# One and a half Brits..



## caravanman (May 28, 2010)

I managed to persuade my 16 year old son to join me on my latest trip. After dodging the volcanic ash, we flew to Chicago on 21 May and after a little sightseeing and resting up, we boarded the Zephyr on Monday 24th May. Lucky to get aboard, only made it with minutes to spare! Coach seats, rearmost in the coach. Quite surprised to see electric sockets at each seat. Booked to Reno, several interesting travel companions, more about them anon. Aidan and I took turns to sleep, one in the seat and one on the floor behind the seat. Handy it was the last seat! I found my night on the floor to be better than the seats. Being over 6' 2" tall and aged 58, the seats are just not too good for sleeping.

Good scenery as always. Reno is a bit quiet, not many people here. Today we visited the car museum, very interesting, and tomorrow we head on to Sacramento, staying at the hostel again.

Plans are a bit open, after SAC the only fixed item is our flight back to the UK on 16th June.

More anon,

Ed


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## MrEd (May 28, 2010)

I am impressed you slept on the floor. Have a good trip.


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## Cascadia (May 31, 2010)

Looking forward to an update! Hope you are having a great time.


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## birdy (Jun 2, 2010)

Well, California is a very hostel-rich area. Not cheap, but pretty nice. Can do S.F. and the northern coast, or bop on down to San Diego and stay at the international youth hostel. (You will be only three decades or so older than anyone else). But since when do the Brits pass up a nice day at the beach? (Oh wait, June Gloom in S.D. Better stay north).


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## caravanman (Jun 5, 2010)

Saturday 5th June

We left Reno by Greyhound bus, the train was too early a start!

Driving up over the mountains, still snowy, I looked across to the left, and saw the rail line, anchored to the mountain side in the distance.

Considering our steep climb up from Reno by road, it reinforced the achievment of getting the rails up so high. As I looked out on the snowy mountain, I thought I heard a faint hammering of metal on rock, echoing across the years, imagining the hardships of those early construction workers.

The weather in Reno had been a bit cool, but as we stepped off the bus in Sacramento, we felt that hot Californian sun on our backs at last.

Walked to the Hi Hostel on H street, about 15 minutes away and checked in. Took a stroll down to the "old town" by the river, and found that we were in the middle of a 3 day jazz festival. Not my sort of music, but nice to be amongst the party vibe.

We just took it easy for a few days, Aidan my son did a little "cool gear" clothes shopping, and I got a few photos of a small steam engine near the rail road museum, giving tourist rides.

Visited Sac station to book our tickets to Las Vegas, and the clerk just charged childs fare for a 16 year old, despite having the passport ID in front of her eyes.. I didn't complain..

My son is keen to sunbathe, and we decided that the hotel room prices in Vegas were so cheap that we would be able to chill out in Vegas, and rent a car to take day trips to Death Valley, and the Grand Canyon, etc.

The trip to Las vegas was unremarkable, except that the Amtrak bus had no A/C working, and it was hot, hot, hot... The driver opened the two roof vents, which helped a little.

The route to Vegas was a bus to Stockton, train to Bakersfield, and bus to Las Vegas, pretty much a 12 hour journey, to the minute.

Some of you may have read about my last trip here, the building sites are still not re started, lots of half finished projects halted and mothballed.

Mentioned above, I have stayed in the San Diego HI hostel twice before, there were a good mix of ages there. Most hostels seem to have shed the word "youth", although of course most guests are younger than me.

After las Vegas, we travel to Los Angeles by bus, and board the "Chief" that same evening to Chicago, followed by a night off the trains, then the "Lake shore" to New York.

There is an excessive heat alert for the next few days here in Las Vegas, it seems to be feast or famine, sunshine wise, on my US trips!

Eddie


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## DesertRat (Jun 5, 2010)

caravanman said:


> Saturday 5th JuneThere is an excessive heat alert for the next few days here in Las Vegas, it seems to be feast or famine, sunshine wise, on my US trips!
> 
> Eddie


 Heh...this year in February is probably the only time all 50 states got together on the weather...all 50 states had snow on the ground for at least a day on 13 Feb I think.
Enjoy your trip!


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