appears to be something wrong with the coffee machine and the evening desk clerk comes out to check it out. The water is cold and not heated, between he and I we laugh a lot and get some results but not hot water. Try some more combinations and he says hold on a minute, goes into the office and comes out with steaming hot water., we are still laughing as we realise the he with a Masters degree in economics and me an engineer of sorts could not fathom how to work the coffee machine!

Asked why he's working in a hotel as a clerk, he said it's better than doing nothing before he gets the job he has his sights on, great work ethic and happy into the bargain.

Sunday morning​ - Standing at the bus stop opposite the hotel it's on a junction corner as many are. Pleasant morning with a 10 minute wait for our bus, enjoying being outdoors and watching KC Sunday morning life go by. A car being driven around the corner where we stand pulls up, window winds down and an older lady calls out do we want a lift? We're taken aback as don't know if this is an Uber driver touting for business or simply a very kind gesture to a couple of people standing at a bus stop with bags. As our purpose is to travel as far as we can using public transport we thank her very much but no thanks.

5 Minutes later I watch a car pull up about 100 yards away, quite a few people going into the church we are standing near. The driver, an older lady walks towards us and says she is just off to church but would be happy to drive us to where we need to go as she can go to a later Mass. We're almost speechless at this kindness and insist we like catching the bus but appreciate her offer of delaying church just to do something for strangers. Off she goes back to the church door and disappears.

Rosie and I stand there in silence, never come across this type of hospitality/kindness/goodwill before.

Sunday lunch time - Drop bags for storage at the station, very pleasant and helpful the ticket office were too. Off to the National WW I across the road and up the hill.

We missed breakfast as not hungry so looked forward to lunch in the café in the museum. Late 20's man behind the counter is not happy, and less so when we ask what sort of meals we can get. None! I'm the only person of 3 who has turned up today. OK, so what's to eat, and he points to some slightly less than appetising cakes which have too much sugar for our tastes. The chef as we learn later mentions a couple of more times that he's not happy as he's there to cook not to operate a till, you get the picture...

So we settle for a cup of tea each, sit at a table and break into our travel food, trail mix and fruit. I go back for refills and have to talk with the chef again, he's relented a little so we have a conversation about food. He's passionate about cooking, in particular he likes to cook Argentinian which I though was unusual. But he becomes happier talking about something he loves and also by pointing out he only has 3 more hours before the café closes, the world isn't such a bad place after all. He really does love cooking though as he makes the effort of learning different styles by working in the country where each style comes from, and that he was waiting to go the far east within weeks and had taken this job to fill in. Good story eventually and he had cheered up too.

There are 3 films in the WW I museum main display area, the first one as you enter the museum is staggering, at least that is my take. It gives in simple logical sequence the events - mainly in Europe - of the causes for Europe and then the rest of the world to descend into awful turmoil. I sat through this film 3 times as it was so powerful. Some/many of the basic causes that led to WW I are present in society now, it felt very scary as how we appear to be going down the same path. Best leave it there except to write it is another very good Kansas City museum.

Photos from and of the WW I museum

Union Station and Downtown Kansas City from the outdoor upper level







Inside a hall on the upper level







One Sphinx facing in one direction shielding it's eyes from the horror that was WW I.




The second Sphinx facing the opposite direction shielding it's eyes from the nightmare of what was to come, WW II




Sunday evening

After leaving the museum we walk across to the Crown Center for something to eat, lose our way and end up in a reception for Kansas farmers. As we're not strictly farmers we glide slowly out of the very nice venue getting more odd looks than when we walked in. Found some food, it filled a gap, then walked across to Union Station to collect our bags.

We have at least 3 hours to wait before we get our bus up to the KC Greyhound bus station, so happy to sit and talk about the few days in Lawrence and KC.

A lady in her 50's ? was trying to sleep on the same bench, didn't bother us or we her. What was unusual was she had a very very nice push bike, it was of Dutch upright style and very shiny and new. She was travelling light with only a couple of quite small bags so obviously on the move. A couple of hours later we collected our bags before they closed the ticket office, lady on the bench had woken up and asked if we were getting the South West Chief for LA too. She explained she was going to San Diego at which point I asked was she cycling there but she just laughed.

The upshot of a slightly disconnected conversation between the 3 of us was we are also going to San Diego but not on that evening's 10:45pm Southwest Chief, but we would be there when she was there... possibly. We also explained to her the boarding sequence but no didn't know what happened when you travel with a bicycle. It appears that she will meet us in San Diego but how that will happen we don't know.

It's time to get to the Greyhound bus station so we head out. Taxi outside the door, first we have seen in 2 days. But our goal is public transport and we walk past although the driver thinks otherwise.

At the bus stop we arrived at earlier in the day, check the Sunday timetable all as we hope.

There's a lady sitting at the bus stop seat with bags, blanket and wheel chair in front of her, we say hello. Doris has a story. 71 years old and homeless but has a bed each night providing she can get there. They are not allowed to arrive before 10pm, and have to leave by 9am. She's sober, articulate, cleanly dressed and can't walk far (therefore the wheelchair). She has to get to her bus about 200 yards away but stopped to pause on this seat.

Our bus arrives, the same number as from the hotel which will take us now to a bus stop near the river so we can connect with another to the Greyhound station, but it doesn't stop, just goes sailing by even though we indicate a stop! We do know it's the last bus of the day so it looks like back to that taxi but that's gone too. Doris comes to the rescue as she knows how the transit system works.

Hauls herself up, beckons for us to follow and sets off with a painful looking gait. Two blocks down and she turns right, there are many more bus stops in this street and we have hope. Only a few minutes and a bus arrives which is also the bus for Doris, she tells us to get on and realise it's the same route as the original bus. It takes a minute or two to strap Doris's wheelchair down and we're off, a jolly group of people around us. Rosie asks if this bus will be too late for our connecting bus and I say probably but think no chance, she asks the number of the connecting bus.

I know where the 2nd bus must turn into and ask the driver of the bus we are on to let us off at the bus stop closest please, but I'm starting to think we may miss our Greyhound but can't tell Rosie. Our driver tells us we're up next, goodbye to Doris, thank her for her help and get ready to get off with our 4 bags. We're coming to a stop at a junction and our 2nd bus is the other side of the road waiting to turn, just pray the light sequence is in our favour. Our driver says it's nice to meet us and lets us off as close to the corner as it's possible to be, there is no bus stop there. About 40 yards and there is a bus stop but our 2nd bus has turned into the street and accelerating past us and the bus stop, his bus stop is another 100 yards further on and we now have a mini crowd at the first bus stop cheering us on. The bus has stopped at the bus stop, there's no one there so we run in hope.

Get to the bus panting, told 2nd bus driver he was a life saver but please wait for my wife. Ask if he had waited for us and he said sure, the first bus driver had flashed his lights so he knew we were coming, how helpful is this Kansas City?

So with all the kindnesses shown to us we still worry as to how we can't design a society that helps 71 year olds who really need help. Not political or aimed at one country either, just feel strongly about some things.

So we make our Greyhound in time, meet with other bus travellers and wait a short time for our ride to Denver. But as we enter we have to check in with the ticket clerk as we are packing bags in the underneath lockers on the bus. Just make a comment about how busy the bus station was at nearly midnight, and she says it's always like this now. Asked how she copes with so many passengers as she is on her own, so she explains a little about Greyhound in recent times. Cutbacks, staff reductions, and experienced drivers leaving in numbers, it's a difficult time to work for Greyhound. Asked why she remains working there and she says "where else can I go?". The shame is she did her job very well, was polite and had a smile too, she obviously enjoyed what she did. But whatever has happened to Greyhound was making the people working for them very unhappy, and it explained a little about the atmosphere at the MSP bus station too.

Kansas City bus station at midnight


----------



## v v

*Monday 5 March Day 13 - Kansas City to Denver*
​_Written in Los Angeles, CA Tuesday 13 March_

Our Greyhound leaves at 12:25am, we're heading to Denver to meet the Californian Zephyr for the journey west over the Rockies and better still the Sierra Nevadas to San Francisco.

The bus has the usual mix of people, many with a place to go to or a place to leave, the driver was fine. The bus condition though was possibly the worst Greyhound bus we have ridden, didn't get too much sleep that night but we survived if frozen.

A couple of hours before Denver the wind rose and we drove through a dust storm, at times it really picked up and looking out the windows it looked like photos we had seen in Oklahoma of the dust bowl. Although not good for farmers it was fascinating to watch how quickly a dust storm started.

From the Greyhound Bus Station the bus service in Denver was very good, as they have been in all cities we have visited this time. Bus stopped just about 50 yards from our hotel.

The hotel didn't ask questions but allowed us to check in 3 hours early, thank you Days Inn at Colfax Avenue as we were so tired and cold. We were dog tired so slept most of the afternoon, missed the couple of visits we wanted to make but did need the sleep and warmth.

That evening we went across the road to the Irish Snug, a pub eatery. Good atmosphere, busy and very good food. Stayed a couple of hours and returned to the hotel for more sleep and to keep warm, Denver due to the wind was absolutely freezing.

Note: The Days Inn Downtown is not the cheapest hotel in Denver but everything about it works. Superb location, direct very regular bus to Union Station about 30 yards away, good, clean and fully functioning hotel. There are plenty of places to eat and or drink within close walking distance too plus interesting sights within walking distance.

Denver at night from the hotel


----------



## caravanman

Thank you for such great reporting! I love the photo's and the details of all your encounters with the local folk.

After your problems with that coffee machine, I am reminded to always pack my number 1 travel accessory... my kettle and PG Tips tea bags.





Much kudos to you for taking those overnight Greyhound bus services. I like the daytime Greyhound rides, the views, and all the characters one meets, but trying to rest and travel overnight is beyond me!

Looking forward to the next update.

Ed


----------



## oregon pioneer

I too am impressed by the photos, and by your willingness to overnight on a bus. Like Ed, I can do it during the day, but as soon as I try and be still to sleep, my back begins to twitch and make me miserable. Must... lie... down... (which I can, even in Amtrak coach, if I have two seats. But not on a bus).

I also bring my own tea bags,but haven't yet found a workable travel kettle. What do you use, Ed?


----------



## Maglev

I am really enjoying the trip report and photos!

Jennifer, I used an immersion heater when I was living in a dorm to make coffee and tea. This one is only 300 watts, so it should be okay to use in a sleeper. It's also very compact:

https://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Instant-Electric-Immersion-Heater/dp/B01M0Q84BR/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1521049008&sr=8-3&keywords=immersion+heater


----------



## caravanman

Hi Jennifer,

I use something similar to this kettle, it is about 650 Watts, so quite suitable for low power outlets. Used it aboard Amtrak, in Indian hotels, etc..

I have found a nice bone china cup which fits inside the kettle. The cup rests on a plastic scourer, which protects the element, and is handy for cleaning the cup.





The cord fits inside the cup, and a spoon fits inside too. I have used it to heat "boil in the bag" food too!

http://www.argos.co.uk/product/4265315

Ed.


----------



## Chaz

v v said:


> Thanks Woodcut60, all ideas are welcome.
> 
> As the weather is changeable at this time of year we're open to whatever suits the moment. We are definitely going to the Museum of Flight and the cinema 'Cinerama' as it is supposed to be very high tech, that still leaves 1 1/2 days. There will now be 5 of us meeting up there so we may be sight-seeing by committee majority .



Sent from my iPad using Amtrak Forum


----------



## v v

Mystic River Dragon said:


> Wonderful start to your trip--looking forward to the rest!


Thanks MRD. Postings are a bit disjointed but trying to keep it going.

It's funny as this journey is a bit out of sync with writing the blog. I'm using a notebook via wifi and not a smartphone. Wifi is unusually erratic and more of our time is taken up with meeting people or doing things than on previous journeys. Frequently we have wifi but no time to write, or time to write and no wifi. Not complaining mind as we're having a superb time, just an explanation why the blog is miles behind.



oregon pioneer said:


> Nice photos! Not an especial lot of snow for the Chemult area in Oregon, and I hope you waved in a general easterly direction as you passed. Western Oregon usually has no snow, as the elevation there is near sea level (as compared to 4,764′ at Chemult).
> 
> I am sure the reason your train was full is that the days before, #8 was cancelled. Some took the 11 & 6 option (that I heard was offered), only to arrive at CHI on the same day as those that rebooked for the #8 you were on.
> 
> The "vortex" that eats trains was just east of Essex, can't wait to hear what happened as you continued east, after your snowy sojourn at the Izaak Walton!


That explained a lot, you've since read why the Empire Builder was so late



Maglev said:


> Thanks for taking time out from your trip to post reports and photos here! I enjoy it all!
> 
> The "Amtrak America" logo and paint scheme is on the new Viewliner II baggage cars and diners.


Thanks Maglev



Bob Dylan said:


> Winter Wonderland!
> 
> Great pics Jamie, it's Spring already down here in Texas!


Thanks Bob, that's good to hear, we've escaped the worst and now quite pleasant here in southern California. See you soon.



oregon pioneer said:


> Oh my goodness, your photos are wonderful and it appears you had the BEST.WINTER WEATHER. EVER!
> 
> Glad to see those snowshoe tracks on the pristine canvas of the snow.


We didn't need them Jennifer unless we intended to go off Piste, which we didn't. We had to keep pinching ourselves at how amazing the snow was, we've been very lucky with weather almost everywhere including the cold we were dreading in Minneapolis Saint Paul



JRR said:


> Thx for sharing. Great pics!
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum


Pleased you are enjoying them, the next batch are not quite to the same level as a lot of photography was into the sun and there were a couple of reasons we couldn't do anything about that.



Hans said:


> Finally we managed to login on this forum, so not only we can read the as always great reports, but see the pictures as well.
> 
> Yes that is snow (we just had 2") partially liked the barn with it's white hat.
> 
> Btw, that Black Birth has 2 engines, the 3' one in the middle is the engine of the only remaining drone of that project sitting on the back of this SR-71 make this combination ever so unique.
> 
> Next to the Concorde (sitting outside of this museum) my all time favorite plane. I'm sure that's an other forum though.
> 
> Have a safe trip
> 
> Hans


Hello Hans, hello Wineke

Pleased you signed up for this forum, it's a friendly place with a wealth of information and well worth it. As you will know you only donate if you feel you want to so in effect joining is free.

Yes knew that the Blackbird is your favourite plane that's the reason it was included. Hope you enjoyed a different angle from your own photos. Hope we see you soon.



oregon pioneer said:


> The structure in Montana that you are interested in is a "wigwam burner" used back in the old days to process sawmill waste. Back in the 1970s, I worked as a packer in a small mill that made cedar shakes ("hand-splits") and shingles for roofing. Don't have photos of me on the job packing shingles, but here's what I mostly did:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Wigwam burners were a landmark in most western timber towns. There is still one standing within 15 miles of my home. Most stand alone now, the mill they were attached to having been torn down. Here's what they looked like in use:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And here's a little wigwam burner history, if you should want to follow up.


Thanks for such good info Jennifer, what haven't you done!



caravanman said:


> Thank you for such great reporting! I love the photo's and the details of all your encounters with the local folk.
> 
> After your problems with that coffee machine, I am reminded to always pack my number 1 travel accessory... my kettle and PG Tips tea bags.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Much kudos to you for taking those overnight Greyhound bus services. I like the daytime Greyhound rides, the views, and all the characters one meets, but trying to rest and travel overnight is beyond me!
> 
> Looking forward to the next update.
> 
> Ed


We find the overnighters a little harder than a few years ago but not so terrible if the heating is on and not cold aircon driving across a freezing Kansas plain during the night. The latest (usual condition) Greyhound buses are pretty comfortable now, better than the older ones. Leg room may be an issue so it's best to try to board early as some seats have less and a few have more than the average. Of course if you have back or mobility problems then a fair bit of travelling may be a problem.

Part of the reason for taking Greyhound is Amtrak doesn't completely cover the country so every now and then a Greyhound fits the bill and most times very well. If you like being with people it's as sociable as coach on any Amtrak LD train as far as our experience goes. Have to say that if we don't get one Greyhound ride in on every US journey we miss it.

We needed to pack light for this trip, the problem was 2 weeks in the frozen north, 1 week in a moderate climate, and 3 weeks in hopefully pleasantly warm climate, that's a lot of different clothes which doesn't work well with travelling light.

So we left out other stuff to keep the weight and volume down, one item was our cup sized emersion heater similar to Maglev's. It also enabled us not have to carry 2 china cups too. Last part of this we checked that 95% of our hotels had a microwave in the room, the reality is about 8 out of 10 have been removed even though they are advertised with them. It's left us having to rely on hot water from the coffee machines which led to the entertaining episode in Kansas City.

Like you Ed, we carry mucho tea bags


----------



## v v

oregon pioneer said:


> I too am impressed by the photos, and by your willingness to overnight on a bus. Like Ed, I can do it during the day, but as soon as I try and be still to sleep, my back begins to twitch and make me miserable. Must... lie... down... (which I can, even in Amtrak coach, if I have two seats. But not on a bus).
> 
> I also bring my own tea bags,but haven't yet found a workable travel kettle. What do you use, Ed?


As above



Maglev said:


> I am really enjoying the trip report and photos!
> 
> Jennifer, I used an immersion heater when I was living in a dorm to make coffee and tea. This one is only 300 watts, so it should be okay to use in a sleeper. It's also very compact:
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Instant-Electric-Immersion-Heater/dp/B01M0Q84BR/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1521049008&sr=8-3&keywords=immersion+heater


As above



caravanman said:


> Hi Jennifer,
> 
> I use something similar to this kettle, it is about 650 Watts, so quite suitable for low power outlets. Used it aboard Amtrak, in Indian hotels, etc..
> 
> I have found a nice bone china cup which fits inside the kettle. The cup rests on a plastic scourer, which protects the element, and is handy for cleaning the cup.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The cord fits inside the cup, and a spoon fits inside too. I have used it to heat "boil in the bag" food too!
> 
> http://www.argos.co.uk/product/4265315
> 
> Ed.


Couldn't give a kettle that amount of space Ed, but am jealous


----------



## v v

*Tuesday 6 March Day 14 - Denver, CO to San Francisco, CA*
​_Updated in Los Angeles, CA Thursday 15 March_

A few photos of the Amtrak 5 Californian Zephyr from Denver to SFC, report will follow a little later.

​Denver Union Station, very nicely refurbished







Winter Park, CO, think that usually there is more snow here than there is? Either side of this area there wasn't much snow in the Rockies but the bare mountains have a grandeur even without snow







Interstate? running opposite side of the river to the rail track




As we move towards the Sierra Nevada we find more snow, this is our favourite or the two ranges
















Regular train life. Play card games, just watching and photoing what goes past the window




This is Donner Lake of the famous tragedy


----------



## trainman74

v v said:


> Interstate? running opposite side of the river to the rail track


Yes, Interstate 70. (It was quite an engineering feat to get it into that canyon!)


----------



## v v

T*uesday 6 March Day 14 - Denver, CO to San Francisco, CA ~ continued*
​_Updated in Los Angeles, CA Friday 16 March_

​Up early, then a lesson on catching a bus that those with 'L' by the bus number do not stop at every stop, in particular the one we were standing at. Only a minute or so and a non 'L' bus arrives, but it did have us wondering.

Arrive at Denver Union Station at 7:00am, check bags, find that the Zephyr is a little late so lots of time to look, sit and wait. Very pleasant in this very comfortable station.

We start to get hungry as no breakfast so far and expect we'll have missed breakfast on-board as the train isn't due in until around 9:00am. The new Conductor waiting to board suggests we'll have missed breakfast by a few minutes.

Train arrives, Milton is standing by the door to our sleeper car waiting to meet up again, he had boarded the previous evening at Lincoln, Nebraska.

Get to our room and told by our Sleeping Car Attendant (SCA) that she had reserved breakfast in the dining car for us, how thoughtful. Milton had already eaten breakfast but joined us anyway, regaling us with more stories of how he had enjoyed breakfast with an attractive red-head. Which after his last adventure of eating with 3 very dynamic women when returning to LA on the Starlight we were starting to wonder what had happened to this very shy, innocent, 82 year old retired scientist, had he suddenly become a Babe magnet?

The Diner was a very happy place, completely mad-cap server but entertaining and friendly with it. After breakfast off straight away to the sight seeing lounge (SSL). Milton and I sitting at a table, Rosie in the center of the car on upholstered seats as she wanted to jump from side to side as the scenery changed.

The SSL was fairly full as there was a large party of all women (of a certain age) off to one of the resorts high in the Rockies, and at least one other all female group (again of a certain age). An Amish family were there along with a number of mixed other passengers. All in all a happy and excited atmosphere.

First up we saw a Moose in the wild, first time (for us) to see a Moose anywhere, what extraordinary creatures they are. Milton and I catch up, chat a little with the card and board game playing Amish then it's time for lunch. Eating companion was a psychologist who had seen it all in his long life, very interesting too.

Scenery keeps rolling by both sides of the train, and as Rosie remarked _"must be the most scenic restaurant in the world" _rang so true.

Red-head passes by and stops to chat with Milton, he's beaming at all this attention. Very nice early 30's vibrant woman she is, she is a 'tea lady' in the nicest possible way and a leading expert in Chinese teas after 6 years of study. We'll hear more from her when we all eat together later.

After leaving Winter Park, CO where skiing was still possible most of the snow has now gone, but no less beautiful as we travel through mountains and a deep canyon with fir clad steep slopes.

That afternoon stared out the windows and chatted some more in particular with the Elders of the Amish family, William and Sarah. They were travelling with their daughter and son in law to San Francisco. The daughter needed a major operation and a specialist who performed this work every week was to operate. They all thought it was important that the girl got the best treatment possible but all including the daughter were excited about the train journey they were on.

The larger group of ladies left the train, very jolly they were and good company for each other.

After an early start we all decided to get some sleep early, our best scenery was due tomorrow.


----------



## v v

*Wednesday 7 March Day 15 - Denver, CO to San Francisco, CA*
​_Updated in San Diego, CA Tuesday 20 March_

​We took a late breakfast and were practically the only ones in the diner, the new (to us) diner server was very quiet and not too happy. Our lovely crazy server from the previous day had gone (and was missed), she said she only worked part of the route as there were not enough passengers for 3 diner staff for the last day. Many de-trained at various Rocky mountain resorts apparently.

Scenery was to our liking, more snow in the Sierras and more spectacular. Rosie and Milton spent most of the morning gazing out, I was lucky to spend several hours with the two younger Amish.

Not sure who asked the most questions, them or me, but what an insight into a simple but obviously to them an enjoyable existence. The young lady Mary who was going to have surgery was always smiling, kind and polite, her husband Moses had quietly told me she was often in serious pain but tried not to show it, stoic isn't a strong enough word for her behaviour.

The three Louisiana ladies of a certain age were on travels in the north of their country, none had been very far north of where they were born and had decided they should while they had the chance. They were all widowed and had renewed their childhood friendships since living alone, they were having a pretty chaotic but a happy time together.

We got into conversation over a Cajun food recipe, red beans and rice. Rosie and I have had a fixation on this meal since we ate it a year ago on the Sunset Limited . I've cooked it a half a dozen times and getting close to what we think it should taste like, so I was crestfallen when these obvious experts explained how I had quite a lot wrong.

But we all laughed a lot and there were promises of sending a 'good' recipe with detailed instructions once we got home. The big tip they did tell immediately was to use small white beans in place of red kidney beans. Now on our shopping list for our 6 hour layover in New Orleans in just over a week.

The story of the Donner Party disaster was told, the Amish wide eyed about this and that were looking at the actual place where it happened. Pleasant afternoon with nice people and only a little late (40 minutes) into Emeryville. While waiting in our sleeper we wondered how the Amish family were going to react to San Francisco, it's about as opposite to their lives as can be.

Emeryville was a temporary parting of the ways for Milton and us. He stayed in Emeryville overnight to catch the following day's Coast Starlight back to LA, we had a night in SF then an Amtrak Thruway bus to Salinas.

The Amish were being collected by a mini bus sent by the hospital, the rest of us all managed to board the bus for the Temporary Transbay Terminal (SFC) in downtown an Francisco without too much trouble, but de-bussing was a lot of fun as our 3 Louisiana Belles just had so much luggage it was hard for them and the baggage handler to keep track. They did admit again they were not experienced travellers and laughed so much after they came to the conclusion they hadn't even opened some of the cases 2 weeks into their journey. I counted 14 medium to large sized cases between the 3 of them, that's without hand baggage!

Rosie and I were not in a hurry so helped direct them (round them and their luggage up) to where they could get a taxi, it would have to be a large one...

This is our fourth visit to San Francisco, it all feels pretty familiar a bit like going home, we do enjoy this city.

Easy access by bus up to the Hotel Majestic near to Van Ness, nice hotel, good evening meal at a Vietnamese restaurant just up the road and a smile at a large sign outside of a Retirement Home just a few doors from the hotel *' Daily tours arranged '. *​We mused if the tours were to watch the residents or...

Tomorrow it's Salinas and the Steinbeck Center, second shot at getting inside


----------



## v v

*Thursday 8 March Day 16 - San Francisco to Salinas, CA to Monterey, CA*
​_Updated on a Greyhound bus between Yuma and Tucson, AZ ~ Wednesday 21 March_

Early start from this friendly hotel for the bus ride back to SFC, travelling with bags on a bus during San Francisco rush hour is 'interesting', but not life threatening. Bus service works so well, can't complement public transport in US cities enough.

Friendly staff at SFC, we have an hour to wait so sit and chat as they aren't too busy at this time. Anne tells us of how she travels whenever she can, even quite long distances with only weekends to travel. It does reinforce that if you catch the travel bug it wont let go, ever. She also gives us Amtrak postcards and one or two other Amtrak things, very kind.

They are moving out of this depot by June as their lease is up, we passed the new SFC just down the road, very futuristic from the outside. Apparently the new site will have gardens and possibly shops, but they like the depot they work in now and will miss it.

Our Thruway bus arrives, we are the only people on it until the next stop so we sit upfront. We travel down to Salinas via San Jose, Rosie says now she knows the way. It is a fabulous ride and feels very California. This type of landscape only appears to happen here, it's very pretty in our eyes.

Driver was friendly and explained stuff to us, said he enjoyed driving this route and that he really enjoyed being a bus driver, good for him, a happy man.

Arrive in Salinas at the Amtrak station, we're on a roll as the station ticket clerk was extremely helpful too. he explained how Salinas was laid out especially the Steinbeck Center, John Steinbeck's family home, the transit center and exactly where to get our next bus from later in the day. We were off to get some brunch having missed breakfast, we'd chosen a Mexican café, Rosita's Armory Café in Salinas Street. It's about a 5 minute walk from the station and worth it. The son of the founder is now the owner, it feels friendly, comfortable and the food was very good at a good price, and usually Mexican isn't our favourite food.

Rosita's




At last it's time to make a second attempt to visit the Steinbeck center, the first time we visited we weren't allowed in, this time we had written permission from the principle of the center.

To be continued...


----------



## Bob Dylan

More good stuff Jaime! See yall Friday morning in Austin! Hope the Sunset/Eagle trip is a blast!


----------



## v v

Bob Dylan said:


> More good stuff Jaime! See yall Friday morning in Austin! Hope the Sunset/Eagle trip is a blast!



Have I got this right, the description you sent to recognise you. Tall, slim and handsome wearing a Saville Row suit with a bow tie.


----------



## Bob Dylan

Yep, and my car and driver will be waiting on the Platform with the Champagne on ice!LOL

FYI:Amtrak APP Showing #2/#422 into Tucson 24 Minutes EARLY!!


----------



## caravanman

Having shared a room with Bob at the San Francisco "gathering", I can confirm his description.






Ed.


----------



## v v

caravanman said:


> Having shared a room with Bob at the San Francisco "gathering", I can confirm his description.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ed.


Hardly recognised him, no bow tie...


----------



## v v

*Thursday 8 March Day 16 - San Francisco to Salinas, CA to Monterey, CA ~ Part II*
​_Updated at Jacksonville, FL ~ Friday 30 March_

​We're in, the Steinbeck Center is open for business. Looked through the shop first, everything Steinbeck is available here, a Steinbeck admirers heaven. Bought a couple of books, fridge magnet for Rosie and eventually the display card for me.




Asked a couple of questions of the girl at reception, she called for the Archivist. The real question was about burning Steinbeck's books in the town after he was accused of being a Communist, this was during the McCarthy era. The clerk at the Amtrak station thought it took place on the site of this center, the truth was a little more shocking, it was on the steps of Salinas library.

Basically the land owners felt they were badly drawn in Steinbeck's novels and were angry. He said he had the facts as he had spent a couple of years researching what happened to the immigrant workers by travelling with a government official who was in place to monitor how these people were treated.

If you are a fan of Steinbeck this center will be for you, if not then maybe not. One exhibit that drew me back time after time was the truck converted to a camper for Steinbeck. It is the very one he travelled throughout America in with Charley his dog, then wrote the excellent book 'Travels with Charley ~ In Search of America'.

The camper is so ordinary if beautifully built, and to think that Steinbeck's great novel could be created around such a basic vehicle is a wonder. I thought it was the best exhibit in the whole center, but displayed very poorly. As an American icon it shouldn't just be shoved into a corner but shown in all it's glory, 'nuff said.

Travels with Charley camper







Yep, got to actually touch it




We leave as the center closes and ask at reception but without much hope if the display card can be bought, to our total surprise the powers that be said we could have it and it was sitting there gift wrapped, what an end to a great visit.

Worth inserting twice




I left not liking Steinbeck more but gaining a greater understanding how a man who never knew poverty or hardship could write so well about ordinary and extraordinary 'regular' people.

Collected our stored bags from the Amtrak station and walk around the the Salinas Transit Center, 2 minutes away. Only a few minutes wait and our bus arrives, we are off to Monterey for our first visit.

Short walk from the bus stop to the hotel, got something to eat, spent an hour writing and to bed as an early start in the morning whale watching if the weather was kind.


----------



## v v

*Friday 9 March Day 17 - Monterey, CA ~ Day 1*
​_Updated at Jacksonville, FL ~ Saturday 31 March_

​Up and out early, across the road to the bus stop. $3.50 for 2 into Monterey center. Walked through the town and liked what we saw. Not too much open as it's early but made for a pleasant walk. We're early for the whale watch boat tour so take a look at the video of the (maybe?) previous day's outings in the bay. The weather was completely different to today, we had a sea fog rolling in. Still, the sea was fairly calm just a swell.

The Old Fishermans Pier is pretty tacky but seems to get away with it, some of the original fishing piers still in place and a relaxed place to be. Rosie has already taken her highly recommended seasick and motion pills, hope they work as she gets sick stepping over a puddle.

We're kept entertained by a few characters near the piers, a pair of Sea Otters swimming with their arms folded over their belly swimming on their backs. Further out is a colony of Harbour Seals making their presence heard. Then our boat arrived from it's overnight mooring.

An old Sardine? boat.




Sea Otter




Boat is maybe just over half full, good for us, but the fog is getting thicker. Before we leave an unhappy looking 'old timer' leaning against the pier rail looking down at us shouts out twice _"we used to hunt these whales, now we just look at them". _Mixed feelings watching him.

We pass the end of the breakwater and see the source of the seal noise, a large black male seal surrounded by a harem of adoring females, think he was trying to scare us off.







We sail for at least 45 minutes out into the bay and beyond, nothing sighted except for an extraordinary Black Footed Albatross. We're not birders but the sight of this bird with about a 6 foot wingspan just gliding back and forward so close to the sea was mesmerising. Even better was it's ability to just touch ever so slightly the tip of it's wing onto the top of the swell, no splash or even a ripple where it touched, quite amazing.

We sailed past the rocky point where john Denver died in a flying accident, the strange light and the fog coming and going made the area appear strange and spooky.




Got my eye on Rosie as the swell is now noticeable, no reaction so far (thanks for the pill advice Wendy). It's pretty cold though even though we have dressed for cold weather. Further out to sea another whale boat is static, they have found a pair of Humpback whales, much larger than we thought they'd be.

These were the only marine life we saw but they entertained us for nearly an hour as they were attracted or curious about the boats. Totally unpredictable where they would appear so we gave up trying to photo them and just watched, no spectacular photos, sorry.




The boat cruised around some more but nothing to be found, after 3 hours we are back and moored up at the port. Rosie had been leaping around the boat like a Gazelle (well almost), I just got colder and colder and ended up sitting inside becoming fuzzy. A couple of days earlier we had spent the night on a Greyhound with a manic aircon above my head, it leaked very cold air onto the top of my head and I hadn't been warm since. The cold boat did for me and we went back to the hotel for an easy day and evening.

A customer friendly establishment on the pier


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## v v

*Saturday 10 March Day 18 - Monterey, CA ~ Day 2*

​_Updated aboard a bumpy Silver Meteor train south of Kissimmee ~ Sunday 1 April_

Nope, tried multiple times to write on the Meteor and constantly hit the wrong keys. Very bumpy track south of Orlando added to by keeping up maximum speed all the way. We arrived in Miami 50 minutes early! interesting ride in places.

_Updated in Miami Monday 2 April_

_​_A prompt start again and same bus into downtown Monterey. Walked to the Fishermans Pier to start a short coastal walk westwards to Cannery Row. Just beyond the pier is a rocky cove with a small sand beach when the tide is out, here were more of the Harbour Seal colony resting.

But our attention was first taken by a saxophone solo being played close by, it was beautiful. A lone musician was sitting on a rock playing his heart out, what music, what a setting. ​




Then we realised that the seals were actually sleeping, leave you to make your own mind up about their choices of location. All I would say is I'll never again complain about having to be in the top bunk of a sleeper.










A gentleman out for his morning's constitutional, a paddle around the harbour




Another 1/2 a mile or so further round the coast there were a group of divers examining the Kelp beds as they attract unusual marine life to them The camera had slipped undetected to a special setting and created a photo almost resembling sea monsters returning to the sea (well to us it does).




Eventually we reach Cannery Row, the setting for one of Steinbeck's most famous books. It's very commercial although not quite tacky. There a few original corners that still exist as they did in Steinbeck's day, but have to be looked for.




The group statue down by the sea is nicely done, Mr Steinbeck with a group of friends and characters. JS's head is a favourite perching and pooping place for seagulls, lovely setting close to the sea.




Monterey is now one of our favourite places, somehow it handles the influx of visitors in it's stride without losing the essential special place and laid back unhurried feel. It's a place we would return to.

Tomorrow we travel to LA, local bus back to Salinas, Amtrak Thruway bus down one of the farming valleys to San Luis Obispo (SLO), then the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner right along the edge of the California coast, can't wait.


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## caravanman

A great adventure you are both having, I am very jealous!

A fan of Steinbeck myself, I enjoyed "Travels with Charley" very much. An important book chronicling the fast changing USA of the day. I was not aware of the "book burning" episode, but any whiff of social conscience in America was taken as being an enemy of the state... How familiar these days





I know one anti Steinbeck AU member who will be spitting on my post if she sees it... Hello Alice, long time no hear from you...!

Rocinante may have been a reliable steed for Steinbeck, but I don't feel he liked being uncomfortable too much... This item from 1967:

https://www.popsci.com/article/diy/john-steinbeck-why-camping-birds

A few years back I drove from SLO up the coast highway to Monterey, a great day out.

Keep on keeping on!

Ed.


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## v v

caravanman said:


> A great adventure you are both having, I am very jealous!
> 
> A fan of Steinbeck myself, I enjoyed "Travels with Charley" very much. An important book chronicling the fast changing USA of the day. I was not aware of the "book burning" episode, but any whiff of social conscience in America was taken as being an enemy of the state... How familiar these days
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I know one anti Steinbeck AU member who will be spitting on my post if she sees it... Hello Alice, long time no hear from you...!
> 
> Rocinante may have been a reliable steed for Steinbeck, but I don't feel he liked being uncomfortable too much... This item from 1967:
> 
> https://www.popsci.com/article/diy/john-steinbeck-why-camping-birds
> 
> A few years back I drove from SLO up the coast highway to Monterey, a great day out.
> 
> Keep on keeping on!
> 
> Ed.


Thanks Ed, things take a turn for the 'different' later but still adventures

Yes always understood that Steinbeck came from a comfortable middle-class family and even when trying to establish himself as a writer never went without. All the more remarkable he could write with such insight.

The inside of Rocinante was of a very high standard, bit like a deluxe 2 man tent where all the parts work and are in the right place, it's a lovely thing for it's time. Built by the Wolverine Camper Co of Gladwin, Michigan.

Here's an inside photo




Where are you now Ed, I'm confused?


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## caravanman

v v said:


> Where are you now Ed, I'm confused?


I am at home in Nottingham, only now getting around to writing up my Indian trip from last October 2017. Fortunately, I made notes at the time... my memory cells are not too sharp these days.





That does look a well built camper!

Ed.


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## Mystic River Dragon

I love this part of your trip--water, boats, a precious little sea otter, and lots of seals (and sea lions? I think perhaps the harem with the black male are sea lions, not seals? That's if I remember the sea lion show at Mystic Aquarium correctly, where they explained how to tell them apart, but I've forgotten the details by now--longer flippers, I think).

I do notice there is a conspicuous absence of any details of your meeting with our own Bob D.--hope you had a good time and that he did not lead you astray into any mischief down there in wild Texas!


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## v v

Mystic River Dragon said:


> I love this part of your trip--water, boats, a precious little sea otter, and lots of seals (and sea lions? I think perhaps the harem with the black male are sea lions, not seals? That's if I remember the sea lion show at Mystic Aquarium correctly, where they explained how to tell them apart, but I've forgotten the details by now--longer flippers, I think).
> 
> I do notice there is a conspicuous absence of any details of your meeting with our own Bob D.--hope you had a good time and that he did not lead you astray into any mischief down there in wild Texas!


Thanks ma'am

The harbour seals are what the whale boat co called them but some we're very big. Maybe an expert here will have the answer.

Ah, Jim-Bob. As the description he sent of himself for us to look out for when arriving in Austin, was, 'the old guy looking like a bum', it sort of sets the scene. Have to say he did try and succeed in leading us astray in a Honky-Tonk but only once! what a shame.

The report is still in Monterey and have yet to travel to LA, San Diego and Tucson before we get to Austin. I'll get it done as soon as but we return to the UK tomorrow and today we're about to drive down the Keys so time is short but it will get finished.


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## Mystic River Dragon

You're welcome, v v.

I just looked them up, and, according to our National Ocean Service, some differences are that sea lions have larger flippers and visible ear flaps, and seals have small flippers and lack visible ear flaps. So I think the group picture is of sea lions, and the later individual pictures are the harbor seals. And, of course, the sea otter is unique unto itself!





My sense of geography is quite vague, and I got mixed up with the message from Jim-Bob coming in the middle of your California travelogue--I was thinking you had gone back to California after seeing him!

Also, now that I've remembered where you were going, how did you like the Meteor (aside from the bumpy ride for a while)?


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## v v

Mystic River Dragon said:


> You're welcome, v v.
> 
> I just looked them up, and, according to our National Ocean Service, some differences are that sea lions have larger flippers and visible ear flaps, and seals have small flippers and lack visible ear flaps. So I think the group picture is of sea lions, and the later individual pictures are the harbor seals. And, of course, the sea otter is unique unto itself!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> My sense of geography is quite vague, and I got mixed up with the message from Jim-Bob coming in the middle of your California travelogue--I was thinking you had gone back to California after seeing him!
> 
> Also, now that I've remembered where you were going, how did you like the Meteor (aside from the bumpy ride for a while)?


Thanks for the sea lion info and for taking the trouble to check it.

I think Jim-Bob pops up everywhere, we're all confused. He really is a gentleman and a scholar, he looked after us as though we were his own. Mr Hudson put simply is a very nice man.

Ah the Meteor. If I may just say that it was a bit disappointing, and maybe part of that is we are travel weary too so could be a combination of things.


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## v v

*Sunday 11 March Day 19 - Monterey to Van Nuys, CA*
​_Updated in Miami ~ Tuesday 3 April_

_​_Up early, all packed and ready for the local bus into Salinas. As we exit the hotel it will be a 35 yard walk to the bus stop, but a mini disaster strikes.

We're on the second floor (UK 1st floor) and have to walk down a long flight of exterior concrete steps. I lift the extended pull handle of my case, take a step down and crash, the case with a bag attached to the top of it tumble end over end in increasing bounds to the bottom of the stairs with the extended rods still sticking out and in place. It must have looked funny as I was standing at the top of the stairs holding the complete but separated plastic handle!

As this is a fairly small case the options are to carry it everywhere, walk crouched over to pull/push it, or find a way to create a new handle. The new handle wasn't going to happen early Sunday morning.

Bus arrives on time and a very jolly driver asks us a few questions, then starts to tell us about his life at which point I perch near the front door so he doesn't have to turn to talk. From Mexico, worked over 30 years as a bus driver and loves his job. Will retire in a couple of years to spend more time with family. He's just a very happy and contented man. There are never more than just a few people on-board and he appears to know most of them. We're approaching Salinas and he already knows we're catching an Amtrak Thruway bus to San Luis Obispo (SLO). He asks would we like to be dropped off at the station, how kind is that and thank him. Little did we realise that he would not just drop us near to the station on the main road, but drive right up to the station door, what fine service America provides!

We can do something for him too, he needed information about Seattle which we had learned from our visit just a few weeks before. It was quite detailed so he gave us his email and we sent it on to him, think that's called a good deal all round.

Our type of corporate advertising, a poster promoting pet travel on Amtrak seen in Salinas train station




We sit outside the station waiting on our Amtrak bus, there was a larger group already there waiting for a Greyhound leaving a few minutes earlier than ours. The Greyhound pulls in and a Dodge Viper pulls in behind. A man gets out of the Viper and gets straight onto the Greyhound, can't think of many contrasts bigger than that.

Our bus turns up on time, as we are the only passengers so far we take the front seats, grandstand view of the beautiful farming valleys of California. At some point the driver tells us he can't think of many better jobs than driving a bus, is there something in the water here? Have to say it is very nice to speak with contented people, many spend their whole lives looking for their ideal.

*To be continued...*


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## v v

*Sunday 11 March Day 19 - Monterey to Van Nuys, CA ~ continued*
​_Updated in Miami ~ Wednesday 4 April_

​Thoroughly enjoyed the bus ride to SLO, there's something about this area of California that appeals to us without having any standout feature. Arrive at SLO Amtrak station about on time, I've got 25 minutes to find and get to the Creole Café to put my order in for red beans and rice to go. In reality it's only about 200 yards from the station.

Very unassuming exterior but inside it's packed, then notice the garden seating area is packed too, they close in 15 minutes. Want to ask a question as we don't have a cooler and we wont get to eat this for at least 7 hours, will it last.

Student server didn't know but the boss would. It's a few minutes to closing and the although the boss has whizzed past a couple of times but is too busy to stop, she really is. As the clock struck the hour we get to speak. There's has no meat in their version so should be ok until this evening, boy does she look harassed.

Place the order and wait, boss says a few words every time she passes, it's always like this she says. There are lots of staff and all busy, people still arriving to eat, how successful is this place.

On paying a very reasonable price for our food I ask when do they close... when the last one has gone is the reply. Suggest that she takes a minute or two for herself as she looks shattered, she says she has to stay busy as she is doing it for her dad. There lies another story but I have to go. Rosie must be wondering how it's taken nearly an hour to order food. Yes it was delicious even though old by the time we ate it. The café is to the left of the station as you exit and through the car park, it faces the station building and is called_ 'Bon Temp Creole'_

_​_For our lunch we walk just across the road to Sally Loo's Café, we wanted something a little lighter than a full meal. Another pretty busy café, there are at least one or two more within 50 yards too. The whole area around the station is quite busy and it is Sunday.

We first visited SLO 2 or maybe 3 years ago as Rosie had heard that Oprah Winfrey had announced that SLO is the happiest town in America. After our first visit we found it slow and calm, now we'd like to add very pleasant too. It's our 3rd visit and each time we like it more, oh that we could afford to live here.

*Photos of SLO station*

Palm really was this colour




Engineer boarding the northbound Coast Starlight




Our southbound Pacific Surfliner waiting outside the platform area ready to pull forward and reverse into the platform where the CS is standing




This old freight engine is our favourite train photo this visit


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## v v

*Sunday 11 March Day 19 - Monterey to Van Nuys, CA ~ continued II*
​_Updated in Miami ~ Wednesday 4 April_

​The Pacific Surfliner from SLO to Los Angeles is one of the worlds great train journeys in our view, it's our second time and a rarity as we seldom go back to anywhere. How can you not like it with a track that sometimes not only travels right on the beach but occasionally over the sea too. A small station called 'Surf' and the mysterious Vandenberg air force base on the landward side with it's experimental rocket facilities including a couple run by SpaceX.

Out to sea we have watched whales breaching and noticed the number of oil rigs, by the shore the private homes, campgrounds in small bays and public parking in Idyllic settings. Photos this time were not good, wrong time of day, but here are a few to give a taste.

The odd sea/beach effect as off the point at Monterey. May be a mix of sea foam and spray thrown into the air?




Close to the shore




A small parking area right on the beach




Very close to the shore




Pretty sunset




Arrive at Van Nuys, there's our friend Milton waiting for us, lovely. We hope to take a break from moving along for a while, unless Milton has other ideas...


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## Mystic River Dragon

Looks lovely, even if it is the "wrong time of the day"!

I'm glad it was the suitcase that went down the stairs and not you!


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## Seaboard92

That sunset picture makes it worth the trip. I think it's really cool to watch the sunset over the coast by rail.


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## v v

*Monday 12 - Saturday 17 March Days 20 - 25 ~ LA story*
​_Updated in Brentwood, Essex, UK ~ Thursday 5 April_

_​_Now have 6 full days to rest from almost constantly being on the move, Milton thinks we should take a hike up into the hills behind the San Fernando valley on day one to break us in gently... It's a very nice walk into areas formerly used for rocket engine testing, one of his former workplaces. He announce that this was the location where Stage 2 of the Saturn 5 rocket was tested, I'm so impressed as the Saturn 5 is my favourite vehicle of all time.

It's a little more arduous than thought due to recent mud slides closing a few of the easy accents, we all had a cardiovascular workout that afternoon. Worth it though for the views of the Simi Valley.

That apart it was a round of one or two visits Rosie and I wanted to make, meeting Milton's friends, more family and places he thought we ought to see and lots of eating... we didn't feel as though we had had a waking moment when we weren't eating recently. Yes we were even more tired at the end but a week and people to remember.

*The Huntingdon Library & Botanical Gardens*

For the 3 of us the Cactus Garden was the star of this show. This enormous cactus garden would be the star of any garden display anywhere in the world, it's stupendous.







Some of these globe like cactus were 2 1/2 ' high by 2 1/2 ' wide (75 x 75cm)










There were also a few humming birds in the gardens, anyone know which type they are?




At exactly 3:55pm Milton had shepherded us to an exclusive only by reservation café in the Library Rose Garden, for English afternoon tea at 4pm sharp! We were seated next to a group of 4 _'Ladies that Lunch'_ . They were all very jolly and fitted in better than ourselves.




Must say if you like plants and/or cacti at all that this place takes some beating, that includes Kew Gardens in London too.

After our Library and garden treat we were whisked off to Hollywood Boulevard, the one with brass stars and 'famous' peoples names in the sidewalk. We were off to the theatre to see the Disney version of Aladdin at the Pantages Theatre, had to meet Norma and Gail at the 'Irish Bar' close to the theatre. It had been St Patrick's Day recently and every establishment had something Irish displayed. After a walk up and down still no clue so off into each bar and club, knowing Norma she could be in any of them.

Most interesting was the Rappers Bar, only black people which I felt comfortable with but did get odd looks alongside some smiles. Now personally I love rap, love the anger and the protest but it's not for everyone. Milton looked like a bewildered owl when he and Rosie followed me in, Rosie just grinned as she knew it is my type of music.

No Norma anywhere although we all now know what the inside of some of the seedy clubs look like along Hollywood Blvd.

Evening turned out very well, met Norma's daughter Gail for the first time, what a lovely lady, Rosie and I hit it off with her immediately. Performance was good and very enjoyable, theatre is magnificent.

Ceiling of the theatre proper came across as having some ancient Egyptian influences. Does this ceiling give the impression of an alien starship landing? does to me.




All agree to meet again the following day for a late breakfast.

*To be continued...*


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## v v

*Monday 12 - Saturday 17 March Days 20 - 25 ~ LA story - continued*
​_Updated in Brentwood, Essex, UK ~ Friday 6 April_

​Next up was a visit to the Getty Center, bus fare 35 cents each going there, and 75 cents each for a senior for the return at peak time. The two interconnecting buses take about 1 hour 20 minutes. When we get to see an aerial view of the freeway below the Center we know we got there in about half the time a car would and no stress.




The art in this small gallery was of very high quality, and no crowds, but the setting, the buildings and the views are the equal for being exceptional.

After spending a summer painting alongside Monet, Renoir and Sisley the artist Camille Pissarro produced this painting in 1870. What took us aback was the nearby small town to our French home looks just like this scene, but that's today 148 years after this was painted!




Next day's visits are DuPar's at the Farmers Market for breakfast, the Los Angeles La Brea Tar Pits, return to the Farmers Market to buy pies and last to the Griffiths Observatory, a pretty eclectic mix. We also get to meet yet another of Milton's nieces, Marcie.

One of the Farmers Market vendors (this is for you Jim Marett)




The Tar Pits are natural asphalt bubbling up out of the ground, often they were covered in dust and leaves which gave wild animals no sense of danger, but once their feet were in the goo they sank faster than they could attempt to get out. Complete sets of animal bones dating back 40,000 years have been excavated showing that many exotic prehistoric animals roamed this part of California. Our favourites are the giant Sloth and Camels.

Original Camel skeleton




This message or sign is high up on the wall of a large building close to the Tar Pits. It catches the eye




Soon our time in LA is up, others have put in so much effort to make our visit special, it was. As are Milton and Norma.


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## v v

Mystic River Dragon said:


> Looks lovely, even if it is the "wrong time of the day"!
> 
> I'm glad it was the suitcase that went down the stairs and not you!


Think it must have looked like a classic comedy sketch, man stands at top of staircase holding out arm clutching only a handle...



Seaboard92 said:


> That sunset picture makes it worth the trip. I think it's really cool to watch the sunset over the coast by rail.


The west coast does appear to do sunsets well, still, most things look better to us when viewed from a train window


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## v v

*Sunday 18 March Day 26 - Los Angeles to San Diego*

_Updated in Brentwood, Essex, UK ~ Saturday 7 April_

Easy bus then Metro into Union Station in downtown LA, relaxed feel to the city today as though on Sunday's it takes a little pause from it's usual frenetic but congested pace. We like LAX Union Station a lot as it has many nice features that fit and feel very much a part of SoCal.

The waiting area feels relaxed, civilized and comfortable, not many stations have this quality of seating in a public area.

People on the move through the public waiting area




If you have a ticket you can sit here to wait for your train, and yes there are as comfortable as they look




Somewhere down this tunnel under the tracks you'll find your train




When it's time your track (platform) number is posted on the info screens, we are taking the southern section of the Pacific Surfliner #580 from LA (LAX) to San Diego (SAN), another section of the Amtrak rail network that rides for long distances right alongside the Pacific Ocean.

To Europeans we are always surprised at the sheer physical size of the train set at first sight (photo 1) and how imposing they look at the platform although in a large station such as LAX (photo 2). Even the relatively 'local' Metro trains sets (photo 3) are huge, very impressive time after time of seeing them.










After about 90 minutes of urban sprawl, commercial and industrial property the track meets the coast, mile after mile after mile of car parking for beach goers. Not as scenic as the coast north of LA but very much more accessible. Closer to San Diego clusters of beach side developments start to appear, mostly condos (apartments) and marinas.

Then the San Diego suburbs come into view, quickly followed by the center. First stop a small SAN station and only a few minutes later the southern terminus of the Pacific Surfliner, Santa Fe station. Even within the station we feel the influence of Mexico on the surroundings and architecture, but this doesn't carry on to the same extent once outside where they are in a building frenzy.




Again an easy to locate bus to within 100 yards of our hotel in the center of the Gaslamp Quarter (downtown), it's a good spot for us as we can walk everywhere.

Later this evening Milton arrives by car, he decided to join us for a couple of days although in a different hotel about 4 miles away on the harbour, we'll meet again tomorrow.


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## v v

*Monday & Tuesday 19-20 March ~ Days 27 & 28 - San Diego*
_Updated in Brentwood, Essex, UK ~ Sunday 8 April_

Up promptly to catch local bus to edge of harbour, then a 25 minute walk to Milton's hotel along the waterfront, very pleasant. Meet up and decide to visit the old peninsular lighthouse, correctly called the Point Loma Lighthouse in what is now a National Monument area/park. From the point there are super views back to San Diego and the mountains beyond as per this photo showing what is an air support craft (although does look a lot like an aircraft carrier) sailing back into port.




Back down into town to take a harbour cruise, we chose the cruise south to take in the Naval Dockyards which the US Pacific Fleet calls home.

Here are a number of ships either newly built and being fitted out or ships in for overhaul. Whatever, the shape of warships today looks pretty futuristic to us.







And here's what a real aircraft carrier looks like, the USS Midway now used as a maritime museum




Late afternoon into evening we walk San Diego downtown. First the waterfront where this larger than life statue is depicting the famous Times Square photo titled 'Unconditional Surrender' Not sure how correct this is now, the title that is, but it is a magnet for tourists.




... and Japanese? tourists have fun re-creating the poses




Deeper into the Gaslamp Quarter and come across this Aston Martin road car, it's almost as mesmerising as the Porsche in the Seattle museum. Wondered if Milton fancied buying one, got a "Hmmm" in response.




Next day just wandered around San Diego without too much purpose, except to post a tube with prints back to the UK and find a hardware shop. Both events turned into sagas in a nice way and we get a lot out meeting local people.

Early afternoon and Milton is gone on his drive back to LA, we continue walking into other areas of downtown, there are a LOT of eateries, bars and music joints in this town. There are still pockets of old time San Diego but they are disappearing fast, a great deal of new build being undertaken right in the center of town. It looks a bit like Beijing and Shanghai must have looked as the old is torn down to make way for the new. Maybe they have to take care not to lose their heritage in the pursuit of increasing the amount of new real estate?

Found our selves by the new Marriott marina, that's the marina in front of the hotel but which is part of the hotel. On the harbour cruise the previous day it was explained it's possible to get 'room service' to you boat in this marina, but the daily charge for a boat was appropriately high.

The new Marriott is quite a stunning building, a great piece of architecture, but along the road maybe 100 yards away is a block of public toilets in a city street, not sure if this 'segregation' is for me though.







Walk up to the village near the waterfront center, about 50 individual buildings mainly in New England? style to house various shops, cafes and restaurants for visitors. It's nicely done with ample shade and shrubbery, all the eateries are more or less full as it's early evening, a pleasant place to stroll for a short while. Next year they will all be gone, yep, another hotel according the harbour tour.




We eat quickly and back to the hotel, a major re-pack of our bags is due and tomorrow we have to be out at about 5:30am to catch our Greyhound to Tucson, here we go again.


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## Ryan

v v said:


> Up promptly to catch local bus to edge of harbour, then a 25 minute walk to Milton's hotel along the waterfront, very pleasant. Meet up and decide to visit the old peninsular lighthouse, correctly called the Point Loma Lighthouse in what is now a National Monument area/park. From the point there are super views back to San Diego and the mountains beyond as per this photo showing what is an air support craft (although does look a lot like an aircraft carrier) sailing back into port.


That is the USS ESSEX, she's more properly called an Amphibious Assault ship. She operates as an aircraft carrier for Marine units, essentially, launching and recovering helicopters and other aircraft capable of vertical takeoff (Osprey, Harrier, and VTOL variant if the Joint Strike Fighter). She also has an open well deck from which she can launch small craft to ferry Marines ashore.



v v said:


> Here are a number of ships either newly built and being fitted out or ships in for overhaul. Whatever, the shape of warships today looks pretty futuristic to us.


The first of those two pictures is a ship that's very near and dear to my heart. That's LCS 8, the USS MONGOMERY. I've been working on the LCS program for three years now, and MGY was the first ship that I took to sea trials out of her builder's yard in Mobile, AL back in 2016. It's something very awesome to take a ship to sea for the very first time and exercise all of her systems. After leaving the builder's yard in 2016, she spent 2017 doing initial Combat Systems testing (the area in which I work), and then an extensive period in the shipyard to correct all the deficiencies that we found, and install a number of updates that had been developed but were unable to be installed during her construction in Mobile. that yard period is just wrapping up, and shortly we will be turning her over to the fleet for operational employment. The LCS program is somewhat controversial here in the US, as she was designed from the beginning to be an inexpensive ship, without the requirement to be a high-end multimission ship bristling with firepower.

The second picture is of LPD 26, the USS JOHN P MURTHA. She is a SAN ANTIONIO class Amphibious Transport Dock ship, with a similar mission (but significantly smaller flight deck) to the ESSEX. Incidentally, JPM was underway for her initial sea trials out of her builder's yard in Pascagoula, MS at the same time we were taking MGY through trials. We communicated often during the underway, and were able to jointly test many of our communications and data link systems by talking to one another. Very cool that those are the two ships that you captured and decided to post here!


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## Bob Dylan

Excellent report about my old homeport Jaime, and also Ryan's info is spot on as he was a Naval Officer and knows his stuff!


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## v v

Ryan said:


> v v said:
> 
> 
> 
> Up promptly to catch local bus to edge of harbour, then a 25 minute walk to Milton's hotel along the waterfront, very pleasant. Meet up and decide to visit the old peninsular lighthouse, correctly called the Point Loma Lighthouse in what is now a National Monument area/park. From the point there are super views back to San Diego and the mountains beyond as per this photo showing what is an air support craft (although does look a lot like an aircraft carrier) sailing back into port.
> 
> 
> 
> That is the USS ESSEX, she's more properly called an Amphibious Assault ship. She operates as an aircraft carrier for Marine units, essentially, launching and recovering helicopters and other aircraft capable of vertical takeoff (Osprey, Harrier, and VTOL variant if the Joint Strike Fighter). She also has an open well deck from which she can launch small craft to ferry Marines ashore.
> 
> 
> 
> v v said:
> 
> 
> 
> Here are a number of ships either newly built and being fitted out or ships in for overhaul. Whatever, the shape of warships today looks pretty futuristic to us.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> The first of those two pictures is a ship that's very near and dear to my heart. That's LCS 8, the USS MONGOMERY. I've been working on the LCS program for three years now, and MGY was the first ship that I took to sea trials out of her builder's yard in Mobile, AL back in 2016. It's something very awesome to take a ship to sea for the very first time and exercise all of her systems. After leaving the builder's yard in 2016, she spent 2017 doing initial Combat Systems testing (the area in which I work), and then an extensive period in the shipyard to correct all the deficiencies that we found, and install a number of updates that had been developed but were unable to be installed during her construction in Mobile. that yard period is just wrapping up, and shortly we will be turning her over to the fleet for operational employment. The LCS program is somewhat controversial here in the US, as she was designed from the beginning to be an inexpensive ship, without the requirement to be a high-end multimission ship bristling with firepower.
> 
> The second picture is of LPD 26, the USS JOHN P MURTHA. She is a SAN ANTIONIO class Amphibious Transport Dock ship, with a similar mission (but significantly smaller flight deck) to the ESSEX. Incidentally, JPM was underway for her initial sea trials out of her builder's yard in Pascagoula, MS at the same time we were taking MGY through trials. We communicated often during the underway, and were able to jointly test many of our communications and data link systems by talking to one another. Very cool that those are the two ships that you captured and decided to post here!
Click to expand...

What a co-incidence and very pleased to have mentioned them. Have to write that by you giving all that personal information it makes the report so much better, thanks.



Bob Dylan said:


> Excellent report about my old homeport Jaime, and also Ryan's info is spot on as he was a Naval Officer and knows his stuff!


Thought you would find something to like in that Bob, bet you'd hardly recognise the place if you went back now.


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## v v

*Wednesday 21 March Day 29 ~ San Diego, CA to Tucson, AZ*

_Updated in the Allier, France ~ Tuesday 10 April_

It's our next Greyhound day, as before short walk to bus stop and bus on time. Drops us about 50 yards from the Greyhound bus station. First for us that the waiting area is outside under a shade cover, with a fence around the seating area. As the temperature is so pleasant it's quite nice to sit outdoors to wait for the bus.

Again the bus is pretty full, over a number of years haven't ever seen Greyhounds running this full every time wherever in the country we've been. A large majority of passengers are Hispanic, that's also new to us. Most are fairly quiet but still friendly. First major stop is Calexico, a real border town like Del Rio or a small version of El Paso. Most store fronts are in 2 languages, Spanish and then English. It all looks like a bit like a film set to us, different atmosphere here.

Shortly after we have to stop at a toll booth? on the Interstate, as we leave the driver tells us we should have our ID ready as the border patrol are coming on board to check us out. The driver adds that non-US citizens should make themselves known to the border officers, there's a hush in the bus. The passengers are about 80% of Mexican? origin, the rest are Anglo US citizens and us.

First a lady then a man come aboard, both are uniformed with body armour. There are only about 8 non-US citizen and the officers decide it's us who are interesting. Rosie has our passports which she hands over, then the man starts barking questions at her. I am sitting across the isle quite relaxed, but his voice is a bit on the sharp side so listen, it goes something like this. _"When did you arrive in the US?" _Rosie, "about 4 weeks ago". He, his voice rises at least a couple of notches _" 4 weeks ago!!? " _R "yes 4 weeks". He's a little agitated _"how much longer are you staying?" _R "another 2 weeks". He, at least 2 more notches " 2 weeks!!!!? R "yes", Rosie is still very calm. I have a small smile on my face but he's starting to get a little upset and we can't work out why. He _"where did you land!?" R _"San Francisco". He _"San Francisco!!!?"_ only 3 notches this time, where's this going or what's he on. It's starting to look like pure theatre but some of the Mexicans sitting behind where he's standing have very wide eyes, one looks at me and I wink trying to assure him it's nothing.

At this point we are both hoping he doesn't ask us our full itinerary, could he cope with that? He_ "Where are you going today!!?" _ R "Tucson"._ Where will you depart the US from!!? _R "Miami". He _"Miami !!!!?" _ R "yes". By now he's softened Rosie up and comes in with the killer question in a lower but more powerful voice _"Why are you travelling by bus!!?". _At this point Rosie looks incredulous and can't find the answer, I have to intervene as he wants an answer " Because we like riding buses?" He looks at both of us, politely says thank you, hands back our passports and leaves the bus, no-one else is questioned.

They're gone, the bus relaxes and Rosie and I again have the same thoughts. As the officer was so interested in us maybe we took the pressure off one or two others on board. Also at the border crossing between the Ukraine and Russia last year (these countries are technically at war) was a lot smoother. Still, it gives us another travel experience and is the reason we travel.

We love the views as we travel across Arizona, endless vistas of nothing, large sand dunes, big cactus, mountains in the distance, cowboy country, well at least in movies anyway. The air-con on the bus is too cool again, don't have to ask others as they have their coats on! Ask the driver if it's possible to have a touch more heat, and that's what we get. Slightly less than freezer temperature now. Why do they do that? When we got into Phoenix the bus station was almost as cold, went outside to sit and wait to be more comfortable.

A big feature along the roadside either side of Yuma is the number of RV parks, there are 10's and 10's and 10's of them, must be the winter climate attracting the snowbirds. Funny though that there are so many near to Yuma, another of life's mysteries.

We have to transfer buses at Phoenix, Rosie asks at the desk for info on timing and which gate we board from. A sullen woman gave Rosie the information which differed from the departure board. Rosie who is one of the world's polite people asked the clerk if she can confirm what she had said in case Rosie had misunderstood. _"I have given you the information and not in the habit of repeating myself" _ It's a shame Rosie didn't tell me about this until that evening. Ah well, Greyhound have a staff problem to sort out at the moment as so many are not happy.

The Phoenix to Tucson bus is even more full than the one earlier, we are seated at the back which is generally unofficially reserved for younger people. Well we learned stuff sitting there 'til we arrived in Tucson, also heard some cutting edge Rap music. Maybe we should ride at the rear more often.

Arrive at the Greyhound bus station in Tucson which is a little way out of the center. Get a bus into downtown, we're early which is great as we're meeting Don and Patti. These are long term friends who now live in Tucson. We all met when we lived in Burgundy, France on antique Dutch barges. We hadn't seen them for about 12? years and have to say their zest for life isn't diminished either. As we walked into the Hotel Congress there they were, what a great way to end the day.


----------



## Bob Dylan

Interesting bus ride Jaime. Ive had a few similar in various countries including the US.

I like the Hotel Congress in Tucson and have recommended it to several people visiting Tucson or just passing through on the Sunset Ltd.


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## oregon pioneer

What you describe as an "interesting" encounter with the border patrol would quite terrify me! I am sure I would have ahard time saying anything sensible when questioned in that manner.

Hubby and I stayed at the Hotel Congress before walking across town the next morning and taking the bus to Phoenix (actually, to Mesa, where we had a solar installer convention). We enjoyed the ambience and even the music, which reverberated through the building until closing time.


----------



## v v

Hotel Congress has a lot of character and a good atmosphere from the short time we were there, maybe it could be considered for a future 'Gathering' meet as AU'ers give it good reviews?

Our friends who have lived in a number of places in the world and others we met on the Sunset/Texas Eagle for breakfast the next morning had all chosen Tucson as the place they want to live and never move away from, it's obviously got something good going for it.

Jennifer, bet there are many others on this forum who have had far worse than we experienced on this journey, I know we have. If you have nothing to hide there's no problem and you can relax unless you get very unlucky in a rogue country.

Just to lighten the subject a little... a couple of years ago leaving NYC a border official at the airport was in training, he was told to give me a search, a fairly intimate one in public too. He stuck both hands inside my trousers almost up to the elbows which gained my attention. His superior told him he had not followed the correct procedure and he had to do it again, now that was interesting, not.


----------



## mcropod

v v said:


> (snip)
> 
> Just to lighten the subject a little... a couple of years ago leaving NYC a border official at the airport was in training, he was told to give me a search, a fairly intimate one in public too. He stuck both hands inside my trousers almost up to the elbows which gained my attention. His superior told him he had not followed the correct procedure and he had to do it again, now that was interesting, not.


Hah! Reminds me of one of my fave jokes: A man walks into a fabric shop and asks “Where can I get felt around here?”


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## v v

*Thursday 22 March Day 30 ~ Tucson, AZ to Austin, TX*
_Updated in the Allier, France ~ Friday 13 April_

_​_Bus stop near to hotel, regular buses to the bus station opposite the train station. We just miss one but another in 10 minutes or so, no problem. On top of which we checked just before leaving the hotel that our Texas Eagle through to Austin was running 33 minutes late, we'll be at the station way before it arrives.

Arrive at bus station at 7:55am, not hurried as it's a 3 minute walk to the Amtrak station and our train doesn't leave until 9:15am. We have a sleeper so no rush to get the 'right' seat in coach. Stop and admire our surroundings and walk through the station, there's a train at the platform but can't be ours as it's 33 minutes late. No obvious order to the people lining up, no coach line and sleeper line just a melee of people waiting at 2 gates near the platform. After 5 minutes find an Amtrak employee and ask if there is a line for sleeper passengers, _"No, just board when called". _Which train is that at the platform? _"The Sunset/Texas Eagle eastbound" . _That's our train, what's going on it's around 8:10am. What time does it leave? _"At 8:15am but it's running a little late". _

It sinks in, have we made an enormous mistake and got away with it, if on time it would be pulling out now and we were so casual thinking it couldn't be ours. I look after all the tickets and thought I'd checked that morning but maybe I'm too confident and didn't. Pull the ticket out, it's got 9:15am clear as clear, surely changing time zones is taken into account when the ticket is issued? Is the change to Daylight Saving time affecting it. Look at the ticket again and there it is, 9:15am Thursday 22 March. If it had been on time we could possibly have been running own the platform trying to get on, I'm in a cold sweat as still don't understand, could this happen elsewhere?

Not to worry, we are on the train in our sleeper car, the Sleeping Car Attendant (SCA) has reserved 2 breakfast places for us. He was this thoughtful throughout the next 24 hours and one of the best we have met.

We're seated with another couple but they are not a couple, just seated together. They both are not native to Tucson but incomers. Arrived for different reasons and have not intention of ever leaving. She has lived in Tucson for 15 years, he for 8. They explained why they were there, why they wouldn't leave and they found out they lived either side of the same hill. She has a BBQ every Christmas and lots of people are invited, he now has his invite for next Christmas. Yet again the wonder of the Amtrak diner always connecting people.

The second diner attendant was Paul, we met him last year when riding the Sunset Limited version of this train. No less abrupt than last year but after 2 1/2 days of him last year we just laughed at his abruptness as he has a soft inner.

A couple of photos for folk who have never ridden an Amtrak long distance (LD) train before.

First is the TE sleeper car, it's the last one at the rear of the train with the 'train fan' window where you can watch the track disappearing behind you. To the left is the upper level toilet, opposite is a small stand with coffee, fruit juice (if you're lucky), bottled water sometimes, and ice sometimes. First door on the left is the SCA sleeping/office compartment, all the others are roomette sleeper compartments.

Second is the rear of the dining car, picture windows, comfy booths to sit at a table to eat and drink while the world goes past, not a better way and place to travel, anywhere.







We love the Arizona and New Mexico scenery, Rosie goes to the sightseeing lounge (SSL) and I back to our roomette to put my feet up and stare out the window. Here a few photos as a taste but not our best.

View from the Rail fan window at the rear, it's a big sky




These almost looked like salt pans?







Rock formations of all sorts




At one point the track curved first one way and then back again, this happen several times in quick succession







A very American view from the window




This photo is to show the spots that dry on the outside of the window when it is washed and rinsed off. The out of 5 attempts to focus the camera it will focus 4 times on a spot rather the subject in the distance




In the SSL Rosie sits with John and Mary, Americans (he was born in N Ireland though), they live in Chile for 9 months of the year and San Francisco for the remaining 3. When we're are called for lunch I'm off to find Rosie, she introduces us and we decide to lunch together.

Rosie said that I would want to hear their story and how right she was. Within 30 minutes John and I were talking as though we had known each other all our lives, an extraordinary event for both of us I think. Just to say they were full of life, have lots of questions and a few answers. They both had very good jobs in their working lives and now have adventures in north and south America. We four spent the rest of the day together until late evening. We're headed to Argentina and Chile when Brexit is settled, I'm sure we'll meet up with them again.

During the day the train runs close to the US/Mexican border, a very current area of the world. There are others here with better photos than we have but these are right up to date taken about 3 weeks ago.

A bit like the Great Wall of China, the border fence snaking across the hills




That's Mexico just over there. The river/canal can just be seen to the left center of the photo beyond the fence




The fence just sort of ends, now what?




This high level road is being built between the fence and the river, anyone know why?







Tomorrow morning our section of the train arrives in Austin, TX. If we're lucky Bob Dylan is there to meet us, can't wait.


----------



## caravanman

Gosh, you were lucky not to miss that train, did you ever find out what the issue was with the time being changed?

Nice photos, I think the American desert sky with certain cloud formations seem to produce patterns unique to USA.

Can't wait to hear about Austin!

Ed.


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## Bob Dylan

Nice pics of the Border Jaime!

The elevated road is to avoid the flooding that (rarely)occurs in that area, and the gap in "the wall" is to make it easier for the domestic workers,construction hands and yard crews that live in Juarez and work in El Paso to go back and forth easily.

Note: there is an expanded travel advisory in effect by the State Department warning Americans not to travel to most parts of Mexico!


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## oregon pioneer

caravanman said:


> Gosh, you were lucky not to miss that train, did you ever find out what the issue was with the time being changed?
> 
> Nice photos, I think the American desert sky with certain cloud formations seem to produce patterns unique to USA.
> 
> Can't wait to hear about Austin!
> 
> Ed.


I think it must have to do with the fact that Arizona doesn't "spring forward" like the rest of the country. I just wish that Amtrak could handle making out the ticket for the actual date of travel, rather than for the date the ticket was issued. But isn't it normal to receive a call, text or email updating changes like that?


----------



## v v

Bob Dylan said:


> Nice pics of the Border Jaime!
> 
> The elevated road is to avoid the flooding that (rarely)occurs in that area, and the gap in "the wall" is to make it easier for the domestic workers,construction hands and yard crews that live in Juarez and work in El Paso to go back and forth easily.
> 
> Note: there is an expanded travel advisory in effect by the State Department warning Americans not to travel to most parts of Mexico!


While looking at it I couldn't understand why it's placed right on the border, they are not short of space around there.

On the 4th from last photo there is also a gap in the fence on the far left, that is a gate that was open at the time. In the 3rd from last it was in a different place and the fence just ended.

Also heard from Mexicans that much of Mexico is not a good place to be at the moment.



oregon pioneer said:


> caravanman said:
> 
> 
> 
> Gosh, you were lucky not to miss that train, did you ever find out what the issue was with the time being changed?
> 
> Nice photos, I think the American desert sky with certain cloud formations seem to produce patterns unique to USA.
> 
> Can't wait to hear about Austin!
> 
> Ed.
> 
> 
> 
> I think it must have to do with the fact that Arizona doesn't "spring forward" like the rest of the country. I just wish that Amtrak could handle making out the ticket for the actual date of travel, rather than for the date the ticket was issued. But isn't it normal to receive a call, text or email updating changes like that?
Click to expand...

We received emails of travel updates for 4 of our Amtrak journeys, but checked again yesterday there was nothing for this one. The fact it was exactly an hour out sounds like a time zone or change of daylight saving but still not the time printed on the e-Ticket. Still it's gone now but I would look at this again to try to work out why

Gosh, you were lucky not to miss that train, did you ever find out what the issue was with the time being changed?

Nice photos, I think the American desert sky with certain cloud formations seem to produce patterns unique to USA.

Can't wait to hear about Austin!

Ed.

Coming soon Ed, so much to do now we're back.


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## v v

*Friday 23 March Day 31 ~ Austin, TX*
_Updated in the Allier, France ~ Saturday 14 April_

_​_We neither of us slept well, just one of those things. We sat and watched the Texas stars through the window, pretty good compensation for a lack of sleep. Change of crew when the Texas Eagle section of the train separated from the Sunset Limited section, the new crew are from Chicago and have an attitude, their problem and not ours.

Good breakfast and ready to arrive in Austin, will he or wont he be there?

Well this is not Bob Dylan, although he is also revered in Texas




It's this chap




Jim (Bob) was of course on the platform to meet us, we were the most likely culprits of those arriving. Friendly hello and an offer to take Rosie's bags, a gentleman too. Round to our hotel to drop our bags only as it's too early to check in, then a tour of the various areas of the city, old and new.

Jim says one thing that really hits home and in large part ties in with the other cities we have visited on this trip. Austin over the years has had a reputation for being a good place to be for music and eating out, lots of music venues of many types and a relaxed attitude. But much of the original city is in the process of being torn down and new build of houses and condos going up at a furious rate... what the incomers came here for is quickly disappearing.

Along with San Diego this is the most building we have yet seen, it's just everywhere. They are pulling blue collar neighbourhoods down and rebuilding with high-end homes (same happening in the UK), pushing blue collar families away from where they belong.

We asked to visit the Capitol, Jim did an internship there and knows it well. While there we can get some brunch, we've lost sight of what time of day it is. The Capitol required more space to operate in and rather than putting up another building next door they undermined the entire Capitol and created 2 new huge floors under whatever was the basement. Strange thing is the new floors look like they have always been there, amazing.

A few photos of the the Texas Capitol




A very elegant building













Smiler can't keep away from political lecterns, trying to keep Jim Hudson and I quiet




To be continued...


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## Bob Dylan

So lifelike I feel like I was there!


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## v v

Bob Dylan said:


> So lifelike I feel like I was there!


Spooky


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## v v

*Friday 23 March Day 31 ~ Austin, TX ~ continued - part II*
_Updated in the Allier, France ~ Sunday 15 April_

No brunch at the Capitol but we do have a hot drink, Jim has plans for us to visit a BBQ food trailer for lunch which he thinks is the best in Austin. We both really enjoyed the food, Jim was right yet again. Rosie had a pork waffle tower! and I tried about 6 different things. Rosie enjoyed her meal and drank the beer (she rarely drinks alcohol). The very best for me was the rib, the second a 'broth' that the young chef had invented. It's a bit like Gumbo but a bit thicker, really tasty. The owner said they were known for their ribs, I'd drive 50 miles out of my way for them.

If you're in Austin and want to visit this place Jim will surely point it out for you...

Here's the trailer and the Friday Free Beer which is each and every Friday.







After we have all eaten we head back to our hotel, it's near enough to check-in time for us to be able to shower, change our clothes and take a break. Jim has things to do which doesn't change just because we are in town.

Early evening and we are off to eat again, this is becoming a food fest. This time a great outdoor BBQ joint. Fabulous place to eat, lots of atmosphere, friendly staff and friendly customers too. A really memorable and happy way to enjoy a meal, we were there for a surprisingly long time. Again if you want to try this place it's called Shady Grove which is/was? the name of an RV camp ground that used to be there in what is now the edge of downtown, hope they don't lose this place to developers too.

Shady Grove




Jim has one more trick up his sleeve, we're getting the best of Old Austin in a one day whirl-wind tour, Jim thanks for being such a great host. We're off to a small Honky Tonk or Beer House, called Donn's Depot. It started with a railway car plus a building built on, has been there about 30 or 40 years and Donn still plays in the band (suppose he would as it's his band). What is interesting is it's only half full when we arrive about 8:30pm, the clientele are there to meet friends and mostly dance to the live music. Many are older than us but as the night goes on the average age of the clientele gets younger, some older ones go and more younger arrive. Before we leave there are teens dancing with and alongside 80 year olds, how good is that. I have a very large extended family and know what a large family gathering is like, and this was exactly like a good family party.

We had a fabulous night, and still talk about it Jim, but maybe not as fabulous as it was for Shelley. Shelley is 83 years old, comes to Donn's to dance 6 nights a week and on the 7th goes somewhere else for a change of scenery. The lady sitting in front of us told us he's the best dancer in the joint, we had asked how did he get to dance with so many different women, she said he can take his pick.

He's not a tall man, possibly only 5 foot tall, certainly shorter than Rosie. Every woman he danced with was a fair bit taller than Shelley, when he stared straight ahead his view was obstructed. What makes him stand out is his T-shirt, across the back it shouts ' CHICK MAGNET ', can't argue with that!

Shelley on the right of the picture dancing with one of his Harem. Photo quality is poor as wouldn't use flash




The place starting to fill up




A great day and night in Austin, but now we're exhausted both having not slept much last night. Jim you're a wonder and a privilege to call you our friend.

We leave tomorrow (Saturday evening) on a long Greyhound ride to Memphis, it is for both of us one of the main highlights of this journey. But we still have all day and much of the evening tomorrow, Jim will come around lunch time.


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## v v

*Saturday 24 March Day 32 ~ Austin, TX - whole day cancelled*

_Updated in the Allier, France ~ Monday 16 April_

In the early hours Rosie is vomiting, she has a migraine. She has two triggers for this to happen, lack of sleep or drinking alcohol, yesterday both of these things happened. It's turning out to be a very bad one as she can't keep pills or water down, just has to lay in the dark and suffer. Obviously we are not getting on a bus tonight, best re-book the room as she can't get up to move rooms.

Ouch! it's Saturday night and it's Austin's busy night, lots of money for the extra night but who cares, I wasn't going to allow Rosie to move.

Get in touch with Jim and cancel the Saturday, we'll talk later to see what the situation is. As the day wears on there is no improvement, this is not good. Spend most of the day on a slow computer checking out what alternative arrangements can be made to our Greyhound ride, hotel in Memphis and Amtrak City of New Orleans train bookings, pretty difficult to guess the next day or so as never seen Rosie as bad as this before or how long will it last.

Jim is very concerned and wants to take Rosie to an emergency clinic, but Rosie wants to wait as she knows the pattern and how almost nothing works at all, it just has to pass.

By evening Rosie has managed some powerful pills and can sleep, Jim picks me up and he and I go just down the road a little to eat. One of the best Vietnamese meals I've had, would have enjoyed it better with Rosie there though. Less than an hour later we're back at the hotel, Jim takes his mum out for a meal on Sunday lunchtimes (what a good boy he is) and I have to make a few decisions and fresh bookings, so we agree on 3pm Sunday afternoon to see how Rosie is.

By late evening there is a plan. Cancelled the whole visit to Memphis, no refund on the Greyhound ticket, partial refund on the hotel and a full refund on the Amtrak ticket, that's a start. Book a 3rd night at the hotel, even if Rosie is better by morning I know she will be quite delicate and weak. Now we're leaving on Monday morning.

Book a rental car one-way to New Orleans, hefty one-way fee but it has to be done. Renting a car will allow us to take it easy and Rosie to not to have to change transport, she can ride and sleep in comfort. We rent a full size car as it's only 6 US $ dearer than a compact for 2 days, crazy.

I plan a route to stay off of the interstate and instead ride the local roads. The 550 miles is a journey that we would usually drive in one day as regular as clockwork, but keeping away from the faster roads and driving through our favourite US state of Louisiana isn't something to hurry. Decide to stay in Kinder, LA, small southern US town that's for sure. When seen on a google map the only thing that stands out is the 'Kinder Rice Drier', and neither of us knowing what a rice drier is and why Kinder has one has made it our top attraction of this road trip!

Have to mention we stopped at Kinder almost exactly a year ago and just loved the small town feel of the place and friendly people, so some good is coming from these bad couple of days.

At the end of the evening Rosie is an amount better, but still no food and only a little water. I have cancelled 4 days of travel and booked what we need to get to New Orleans to catch up with our schedule, can't do any more.


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## oregon pioneer

I know it's all in the past now, and Rosie survived -- but I hope it got better for her FAST after this.


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## v v

Thanks Jennifer, this is how it worked out.

*Sunday 25 March Day 33 ~ Austin, TX*

_Updated in the Allier, France ~ Monday 16 April_

Rosie awake and feeling better, hasn't eaten for 36 hours and feels like breakfast, all good. Rosie is still weak but never says a word about being ill, how do women do that? She relaxes while I put finishing touches to a GPS route from here to NO, we'll cross lake Pontchartrain on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, the 24 mile bridge across what looks like an inland sea.

At 3pm sharp Jim appears, lots of concern for Rosie but she is definitely feeling better. Rosie is a born traveller and wont hear of not going off to explore Austin further, we just have to look out for her this afternoon and make sure she doesn't push herself too much.

We drive to the highest point in Austin, a short walk uphill from the parking has Rosie as the least breathless of us 3! Think this is a dammed river which looks a bit like a Texas Fjord, it is a long lake now. The great and the good (or should that be just plain wealthy?) live on the slopes of the lake, and very nice it is too. Later Jim drives through the housing on the far side of the lake, good to see it's not gated.

From Austin's highest point, the lake and a beautiful place to live




There were quite a few power boats racing up and down the lake, some water skiing and boards too. This little scene caught my eye as it was one of the faster boats




In this close-up you can clearly see that while travelling at speed he's drinking a beer, what a cool dude




After driving through the neighbourhood shown in the photo above we arrive at a park (sorry Jim we've both forgotten the name). We're met by this magnificent Peacock, full size and confident too.










Further into the park is this woodland garden, Rosie and I were completely captivated by the beautiful plants, each one perfect.













We came across this at a junction, made us laugh but maybe only Ed will get it.




Time for an evening meal and an early night. Rosie was looking tired but still had an appetite so we decided on Denys across the freeway from the hotel. It was all you would expect from a Denys, but the staff were scarce for a large restaurant.

The manager? was looking very tired, harassed and said short of staff, she had decided to stay way beyond her shift. She was just starting her 14th hour straight!

Our server was obviously new as he wasn't sure of himself, but he tried hard and had a smile, can't ask for more. When we were at the till asked if he was new? "no not new, I'm one of the chef's", he had volunteered to help out the waiting staff. Why would Denys in a city with so many students find it hard to get staff?

Last stop for the day was to get supplies for our road journey the next morning, we were going to visit one of Jim's beloved H-E-B supermarkets so we're all excited. Have to write it was a nice store except for the bird poo.

Early night, Rosie gets some rest and I re-pack the bags, we're all set for collecting the car tomorrow from a very local (thanks again Jim) Enterprise depot.


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## Mystic River Dragon

I'm so glad Rosie is feeling better!



Both of you have been going and going practically nonstop, plus the humidity/temperature/foliage/different elevations were probably changing the whole time, so that may have contributed a bit as well as the alcohol and limited rest.

I could say it was the excitement of you both finally getting to meet Jim in person, but I don't want him to feel any worse about it than he already does!


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## v v

Mystic River Dragon said:


> I'm so glad Rosie is feeling better!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Both of you have been going and going practically nonstop, plus the humidity/temperature/foliage/different elevations were probably changing the whole time, so that may have contributed a bit as well as the alcohol and limited rest.
> 
> _*I could say it was the excitement of you both finally getting to meet Jim in person, but I don't want him to feel any worse about it than he already does!*_


It may have been excitement, thought Rosie had a 'touch of the vapours' when Jim appeared


----------



## v v

*Monday 26 March Day 34 ~ Austin, TX to Kinder, LA*
_Updated in the Allier, France ~ Wednesday 18 April_

8:45am and Jim arrives, load his car and he drives us across to the rental company less than a mile away. Another young man what wasn't completely sure of what to do but was pleasant, had to check with his manager a couple of times.

We get no paperwork, it's all done online so we're told? A very black Chevrolet Malibu is brought round, I hate blacked out windows, prefer to see out through the sides and back. Worse, the clerk mentions the interior mirror self darkens at sunset, a couple of miles down the road I realise it doesn't matter if it darkens as can't see anything through the back window anyway. Just to help the vision thing the door mirrors are tinted, this is going to be a fun ride.

Jim says he will drive us out of town a couple of miles, it's time to say our goodbyes. Jim Hudson has been heroic, looking out for a couple who couldn't have been much fun for him. Mr Hudson is a person we will remember for a long while, thanks from both of us Jim.

The roads are pretty quiet and are interesting to us, it's a nice car to drive and there's a non tinted front window to look out of too. Lots and lots of wildflowers along the road, it makes the journey come alive. In east Texas Rosie spots a couple of road-side signs that make us laugh, _' We sell dirt! '_ and further along _' Cheapest dirt in town! '._ Once again 2 countries separated by a common language maybe.

We stop for a break for an hour or so and get to Kinder just before 7:00pm, nice drive and makes a change to be on the road and not in a bus. Same hotel as last year and as Rosie books us in the girl in reception says she remembers Rosie, we're taken aback at this. We'd planned to eat at a Cajun restaurant we hadn't tried last year, but they were only a carry out and we wanted to eat in a restaurant. Secretly we were pleased as it meant we could go back to Fausto's, the place we ate last year.

Enjoyed the company, the staff make you feel at home and wanted. The clientele is very varied by type and colour, what a great place to eat. Rosie has become a red bean and rice aficionado recently and would only order that. Standing in the queue waiting to order the man in front ordered Gumbo, I asked if he would explain what it was and how good was it. Well he didn't have to try hard but convinced me to try it, what he didn't mention is it can be hot, that's very hot and spicy.

Rosie is in heaven with her red bean, I'm starting to sweat eating what is obviously delicious, face turning to beetroot, eyes streaming and nose is running. But it so nice all I can do is keep drinking water so I can have the next few mouthfuls. On other tables the 2 local police are smiling, on another 3 Canadian cattle ranchers are laughing and asking questions knowing I can't speak. Rosie looks slightly concerned but is intent on enjoying her red bean. Now love Gumbo but need to find a mild version as obviously it can kill.

This restaurant employs a lot of students and they all know their jobs well. Probably grew up coming to eat at this family restaurant and knew what to do before they started. If you are ever in Kinder it's certainly worth a look if you're hungry.

We cross the road to the Market Basket supermarket, we need to buy genuine small white beans from Louisiana to take home with us. This is a good small supermarket, again as anywhere in Kinder it appears with exceptionally friendly and helpful staff. Find the make we need (Camellia) and load up with supplies, also buy a few things for tomorrow including bread pudding as we are not moving on, the idea is to give Rosie a break after travelling all day.

Lay-in tomorrow and a catch up with some business work and personal emails. The room is very comfortable and we can take a walk in the afternoon if we want, but not forgetting the highlight of the road trip to visit the Kinder Rice Drier . We also have to get some sleep as Wednesday we leave at 4:00 am and it will be our longest day on this entire journey.


----------



## v v

*Tuesday 27 March Day 35 ~ Kinder, LA*
_Updated in the Allier, France ~ Wednesday 18 April_

Relaxed day but we get some stuff done, it's afternoon and Drier Day. Had no idea what a rice drier was but it surprised us with it's size, what amount of rice do/did they grow round here? It's easy to locate on the edge of downtown, but with a population of 2460, downtown could easily be missed if you blinked.

It really exists, not sure if it is still working though?




... and here it is in all it's glory




After visiting so many major US cities on this trip, Kinder downtown at rush-hour is heaven




We're really into dried beans (is this caused by tiredness?) and return to Market Basket buy a few more packets including the Louisiana version of red kidney beans. After that it's fill up with gas and we're all done. Rosie pops into the office to pay, a couple of sweet 16 year old girls are working there. She was complemented on her accent and then one girl asked this _" Where are you from? "_ R 'London' _" Don't you have a lot of cameras there? "_ Rosie agreed that we did, in fact the UK has/had more cameras than all the other countries in Europe put together, we must be a wicked lot or 1984 has arrived.

We were so surprised that a couple of young girls in a tiny and sleepy small town in the American south should have any idea about this, what a rep to have.

All set for the very early off in the morning, driving into New Orleans airport in rush hour without rear view and limited side view should be fun, but it can never be worse than Palermo!


----------



## Bob Dylan

Nice pics Jaime, yall did miss the Huge Indian owned Coushatta Casino and Resort outside of Kinder.

Louisiana and the area around Houston used to be the Rice Capital of North America but most of the businesses that were associated are long gone as are the Rice farms.

Cajun food is an acquired taste that can range from tourist mild to blow torch hot!

I can just picture a Cajun joint in England, y'all would probably come from France just to eat there! LOL

As for the visit, it was fantastic meeting yall, so sorry Rosie became ill!I marveled at your positive spirits,in spite of being tired and Rosie ill, we never get to old to stop and smell the Roses along the way.

Next time I visit "Dons Depot" I'll let the Chick Magnet know y'all are making him famous Internationally.

Look forward to the rest of your trip, hope y'alls Spring and Summer is great over there, and that y'all get to visit South America on your next trip!

Hope to see y'all "again sometime on the avenue.." as the Real Bob Dylan says!


----------



## caravanman

I liked the adjacent two sentences: ...red kidney beans. After that it's fill up with gas...



Just my juvenile sense of humour!

Ed.


----------



## v v

Bob Dylan said:


> Nice pics Jaime, yall did miss the Huge Indian owned Coushatta Casino and Resort outside of Kinder.
> 
> Louisiana and the area around Houston used to be the Rice Capital of North America but most of the businesses that were associated are long gone as are the Rice farms.
> 
> Cajun food is an acquired taste that can range from tourist mild to blow torch hot!
> 
> I can just picture a Cajun joint in England, y'all would probably come from France just to eat there! LOL
> 
> As for the visit, it was fantastic meeting yall, so sorry Rosie became ill!I marveled at your positive spirits,in spite of being tired and Rosie ill, we never get to old to stop and smell the Roses along the way.
> 
> Next time I visit "Dons Depot" I'll let the Chick Magnet know y'all are making him famous Internationally.
> 
> Look forward to the rest of your trip, hope y'alls Spring and Summer is great over there, and that y'all get to visit South America on your next trip!
> 
> Hope to see y'all "again sometime on the avenue.." as the Real Bob Dylan says!


Our hotel was about 500 yards from the casino, but we've done our casino people watching years ago in Las Vegas and don't gamble so it didn't have any pull for us.

You couldn't miss the hotels and casino though, at night they at a shining beacon in rural Louisiana.

It had to be something like that re the rice drier, must have been big business at the time. Did the farmers change to another crop? as if not rice production moving away must have hit the town hard.

Yep, we think Cajun food is drugged, we don't even particularly like spicy food but we seek it out now. Tomorrow I'm cooking red bean and rice Cajun style, got to remember to put the beans in soak tonight.

If Donn's starts to get very busy, maybe you could manage Shelley's fan club. Just occurred, can see this in Rolling Stone, _' Bob Dylan manages the Chick Magnet ',_ it's got a certain ring to it.

There's a bit more to come on the blog, 'The Longest Day' next, then a surprise. Will Rosie ever get to a beach with a warm sea so she can dip her toes, what suspense! Weather is superb all over Europe at the moment, as you know we have a list of jobs as long as... so having good weather helps.

Jim, you are the real Bob Dylan to us, wouldn't it be good to meet again on the avenue...



caravanman said:


> I liked the adjacent two sentences: ...red kidney beans. After that it's fill up with gas...
> 
> 
> 
> Just my juvenile sense of humour!
> 
> Ed.


Delicately put


----------



## v v

*Wednesday 28 March Day 36 ~ Kinder, LA to New Orleans, LA - The Longest Day*
_Updated in the Allier, France ~ Thursday 19 April_

Up at 3:00am off by 4:00. It's all very dark on these state roads, car windows not helping. Arrive at Baton Rouge in time to take the longer route across the causeway, being out of sight of land is a drive to remember. To have to drive this 24 mile bridge backwards and forwards if it's your route to work 5 days a week would make you yearn for driverless cars, but very pleased to have driven it once though.

This is what it looks like on a GPS




And in real life with 15 miles to go




Our car rental ended at 9:00am at NOL airport, arrived by 8:00am and quite relaxed. Fully automated hand back system, this time I asked for a piece of paper as some form of evidence of what I had just signed off on.

We were early for our bus so check with airport information if there is an earlier alternative, the lady at the desk had all that information at her finger tips, excellent service. 10 Minutes later we were on our way from the airport to the Union Passenger Terminal where Amtrak trains, Greyhound, Megabus, local buses and the red trolley bus all start from. $2 each for the 45 minute bus ride through the lesser seen parts of New Orleans.

Driver was superb, handled all the various people (including us) with some panache and seemed to know most of them, we were a varied group to say the least. Half-way to the Amtrak station a man gets up to get off at the next stop and as the bus stops he leans over to the driver, gives her a big hug and a few kisses and just walks off the bus with a wave, she didn't blink.

Back to the Union Terminal, we'd arrived a year earlier and understood the layout. First Amtrak, next is Megabus, on the far side Greyhound. The local buses are out front, the trolley is outside round the Greyhound side.

Two iconic signs







First a cup of tea from Subway inside the station, it was surprisingly good so we had two. It's now about 10:00am and we are a little weary, but first we need to store our bags. Our Greyhound isn't due out until around 9:30pm this evening, nearly 12 hours. We choose Amtrak to store our bags but they want to see a ticket so I show him the next one from Jacksonville to Miami, FL, no good. Then I remember that we still have the unused tickets from Memphis to NOL arriving that afternoon, he said it's good enough but why aren't we on it? He accepts the answer, $9 saved over the cost of Greyhound storage.

Now we're free for the whole day and decide on two different places. First we want to return to the Garden District where we stayed last year, there's a small garden center down by the river we must visit as it's possibly the last chance we have to locate a form of Aloe Vera cactus/succulent (see Note) that we have a spot for on a newly built rockery back home, we've been looking for a suitably small one that we can pack in a bag and wont be noticed at customs.

Second go back down to the river in the French quarter and just walk.

Again use the brilliant free wifi that Greyhound provide in many of their bus stations and on all their buses, Amtrak you are missing a trick here! Find the bus No. and the stops online, it's 500 yards beyond the big Wal-Mart.

Walk straight to the place no problem, ask where the cactus are kept and told they have just had a fresh delivery of cacti, about 4 boxes full, a really good selection. Our type isn't there, certainly never seen one in these tiny pots. The smallest we saw was at a Home Depot in LA, about 2 foot tall and very sharp spines, never going to get that through Heathrow without customs seeing it. Rosie double checks, then I treble check, no it's not going to be.

Higher up on a rack is a tray of succulents, no not there. That's it, we gave it our best shot. Did I look at the rear row of the succulents? best go back and check. It was like a searchlight shining on this one pot, there it was complete with baby spikes and the correct blue-green tint to the leaves, the only one after a 2500 mile search. Didn't look at the price just clutched it tight, biggest grin of the trip so Rosie said.

It looks like this except a bit smaller




OK, we have to walk it around much of New Orleans day and evening, then work out how to transport it on bus, train and plane but we will. Have a nice chat with the owner of the place, he's very enthusiastic about his small business and rightly so, it's very busy too.

Note: is this an Agave succulent that is used to make Tequila and not Aloe Vera at all?

*To be continued...*


----------



## v v

*Wednesday 28 March Day 36 ~ New Orleans, LA - The Longest Day - part II*

_Updated in the Allier, France ~ Friday 20 April_

Walk part of the way back to downtown, overcast but a pleasant morning. In a quiet side street in the Garden District there was this unusual building. Is it Egyptian inspired, a Masonic lodge? What was it built for, why such an unusual design?




It's pretty humid so decide on a bus to take us to the center of the business district, again no problems and end up near Lee Circle. We want to see what Robert E Lee looked like and a large statue of him would do it. Arrive and Robert is gone, his pedestal is there but being overhauled, guess he's being overhauled a little himself. Do have a photo of the empty pedestal but thought it a bit facetious to post it.

Defineately getting a bit warmer, but more noticeable the humidity is quite high. We walk across to Lafayette Square as we know it has large shade trees and will be a nice place to while away an hour. Not our day today, the square has been taken over and fenced off by a corporate event, we do find a bench to sit in the shade on the outside of the square, nice having nowhere to go and nothing to do..

Took this photo of a green Streetcar, it's the third one we'd seen pass and the passengers all looked as though they were suffering a little, it's 83o F with high humidity.




Now we're tired and decide to retreat to the air conditioned/cool Union Terminal, we need some sleep.

This unusual building is across the street from the Terminal, can be seen a long way off if you lose your bearings




There are 3 sets of seats inside the terminal, the most uncomfortable are Greyhound, the middle comfort is Amtrak, the nicest by far are Megabus seats but as soon as you sit on them someone asks if you have a ticket. The quiet end is Greyhound, there's no passing foot traffic, but we can't work out a way to recline a little to sleep. So we take 30 minute spells of one sleeping leaning on the other who stays upright and mostly awake, it's not our best time. After about 3 hours we decide on a comfy seat in Subway, two long drawn out cups of tea each, then we're ready for an early evening ride on a Streetcar.

This is the terminus for the red Streetcar, maybe 40 yards from the main entrance. Took the car out to Elysian Fields Avenue (what a great name) and walked down to the river. Second photo is looking past the car driver.







We really enjoy walking around New Orleans, it's a relaxed and happy place to be. The climate must help being able to be outside much of the year, a bit like many of the Meditereanean countries along the shore line. No that's not quite right as new Orleans has something extra, can't put that into words right now.

Would have spent $7.50 just to see what you get, pity they were closed.




Another what looks like an impromptu street band




New Orleans just relaxing and enjoying itself in the early evening




Walk along the river to Canal Street, then up to Loyola where we catch a red Streetcar back to UPT, it's the same driver as on the journey out. Retrieve our bags from Amtrak, check which gate our bus leaves from, write out a new address label for a bag that has lost one and then just sit and wait. A German girl asks what is the procedure to board, we must look like we know what we are doing. She's travelling alone and it's her first Greyhound ever. Show her where the address labels are, what to and what not to put on them and describe the procedure although it does differ from station to station. Behind us another German voice, which bus are we getting on?

He comes round and sits next to us, he's also travelling alone and it's also his first Greyhound. Rosie asks does he know the German girl, no is the answer and decide it may be good if they met. There are more co-incidences. They are both travelling to Atlanta, both stay a couple of days and then move on to different destinations.

Both are engineers (they are German after all), she has a masters degree and this US journey is to celebrate getting it. She has a job waiting for her in Munich and is fairly driven to start work. He has almost finished his degree but has taken a 6 month research project on Long Island first. She thinks he's a slacker, he thinks he's enjoying life on the way to his degree. They are lovely young people and very interested in the world, they also have interesting ideas on where the world of work is going and they think it's just around the corner too.

We sort of shepherd them onto the bus, they sit together and are soon laughing, he's a very charming young man and good company for a bit more serious young lady. Bus leaves at 9:35pm. Bus is full again, but we have good seats and are comfortable. We thought we'd sleep immediately but are still awake when we reach Mobile, AL around midnight. Here everyone has to come off the bus as we are all changing for other destinations, only a few have Mobile as their destination.

The German couple are first to leave, he visits France often and we tell him we will have a cold beer for him if we're there. With 3 1/2 hours before we board our next bus Rosie whose out on her feet decides to sleep with her head on a table, it sort of works but she wakes a lot.

A 30's something young man and I start to talk, and we're still talking when our next bus for Tallahassee bus comes in. He still has another bit to wait for a bus heading directly north to Illinois.


----------



## caravanman

I love New Orleans, thankfully it has not been too humid on my visits.

I was interested by the "winged" symbol on the building in your photo, it reminded me somewhat of the Zoroastrian "Faravahar" symbol, seen here in Mumbai:






Probably many countries and religions have similar winged motifs... Maybe yours is an American Eagle!





Ed.


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## v v

caravanman said:


> I love New Orleans, thankfully it has not been too humid on my visits.
> 
> I was interested by the "winged" symbol on the building in your photo, it reminded me somewhat of the Zoroastrian "Faravahar" symbol, seen here in Mumbai:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Probably many countries and religions have similar winged motifs... Maybe yours is an American Eagle!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ed.


It does look very similar if only the concept of it. Here's another closer photo.

BTW Ed, have you or any of your mates ever visited Iran?


----------



## v v

*Thursday 29 March Day 37 ~ Mobile, AL to Jacksonville, FL*
_Updated in the Allier, France ~ Saturday 21 April_

Having arrived around midnight from NOL on a Greyhound we have a 4+ hour wait for our next bus. Rosie tries to sleep and a slightly serious 30 something man and I talk about the world, politics, travel in the US and then he explains where he's come from and where he's going. There are similarities with at least a couple of others we've met on this journey who move around the country seasonally for health reasons.

In his twenties he starts to suffer from a form of arthritis, not good as he's a carpenter. It's affecting his hands not being able to hold tools properly. Lives in Colorado and is advised to move to warmer drier climate during the winter. He's fortunate as his brother lives and works in central Florida, so for a number of winters he has lived with his brother and wife for about 4 months each year. His brother gives him work as he's in the same trade, although he does mention ruefully that his sister in law is not so happy with this arrangement. Maybe that's understandable or maybe he's miss-reading the situation?

In Spring he visits the rest of his family in Illinois for a month and then returns to Colorado to his regular life. He is also interested in developing ideas, doesn't have original ideas but is good trying to develop and improve ideas others have. He hopes one day to make a big breakthrough on one of his projects so he can leave manual labour behind.

He had good news too. One of his hands had had an experimental operation, and it has been a big success. He has been told that within the year he may regain 95% of full usage of his hand and makes sure he carries out all the physio he has been told to. If this works as well as it appears to he'll have the other hand operated on. He's a quiet and thoughtful man but we also share some jokes about public figures and some of life's idiosyncrasies.

Our bus arrival is announced but that's the first and last announcement, it's a scramble to get on the bus to a decent seat and in fact to get two together. Mobile Greyhound bus station is chaos, Greyhound, what's happening to you?

Rosie has now had 2 hours sleep since 3am the previous day, I've had 1. It's 4am and we're dog tired, no wonder we get into our seats and sleep immediately. Apparently the bus leaves at 4:30am, it breaks down at 5:25am on the Interstate heading for Pensacola, FL. The next is Rosie's view, I don't wake up.

We are pulled just of the road in the dark, trucks rock the bus as they wizz past not so far away. Driver makes a phone call for help but makes no announcement, then gets off the bus to stand beside it. Voice from the back _"The bus done broke?"_ from the front _"Yeah, it broke" _. People on the bus groan together, I sleep on. Girl announces she's going to ask the driver what happens now, returns and announces we have to wait for another bus, 1 - 3 hours. Time for Rosie to get some sleep too, but notices quite a number of people get off the bus and stand in the grass. Later the driver comes back on board and announces a replacement bus will be an hour, and aren't we lucky he will be the driver all the way to Jacksonville, oh goody!

As the replacement bus arrived there was a crazy scramble to get good seats again, we board and find just one pair of seats empty but with good leg room. Looking around I recognise this bus immediately, it's our freezer bus from Kansas City to Denver earlier on in the journey. The one that was dirty, many parts broken, a pair of seats not even attached and an uncontrollable air conditioning unit that leaked and could not be turned down. Still, on the bright side we were sat a fair way away from that prize position in the bus this time, just went back to sleep wrapped up. All the way to Jacksonville we mostly slept, except to transfer buses at Tallahassee. All the stops were shortened to try to make up time, the driver was as tense as a wound-up coil spring.

At Tallahassee Greyhound station we talk with a lady and her 11? year old son, off to visit family in JAX, she is one of the Katrina victims who lost her home. After 8 years she eventually managed to start to buy a new house, she also lost her husband to mental illness being a veteran of the Iraq war and who returned 'damaged' I think the term is. After this the bus breakdown didn't phase her, her son was doing well and was in a marching band, life was good, she loved living in NOL and she now wanted to travel with her son as much as possible. She thought travel would give the boy a good perspective on life, quite an inspirational lady who always had a smile.

We're on the last bus of this journey, arrive in Jacksonville only two hours late, not too bad and it's only 7:00pm. Have to get from downtown to the airport area where our hotel is, to be in place to pick up our rental car the next morning.

Jacksonville, FL Greyhound bus station. A new Greyhound station is being built out of town??? Guess the central downtown location of the current one is ripe for redevelopment?




Local buses and an intermediate bus station cheer us up, the world has returned to normal. Wait for about 30 minutes at the (local not Greyhound) bus station for a transfer, sit and talk with a man who looked like Wild Bill Hickok (and pulled it off). He told us things about JAX. He loved living there, said there were good and bad areas (aren't there everywhere), and his life was wonderful as he had a great job and could spend his free time reading (he did have a book in his hand). He extolled the virtues of the JAX central library and explained all their services, then went back to his book.

A younger lady approached us to ask if we could pay her bus fare up to near the airport, we agreed immediately and said stick close to us when we board and it's a done.

We all board the bus, it's fairly busy, ask for 3 tickets and the driver says are we sure we want to pay for the bag lady who is a couple of people behind us, _"no doubt at all but thanks for asking" _We learn on the bus from Wild Bill that many homeless move out of downtown in the evening as it's safer, then return in the day. The lady who we buy the ticket for had heard us ask about where to go in JAX, she came in with a couple of suggestions of her own, these poor people often try to give something back and we're grateful for the help.

As we've found with many bus systems in the US, people who regularly use the buses know each other, it's a good atmosphere and a couple of 'good nights' to the whole bus as people get off, we're the last to leave. Bus stops about 50 yards away from the hotel, we're knackered but happy to have got through an interesting time without Rosie suffering again. A quick snack then try to make breakfast and collect the car tomorrow.


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## caravanman

Gosh, I admire your fortitude with the Greyhound bus sagas! I do like to use them, but only for a daylight ride, can't ever sleep on a bus. Shame if the Greyhound stations are moved out of town, the ease of connecting from them to local transport may not be so good.

I think Iran would be a fascinating place to visit, and one I would love to see. Probably not going to happen, it seems that managing solo travel gets a lot trickier as one ages!

Ed.


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## v v

Greyhound has been hard work at times this trip, but mostly it's not like this at all. Some of the later buses are very comfortable and different positions in the bus have different amount of leg room. The seats recline a fair way so most people appear to be able to get comfortable but it depends on the bus you get.

Still, much as I love Amtrak our next train down to Miami in coach was a long way overdue for an overhaul, and it ran at times on very poor track too, not a good combination. We have also had really good Amtrak coach seats this journey too, as you know pretty easy to sleep in. It's luck of the draw a bit isn't it Ed.

Depending how the next 12 months turn out (Brexit) will decide whether we head for S America or Iran first. Funny but Iran appeals most at the moment and not sure why. Can you not team up with another single traveller to go places you wouldn't go to alone? I think there are forums to facilitate these sort of trips.

Thanks for your comments, much appreciated.

ps: So where are you off to next?


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## oregon pioneer

Hubby and I did the same trip between Jacksonville and New Orleans, but in the opposite direction. We are not up for night time bus travel, so we stopped for the night in Tallahassee (which we quite liked, fun walking in the soft warm evening with people on porches greeting passers-by like us). We had much the same experience in Mobile. We had to change buses, and the one we got on was already mostly full. No one would change to give us seats together.

Side note, not germane to the post: I ended up sitting next to a sweet young woman in camo that was terrified and tearful, as she was about to be deployed. The recruiters had promised her a post assignment with her fiance when she signed up, but that promise was broken almost before the ink was dry on her contract. Poor thing, an abused background, a current career as cannon-fodder, and what kind of a future? All I could do was hold her hands and try to reassure her that she was strong enough to face it. Very glad when we all got to NOL, and I could rejoin Hubby.


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## JRR

oregon pioneer said:


> Hubby and I did the same trip between Jacksonville and New Orleans, but in the opposite direction. We are not up for night time bus travel, so we stopped for the night in Tallahassee (which we quite liked, fun walking in the soft warm evening with people on porches greeting passers-by like us). We had much the same experience in Mobile. We had to change buses, and the one we got on was already mostly full. No one would change to give us seats together.
> 
> Side note, not germane to the post: I ended up sitting next to a sweet young woman in camo that was terrified and tearful, as she was about to be deployed. The recruiters had promised her a post assignment with her fiance when she signed up, but that promise was broken almost before the ink was dry on her contract. Poor thing, an abused background, a current career as cannon-fodder, and what kind of a future? All I could do was hold her hands and try to reassure her that she was strong enough to face it. Very glad when we all got to NOL, and I could rejoin Hubby.


I find the reference to our active duty military personnel as “cannon fodder” to be outrageous. Be thankful that there are those who serve our country at their peril, to make the rest of us safe.


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## Ryan

JRR said:


> I find the reference to our active duty military personnel as “cannon fodder” to be outrageous.


As a veteran that sees the way our troops are employed these days, I agree with the characterization. Lives destroyed, both while deployed and after returning home, for no real good reason. Bless you, Jennifer, for giving one of them a measure of solace and comfort.



JRR said:


> Be thankful that there are those who serve our country at their peril, to make the rest of us safe.


You're welcome.


----------



## v v

JRR said:


> oregon pioneer said:
> 
> 
> 
> Hubby and I did the same trip between Jacksonville and New Orleans, but in the opposite direction. We are not up for night time bus travel, so we stopped for the night in Tallahassee (which we quite liked, fun walking in the soft warm evening with people on porches greeting passers-by like us). We had much the same experience in Mobile. We had to change buses, and the one we got on was already mostly full. No one would change to give us seats together.
> 
> Side note, not germane to the post: I ended up sitting next to a sweet young woman in camo that was terrified and tearful, as she was about to be deployed. The recruiters had promised her a post assignment with her fiance when she signed up, but that promise was broken almost before the ink was dry on her contract. Poor thing, an abused background, a current career as cannon-fodder, and what kind of a future? All I could do was hold her hands and try to reassure her that she was strong enough to face it. Very glad when we all got to NOL, and I could rejoin Hubby.
> 
> 
> 
> I find the reference to our active duty military personnel as “cannon fodder” to be outrageous. Be thankful that there are those who serve our country at their peril, to make the rest of us safe.
Click to expand...

JRR, hope you don't mind me making a comment here but the term 'cannon fodder' is used universally.

Without putting words into Jennifer's mouth I think she is applying the term to some of the people who control how the military operates, not to those at the sharp end. It's obvious that Jennifer is a very caring person just from her actions, the condemnation maybe is for those who 'use' people as cannon fodder as per in this young woman's situation.

Obviously you may also have personal experiences of the military that colour your view too, but possibly don't be too hard on a very nice lady.


----------



## JRR

No objection to your comment. Everyone is entitled to their own view. I have stated mine.

To keep on topic, I will state that travel through America does give one exposure to different views.


----------



## Bob Dylan

Perhaps you missed the part in History Class where your teachers explained how most Wars are started by Rich Old Men and fought by poor Young Men ( along with McNamara's Infamous Collateral Damage,ie Civilians)in the name of Profits, Nationalism and "Noble Causes??"

Basically the Infantry has always been "Cannon Fodder", but I'll agree that now that we have all Volunteer Armed Forces with No Draft, the term no longer applies

to todays Service Members.


----------



## caravanman

An "all volunteer" armed force often still seems to be populated mostly by the poor and disadvantaged folks... I believe that the US military are currently having problems recruiting, as there are now more attractive job alternatives than "volunteering".

Hearing a wide selection of opinions and outlooks is one of the joys of all travel experiences!

Ed,


----------



## v v

caravanman said:


> *An "all volunteer" armed force often still seems to be populated mostly by the poor and disadvantaged folks...* I believe that the US military are currently having problems recruiting, as there are now more attractive job alternatives than "volunteering".
> 
> Hearing a wide selection of opinions and outlooks is one of the joys of all travel experiences!
> 
> Ed,


Agree with that sentiment although not sure about the 'mostly' Ed. In the last 18 months we've travelled about 14 weeks through America and have had similar recurring meetings with people. Either directly meeting a young person, the parents or grandparents of a young person who had or was about to join the military for one of 3 reasons. The most common reason was to get a better education than their family could afford, another was to learn a skill properly, and also to serve long enough to gain medical cover or a military pension. That would indicate they were not always from families who were comfortable economically.

To us it sounded a good deal all round. The military offering a path to a better stable life through their massive facilities and gaining interested volunteers, for the young people taking sometimes the only route for them to better their and their families lives without the vagaries of will I still have a job next week.

They all came across as patriotic but for some is wasn't the driving reason to join.


----------



## v v

*Friday 30 March Day 38 ~ Jacksonville, FL*
_Updated in the Allier, France ~ Monday 23 April_

May as well get this day written about, bit disappointing and slightly surreal.

It felt good to stop moving and took our time to breakfast and get across to the airport via the hotel shuttle, we're about to collect a car for a 2 day rental.

Pleasant middle aged lady behind the Dollar counter, hand over the UK rental agency fully paid invoice for the rental including insurances, passport, photo driving license and a credit card. After less than a minute the woman asks if I/we have a credit card in my/our name. Pardon, all the documents are in my name including the CC I gave her. No the credit card must have your first name written out in full. We have two other credit cards with us but all only have initials, not the first name spelt out. She's looking a little uncomfortable, I'm unhappy.

She volunteers that do we have debit cards with first name written in full, we have two but only initials. Ask why does it matter and she says it's company policy that credit cards must be fully spelt. I ask what to me is an incredulous question, in particular as we have just rented a one way rental from Enterprise from Austin to New Orleans with the same card... _"Have I got this right? I have written proof of a fully paid for rental car agreement, have 2 forms of photo ID that actually look like me (passport is only 3 months old), a qualifying license and between us 5 credit and debit cards in our married surname which matches our passports, and I can't have the rental car?"._ No sir I'm afraid not. Ask to speak with the manager, told he's busy and will say the same. tell her I'm not moving until he appears, within a few seconds he appears. To everyone's credit there are no raised voices but a lot of frustration and disappointment. Basically he repeats everything the woman has said adding 3 things. The new regulation was decided recently by the board of directors, started 1 January this year. Florida as a vacation state has a lot of fraud, that's a LOT of fraud he states again, and they have to be extra careful. Third, and this is the killer, there are about 4 other rental agencies all in a line in this smaller airport, he said _"I'm sorry to say that none of the other agencies will rent to you either for the same reason". _And that's it.

We're completely bemused, what the hell is happening here. Return to the shuttle pick-up area and someone calls the hotel shuttle bus for us, driver asks what happened? When we explain he says oh yes, it's happening a lot now. Get back to the hotel and ask them what's going on, the clerk say he doesn't know and calls the manager, "never heard of it" although the shuttle bus driver had, must be better informed than the man who manages the airport hotel. Speak with an older cleaning lady about where to buy soap for the washing machine (the hotel had run out), by the way have you heard of this? Oh yes, happening as lot right now, the cleaner knows more than the manager too. Had it confirmed by a third person that same day when we went to eat in Denny's.

Email the rental agency in the UK and get a fast reply, "never heard of it, we'll investigate". Also add in a couple of days time we have via themselves a 3 day rental car to pick up with the same Dollar agency in Miami, should we expect the same? Get an answer later that day from the UK agency, still no idea what's happening but we have contacted Miami to make sure it doesn't happen there, sorry we can't help at the moment with the Jacksonville rental.

That's great. We've taken a hotel out by the airport to make it easy to collect a car, there is nothing here and even if the airport is exciting as airports can be it is 4 miles away. We are supposed to be visiting Amelia Island for personal reasons and the State Park in the north of Amelia too, that's off completely as it's too far with too many taxis to get around, and the public transport out there is hit and miss and almost not connectable too. So we decide on a positive course of action to celebrate and do our clothes washing, except there's no soap. We're supposed to meet up with a friend who lives in Jacksonville tomorrow, at least we can get the bus in to downtown.

We use the extra time we have to write, relax, read and do the washing, one of the gas stations near the interstate has washing powder. That evening eat at Denny's, watch tv and write and read some more, we needed the break is what we told ourselves.

The upshot of this is it's 24 days since the refusal to rent us a car. Apart from one email to say Miami has been contacted which also said we wont hear from them about Jacksonville until the matter is resolved, and they're right, we haven't heard from them. No refund, no apology as to not updating us with credit card requirements but it wont get dropped.

Hey ho, tomorrow will be better as all you Americans always tell us, and we believe you too.


----------



## Bob Dylan

Sad to say that there is,way too much of this Corporate Directed BS going on in lots of businesses!

Probably using American Express or one of the other "Premium" Cards is the only way to ensure that crap like this doesn't occur during travel.

Looking forward to the next Chapter in y'alls adventure, and for sure y'alls next trip to Iran!!! (Not sure I'd want to visit a Muslim Country right now????) or South America!

An AU friend is in Paris right now, hope Spring has Spring on the Continent!


----------



## mcropod

Bob Dylan said:


> (snip)
> 
> Looking forward to the next Chapter in y'alls adventure, and for sure y'alls next trip to Iran!!! (Not sure I'd want to visit a Muslim Country right now????) (snip)


I know Iran is portrayed as a boogieman country in various places around the world, but it’s undeserved IMHO. As are other ‘Muslim Countries’.

The only reason I’ve not yet visited Iran is that I needed to make sure I was granted entry to the USA, and the USA makes things very difficult for those who have an Iranian stamp in their passports.

I’m likely off to Iran next, and everything I’ve read details the generous hospitality of the Iranian people, their genuine interest in you as a foreign traveller. And this level of hospitality is common throughout the Islamic world.

I spent several weeks in Turkey recently, and even though that government was becoming less liberal, the people I met were lively, unafraid, interactive, proud of their culture and history, generous, and inclusive. I felt safer walking the streets late at night there than I do in parts of my own Oz city. There was a much lesser level of street aggression, likely because there was nowhere near the level of drunkenness and drug taking there compared to most western cities, and much less macho posturing that’s so prevalent in the Anglosphere.

Iran is becoming more liberal, it can scarcely not do so because of the huge proportion of its population under 30. It has a literate, well edicated, and engaged city-based population with a vibrant culture. I can’t wait to get there.

I’ve never conflated a government’s actual or purported harshness and belicosity, with its people. Most people around the world are interesting and interested.

The most populous Islamic nation on the planet is Australia’s nearest neighbour, Indonesia. It is a country which is well under most peoples’ alarm radar, and rightly so.

I reckon we have nothing to fear from experiencing life in other nations, regardless of their predominant religion. Be open minded, act as if you are a guest (you are), be ready to accept a different normal, and everything’ll go swimmingly and leave you proud to be a member of the human race.

In relation to different normals, I’ve just discovered you in the USA have decided not just to drive on the wrong side of the road, but to turn on and off your light switches the wrong way around too! But I’ll just accept that as another odd cultural difference and get on with things 

I’m sure the Iranians aren’t as odd


----------



## Devil's Advocate

mcropod said:


> I know Iran is portrayed as a boogieman country in various places around the world, but it’s undeserved IMHO. As are other ‘Muslim Countries’. The only reason I’ve not yet visited Iran is that I needed to make sure I was granted entry to the USA, and the USA makes things very difficult for those who have an Iranian stamp in their passports. I’m likely off to Iran next, and everything I’ve read details the generous hospitality of the Iranian people, their genuine interest in you as a foreign traveller. And this level of hospitality is common throughout the Islamic world.


I don't have any problem with average Iranian citizens. By all accounts they're calm, educated, and reasonable. I do however have several problems with their irrationally oppressive government. Hard to visit the former without living under the latter.



mcropod said:


> I spent several weeks in Turkey recently, and even though that government was becoming less liberal, the people I met were lively, unafraid, interactive, proud of their culture and history, generous, and inclusive. I felt safer walking the streets late at night there than I do in parts of my own Oz city.


Becoming less liberal? You mean the jailing and torturing people based on the whispers of vindictive neighbors and disgruntled coworkers, the enacting of a faith based judicial system with government sanctioned discrimination, and the systematic dismantling of any meaningful political opposition? I guess that's one way to put it.


----------



## v v

*Saturday 31 March Day 39 ~ Jacksonville, FL*
_Updated in the Allier, France ~ Tuesday 24 April_

We're looking forward to meeting up with our friend D again, she's a lady with a wicked sense of humour and a zest for life, very kind too.

Arranged to meet her at Rosa Parks Transit (bus) Station which is the terminus for the public airport bus, so easy for us. She has invited us to go to a performance of a passion play at a local church, she told us she has wanted to go for years and hadn't managed it. She's a regular church goer, religions are not our thing but we are always open to a new experience, and it will please D.

We arrive and so does she, we can walk to the church from the bus station which is great. We're off to the First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, not like any church we've ever been to. We enter the Main Auditorium (which implies there is at least another) and find at street level the large foyer filled with stands showcasing different aspects of the church and the passion play. D asks where we should go to get the best view, one of the ushers gives her a hug and takes us upstairs and says pick any door and choose whatever seats we wish.

Knock me down with a feather is the effect on Rosie and I, D had an idea as this church services are broadcast on tv every week. As we walk through the doors into the auditorium we gasp at the size, it's a very spacious 10,000 seat theatre/church/auditorium. Apparently their average Sunday congregation is 7500, amazing. Several things come to mind at once. We must be in the Bible Belt? Why is D the only black person here? Is this her church? The answers are -Yes - it's the 'white' Baptist church - there's a smaller 'black' one nearby that she belongs to. It's quite a reminder that race can affect even the most basic things in the south such as worship.

People arriving all the time, all are pleasant and friendly even though the three of us are obviously not members of this church. Many go out of their way to welcome us all, particularly D, it's a nice atmosphere.

Auditorium starting to fill up. It's wider and much deeper than the photo, seating continues round the side of the stage and behind the photo position..




Start to think of this building and what the upkeep must be, later learn is on a complete full-size block and the church own another 7 full blocks neighbouring it here in downtown. This church holds a lot of sway in the affairs of Jacksonville, obviously some of it's members hold important positions in the life of Jacksonville or are particularly wealthy. It all ties in with what's in front of us and confirmed by the quality of the play, which turns out to be a musical. The highlight is a religious version of Nessun Dorma sung by three tenors.

We have no idea if some of the cast are professional and some amateur church members, but whoever they are including the orchestra they were unbelievably good, fantastic live music.

It starts with an orchestral piece, never heard better from any symphony orchestra ever and very beautiful. Then the play unfolds starting in the garden of Eden through to the resurrection of Jesus. The show moved many people to tears or halleluiahs, shouts of delight and despair. We're sure that some in the audience thought it was real such was their reaction, an extraordinary display of believing and quite moving too. Here's a few photos, but they can't show just how mesmeric the Jesus character was.



















So impressed with every aspect of this afternoon, we have much to talk about. Also we haven't seen D for a year and a bit to catch up on. We head out to Cracker Barrel, a place D uses every week or so, chance for us to take time to eat, drink and talk.

We have a lively server, a 30 year old young lady who has loads of energy, loads of talk, loads of ideas and a big smile. Trying to order is pure theatre, Natalie our server made sure of that.

Once that was accomplished we talked about many things Jacksonville which was predominately black until the city boundaries were altered extensively to make the city physically much larger. Now it's a white majority.

D is a well educated person, her hubby works for FEMA with a good job, she worked for the Pentagon and was there on 9/11, missed being killed by her boss changing her schedule slightly, her boss was killed.

We talk about race here and her opinion is race problems in Jacksonville have increased since Trump was elected, same has happened in the UK since the anti immigration Brexit vote. She talks about as a young woman she toured Europe with girl friends and would love to visit again but hubby isn't a traveller, except for his job.

Natalie is single, looks after her disabled mum but is planning to be off somewhere else soon as her brother is having her mum go live with him. She explains that she is a free spirit, likes to change direction and just pick up work when she gets to where she ends up. She knows that she'll return to Jacksonville to take some of the load off her brother but needs some space for a while. She said she has done this before several times, it keeps her going, interesting girl.

We are there for at least a couple of hours, Natalie says that she will look out for D on her weekly visits. They have the measure of each other with many knowing looks, but also smiles too.

Then it's time to go as D wants to get back to hubby, he doesn't get home very often or for long and she's given us most of her day, think she misses him a lot as his base is 200 miles away.

This is a sad farewell as we know D wont get to Europe again and we are unlikely to get back to Florida for many years if ever. She drops us at our hotel, after big hugs she's gone.

Packing for tomorrow morning early start, reading and writing, another Amtrak train in the morning, we just love them.


----------



## trainman74

v v said:


> Third, and this is the killer, there are about 4 other rental agencies all in a line in this smaller airport, he said _"I'm sorry to say that none of the other agencies will rent to you either for the same reason". _And that's it.


Did you actually verify this with any of the other agencies at the airport, or did you just take the Dollar manager's word for it?

I see you contacted the place you had booked through in the UK, but did you also contact Dollar's corporate customer service in the U.S.?

To me, this has the fishy sound of something that was decided by a local franchise operator, rather than by Dollar itself (or their corporate parent, which is Hertz). I say this especially because the only time I've had an issue with a car rental, it was due to a franchisee not following corporate policies, and the corporate office did wind up "making me whole."

I guess I'll wait until you post what happened in Miami to see if there's a resolution to this!


----------



## Bob Dylan

Don't want anyone to misunderstand my post re Iran.

I have nothing against Islam,( but do against Fanatical Terrorists that use Religon as a tool for Terrorism)nor any people in other countries ( well maybe North Korea and it's Robots), but with the current geo-political climate, and considering our current occupant @ 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., don't think that I as an American should visit any Muslim dominated country right now.

Hopefully things will change soon since HATE is not a Human Value! I look forward to your trip and reading about y'alls adventures, I'm envious!


----------



## v v

Bob Dylan said:


> Sad to say that there is,way too much of this Corporate Directed BS going on in lots of businesses!
> 
> Probably using American Express or one of the other "Premium" Cards is the only way to ensure that crap like this doesn't occur during travel.
> 
> Looking forward to the next Chapter in y'alls adventure, and for sure y'alls next trip to Iran!!! (Not sure I'd want to visit a Muslim Country right now????) or South America!
> 
> An AU friend is in Paris right now, hope Spring has Spring on the Continent!


All our cards are Visa based so not sure that if American Express only had initials and a surname that it would have made any difference. We had also used the same card before, that's about 4 days before.

The weather here in France has been as good as it gets for the last 10 days, your friend has arrived in Paris at the perfect time.

We're already looking at maps and options when we should be getting down to some serious work here, we're months behind with our schedule. So far we have 3 rough plans for Iran and none for S America, hmmm. Can someone make sure that nice Mr Macron persuades your great leader not to cancel the nuclear treaty with Iran.



trainman74 said:


> v v said:
> 
> 
> 
> Third, and this is the killer, there are about 4 other rental agencies all in a line in this smaller airport, he said _"I'm sorry to say that none of the other agencies will rent to you either for the same reason". _And that's it.
> 
> 
> 
> Did you actually verify this with any of the other agencies at the airport, or did you just take the Dollar manager's word for it?
> 
> I see you contacted the place you had booked through in the UK, but did you also contact Dollar's corporate customer service in the U.S.?
> 
> To me, this has the fishy sound of something that was decided by a local franchise operator, rather than by Dollar itself (or their corporate parent, which is Hertz). I say this especially because the only time I've had an issue with a car rental, it was due to a franchisee not following corporate policies, and the corporate office did wind up "making me whole."
> 
> I guess I'll wait until you post what happened in Miami to see if there's a resolution to this!
Click to expand...

Good point trainman74, no didn't try elsewhere. It did occur to try others but only after on the way back to the hotel, but we were quite deflated at the airport, about as down as we ever get so speed of thought wasn't there. The manager at Dollar was very confident about it, and that he was doing the right thing. He offered his business card so whoever was to sort this out could contact him. Not the move of someone who was making it up as he went along.

The actual process of handing over the documents and the card to the clerk went something like this. Look at the detail on the passport, driving license and invoice for the rental, last look at the card. Not try to process it at all but ask if we had another card from either of us with our first name spelt out. So the clerk knew what she was looking for.

Haven't contacted Dollar at all as my contract is with the UK agency. Have to say here that a few years ago we booked one, then 6 months later another fly drive vacation to the US, using this agency for the car rental. First Rosie had a close bereavement 2 weeks before our leaving date and we cancelled the whole trip. The rental agency were brilliant. 6 Months later the same thing happened and my mum died 2 weeks before we were about to travel. They didn't question anything and sorted everything out again.

I have gone easy on the company because of this history but do think they are as bad now as they were good then, we owe them I suppose.

We're off to the UK in the morning, but will write about the Miami car rental as soon as I can within the next week.



mcropod said:


> Bob Dylan said:
> 
> 
> 
> (snip)
> 
> Looking forward to the next Chapter in y'alls adventure, and for sure y'alls next trip to Iran!!! (Not sure I'd want to visit a Muslim Country right now????) (snip)
> 
> 
> 
> I know Iran is portrayed as a boogieman country in various places around the world, but it’s undeserved IMHO. As are other ‘Muslim Countries’.
> 
> The only reason I’ve not yet visited Iran is that I needed to make sure I was granted entry to the USA, and the USA makes things very difficult for those who have an Iranian stamp in their passports.
> 
> I’m likely off to Iran next, and everything I’ve read details the generous hospitality of the Iranian people, their genuine interest in you as a foreign traveller. And this level of hospitality is common throughout the Islamic world.
> 
> I spent several weeks in Turkey recently, and even though that government was becoming less liberal, the people I met were lively, unafraid, interactive, proud of their culture and history, generous, and inclusive. I felt safer walking the streets late at night there than I do in parts of my own Oz city. There was a much lesser level of street aggression, likely because there was nowhere near the level of drunkenness and drug taking there compared to most western cities, and much less macho posturing that’s so prevalent in the Anglosphere.
> 
> Iran is becoming more liberal, it can scarcely not do so because of the huge proportion of its population under 30. It has a literate, well edicated, and engaged city-based population with a vibrant culture. I can’t wait to get there.
> 
> I’ve never conflated a government’s actual or purported harshness and belicosity, with its people. Most people around the world are interesting and interested.
> 
> The most populous Islamic nation on the planet is Australia’s nearest neighbour, Indonesia. It is a country which is well under most peoples’ alarm radar, and rightly so.
> 
> I reckon we have nothing to fear from experiencing life in other nations, regardless of their predominant religion. Be open minded, act as if you are a guest (you are), be ready to accept a different normal, and everything’ll go swimmingly and leave you proud to be a member of the human race.
> 
> In relation to different normals, I’ve just discovered you in the USA have decided not just to drive on the wrong side of the road, but to turn on and off your light switches the wrong way around too! But I’ll just accept that as another odd cultural difference and get on with things
> 
> I’m sure the Iranians aren’t as odd
Click to expand...

That's great! when do you start making plans for your Iran journey?

Will you write a blog or travelogue on this site or somewhere else, what about writing about your preparation for your journey? Do you know when you are likely to go, and when there how will you get around, car, car and driver, trains, buses?

Completely agree with you on not mixing governments and their peoples. Have never been anywhere there hasn't been something fundamental that I didn't like but that has nothing to do with the type of people you meet unless your visit is an official one.

I think it is possible to get into trouble anywhere, as you say you know places in Oz, I know places in London I'd never ever go day or night. The probability if using plain common sense of getting into trouble is pretty low, but always possible. If you don't think it's possible then there's complacency creeping in.

Maybe US politics is using the M word as a banner to encompass a lot of bad things that are happening, repeated often enough people will believe. That's not to say that there aren't international politics that stink in their objectives, but isn't there something about he (the country) who is without sin may cast the first stone.

Hope you do publish something about preparing and going on an Iran journey, I'm sure it would interest many.



Devil's Advocate said:


> mcropod said:
> 
> 
> 
> I know Iran is portrayed as a boogieman country in various places around the world, but it’s undeserved IMHO. As are other ‘Muslim Countries’. The only reason I’ve not yet visited Iran is that I needed to make sure I was granted entry to the USA, and the USA makes things very difficult for those who have an Iranian stamp in their passports. I’m likely off to Iran next, and everything I’ve read details the generous hospitality of the Iranian people, their genuine interest in you as a foreign traveller. And this level of hospitality is common throughout the Islamic world.
> 
> 
> 
> I don't have any problem with average Iranian citizens. By all accounts they're calm, educated, and reasonable. I do however have several problems with their irrationally oppressive government. Hard to visit the former without living under the latter.
> 
> 
> 
> mcropod said:
> 
> 
> 
> I spent several weeks in Turkey recently, and even though that government was becoming less liberal, the people I met were lively, unafraid, interactive, proud of their culture and history, generous, and inclusive. I felt safer walking the streets late at night there than I do in parts of my own Oz city.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Becoming less liberal? You mean the jailing and torturing people based on the whispers of vindictive neighbors and disgruntled coworkers, the enacting of a faith based judicial system with government sanctioned discrimination, and the systematic dismantling of any meaningful political opposition? I guess that's one way to put it.
Click to expand...

Mr DA, think that mcropod was separating the regular people you meet from a country's politics. Has to happen everywhere doesn't it or none of us would travel. As to Turkey the same applies. Do you think that by people not travelling to these places it makes the situation better? I don't.

You know Rosie and I love the US, but there's a couple of things that go on there that really upset us, and it's ingrained in your DNA. But unless we visit we have no chance to understand why. For a third example we've even had 3 master classes about why people own guns from some serious well intentioned people. We wouldn't own a gun but with their view of the world we almost understand why they do.



Bob Dylan said:


> Don't want anyone to misunderstand my post re Iran.
> 
> I have nothing against Islam,( but do against Fanatical Terrorists that use Religon as a tool for Terrorism)nor any people in other countries ( well maybe North Korea and it's Robots), but with the current geo-political climate, and considering our current occupant @ 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., don't think that I as an American should visit any Muslim dominated country right now.
> 
> Hopefully things will change soon since HATE is not a Human Value! I look forward to your trip and reading about y'alls adventures, I'm envious!


Bob, and we thought you were a rufty tufty person. Trouble is nowadays in countries that don't have English as a first language Rosie and I get mistaken for Americans or even Aussies! Not going to stop us.


----------



## caravanman

Amazing to experience that show in the church, it surprises me every time that religion is so strong in America, the UK being so secular in comparison.

My own worst car hire experience was in Florida, a lot of "hidden fees" suddenly added!

I was prompted to check my own cards, my bus pass and my mastercard both have my first name, the visa one does not.

Seems so bonkers to need as " I.D." if you have your passport, etc, etc.

I would have probably phoned the local TV station, the tourist board, and tried to show how much potential damage there was to the Florida tourist trade.

It wouldn't get me a car hire, but it would make me feel better.






My "East Enders" accent often gets me mistaken for an Aussie, when I travel.

Ed.


----------



## Devil's Advocate

v v said:


> Mr DA, _ think that mcropod was separating the regular people you meet from a country's politics. Has to happen everywhere doesn't it or none of us would travel. As to Turkey the same applies. Do you think that by people not travelling to these places it makes the situation better? I don't._


_ _

_Just because you're a guest in a foreign land doesn't mean you have to check your brain at the border. If you're going to vacation in a country like Turkey while they're cracking down on intellectual thought, outlawing public dissent, and torturing political prisoners you're not doing anyone any favors by sweeping such issues under a rug with vague euphemisms and cultural whitewashing. That being said, I honestly think average Iranians and Americans probably have far more in common than many of us realize and that we could potentially get along quite well if only we could admit that we're being manipulated into distrusting and despising each other by our own governments, our own media, and our own religious leaders. Visiting adversarial cultures can be an important part of a shared awakening, but it's also important to realize that not everyone who declines to do so is ignorant or uninformed. Some of us still have moral or ethical complications when it comes to spending money in a market that funds a government with which we strongly disagree. Although these days I have almost as many problems with the moral and ethical judgment of my own government as I do with Iran's._

_ _

_ _



v v said:


> _You know Rosie and I love the US, but there's a couple of things that go on there that really upset us, and it's ingrained in your DNA. But unless we visit we have no chance to understand why. For a third example we've even had 3 master classes about why people own guns from some serious well intentioned people. We wouldn't own a gun but with their view of the world we almost understand why they do._


_ _

_I doubt it has anything to do with our DNA or genetic predisposition. That being said, it's hard to give specific answers as to what precisely is driving America's quiet acceptance of routine violence or our bizarre fetishization of military style weaponry. In the US most publicly accessible social and cultural research is funded at least in part by our government. Unfortunately for the last two decades the American government has been specifically barred from performing or promoting gun related research. The Columbine Massacre occurred 19 years ago and since that time there has been very little in the way of meaningful gun related research from which to inform our citizens and policymakers. As a result of this and other obstructive influences average Americans are surprisingly uninformed when it comes to understanding the causes and repercussions of rampant gun related violence. Just because we live through it on a daily basis doesn't mean we fully comprehend it or even take it seriously._


----------



## v v

Devil's Advocate said:


> v v said:
> 
> 
> 
> Mr DA, _ think that mcropod was separating the regular people you meet from a country's politics. Has to happen everywhere doesn't it or none of us would travel. As to Turkey the same applies. Do you think that by people not travelling to these places it makes the situation better? I don't._
> 
> 
> 
> _ _
> 
> _Just because you're a guest in a foreign land doesn't mean you have to check your brain at the border. If you're going to vacation in a country like Turkey while they're cracking down on intellectual thought, outlawing public dissent, and torturing political prisoners you're not doing anyone any favors by sweeping such issues under a rug with vague euphemisms and cultural whitewashing. That being said, I honestly think average Iranians and Americans probably have far more in common than many of us realize and that we could potentially get along quite well if only we could admit that we're being manipulated into distrusting and despising each other by our own governments, our own media, and our own religious leaders. Visiting adversarial cultures can be an important part of a shared awakening, but it's also important to realize that not everyone who declines to do so is ignorant or uninformed. Some of us still have moral or ethical complications when it comes to spending money in a market that funds a government with which we strongly disagree. Although these days I have almost as many problems with the moral and ethical judgment of my own government as I do with Iran's._
> 
> _ _
> 
> _ _
> 
> 
> 
> v v said:
> 
> 
> 
> _You know Rosie and I love the US, but there's a couple of things that go on there that really upset us, and it's ingrained in your DNA. But unless we visit we have no chance to understand why. For a third example we've even had 3 master classes about why people own guns from some serious well intentioned people. We wouldn't own a gun but with their view of the world we almost understand why they do._
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> _ _
> 
> _I doubt it has anything to do with our DNA or genetic predisposition. That being said, it's hard to give specific answers as to what precisely is driving America's quiet acceptance of routine violence or our bizarre fetishization of military style weaponry. In the US most publicly accessible social and cultural research is funded at least in part by our government. Unfortunately for the last two decades the American government has been specifically barred from performing or promoting gun related research. The Columbine Massacre occurred 19 years ago and since that time there has been very little in the way of meaningful gun related research from which to inform our citizens and policymakers. As a result of this and other obstructive influences average Americans are surprisingly uninformed when it comes to understanding the causes and repercussions of rampant gun related violence. Just because we live through it on a daily basis doesn't mean we fully comprehend it or even take it seriously._
> 
> _ _
Click to expand...

_ _

_ _

_I think we agree on what you covered in the first paragraph, except for... __"Some of us still have moral or ethical complications when it comes to spending money in a market that funds a government with which we strongly disagree."_

_ _

_​__​It's pretty easy to make sure that most of your visitor $'s goes to the man in the street, they are often more downtrodden than any visitor with a conscience._

_ _

_As for your second point about gun control, it was only to explain we now understand a little as to why some Americans want to own guns, and we wouldn't have had that insight without visiting the US._

_If we ever meet 'On the Avenue' as both Bob Dylans would say, I'll buy you dinner and we can set the world to rights. It's not really for me to discuss American politics on this forum but happy to face to face._


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## v v

*Sunday 1 April Day 40 ~ Jacksonville, FL to Miami, FL*
_Updated in the Allier, France ~ Monday 30 April_

It's an Amtrak day again, hooray! But it may be our last ever Amtrak train, oh no! Up at 6am ready to go at 6:30am. Our first and last taxi for this trip, amazed ourselves that planning all the public transport has worked just about every time, no major hiccups at all, thanks google.

Very pleasant on-time taxi driver, quite elderly so I loaded everything into the car and think even closed her door for her. Still in the 25 minute drive to JAX station she entertained us with stories, she was a real sweetie.

If you've never been JAX is a very pleasant small Amtrak station with good staff, couldn't fault anything about it.

Early morning mist almost, looking down the track to where our train would appear from




The 97 Silver Meteor to Miami pulled in right on time, excellent. On boarding we were assigned numbered seats, there was also an announcement that single passengers should take any open seats next to another passenger as there were many about to board a little further south, good organisation. Coach passengers were a real mix, all the better for it too.

We just sat back and enjoyed northern Florida, we really like this part of the state. Winter Park is one of our favourite small towns too, just got something about it for us. Orlando has lots of changes, many getting off, even more getting on.

At one stop in a small central Florida town the station platform was too short for a LD train, as we had seen several times before the train blocks a road crossing. The drivers are oh so patient as it often takes 7 or 8 minutes to get everybody who's leaving off and new boarders on the train, here's a classic photo




As we travel south the train travels at maximum? speed as much as possible, but the track deteriorates. We mistakenly buy 2 cups of tea, some of mine ended in my lap even though it was firmly in the middle of the carry box on the pull down table. Writing was impossible, so we slept a little. We were woken by a man singing, he wasn't a good singer but appeared to be really enjoying himself and wasn't doing too much harm. You meet all sorts on an Amtrak train.

All the extra speed brought us into Miami 55 minutes early, that is a lot of time made up since JAX. Maybe the engineer had an important dinner date he dare not miss, he certainly didn't hang around anywhere.

Miami welcomes us all




We detrain in Miami (MIA) nice temperature and a lovely light. If you can't relax here you can't anywhere. We're catching a bus to Miami International airport to try to rent our next Dollar rental car. About a 25 minute wait for the No. 42. Straight from the station to the multi-use transit center just on the edge of the new car rental complex. Now here goes, do we get our car or not.

Seen straight away, hand over the same documents as in Jacksonville and the same card. The clerk is chatty, then looks at her screen, looks at me, looks at the screen, does that a 3rd time and then a big smile, what did the UK rental agency write to them? The rest is as always simple, quick and efficient. Instructs us where we collect the car and we are away.

Pretty impatient drivers around the airport area but it calms down a little as we drive further away. Simple drive to Homestead south of Miami, straight to our hotel, The Floridian. Well priced, room in good condition and poolside with a very pleasant sitting and pool area in a central courtyard, we're here.




Tomorrow is another day we have really looked forward to, a return trip into the Everglades, but there is a surprise.


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## Bob Dylan

Good segment Jamie, looking forward to the next Chapter in y'alls "Farewell to the USA" Tour.


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## v v

*Monday 2 April Day 41 ~ Everglades, FL*

_Updated in the Allier, France ~ Wednesday 2 May_

Easy start to the day, Rosie bought some supplies and we're off.

At the entrance to the Everglades National Park we pay our $ 25 entrance fee - this gives access for a week - and drive through to the Visitors Center.

The plan is to drive as far as we can, Flamingo Visitor Center on the tip of mainland Florida which is 40 miles from the entrance. There are numerous trails off of this one and only road in the park and we intend to walk many/most of them, we have a whole day and evening to do it.

Rosie volunteers to get us a map from the visitor center, she also gets a full induction course too. These Rangers can be so helpful. Considering the large numbers of people in and around the Miami area we are surprised at how few visitors we see in the park. We understand that a previous hurricane had damaged some of the infrastructure but surely that's not why people come here. It has to be for wildlife and the vastness of the remote area.

It has been maybe 15 years since we were here, the Everglades were the highlight of that vacation. After a couple of stops we think we are in the wrong place to see wildlife, a few birds and a small snake.

No idea what this is but it is very attractive




Then we came across this Barrel Owl, it wasn't asleep so must have been pulling a funny face




One of the info tablets described how the water across the Everglades is like a sheet just a few inches deep, and from what we saw it was just like that




Nearby was this Dragonfly




This really nice raised boardwalk was on Mahogany Hammock (a hammock in the Everglades is a small islands slightly raised above the water level)




If you like remote and wild places the Everglades are beautiful, several hours after starting out we are at the end of the road at Flamingo, but where is everybody, there are only a handful of people around? Many of the park buildings are still in their disrepaired state, although a couple of parts were open, but no refreshments as the cafeteria was closed too. The whole site at Flamingo had this almost abandoned air, have the parks had their funds removed as it all looks forlorn?

Now it's late afternoon and we know we should be seeing Alligators and the salt water Crocodiles at this sort of time, so we walk all the way round the waters edge, as we get past the canoe hire mooring I spot a Crocodile inside the empty marina. Being in the marina it gives us a chance to get near as there are pontoons sticking out into the water, this medium sized crocodile is fascinating as he's moving around slowly but can't see why, here are a couple of photos







We spend another hour or so there, have a little to eat from our supplies and make a move as there are still 2 or 3 trails we want to walk, but not in the dark. Nearing the park entrance a most glorious sunset was forming in the car rear view mirror, quite spectacular!







One last trail to walk, nearly dark now but suddenly we see a few people looking for the twilight animals too, this is Royal Palm Visitor Center, the silhouette of the palms is really beautiful




As we were leaving the center Rosie spotted an Alligator in the center of the pond. The camera couldn't quite cope with this light level especially at a distance from the subject, but the orange range finder light flash did pick out the Alligator's eye!




On our way back to Flamingo we swing into a Cracker Barrel to eat, we were pretty hungry and it all went down well. We sat there and talked about the day. We still really enjoy just being in the Everglades as that sort of open space is our thing, but here is the surprise... where is the wildlife? Apart from the various animals and birds in the photos above, we saw another 2 birds, another small snake and that was it. This is a gigantic nature park, we have more wildlife in our front field than we saw today.

OK, we could have just gotten unlucky, but the difference between now and 15 years ago is more than enormous, anyone know a reason?

Tomorrow Rosie hopes to go for a paddle in the warm water of the Keys, a sort of early start as we want to spend a little time there and are looking at driving a bit more than half way to Key West.


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## Bob Dylan

I don't have a definitive answer as to what happened to the birds and wildlife in the Everglades Jamie, but species are vanishing all over the world due to poachers, climate change, development and failure of governments to care for our parks and wildlife areas.

Really nice pics, and the Park sounds wonderful!

Looking forward to your trip to the Keys, I haven't been in Southern Florida below Miami in over 30 years!


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## cpotisch

Wow! Loving the pictures (namely the owl, dragonfly, and crocodile)! Keep 'em coming!


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## willem

Bob Dylan said:


> I don't have a definitive answer as to what happened to the birds and wildlife in the Everglades Jamie, but species are vanishing all over the world due to poachers, climate change, development and failure of governments to care for our parks and wildlife areas.


Burmese pythons are part of the problem. They have established a breeding population in south Florida, and the mature snakes are top predators and are wreaking havoc on other species. Misguided people obtained pythons as pets and then released them when they got tired of having an animal that did little other than eat and sleep.


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## v v

Bob Dylan said:


> I don't have a definitive answer as to what happened to the birds and wildlife in the Everglades Jamie, but species are vanishing all over the world due to poachers, climate change, development and failure of governments to care for our parks and wildlife areas.
> 
> Really nice pics, and the Park sounds wonderful!
> 
> Looking forward to your trip to the Keys, I haven't been in Southern Florida below Miami in over 30 years!


Thanks Bob, I think Willem has part of the answer below but for the whole length of the road there was an eerie lack of wildlife.

BTW, looks like Iran is off our list for a while as US, UK and Canadian citizens are only allowed to travel in Iran accompanied either by joining a regular organised tour or by having our own itinerary booked for us and remaining in the company of an official tour guide from the moment we cross the border to the moment we leave. No changes allowed to planned itinerary at all. As independent travellers that doesn't appeal to us in the slightest even though Iran is at the top of our travel list, so we'll wait and see developments over the next few years. Doesn't politics play havoc with ordinary peoples lives.



cpotisch said:


> Wow! Loving the pictures (namely the owl, dragonfly, and crocodile)! Keep 'em coming!


Thank you cpotisch, it's a lot of luck not so much skill



willem said:


> Bob Dylan said:
> 
> 
> 
> I don't have a definitive answer as to what happened to the birds and wildlife in the Everglades Jamie, but species are vanishing all over the world due to poachers, climate change, development and failure of governments to care for our parks and wildlife areas.
> 
> 
> 
> Burmese pythons are part of the problem. They have established a breeding population in south Florida, and the mature snakes are top predators and are wreaking havoc on other species. Misguided people obtained pythons as pets and then released them when they got tired of having an animal that did little other than eat and sleep.
Click to expand...

Thanks willem. If they are the cause of what we (didn't see) saw then the Everglades has a major problem. Lets hope we were just in the wrong places at the wrong times...


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## Bob Dylan

Bad News Jamie: Iran Tourism for "the Allies" sounds like what Russia and Cuba and,Albania ( at least for the US) had during the Cold War Days and North Korea still has IINM???


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## v v

*Tuesday 3 April Day 42 ~ Florida Keys*

_Updated in the Allier, France ~ Thursday 3 May_

The journey finally caught up with me, didn't feel great and not much sleep. Had a lay-in and got away by noon, I'm still tired. Very pleasant drive down through the Keys, once there is water on both sides it's beautiful. Quite a lot of traffic and fairly slow too, but we didn't have so far to drive and no big hurry. We were heading for Curry Hammock State Park on Little Crawl key, it turned out to be a very nice choice too. The Atlantic side of the Keys doesn't match the beaches of the Gulf side, but the Gulf side was mainly built up or not accessible.

One of the many bridges connecting the Keys




This small State Park has everything you need. Good access to the ocean, shaded areas to sit or to picnic, toilets and showers, a campground if you are a bit more serious about your visit. There was also kayak rental if you want to go off and explore. Not many people in the park, it gave the whole place a relaxed feel. Rosie was excited and asked if I wanted to walk the seashore, it wasn't the right day for me so she soon disappeared. I'm happy just to sit, look and think over our 6 week journey, also very pleased Rosie had got her time by the water.

Here are a few photos taken on and from Curry Hammock













This one's for you cpotisch, one of my favourites from the whole journey. The crab is checking Rosie out!




These look like mussels? No on second thoughts they're not







As it starts to get dark we head for Homestead, our second amazing southern Florida sunset




We decide to eat in as we must have visited well over 50 restaurants so far, can't wait to get back to home cooking. It had been the perfect wind-down day for us and now it was nearly time to head for home we were almost looking forward to it.

Back at the Floridian hotel and there were small groups of people sitting outside , just a low murmur of voices to add to the pleasing scene. We do like the hotel and would return if we were ever in this part of the world again.

Plenty of time to pack in the morning, we have our room until noon. Then there are several sitting and relaxing areas inside and out with fruit and hot or cold drinks to be had. We knew from past experience that once a journey ends we start to feel tired and have to take it easy for a day or two, that's just about how it worked out.


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## v v

Bob Dylan said:


> Bad News Jamie: Iran Tourism for "the Allies" sounds like what Russia and Cuba and,Albania ( at least for the US) had during the Cold War Days and North Korea still has IINM???


Yes it is Bob as we had started to make tentative plans. It was the same for the UK too with big barriers to entering a handful of countries.

There is a flip side to this though, at least for the UK. 19 years ago we were trying to drive across the southern edge of the Mediterranean and couldn't get visas for Libya, we were on our way to Egypt and eventually Iran. There was a diplomatic standoff at the time and visas weren't easy to get, but we were told if we were to travel to Tunisia and ask at a Libyan Consulate close to the border we had a chance of being granted them.

This turned out to be correct but at a price, $750 each which was way too much for us. I asked why they were so expensive and hard to get and was told._ "For a Libyan to get a visa for your country it is 3 times more expensive than we want from you, and harder to get too" _

This was confirmed from another source several months later and we also found out that Libya wasn't the only country on the UK's 'expensive' list, so they all do it I guess.

We did get into Libya for 3 hours, we tried to pretend we were told to get our visa at the border. The police chief at the border said he'd try to get us our visas and he would contact Tripoli for us. He also said that if you are granted your visas it's my father's birthday at the weekend, please be our honoured guests. We would have died to have gotten to that party, what a story that would be to tell.

But after 3 hours a general turned up, we were summoned from our camper. He said with us touching noses _"Mister, get this van turned round and get out of here! " _

On a brighter note we are starting to look at visiting 4 of Iran's neighbouring countries, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, none of them have a visa problem for the UK or the US. There will be trains involved, care to meet up in Tbilisi?


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## v v

*Wednesday and Thursday, 4/5 April - Days 43 & 44 ~ Last day, end of Journey*

_Updated in the Allier, France ~ Friday 4 May_

Leisurely morning, all bags packed including 3 cacti and 3 succulents into containers that wont give the customs people a problem if they have a rummage. The weather is close to tropical levels of rain with dark skies but mostly we've had good weather where-ever we have been, very fortunate.

As we don't have to leave for the airport until around 2-3pm we had thought of driving back into the Everglades Park this morning, but this level of rain would not have suited being outdoors. We do wonder where all the people here on vacation have gone too, maybe there are more undercover places to visit than we realise.

Leave bags at the hotel desk and use their lounge, had a whole section just to ourselves. We spend the next 3 hours very comfortable, looking at torrential rain, talking, reading and drinking lots of tea. There is also great wifi so we have it all.

Leave about a half an hour early to drive to the airport, traffic is understandably slow and more of it than on arrival. Located the car rental return ok, but the process has been de-humanised, maybe a max of 10 words in all between us and the agent taking the car back.

Miami airport lacks good information signs, had to ask at security which part of the terminal to use, or maybe we're just stupid.

Security had the opposite demeanour to our arrival in San Francisco, surly and abrupt, this airport is a little edgy. Even Rosie is given a tough time and that never happens. I follow a man from Argentina through the security channel, he gets pulled over. I get pulled over too. This time it's a few extra questions only for me, the 30 something Argentinian is in for longer questioning.

We both collect our carry-on bits and pieces at the same time, he looks anxious and I give him a smile. It's a game they play so don't worry, a man travelling alone is often pulled out I tell him. We have a short conversation while dressing and re-packing. he is a pleasant man and now smiles. He points to 2 very small tattoos under the outside of his left eye, _"this one is for my brother who died, and this one is for my best friend who died too", _I now see they are tiny tears. He says he's often pulled at security as the tattoos are mistaken for some form of gang recognition, but he wont have them removed as they are too personal.

Double decker plane which is roomy even in coach, as on the way out only two of us in the three seats, very good for Rosie as she needs to curl up when sitting for long periods now.

Completely uneventful flight except we have found our niche when ordering flight meals. We neither are vegetarian but now always order vegan meals on all flights. The standard appears to us to be constantly good where's meals with meat or fish have been hit and miss. Works for us anyway.

Back to London which feels more laid back than Miami, wouldn't have thought that. We're familiar with the route on the Tube and overground trains, find ourselves in Brentwood, Essex soon enough. Cousin Sylvia is there to collect us, she's a real sweetie and always smiling, we're home!

At the moment we're guessing at 18,000 miles including flights, it feels like a long journey now. Our thoughts are jumbled as the contrasts of people and places is so great we can't take it all in. The closest we can find to describe the feeling is we have stepped out of a kaleidoscope that makes up America, but oh it feels so nice to have stopped moving, well almost.

The world has gone crazy. Dark and wet on leaving Miami, dry, bright and sunny on reaching England, surely it should be the other way around.




Exit gate of Brentwood, Essex rail station, the end of our travels through America


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## Bob Dylan

A great ending to an Epic Journey! So glad y'all enjoyed your visit to the Colonies, it was great meeting you both, and as we say, Hope "..we meet again someday on the Avenue..!!!"

Rest up and get ready for your next adventure wherever you go! Looking forward to reading your reports and seeing your great pics!


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## Mystic River Dragon

Thanks for taking us on this wonderful journey with you and Rosie! Both of you showed such stamina and grace and adaptability throughout, and I'm glad you got home safely and can relax for a while!


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## oregon pioneer

I do so appreciate the chance to travel along with you from my desktop. Thanks for sharing. I am sorry we did not get to meet along the way, but as Jim says, perhaps another time, another trip.


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## v v

Here is just a small note to finish this journey, after nearly 2 months back in Europe we are still slowly making sense of it.

The lasting impression of this visit to the US is a country in change, it felt quite different to our visit just a year before. More people on the move for all sorts of reasons, but definitely many more regular people criss-crossing this vast country. Some were looking for something although the 'something' wasn't always clearly defined. It felt like a country unsettled, just as Europe feels now too.

But as in our previous visits we met with the same outgoing, kind, hospitable and most of all optimistic nation of people, we're going to miss you all.

We have many many people to thank for the help, advice and consideration shown to us where ever we went, that includes the help offered by this Amtrak forum, remarkable as always. We were lucky enough to meet up with friends who often went out of their way to make our visit enjoyable, you all know who you are.

I want to mention by name a few AU members, Jennifer for directing us the long way round to the Isaak Walton Inn, what a place to be after an epic snow fall, just magic. Jeb and Chelsea, lets hope we can show you one of our favourite joints one day, great evening with you both.

All the encouragement from many who took the time to read these ramblings, Mystic River Dragon and you too Ed plus plenty of others. And last to one of the world's great characters, Mr Bob Dylan, you made life so much easier for us when it could have been difficult, you're a gent Jim!

We arrived back and Spring had taken hold at our small farmstead, lots of colour and a fresh feel to the place. Within two weeks we had started to lightly discuss 'where next?', plans are afoot for something but not sure if they qualify for a report in this forum as although they will include rail they wont include the US.

It's been fantastic, thank you


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## Ryan

Please share them for sure. This was a most entertaining voyage to follow.

Thanks!!!


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## Bob Dylan

Thanks guys, and Ditto to Ryan's post.

Please share your future adventures with us!


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## oregon pioneer

Agreed -- I have enjoyed many a rail adventure tale from abroad on this forum. Don't stop now!


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## v v

That's good, we like hanging around this forum.

As we live in the UK and France, Brexit will concentrate our minds for the next 12 months, but we do hope to make a shorter interesting journey in September/October this year and a longer one in the fall of 2019.

If all else fails we'll take a 'local' rail journey we have intended to take for a couple of years now, Clermont Ferrand to Beziers, the once a day direct train through the Massif Central, one of our favourite areas in France. Beziers is a very interesting city too, ancient with a lot of character.

Thanks again for the encouragement, will post again when we have probable plans.


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## Seaboard92

Please post your next trip report because I absolutely love reading your reports. And often times I take notes from your travels. This year as I'm working around the country I'm going to attempt to figure out the reason the Country is in a state of change be it trump, economic issues, or other motivators.

Chances are I wouldn't have known without you guys. And I find it an interesting thing to learn about. So please keep writing. That or send us all a link to the trip report somewhere else.


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## Mystic River Dragon

Yes, absolutely more trip reports, please!




They are wonderful to read, and I have learned a lot!


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## v v

Thank you, this is a very welcoming forum.

Seaboard, you've taken on a mighty task there, but good for you that you want to do it. I think that we just remove our own views from our questions, try to see the world through the other persons eyes even if we disagree. I'm sure you will find your own way of speaking with people, listening and hearing what the words mean is the best advice I can give.

I'd be very interested in what your conclusions are, and if your quest has changed you.

Writing a blog/travelogue only happens here, writing doesn't comes easily to me but here's the reason I've written a couple of travelogues. A few years ago before our first Amtrak trip I asked loads of questions, the response from this forum was and is amazing. No angle to the answers, just a friendly wish to help fellow train travellers, this forum has an enormous knowledge base.

We thought it was so generous that we had to give something back, so our first travelogue was born here, and only here. If I write about travels we don't have a private blog, only this forum as long as I can get away with it.


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## Seaboard92

I'll be sure to let you guys know what I find out. I think it will be a great quest to learn more about the country. While I know a lot about my state and Oregon. And then on Europe I really know nothing about the other states. So I'm looking forward to an eye opening experience.


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