Train Trip

Chicago

I arrived in Chicago last night and checked into my hotel. It's a great hotel called Hyatt Place that I found highly rated on Travelocity. It's got all the amenities including computer w/printer, huge HD Flatscreen TV, 24/7 food service, pool...lots more.

At some point I'm actually going to leave the place and do something in the city! I plan to visit the Field Museum and see the Bears play. There are just too many good restaurants not to try one or two of those. I've already had some Giordono's Chicago style pizza (last night). Bravissimo!

No Chicago shots yet, so I thought I'd put a shot of Richie Bello and one of the shots I took from the train on my trip through the Rockies. The train was only 6 hours late last night. Good thing I don't have to catch my next one until Sunday night! I'm glad I built some margin into the trip. I haven't missed anything yet, though I've had some close calls. It is surreal going through Daylight Savings time while on a trip in another time zone. I don't even know what day it is!

OSU 44 Minnesota 0!!

October 28, 2006 10:05 CST Trip is coming to a close!!!!

The last couple days have been with the Bellos. I've had a fantastic time making videos with Richie. I just got back from a great brunch talk with Rich, Sr. He and the kids and I went bowling last night. Richie started out with a turkey, and I started out lousy. However, I ended with 6 straight marks including 5 strikes and pulled my 42 up to a 171.

I even did a little painting yesterday. I had wanted to come down and paint the inside of the house, so this was a compromise. Richie had warned us not to have any fun while he was away at school, so we dutifully fixed up the house. Rich dug down and dug out roots of weeds in the front flower bed. Today we slept in and are messing around on the computer before we head off to the doctor and the train station. I'm gearing up for a couple days on the train to Chicago. Da Bare-sss! and the Museum of Natural History are on tap.

October 26, 2006 12:50 PM CST

Yes, I was panning for gold and fraternizing with rattlers, scorpions and gila monsters this afternoon. We panned and got a few specks of gold among the iron pyrite, sand and rocks. It was a fun and educational experience. I went with Mark and his two kids, Melissa and Rick.

Mark's home church was very inspiring. Many of the people were so open and sincere and devoted. We met in Owen McGeehan's home and had lunch after the service. A lot of the kids played soccer out in the "cool" 85 degree Arizona sun. It really is cool for them to be at that temperature. The sun felt hot to me, but it is nice to have the low humidity.

I'm boarding the train to Dallas tonight about 11PM. I'll miss the comfort of the soft bed and the nice hot shower I've had the last two nights. I'm looking forward to seeing the Bello family and doing some more movie-making with Richie Jr with my new Sony hard drive camcorder!

Today I was in Arizona visiting the world's tallest fountain (with a nice park attached) and playing laser tag. In my first game ever I placed 5th, and in my second game I got third place! I love this game!

Here is Ricky at breakfast. Kaye fixed waffles and scrambled eggs. I also got a great dinner cooked for me. It's like being in a family again--except I don't have to do the dishes!

Mark and I played Ricky and his friend Tim-O in football. Easy win, right? Wrong! Kids were quick! Old fogeys had to settle for a 3-3 tie. We drowned our sorrows in Cold Stone Creamery ice cream-yum.

Mark and I went to an adult beverage establishment to see OSU vs. IU. We were disappointed in the Buckeyes, as they both failed to score 50 points and allowed the opposition to actually score a field goal. They'll have to do better next week against Minnesota!

October 21, 2006 8:15 PM PST

I'm off the train for a couple days. Going through the Rockies was really beautiful and I got some footage with the video camera and a few still shots out the train window like this one. Nevada was a boring state most of the way. So many casinos across the US and Canada. Now it's not just the lottery that acts as a regressive tax on the poor.

I finally punted yesterday and resorted to watching movies. I rented a "Dig-e-player" in the LA train station and watched a couple movies on the way to Arizona. I'm definitely going to get back to the reading, writing and blogging on a regular basis. I've been writing in my journal and diary and taking lots of photos, so the blog will definitely be updated, even if it doesn't assume final form until the trip is over.

October 21, 2006 8:25 PM PST

10/10/06 12:45 EST

I'm sitting about 4 hours west of Penn Station on the train which is in the middle of a forest. Fall colors are showing well in some places. Mom is with me on this first leg of the journey and she's finishing her crossword in the seat beside me.

We boarded at 3 am and sleep has been sporadic. Email and phone are doing ok. I decided to leave the laptop at home to pack light and also because the battery can't hold a charge.

I'm missing parts of my book club book on CD when I doze off, but Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick was a good choice. Ah, we're moving again...

10/11/06 2:25 pm

I'm sitting on a bench near SOME GREEK ART GOING BACK TO 4000 B.C. I WROTE A PAPER IN GRAD SCHOOL THAT SPANNED THE MYCENAEAN AGE TO HOMER (NOT SINPSON). THAT'S ABOUT 2200-800 BC.

LAST NIGHT WE WENT TO A GREAT ITALIAN PLACE RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM MY BROTHER KEN'S APARTMENT IN MANHATTAN. TH WEATHER WAS PERFECT, SO WE SAT OUT ON THE SIDEWALK AND HAD FAMILY-SIZED PORTIONS. INCLUDING SOME NICE BRUSCHETTA WITH TOMATOES AND SHRIMP.

ALL THE TRAVELERS FELL ASLEEP DURING THE ENSUING MOVIE. NOT SURPRISING, OWING TO FACTORS OTHER THAN OUR RELATIVELY ADVANCED AGE. I GOT A GREAT SLEEP ON THE COUCH. KEN IS TEACHING TODAY WHILE SIMA IS GIVING US A TOUR OF THE SIGHTS OF NY CITY.

IT'S EMBRRASSING TO ADMIT THAT MUSEUMS TIRE ME QUICKLY. I THINK IT'S ALL THE STANDING AROUND REQUIRED.

10/16/06 8:30 am

Ready to pull out of Toronto for Buffalo~a way station before Chicago. God was gracious to smooth my way this morning. I didn't allow myself much margin and if anything went amiss I might have not made the train. But it all worked out just fine despite a pricey cab ride from the airport to the train station.

I'm listening to Gordon Lightfoot on my mp3 player. His concert in Kitchener last night was a swan song. He has lost more of his voice and range since I saw him just a few years ago. The crowd's enthusiasm had more to do with appreciation for a great career than for the quality of the performance. A local man, Steve, and I had a nice chat about the area and other topics.

Most Canadians have been very pleasant and helpful. On the other hand, I got stopped and interrogated at the border again yesterday. They keep letting me go after a few questions, so I suppose I shouldn't complain. They try to trip you up by misstating information you've previously shared and trying to get you to assent. Hey, I wasn't born yesterday, but, according to the Bell Curve, most criminals fall below the mean (in intelligence).

I suppose I might take in a flick in Buffalo in addition to writing and reading. Either that Giants movie or the one about Iwo Jima. I have 11 hours. If I'm really lucky I'll find a place to post this on my blog. I'm blowing my transportation budget. I spent about ("about" in Canada) $400 on cabs and a rental car-yikes! Hotels are also running on the expensive side. The good news is that most of that is over. Maybe two more hotel nights and three more taxis the rest of the whole trip.

Update from Michigan:

I had a great time watching the Buckeyes beat the Spartans 38-7 yesterday. I got a ticket for half-price (so unlike Columbus!). I stayed at a hotel last night and watched the Michigan-Penn State game.

This morning I'm heading back to Ontario for the Gordon Lightfoot concert in Kitchener. Then it's on to Toronto for an early morning start on the trip to San Francisco. I may not be able to update the blog much in the next few days. If not, I'll send emails.

This has been the luxury part of the trip. I'll either be on the train or at friends' houses the rest of the way. For now I'm enjoying the hot water and comfy beds. Off to brunch!

October 15, 2006 11:30 AM Lansing area, Michigan

OK, I found an Internet cafe. Just to prove that I am actually on this vacation and not just sitting at home watching TV, I'm posting this picture of my sister Stephanie and me at Tony's very near my brother's E 82nd street apartment. Great bruschetta with shrimp and the best Italian eggplant I've ever tasted (I'm not big on eggplant).

Some highlights of the trip so far:

1. Mom and I hearing a train whistle at 2:10 AM and suddenly panicking that the train had come and was leaving early. Turns out it was about 50 minutes late as had been predicted by Julie, the Amtrak telepone robot, who pretends not to hear you unless you're speaking quite loudly, causing those around you to wonder why you're so weird. "It's because I'm talking to a fembot!' I want to yell.

2. Paul and his cabbie harrassed at the border. Yes, it cost me $50 just to take a cab the couple of miles from Detroit to Windsor. Already robbed, the Mounties gave me a hassle getting over the border. They couldn't understand anyone just wanting to stay in their country for a lousy one-day train ride. I'm beginning to see their point. No contraband was found. I'm being watched--probably.

3. Paul's sister-in-law volunteers her relatives for cab duty. Why did it sound so over-the-top for me to call on my in-laws for a ride over the border? $50, an interrogation and a good frisking later, I'm questioning my questioning of Sima's wisdom. Sure I'd put them out. But think of the trouble I'd save MYSELF!!

4. The D'Alsace fiasco: Ken made reservations at this German place well in advance. But when we walked the half mile through the rainy New York streets to get there, we found that our table had been given away. We had to wait a full 35 minutes to get a table. In the meantime we dove in a bar frequented by Woody Allen to get out of the rain. He wasn't there. A bartender who resented those in our party who ordered his $5 soft drinks, was. My bill: $16 for two tiny drinks.

October 13, 3:35 PM from Windsor, Ontario

This is some bridge (who knows which, there are so many in New York!) where the train was just sitting on the track a couple miles outside Penn Station. The goverment (Amtrak) doesn't seem to mind if you wait.

Mom and I got to read and listen to books on CD while enjoying the Fall colors displayed around us. I got some headway on the Mayflower book by Nathaniel Phibrick that I'm reading for book club. Mom chose Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. So far we could label our experience Midnight on the Dumpy Trains. We've had below average service and not the best of the fleet so far. But I anticipate better cruising at various points along the trip.

Today is relaxing, reading and writing in Windsor. I missed my train to Toronto, so I'm just taking it easy. I'm clean and rested before my jaunt to the enemy confines of Spartan stadium in East Lansing for the Buckeyes game. It's got quite cold and windy here. The Tigers game will be played across the river in Detroit with a 30 degree chill factor. Ugh! It's windy out there.

It was really odd to see a big blizzard outside last night. About 2 in the morning I woke up and the train was stopped in the middle of a winter wonderland--in early October! Very pretty, but it winked out something in Amtrak's system so we had to stop. I woke at 5:55 AM looking for Toledo and my bus to Detroit. Instead I saw Cleveland Browns stadium--often a welcome sight, but this time a harbinger of an extremely delinquent train.

Pray that the Canucks don't get suspicious as I criss-cross the border for a football game, a concert, and my next train out of Toronto. Or I may be writing you from some Canadian border holding cell. I guess I'm just the suspicious looking type. I get a lot of attention at airports too. Hope everyone is having fun during your work week!

October 13, 2006 3:10 PM from Windsor, Ontario

Last night the train got held up 3 hours due to a snow storm in New York and Pennsylvania. That nixed my trip to Toronto. Oh, well, I had to settle for a nice, hot shower and a soft bed. (Sniff!Sniff!).

I had a great time in New York with Ken, Sima and Stephanie (brother, sister-in-law, and sister; respectively). We had German food, we had Italian food at Tony's--right out on the sidewalk watching all the New York people. Some of us visited a famous tavern where Washington frequented--currently a museum.

I'm typing furiously at a little terminal at the Windsor Public Library (there is a 15 minute limit!). I'm learning to sleep on the train pretty well. The tough part seems to be keeping my electronic devices charged. Hard to get wi-fi or electrical outlets in coach class. I had a little hassle getting over the border today. I think I blew a gasket in the poor Canuck border guard's head when I tried to explain the adjustments I was making due to my late train. He sent me over to be questioned and my luggage combed for drugs (Hmmm, was it meee?)

Sorry about the paucity of reporting so far, but apparently there are some limitations to my phone as far as images and blogging. I'll need to try to adjust to that. Miss you all, except Scott of course--he knows why! :-)

October 13, 2006 2:55PM from Windsor, Ontario.