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| California Zephyr in Snowy Colorado |
One Week to Departure for January 2017 Amtrak Winter Adventure
Just one week until I depart Monday, January 23, flying Southwest Airlines Nashville to Chicago for my January 2017 Winter Adventure staying two nights each in Chicago; Emeryville, CA; and Los Angeles, CA, and riding two Amtrak trains. First up will be the California Zephyr from Chicago to Emeryville via Omaha, NE; Denver, CO; Colorado Rocky Mountains; Salt Lake City, UT; Reno, NV; and the California Sierra Nevadas. If you have not heard, the Sierras are having record snowfall this year so I'm expecting much more snow than my last couple Winter rides on the Zephyr. After two days in Emeryville and possible ferry ride over to San Francisco one day, I board the Coast Starlight in Emeryville to ride down the California coast to Los Angeles and on to the LAX Hilton for two nights. Hopefully, the Starlight will not be four hours late and I'll get to the hotel before 3 AM as I did this past October.
The photo above was obtained from another person's post to Facebook recently as is the photo below. They depict the snow I hope to see while riding these two trains.
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| Another view of the California Zephyr crossing Colorado |
Probably not every day, but I do plan to post a couple short updates either by Iphone while on the train or via my laptop when staying overnight in the hotels.
If you would like to see last January 2016 photos check them out here:
Personal News Update - In one of my recent blog updates I mentioned that I was having outpatient surgery. I had that surgery December 20 and my recovery has been very good and much less painful than I had been advised it would be. I give the praise and thanksgiving to God and my wonderful care giver who took me and stayed with me at the surgery center and the care giver couple to whom's home he took me to stay overnight the first night with.
All my photos are available to view on Reagan's Photo Galleries website.
2017 Travel Plans
My 2017 travel plans includes family and trains.
Family Events Travel May, July, and August -- For my great niece Kellie, I am planning to attend her graduation from Mississippi State University in Starkville, MS, May 5, and then her White Coat Ceremony August 11 in Johnson City, TN, as she begins pharmacy school at East Tennessee State University.
My great niece Cheri is getting married in Benton, Louisiana, July 15, so I am planning to travel to Shreveport/Bossier City/Benton, LA, for the wedding and surrounding activities. I have made hotel reservations for a week arriving Thursday, July 13, and departing Tuesday, July 18. I am planning on making a vacation of this trip visiting other friends and family while in this area of the country.
April 8-22 Amtrak April 2017 Rail Adventure -- On this trip I will be riding on the Amtrak Crescent train 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.
June 4 - 17 Amtrak 2017 Summer Rail Adventure -- I'm returning to two of my favorite cities while riding four Amtrak trains on this trip. I will fly to New Orleans June 4 staying three nights at the Hyatt House Hotel downtown on the Loyola Streetcar line. Then I will depart New Orleans on Amtrak's Sunset Limited through Houston, TX; El Paso, TX; and Tucson, AZ, to Los Angeles where I will transfer to Amtrak's Coast Starlight through Oakland, CA; Klamath Falls, OR; and Eugene, OR, to Portland, OR, where I will spend four nights visiting this naturally beautiful city and surrounding area. In 1966, I spent three months in Oregon while in training to be an auditor for the now Federal Highway Administration during the building of the Interstate Highway System. Incidentally, that is how I ended up living my entire adult life in Nashville, TN, to which I was permanently assigned after completing my training. June 14 I will travel via Amtrak's Cascades train from Portland to Seattle, WA, to transfer to Amtrak's Empire Builder Seattle to Chicago via Spokane, WA; Whitefish, MT; Glacier Mountains National Park; Havre, MT; Minot, ND; and St Paul/Minneapolis, MN. For now, I plan to stay overnight in Chicago and fly home to Nashville Saturday, June 17. Chicago and flight to Nashville plans are still in planning.
June 4 - 17 Amtrak 2017 Summer Rail Adventure -- I'm returning to two of my favorite cities while riding four Amtrak trains on this trip. I will fly to New Orleans June 4 staying three nights at the Hyatt House Hotel downtown on the Loyola Streetcar line. Then I will depart New Orleans on Amtrak's Sunset Limited through Houston, TX; El Paso, TX; and Tucson, AZ, to Los Angeles where I will transfer to Amtrak's Coast Starlight through Oakland, CA; Klamath Falls, OR; and Eugene, OR, to Portland, OR, where I will spend four nights visiting this naturally beautiful city and surrounding area. In 1966, I spent three months in Oregon while in training to be an auditor for the now Federal Highway Administration during the building of the Interstate Highway System. Incidentally, that is how I ended up living my entire adult life in Nashville, TN, to which I was permanently assigned after completing my training. June 14 I will travel via Amtrak's Cascades train from Portland to Seattle, WA, to transfer to Amtrak's Empire Builder Seattle to Chicago via Spokane, WA; Whitefish, MT; Glacier Mountains National Park; Havre, MT; Minot, ND; and St Paul/Minneapolis, MN. For now, I plan to stay overnight in Chicago and fly home to Nashville Saturday, June 17. Chicago and flight to Nashville plans are still in planning.
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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