Merry Christmas 2016

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Thank you to each of my travel blog followers and a sincere wish that your Christmas will be blessed and merry!  

Also, I would like to update you on my outpatient surgery this past Tuesday. The surgery went well and my surgeon was encouraging and we are expecting a good report when the tissue is examined for possible cancer cells. My recovery from the surgical procedure has been better than expected with only a little discomfort at times but no genuine pain. I am thanking and praising God and my two very special care givers. My adopted Tennessee family Russ Bradley picked me up at 5 AM Tuesday, took me to the Centennial Outpatient Surgical Center, stayed with me, met with the doctor while I was still under sedation, and then updated me on his meeting with the doctor and my post operative instructions including stopping at the pharmacy to pick up prescribed medicine as he drove me to stay overnight with church friend Charlotte Young. Even after arriving at the Young residence, he took me in and visited with Charlotte to go over the post operative instructions. Not only that, he has checked on me every day. My other care giver Charlotte Young provided me a place to stay while she and her husband looked after me, providing me several good meals and company for the first day of recovery when I really did not know what to expect as the doctor had assured me there would be pain for a couple of weeks. Thank you, Russ and Charlotte.

I'll be spending part of Christmas Eve with Russ Bradley and friend Daniel at the Bradley home watching the Tennessee Titans game with Jacksonville. I also plan to attend worship services at Forest Hills Baptist Church Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. Christmas morning after worship, I plan to be with another special friend Helen Glenn for Christmas Day breakfast with the Glenn family.

For each of you, I hope this is a happy season of celebrating the birthday of our Savior Jesus Christ. That hope includes travel safety, times of family fellowship, and worship with Christian friends.  

And a Happy New Year 2017! 

Amtrak Fall Coast to Coast Adventure - Photo Galleries Are Posted

California Zephyr's Meet In Colorado

Amtrak Fall Coast to Coast Adventure - Photo Galleries Are Posted

Friends, I have been home almost two weeks and finally have updated my photo galleries with photos from my Fall Coast to Coast Amtrak Adventure. While the photos are on line and ready for you to view, I have not completely updated the photo galleries home page.  

Other things have taken precedent over this update project. I have been recovering from a bad cold of coughing and nasal drainage that was going on the whole time I was traveling. And I have also visited a surgeon and will be having outpatient hopefully minor surgery Tuesday, December 20, which is tomorrow as I write this. Afterwards, I will be staying with friends overnight as a precaution of any complications from the anesthesia and there will be two to three weeks of recovery. For these reasons, I don't plan to be very productive with projects such as my photo galleries for a while.

So I invite you to view my photo galleries of this trip.  Here is the link:

Fall Amtrak Coast to Coast Nov-Dec 2016

There are five galleries in this folder. Enjoy. Incidentally, the photo above was taken by one of the friends I have made traveling on Amtrak. So, thanks to Nancy of Sacramento, CA, for the photo.

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Here are my next two planned Amtrak trips.

January 23-31 Amtrak 2017 Winter California Zephyr Trip -- This is becoming my annual "see snow away from home" Amtrak Winter trip on the Zephyr. I will fly Southwest Airlines to Chicago for two nights at Doubletree THE WIT Hotel followed by the three day trip on the California Zephyr to Emeryville, CA.  After two nights at the Hyatt House Emeryville, I will board Amtrak's California Zephyr for the day long trip to Los Angeles followed by trip on the FlyAway Bus to LAX Airport and two nights at a hotel near the airport before flying home on American Airlines nonstop January 31.

April 8-22 Amtrak April 2017 Rail Adventure -- On this trip I will be riding on two Amtrak trains for the first time and actually traveling coast to coast and return.  I will begin the trip by flying Southwest Airlines to New Orleans April 8 for two nights at the Hyatt House Hotel on Poydras Street near New Orleans Union Station. Early Monday morning (7 AM) I will depart on Amtrak's Crescent train from New Orleans through Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia(Atlanta), South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia arriving Tuesday morning at Washington, DC, Union Station. That same Tuesday afternoon (4 PM), I will depart on Amtrak's Capitol Limited through Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania(Pittsburgh), Ohio, and Indiana arriving early Wednesday (9 AM) in Chicago's Union Station. At 2 PM Wednesday, I'll board Amtrak's California Zephyr for the two night trip to Emeryville arriving Friday late afternoon April 14 for two nights at the Hyatt House Emeryville.  Sunday morning (9 AM) I will board the east bound California Zephyr bound to Chicago arriving Tuesday afternoon and staying one night at the new Hampton Inn Chicago West Loop. Wednesday evening, April 19, I will return to Chicago Union Station to board the Capitol Limited(6:30 PM) for overnight trip back to Washington, DC, arriving early afternoon (1 PM) for a two night stay at the Hilton Garden Inn/DC US Capitol.  Saturday, April 22, I'll fly Southwest Airlines home to Nashville from Washington, DC, Reagan National Airport.

You can see all my previous Rail Trip photos on my photo galleries in the Rail Trips Folder.  

Year 2017 will find me traveling to family events including the graduation of my great niece Kellie from Mississippi State University May 5 and the wedding of my great niece Cheri July 15 in Benton(Shreveport), Louisiana.  In August, I will travel to East Tennessee in August to attend Kellie's white coat ceremony as she enters Baxter School of Pharmacy at East Tennessee State University.  

I'm sure other trips will be planned later in 2017.  Stay tuned.

You can click on any of the small photos in this blog to open a full size photo. 

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

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Amtrak Fall Coast to Coast Adventure - Trip Complete - Christmas is Coming

The Polar Express in Chicago's Union Station

I arrived back into Washington, DC, this afternoon on the eastbound Amtrak Capitol Limited from Chicago to complete my round trip coast to coast adventure. Now I am ready to fly home to Nashville tomorrow.  

As I have traveled during this Christmas season I have looked for and enjoyed all the decorations and signs of Christmas across our country. One of the best is the trees and even The Polar Express in the Great Hall of Chicago's Union Station. The photo above is just one of the decorations at Chicago's Union Station.

My train to DC came through Cumberland, Maryland, and Martinsburg, West Virgina today -- my first time through either of those cities. Below are in the photos of Christmas and my travel today.  

Christmas Tree in my Chicago Hotel

Chistmas Ornaments and Trees in Chicago's Union Station 

Wreath in Chicago's Union Station

Cumberland, Maryland

Cumberland, Maryland

Martinsburg, West Virginia

Martinsburg, West Virginia

Thanks for traveling along with me again. Today's update wraps up this trip.  I'll post an update blog once I have updated all my photos to Reagan's Photo Galeries website in a week or so.

Amtrak Fall Coast to Coast Adventure - Amtrak's California Zephyr Eastbound Dec 2-5

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The Engine That Could Not

The return journey on the eastbound Amtrak California Zephyr really was quiet pleasant and enjoyable.  My cough and nasal congestion began to get better.  I did call Dr. Allen's office and the nurse prescribed an antibiotic which I was able to pick up at a CVS pharmacy here.  Thankful for the CVS pharmacist who suggested and offered to call my local Rite Aide pharmacist and get the prescription transferred which she did.  I was not even aware that was possible so very much appreciate her doing that.  

The reference under the photo above about the "engine that could not" refers to the fact that this lead engine 190 had mechanical problem on my westbound trip and on this eastbound trip made it just pass Denver before breaking down again and was removed from the consist leaving the followup engine number 6 to pull the train the rest of the way from Colorado to Chicago. Engine 190 had broken down in Utah on our westbound trip. We sat for 3 hours while the situation was handled.  Yes, we arrived 3+ hours late into Chicago at 5:15 pm.  Good thing was that I am most passengers slept through the experience. Sleeping on a standing still train was restful and good after four previous night sleeping on a moving train.

One of my favorite things about traveling is meeting new friends from all of the world. Most of you know that I have a heart for working with and encouraging young people which I did for over 30 years working with 5th graders and 10th graders. So I really enjoyed meeting a fellow sleeping car mate a 21 year old student from Aidelaide, Australia on the westbound Zephyr taking 10 day holiday in the USA on his own. We chatted some, ate several meals together in the dining car and enjoyed each other's company.  He's in some of the photos below.

Below are photos from this westbound trip.

Christmas at the Emeryville Amtrak Station

Boarding in Emeryville, CA

Notice Two Engines pulling us across Colorado

At Denver Union Station

At Denver Union Station

Notice only one engine now pulling us across the Mississippi River at Burlington IO

Snow in Illinois

Back in Galesburg, IL 3 hours late 

I am now safely enjoying a room in a brand new Hampton Inn in Chicago near Union Station where I will return tomorrow to take the 6:40 pm Capitol Limited train overnight to Washington, DC, and then fly home to Nashville Thursday afternoon.

Amtrak Fall Coast to Coast Adventure - December 2

Friends and Followers of My Blog,

I am late posting today's laptop update.  As I have traveled beginning Sunday afternoon November 27 I began experiencing a rare for me head cold with coughing and nasal congestion and drainage.  No chest congestion as of yet.  Even had some but not complete laryngitis a couple days.  So after arriving Emeryville last night I enjoyed a meal at 6 PM and was in bed by 8 pm last night without doing this laptop update. I slept well for over six hours and am now doing this update at 5 am.  All these times are Pacific the local time here.  Health wise, I am improving and have had no fever, just coughing up a lot of junk.  I am still coughing with quiet times in between and coughing up the nasal drainage.  I'll check with Dr. Allen when I get home Thursday December 8 if not recovered by then.  I've not called yet because I have not stayed anywhere long enough get to pharmacy even if he wanted to prescribe anything.

I do get back on the California Zephyr this morning and will arrive Chicago Monday and stay overnight at Hampton Inn West Loop near the Union Station.  I will not plan to do another blog update until Monday night from Chicago.

Here are few snow photos as I crossed the Sierra Nevadas in California yesterday.

This last photo is after we crossed the Sierras and were approaching Sacramento, CA.  You can see the snow covered Sierras in the background.

Amtrak Fall Coast to Coast Adventure December 1

Back in snow packed Colorado today. Just stopped in Winter Park and Fraser. Will be out of cellular service most of day so here are a few photos. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snowman at Glenwood Springs