Family Christmas in Louisiana December 2015

Christmas Tree at Sisters' Louisiana Home

Family Christmas in Louisiana December 2015 - Drove from my home in Franklin/Nashville, TN, to Shreveport/Bossier City, Louisiana, to spend Christmas week with my Louisiana family and friends December 22-29.   My family and I enjoyed being together and celebrating Christmas Day at my sisters' home in Benton, LA.  On Christmas Eve we worshiped at Cypress Baptist Church in Benton and then visited friends the Bergeron's for time of fellowship afterwards.  The day after Christmas I visited my nephew Mark Owen and his family for dinner of gumbo in Shreveport, LA.  More time with my sisters and niece Sandra Abbott and family lunching together on Sunday.  While there was a lot of stormy Christmas weather, I was fortunate to be able to drive to and from Louisiana in dry mostly sunny weather.

I have added a new gallery of Christmas week photos to Reagan's Photo Galleries.  Check the photos out in this gallery:

Family Christmas in Louisiana December 2015 

Here are a few selected photos from the gallery.

Christmas Lights on my Sisters' Home

Santa visiting the Nativity 

Christmas Eve at Cypress Baptist Church

Sister Pat and Friend Gayle

Christmas Ham and Turkey Breast

Playing some game called "Five Seconds"  Lots of Laughs

Nephew Mark with his Parrott

Me(Reagan) with Molly 

My First Amtrak 2016 Adventure 

Winter Amtrak Rail Adventure January 10-17 - Repeating my January 2015 Winter Amtrak trip except in reverse direction.  I will fly Southwest Airlines to New Orleans January 10 and ride Amtrak's City of New Orleans to Chicago where I will connect to Amtrak's California Zephyr traveling through Denver and Colorado Rockies and on over the Sierra Nevadas to Emeryville, CA, arriving January 15.  I will fly American Airlines from San Francisco to Nashville January 17.

Here are my January 2015 Winter Amtrak Rail Trip Galleries

My Other 2016 TRAVEL PLANS

Costa Rica February 9-23 - I will be visiting my friend Charlie Doggett who moved to Costa Rica in December 2014.  Charlie lives in Atenas, Costa Rica, and I am hoping he emerges me into his Costa Rica lifestyle.  He has been planning for my time in Costa Rica for many months and I am so looking forward to being with and visiting him.

Spring Amtrak Rail Adventure March 27-April 13 - Flying to New Orleans, LA, to travel via Amtrak's City of New Orleans and Empire Builder to Seattle, WA. After a week in Seattle, I will return to New Orleans via Amtrak's Coast Starlight(Sacramento), California Zephyr(Chicago) and City of New Orleans. Return trip is compliments of Amtrak Guest Rewards points I have been earning from all my Amtrak travels for the last few years.

Via Rail and Amtrak Trip to Canada and Albany, NY, May 28 to June 15 - Traveling by Via Rail in Canada to Toronto, Montreal and Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Returning to USA via Amtrak for visits to Albany, NY and New Orleans, LA.

You can click on any of the small photos in this blog to open a full size photo. Also, click on the "blog title" at the top to view this blog on the web.

All my photos are available to view on Reagan's Photo Galleries website.

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Destination NASHVILLE, Tennessee December 2015

River Rest Condos Club House - Franklin, TN

Halfway Home to Franklin/Nashville, Tennessee  -  After a very stormy night in Bossier City, LA, last night, I departed Bossier City 9:30 AM in blustery 44 degree weather with a feel like temperature 33 degrees.  Fortunately, my 317 mile drive across Interstate 20 to Meridian, MS, was in nice pleasant mostly sunny weather.  Yay!  I'm checked into the Hilton Garden Inn here in Meridian for the night and only a 324 mile drive via Interstates 20 and 65 between me and home in Franklin, TN.  Will do that drive tomorrow Tuesday, December 28.

I had a great time these past six days celebrating Christmas with my sisters and other Louisiana family and friends.  I posted a few IPhone photos to Facebook which you saw if you are one of my Facebook friends.  Now I am headed home to stay until January 10 when I depart on my first 2016 Amtrak adventure.  A winter trip from New Orleans through Chicago, Denver, Salt Lake City to Emeryville(San Francisco) riding the City of New Orleans and the California Zephyr.  Hoping for lots of snow to view from my warm safe sleeping car room as I cross the Colorado Rockies and the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Since my destination is HOME, here are a couple photos of my home area.  The clubhouse photo above is just across from my driveway entrance and was built in the 1800's.

The walk in front of my condo

Front of my condo

Winter view from front of my condo February 2014

Pardon the Duplicate Email December 26 - If you received an email overnight December 26 featuring my trip to New Orleans this past May, it was a Feedburner goof.  On December 26 I deleted the one picture IPhone post I posted to cover my mistake leaving that picture out of my previous day post.  I am guessing Feedburner decided I made another blog update so it found a post from the 26th day of a month.  The May 26th blog update of my New Orleans trip apparently was the nearest post with a 26 date - May 26.  A couple of you send me complimentary comment emails and my family in Louisiana asked me what was up.  Anyway, sorry.  And if you enjoyed checking out my photos again, I'm happy.

My 2016 TRAVEL PLANS 

Winter Amtrak Rail Adventure January 10-17 - Repeating my January 2015 Winter Amtrak trip except in reverse direction.  I will fly Southwest Airlines to New Orleans January 10 and ride Amtrak's City of New Orleans to Chicago where I will connect to Amtrak's California Zephyr traveling through Denver and Colorado Rockies and on over the Sierra Nevadas to Emeryville, CA, arriving January 15.  I will fly American Airlines from San Francisco to Nashville January 17.

Here are my January 2015 Winter Amtrak Rail Trip Galleries

Costa Rica February 9-23 - I will be visiting my friend Charlie Doggett who moved to Costa Rica in December 2014.  Charlie lives in Atenas, Costa Rica, and I am hoping he emerges me into his Costa Rica lifestyle.  He has been planning for my time in Costa Rica for many months and I am so looking forward to being with and visiting him.

Spring Amtrak Rail Adventure March 27-April 13 - Flying to New Orleans, LA, to travel via Amtrak's City of New Orleans and Empire Builder to Seattle, WA. After a week in Seattle, I will return to New Orleans via Amtrak's Coast Starlight(Sacramento), California Zephyr(Chicago) and City of New Orleans. Return trip is compliments of Amtrak Guest Rewards points I have been earning from all my Amtrak travels for the last few years.

Via Rail and Amtrak Trip to Canada and Albany, NY, May 28 to June 15 - Traveling by Via Rail in Canada to Toronto, Montreal and Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Returning to USA via Amtrak for visits to Albany, NY and New Orleans, LA.

You can click on any of the small photos in this blog to open a full size photo. Also, click on the "blog title" at the top to view this blog on the web.

All my photos are available to view on Reagan's Photo Galleries website.

************************************

EMAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS --  CLICK HERE to sign up your email

to receive each new blog post to in your email inbox.

Safely Arrived Home In Louisiana For Christmas

Christmas tree at my sisters' home in Benton, LA

Friends, I made it safely to Bossier City LA today with good mostly dry driving conditions. Luckily, I missed the severe weather now passing through Nashville and much of the Mid South.  I will making the Hampton Inn my home for the next five nights.  Right now I am at my sisters home in Benton about six miles from my hotel. Lots of fun family times planned. Here are photos I took on my IPhone today. Enjoy. 

This last photo is at my sister's home. 

That's all for now.  Will take photos with my Canon camera to post to my photo gallery website after I am back home in Nashville. 

Home for Christmas 2015 - Louisiana

Greetings!  I'm driving home to Shreveport/Bossier City, LA, to spend Christmas week with my sisters and other Louisiana family. Left Nashville this morning driving through Birmingham , AL, to Meridian, MS. I'm staying overnight at Hilton Garden Inn tonight.   Looks like I will be driving through potentially stormy weather tomorrow on to Bossier City. Stopped for lunch at Cracker Barrel Restaurant near Birmingham. Got to Meridian in time to see Amtrak's Crescent train as it passed through bound for New Orleans. Here are a few photos I took with my IPhone. In fact I'm posting this update from my IPhone. First time for me. Will be doing this as I travel some trains this upcoming year. 

May be a few days before my next update while I enjoy time with my Louisiana family. Maybe a shorter update tomorrow to let you know I made it safely to Bossier City. Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS from Reagan

Christmas and New Year's Greetings from Reagan

MERRY CHRISTMAS to my Travel Blog Readers

Greetings from Nashville/Franklin, Tennessee!  My wish for you is that you enjoy a healthy and happy holiday season as you celebrate both the birth of our Lord Jesus and the beginning of the new year 2016.  Here are two Christmas greeting photos that express my reason for celebrating this time of year:

My 2015 Christmas Travel Plans

I will be participating in several church services and friend activities here at home in Nashville until December 22.  December 22-29 I will be driving to Shreveport/Bossier City, Louisiana, to be with my sisters and other family for Christmas.  After returning home to Nashville, I will be looking forward to departing January 10 for the first of several travel adventures I have already planned for 2016 including several Amtrak adventures. I look forward to sharing my travel adventures with you with regular "as I travel" updates via this travel blog.  Thank you for keeping up with me through these update.

My 2016 TRAVEL PLANS 

Winter Amtrak Rail Adventure January 10-17 - Repeating my January 2015 Winter Amtrak trip except in reverse direction.  I will fly Southwest Airlines to New Orleans January 10 and ride Amtrak's City of New Orleans to Chicago where I will connect to Amtrak's California Zephyr traveling through Denver and Colorado Rockies and on over the Sierra Nevadas to Emeryville, CA, arriving January 15.  I will fly American Airlines from San Francisco to Nashville January 17.

Here are my January 2015 Winter Amtrak Rail Trip Galleries

Costa Rica February 9-23 - I will be visiting my friend Charlie Doggett who moved to Costa Rica in December 2014.  Charlie lives in Atenas, Costa Rica, and I am hoping he emerges me into his Costa Rica lifestyle.  He has been planning for my time in Costa Rica for many months and I am so looking forward to being with and visiting him.

Spring Amtrak Rail Adventure March 27-April 13 - Flying to New Orleans, LA, to travel via Amtrak's City of New Orleans and Empire Builder to Seattle, WA. After a week in Seattle, I will return to New Orleans via Amtrak's Coast Starlight(Sacramento), California Zephyr(Chicago) and City of New Orleans. Return trip is compliments of Amtrak Guest Rewards points I have been earning from all my Amtrak travels for the last few years.

Via Rail and Amtrak Trip to Canada and Albany, NY, May 28 to June 15 - Traveling by Via Rail in Canada to Toronto, Montreal and Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Returning to USA via Amtrak for visits to Albany, NY and New Orleans, LA.

You can click on any of the small photos in this blog to open a full size photo. Also, click on the "blog title" at the top to view this blog on the web.

All my photos are available to view on Reagan's Photo Galleries website.

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