Who in the world are you?

[SarahZ]

I'm 35-years old and grew up in northeastern Michigan. I went to school at NMU and miss the countryside of the U.P. very much, even though I also consider myself a city mouse.

I spent the bulk of my career as a writer/editor, but then the economy tanked, and I got laid off. I worked for a classical instrument retailer in Ann Arbor for a few years and loved it, but then I moved to Kalamazoo to take a job as an auto claim processor with the Good Neighbor. (My ex-boyfriend lived here, and I came here to be with him in 2008, only to break up a month later.)

I'm thinking about going back to school for something medical-related, as I've served enough time in customer service. I'd love to study radiology. I'd also love to work as a writer again. My boyfriend and I have been talking about moving to Chicago since we'd both have more career opportunities there (he's a software programmer).

I love European history, particularly English history (especially the Tudors), and Victorian literature. I also love mysteries and tales of the supernatural (not "Twilight", gag). Trains bring me closer to those historical mysteries and my love of Europe. I wish I could travel with Miss Marple. I loved trains even as a kid, though. I used to beg to ride the train at the zoo and amusement parks.

I've been riding Amtrak since 2000, when I started taking it between Ann Arbor and Chicago. When I boarded a real train for the very first time and it started to roll out of the station, I cried with happiness. It was just so beautiful, to see the scenery like that and finally ride a real train.

When I started dating Brent in January 2010, I looked into the SWC since he's terrified of flying. I'd never taken a LD train, so I decided to take it to ABQ to visit him to "test it out". I loved it so much! He took the SWC to visit me twice while I continued to fly (I'm very impatient, and when you're dating long-distance you want to be there as soon as possible). Now we take the SWC to visit his family for the holidays, and we're planning other LD trips. We've been together almost three years. It's hard to believe.

We adopted two cats from the shelter a couple weeks ago: a two-year old grey tabby named Sherlock and a one-year old black, long-haired kitty named Winter. Previously, I had two kitties named Gomez and Morticia, but they both passed away. I miss them terribly. I wasn't sure about adopting two new cats, but it had been a couple of years, and it just felt so empty in my home and my heart. I'm so glad we adopted them. Everything feels happy and "normal" again. It truly feels like home again, now that we have two furry heartbeats sharing our lives.

I've lost 42 pounds toward my goal of losing 200 pounds total; I keep a weight loss blog (link below). It isn't all about weight loss, though. I tend to update nearly every day, so it's more of a journal. I'm glad I'll be able to read it years from now, since my memory isn't what it used to be.

 

[rrdude]

Mid-50's, live in Baltimore, MD area for about the last 20 years. Moved here from Michigan when we purchased a then-running tourist train operation, called "The EnterTrainment Line". It was basically a dinner train, (all you can eat and drink) that ran out and back from either Westminster, MD or Union Bridge, MD on a (Sung to the tune of Gilligan's Island" song) "Three hour tour." Ran over the tracks of shortline operator Maryland Midland.

Married and divorced, no kids first marriage, five second time around. Met my wife on the EnterTrainment line, she was the train manager. (she hates trains now)

Born and raised in Ann Arbor, MI. Schooled at Western Michigan University. Worked for Amtrak as a waiter and LSA from 1978 to 1981, based out of Chicago Crewbase. Always had "thing" for trains, even though no family history of employment or growing up in a "Train Town". (Ann Arbor certainly is not)

Lived in Austin, TX for several years in the 80's, while there was president of TexARP for a year. Didn't travel much via Amtrak for several years, (but more than "John Q. Public") Moved back to Michigan in the late 80's, bought an ex-C&O broken down branch line running from Paw Paw, MI to Hartford, MI. Ran a tourist train, dinner train, and modicum of freight there for a few years. (Kalamazoo, Lake Shore, & Chicago Railway)

Professionally been involved in computer/POS business for most of adult life, except the two stints with shortline/dinner trains. Currently work for s/w developer that writes s/w for restaurants, the touchscreens you see servers and cashiers using to ring up your order. (and on the iPod too)

Really glad to have found this forum a few years ago, as advice from Alan, The_Traveler, and many others, have helped me maximize not only AGR points, but rail travel in general.

Hate apologist-attitudes, always want to hold Amtrak (or any other carrier for that matter) to task to deliver what they say they are going to deliver.

Fed up politically with both major parties, so ID myself as "Independent". Subscribe to "Shoot First, Ask Questions Later:, and Lee Iacocca's statement, "Lead, Follow, Or Get-Out-Of-The-Way". Also find it better to "Ask for forgiveness, than ask for permission".

See ya all in Philly Saturday AM.

 

[fillyjonk]

43 year old college professor. I started taking Amtrak because flying was inconvenient (and expensive!) from where I live, realized how much I love train travel, now I use Amtrak for as many LD trips as I can.

My username comes from the fact that I use it as my alias on my blogspot blog, and it's also part of my alias on Ravelry, which is a sort of social-networking site for fiber crafters/artists.

In my real life, I'm an ecologist who also teaches soil science and statistics for biologists. I'm an avid knitter (hence the fact I hang out on Ravelry) and I make quilts. I'm also learning to play the piano after inheriting my grandfather's Steinway.

Single, no kids, honestly probably a pretty boring personal life....but there you are.

 

[oregon pioneer]

I'm the executive director of a small, struggling rural nonprofit in eastern Oregon. Our mission is about renewable energy and sustainability in general, so it makes trains a natural way to travel (being the most energy-efficient way to get from point A to point B). I tend to travel in winter, if at all, because both my job and my home require my presence full-time in summer. I love to walk, and usually travel light enough that I can do a couple miles with my luggage if necessary (an ability that came in handy a few years back, when we arrived at SAS on a snowy, icy night and there were no taxis to get us to our downtown hotel).

My very first train trip was from my home in Vermont to college in 1968 (now I've admitted I am over 60, and I also will say I am female). My dad drove me up from Vermont to Montreal, and I took the train to Chicago where I transferred to the California Zephyr. I loved going through Colorado, and the canyons of eastern Utah to the University of Utah in SLC. I have photos I took from the dome car with my little Instamatic camera (hmm, somewhere...).

My husband and I usually travel with a goal of visiting family, though as the older ones are gone now, we are branching out a little to some travel for the pleasure of seeing new places and visiting other friends and hobby destinations. I was enticed into this discussion board by meeting with an AU'er on the CS a couple years back. One of these years, Hubby and I hope to meet some more of you at a Gathering.

BTW, I don't live as far as some from the nearest station -- I'm something like equidistant from Winnemucca NV, Chemult OR, and Pasco WA. When you factor in the available bus connections, Chemult or even Portland wins out (no bus at all to the other two from anywhere near here).

One more thing: Hubby and I didn't get married till we were both 40. Having (separately but equally) observed in our 20s that there was already an adequate supply of human beings, we did not add to it by having children.

 

[debmep]

Female age 55. Now surfing most of the time, but everyone was so helpful this past winter when I planned our GRR to ABQ trip. Thanks You all! Married with 2 adult sons living home, one with Epilepsy. (he will be able to drive again in a few weeks). In MIchigan the wait is 6 months after each seizure before you can drive.

Working as an LPN for 30 years but may be unemployed at the end of the year. Nurses are being replaced by Medical Assistants.

Lived in West Michigan my entire life, and LOVE the U.P! We joke that we want to be buried in the cute little cemetery in Seney MI next to the National Wildlife Refuge. Our get-away spot is St Ignace usually at the Budget Host. We love animals and are "rescue" people. Currently care taker for a feral cat colony in our back woods. All have been TNR'ed. Conservation roots but more liberal as we age. Grew up West Michigan tribal dutch protestant & married a ministers son. Now we attend a liberal west MI mega Bible church with a whole lot less guilt and a whole lot more joy! We have taken Amtrak to Chicago on day trips probably close to 15 times, this past March was our first big Amtrak trip and we loved it.

 

[jb64]

47 yr old female who has lived in Virginia her whole life. Graduated from UVA with a degree in psychology and still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. Meanwhile, I love baseball and it takes up much of my time. I am married (26 years) with two children, one grown and one nearly grown. I work in healthcare compliance and am a certified coder. I also work a part-time job coding for healthcare organizations across the country. This money is my travel money so I can take trips without worrying about how it might impact our budget. I love to travel and it is not exclusive to trains, but I do love train travel. I enjoy hiking, when I can, and I am active in Basset and other local animal rescues and local youth sports. I am a social modeater, fiscal conservative liberteration (little L) who has finally decided to stop voting for the lesser of two evils.

I also love this thread.

 

[Gingee]

I have been on this site for several years. I am married and am a preschool teacher. We have three grown children and one darling granddaughter who is eight months. The first time I took a train it was the Rocket out of Peoria, Illinois. It was a rocking and rolling trip to Chicago. My then boyfriend (now husband) and I were recent high school graduates and we took the train to go shopping in Chicago. Many years ago. Then didn't go on a train until we started to cruise and I don't care for flying to the places where the ships leave from. We took our first one (coach) on the Cardinal to NYC. Not wild about going coach but we were paying for four people to go at that time. Since then we have gone on the train at least once a year. Have been on Cardinal, Empire, SWC, etc. We have two little dogs that I hate leaving behind every time we go on the train. Have found a lot of good tips on this site.

Come on Allen. You are the boss here. Tell us about you.

 

[Guestlsa]

wow I hope I get a chance to all of you although I met few of you guys (mrfss) on lake shore when you guys had gathering in Boston .

 

[jphjaxfl]

I am a 64 y/o man living with my wife in Jacksonville, FL. My Dad worked for the New York Central in Illinois. I was born in Joliet, Il and had my first train trip from Joliet to Council Bluffs, Iowa to visit my Grandmother (with my parents) when I was less than a month old. When I was growing up in the 1950s our main mode of travel was passenger train with the question being which railroad and what train. My Dad had his favorites and my mother had hers and they were different. I lived in Peoria Il until I was 13, then moved to Hot Springs Arkansas from 1961 to 66. I went to the same high school as Bill Clinton (he was a Senior when I was a Sophmore). For college I moved to the Louisville, Ky area and went to school at Indiana University Southeast. I graduated from College shortly after Amtrak was born in 1971. I spent 2 months traveling in Europe and then joined the Air Force. I was stationed in Grand Forks, ND for 3 1/2 years until I got out in 1975, then I moved to Minneapolis and went to work for an Insurance Company. I was a frequent traveler on Amtrak in every place I lived. I got married in 1993. My wife grew up in Faribault, MN and rode the Rock Island trains as a child and enjoys train trave. In 1996, we moved to Atlanta for a career move and in 2004, we moved to Jacksonville, FL for another career move. Since 1981, I have made many business trips, but mostly travel by air because trains are not practical for business travel except in certain circumstances like overnight from Atlanta or Jacksonville to Washington, DC or on the corridor. I did a combination business pleasure trip in 1984 which my company paid for which was in conjunction with a trip to the New Orleans World's Fair, then to Texas for business and back to Minneapolis. I am happy we are making some small advances in passenger rail in the US. I look forward to riding the San Francisco to Southern California high speed rail when it gets done. Once that is a success, it will spread to the rest of the US. Trends even in the Insurance business seem to start in California and spread to the rest of the US with the southeast being the slowest to change. I am looking forward to riding a lot more trains in the future.

 

[the_traveler]

1349276877[/url]' post='397442']Note to Moderator: Can you sticky this?

Done!

 

[crescent2]

I am crescent2: The two of us, hubby and I, loved to ride the Crescent.

I am a retired elementary school teacher and he was a retired civil and structural engineer. Sadly, he passed away about a month ago after a long and courageous struggle.

We had planned to take the California Zephyr after my retirement, but his failing health prevented that from happening. Next year, the Good Lord willing, I plan to take the trip and hopefully enjoy it enough for the both of us. I'll be asking for advice here soon. Enjoying the forum posts very much, thanks for all the helpful info!

 

[RailFanLNK]

I am a 49 year old male who has been employed as a delivery driver for "Big Brown" for 25 years. I'm happily married (2nd time) and have introduced my family to Amtrak much to everyone's liking. In 10 days I will run my third Amtrak tour for my church (Methodist) to Chicago to see my Huskers play Northwestern in Big 10 football. I discovered Amtrak in March 2006 after a HORRIBLE flight with United Airlines to and from Toronto Canada. I've had wonderful trips on Amtrak, alot of good trips and one trip from hell. I'm wired for 110 but always going 220 so the train helps me to "relax" and to "chill". My honeymoon in 2010 was on Amtrak and we took it from my hometown of Lincoln NE to Sacramento and then onward to Seattle to see the Huskers play the U of Washington. We then took the EB to Chicago and the CZ back to LNK. I have not been as active on this forum like I used to be. I only have so much time to "play" on the computer so my time is limited. I'm so grateful I found this forum and have learned so many things from EVERYONE on this forum. I'm active politically and lean to the left. I have faith in a Higher Power and don't care if you believe or choose not to believe. I have been clean and sober for 26 years and am very grateful that I am alive today!

 

[jdcnosse]

Lets see, I'm 23, currently in college for computer science (specifically network security/computer forensics). I graduated high school in 2007, went to Michigan Tech University for a year, then had to come back home and so I went to a local community college and worked on and off.

I'm currently residing in TUS, however I grew up about 20 miles west of GRR. I moved to TUS in Jan 2012, to be closer to my girlfriend who I met thanks to Amtrak, and for better job/school prospects.

First train ride (aside from local excursion rides on the local tracks) was shortly after 9/11, took the International Limited from East Lansing, MI to Toronto, ON. Took a train to Chicago as well before my college years, and in the last couple of years I've been on the Pere Marquette and Southwest Chief 6 times (3 trips out west to FLG, and 3 trips coming back), as well as the Blue Water, and the Texas Eagle.

I've always had a fascination with trains however, even have a miniature version of the Walt Disney World monorail. Might have something to do with my Aspergers.

Also, I've recently found the most interesting music. Electro-Swing.

 

[Everydaymatters]

For the past 1-1/2 years I have lived in the tiny town of El Paso, Illinois, which is about 20 miles from the Bloomington/Normal Amtrak Station. I'm thoroughly enjoying living just 2 blocks from my dear daughter and having several grandchildren living here in this same little town. I have lived in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where more than once we had seen evidence of bears wandering around while we slept. I have also lived in a suburb of Los Angeles and in the Mississippi River town of Clinton, Iowa. However, most of my years were spent in and near Chicago and I am told by the "locals" here that I have a Chicago accent.

I am retired but was a bean counter during all my working years. Some people think accounting is complex, but every day was the same: zero to nine all day long. Now I rarely get out the door before 9 a.m. and enjoy the many activities this town offers, the favorite of which is playing pinochle. Of course, riding trains is my passion and I don't get to do that often enough.

My Godfather was with the Northwestern Railroad, I worked several years with the holding company of Katy Railroad, and now my granddaughter works for Norfolk Southern. I love this forum for all the friendly people, interesting conversations, and wealth of information it provides. The number of forum members keeps growing by leaps and bounds and the variety of posts must keep the moderators hopping! Early on I remember times when I was the only person on this discussion forum; that never happens now. Thank you, Anthony, for starting all of this.

 

[edding]

I'm 62 with a life-long love of trains ( I'm told my 1st train trip was when I was 6 weeks old when we took a train from New Rochelle to Pittsburgh -- and then on to Detroit by car). While I've live in the currently Amtrak-less Phoenix metro area, I still consider Detroit to be my home town. I've toiled in Academentia (BA: UM; MA: UI; MSLS:Wayne) for most of my life and am still working my local megalithic University as an academic Librarian. At a previous job at SUNY-Albany, I got to renew my absolute love of trains by riding to NYC, DC and beyond. Since several people have given it up, I'm also a life-long progessive left-leaning radical apathist.

Among all my many train adventures my top three were going from Detroit to NYC in 1960 in order to catch the Queen Elizabeth and then spend the entire summer in England at my Grandparents ( we returned on the Caronia); the trip I took about 4 years ago from Anaheim to Portland on the CS in a roomette; and a day ride from Denver to Salt Lake City on the D&RG in 1976 ( it was a group trip and to give you an idea of what kind of group it was,the train left around 7am and the bar car was out of beer by about Noon).

This is one of my favorite lists and I want to thank the moderators and all the great posters. Keep it up!

Ed

 

[NS VIA Fan]

58 year old male living in Nova Scotia. I'm a Civil Technologist and have worked for the same Engineering firm for 36 years.

I've been a railfan for as long as I can remember……..and I guess growing up next to the tracks helped!

My first Amtrak trip was back in 1973 on the Washingtonian from Montreal to New York:

 

 

……then I rode extensively throughout the '70s until life's other commitments took over. I remember getting USA Railpasses three years in a row and spending two weeks just riding trains….. hop off one then right onto another…..criss-crossing the county: Broadway, North Coast Hiawatha, CS, EB, CZ, Southwest (Limited....not Chief!) Sunset (including the Transcon Sleeper all the way from LA to Washington) and Amfleet, Turboliners and Superliners when they were brand new!

Since then I've covered nearly all of Amtrak's LD train routes with a trip every few years but I do get to the NEC a couple of times a year. I can be sitting on an Acela at South Station Boston in a little over 2 hours from Halifax and the Downeaster is a 9hr drive away.

And I ride VIA often: extensively in the corridor and several times a year I'm on the Ocean. I'm just back from a trip on the Canadian which I've done 5 times now.

Hobbies include photography and hiking/ATV riding old abandoned railway right-of-ways (and we do have a lot of those around here now!)

 

Gary

 

 

[NETrainfan]

A New Englander, who has also lived in Virginia, am about to embark on my sixth cross-country Amtrak trip. (Boston to L.A.)

Also have traveled Boston to Florida (Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, Jacksonville) six times. Dedicated to train travel as a

preferred mode of vacation transport and short distance trips.

Took the train from CT to NYC many times, as we were in a Grey Flannel Suit suburb.

Am an educator and geography buff. Live in Maine where we support the extension of train travel in our state.

 

[jdcnosse]

I'm 35-years old and grew up in northeastern Michigan. I went to school at NMU and miss the countryside of the U.P. very much, even though I also consider myself a city mouse.

Awe, did you have to go to NMU? (I went to Tech ) but I agree with you on that aspect. I loved the small rural feel of the UP, especially driving along US-41 between Houghton and MQT (my girlfriend at the time went TO NMU).

 

[reefgeek]

I'm a 53 year old married father of two remarkable teenage boys (15 and 18). I am a Federal employee in the IT area, and that is as specific as I am allowed to get! I have liked trains my whole life, the Erie Lackawanna tracks ran behind the playground of my grade school in Montclair, NJ. I used to take Amtrak between NJ and college in Miami in the 70s and 80s, although mostly coach. My current job affords me a lot more vacation time than my wife gets, so I have the liberty to indulge my interest in LD train trips, something she doesn't particularly enjoy. We share our house with two hound dogs, two 30-year-old parrots, a ball python and a 250 gallon saltwater fish system, my main hobby.

Very much looking forward to my next trip, 51--27--11--796! (Cardinal -- EB--CS--Surfliner.)

 

[SarahZ]

I'm 35-years old and grew up in northeastern Michigan. I went to school at NMU and miss the countryside of the U.P. very much, even though I also consider myself a city mouse.

Awe, did you have to go to NMU? (I went to Tech ) but I agree with you on that aspect. I loved the small rural feel of the UP, especially driving along US-41 between Houghton and MQT (my girlfriend at the time went TO NMU).

:giggle:

I had a lot of friends at Tech, both those I went to high school with and those I met through them. It is a beautiful drive. I used to drive up to visit them even after I moved to Kalamazoo. Even though it took nearly ten hours, it wasn't boring at all. I love the scenery.

 

[thully]

I'm 27 years old, originally from Ann Arbor, MI, though I just recently moved to San Diego, CA to accept a new job (and I liked it there when visiting, particularly during winter ) Went to school at the University of Michigan, and essentially lived near there for most of my life (I even ran for City Council once in my time there...) My main major was in computer science, and I've worked as a programmer on medical/genetic research-related projects at both the University of Michigan and now UCSD. At the moment, I'm living essentially within eyesight of the Amtrak station here in San Diego - which is quite nice, since I can just walk to catch a train.

I first got into Amtrak (and trains in general) when I was visiting San Diego a few years ago and had the idea of taking a Surfliner to a hockey game in Anaheim. It was a great trip, and from there I was hooked - I eventually rode the Wolverine back in Michigan, and then I started doing weekend trips on the Wolverine to CHI as well as a variety of LD trips when I had the time (including a few on the CL/LSL/Cardinal as well as a SWC/SL/CONO loop). Being that I've never had a car/license (long story there...), I've been quite acclimated to public transit, and Amtrak fits well with that as a way to get around, even more so now in San Diego with the frequent Surfliners. Granted, I could move to the NEC or Chicago and have way more trains/transit, though I like it here better in other respects (weather being one...)

One other thing I do like to do is follow sports - and attend sporting events when I can make it into an Amtrak adventure. Quite a few of my trips have been of that type - including a few day trips I've done for Tigers baseball games (even pulled this off with a Wolverine to a day game in CHI - in that case, both trains were packed with Tiger fans!) Also stopped over at NOL for the Sugar Bowl on my way back to Michigan from San Diego last winter - arrived on the SL the day of the game, and rode on the CONO the next day on a train packed with fellow Wolverines fans.

Really looking forward to the return trip to Michigan this winter via the EB Texas Eagle and WB Southwest Chief (and Surfliner/Wolverine). This time, I'll be doing a sleeper (roomette)- managed to use AGR points for one leg, and paid for the other leg at low bucket. While I've done sleepers before, they've only been for short trips where I'm mostly sleeping (on LSL, and only as far west as TOL). This time, I'll actually get to spend multiple days on one and I'll get to have the LD experience without the roughing it in coach part

 

[jphjaxfl]

For the past 1-1/2 years I have lived in the tiny town of El Paso, Illinois, which is about 20 miles from the Bloomington/Normal Amtrak Station. I'm thoroughly enjoying living just 2 blocks from my dear daughter and having several grandchildren living here in this same little town. I have lived in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where more than once we had seen evidence of bears wandering around while we slept. I have also lived in a suburb of Los Angeles and in the Mississippi River town of Clinton, Iowa. However, most of my years were spent in and near Chicago and I am told by the "locals" here that I have a Chicago accent.

I am retired but was a bean counter during all my working years. Some people think accounting is complex, but every day was the same: zero to nine all day long. Now I rarely get out the door before 9 a.m. and enjoy the many activities this town offers, the favorite of which is playing pinochle. Of course, riding trains is my passion and I don't get to do that often enough.

My Godfather was with the Northwestern Railroad, I worked several years with the holding company of Katy Railroad, and now my granddaughter works for Norfolk Southern. I love this forum for all the friendly people, interesting conversations, and wealth of information it provides. The number of forum members keeps growing by leaps and bounds and the variety of posts must keep the moderators hopping! Early on I remember times when I was the only person on this discussion forum; that never happens now. Thank you, Anthony, for starting all of this.

Hi Betty: I have been to El Paso, Il several times and stayed in the Corn Belt Motel. When I lived in Minneapolis, we used to drive to the Nashiville, TN area to visit family and El Paso was a good stopping point. Unfortunately after the Floridian went away, it wasn't possible to take a train. I also remember than El Paso was a junction of the TP&W and the Illinois Central line that went from Rockford to Southern Illinois which I think is abandoned. I also took a steam train excursion on the TP&W from Peoria in 1981 that went through El Paso. It seems like a nice town. I grew up in Peoria and lived there from 1950 to 1960. Your posts are always nice and make a lot of sense.

 

[Everydaymatters]

For the past 1-1/2 years I have lived in the tiny town of El Paso, Illinois, which is about 20 miles from the Bloomington/Normal Amtrak Station. I'm thoroughly enjoying living just 2 blocks from my dear daughter and having several grandchildren living here in this same little town. I have lived in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where more than once we had seen evidence of bears wandering around while we slept. I have also lived in a suburb of Los Angeles and in the Mississippi River town of Clinton, Iowa. However, most of my years were spent in and near Chicago and I am told by the "locals" here that I have a Chicago accent.

I am retired but was a bean counter during all my working years. Some people think accounting is complex, but every day was the same: zero to nine all day long. Now I rarely get out the door before 9 a.m. and enjoy the many activities this town offers, the favorite of which is playing pinochle. Of course, riding trains is my passion and I don't get to do that often enough.

My Godfather was with the Northwestern Railroad, I worked several years with the holding company of Katy Railroad, and now my granddaughter works for Norfolk Southern. I love this forum for all the friendly people, interesting conversations, and wealth of information it provides. The number of forum members keeps growing by leaps and bounds and the variety of posts must keep the moderators hopping! Early on I remember times when I was the only person on this discussion forum; that never happens now. Thank you, Anthony, for starting all of this.

Hi Betty: I have been to El Paso, Il several times and stayed in the Corn Belt Motel. When I lived in Minneapolis, we used to drive to the Nashiville, TN area to visit family and El Paso was a good stopping point. Unfortunately after the Floridian went away, it wasn't possible to take a train. I also remember than El Paso was a junction of the TP&W and the Illinois Central line that went from Rockford to Southern Illinois which I think is abandoned. I also took a steam train excursion on the TP&W from Peoria in 1981 that went through El Paso. It seems like a nice town. I grew up in Peoria and lived there from 1950 to 1960. Your posts are always nice and make a lot of sense.

Thank you. Yes, El Paso is a nice town. The TP&W is the only train going through here now. The Corn Belt was torn down a long time ago and now there is a row of townhouses where it once stood. The owner of the Corn Belt now owns one, or maybe both, of the hotels (Days Inn and Super 8) near I-39, which runs through El Paso. The interstate has also brought several fast-food places.

 

[SarahZ]

Holy cow, thully. I had no idea you were 27! For some weird reason, I thought you were in your forties. I can't explain why. It's just a feeling I had. :blush:

 

[OBS]

Lets see, I'm 23, currently in college for computer science (specifically network security/computer forensics). I graduated high school in 2007, went to Michigan Tech University for a year, then had to come back home and so I went to a local community college and worked on and off.

I'm currently residing in TUS, however I grew up about 20 miles west of GRR. I moved to TUS in Jan 2012, to be closer to my girlfriend who I met thanks to Amtrak, and for better job/school prospects.

First train ride (aside from local excursion rides on the local tracks) was shortly after 9/11, took the International Limited from East Lansing, MI to Toronto, ON. Took a train to Chicago as well before my college years, and in the last couple of years I've been on the Pere Marquette and Southwest Chief 6 times (3 trips out west to FLG, and 3 trips coming back), as well as the Blue Water, and the Texas Eagle.

I've always had a fascination with trains however, even have a miniature version of the Walt Disney World monorail. Might have something to do with my Aspergers.

Also, I've recently found the most interesting music. Electro-Swing.

20 miles West of GR, like perhaps the Coopersville area? I grew up in Grand Haven.