Monday, March 23, 2020

Amtrak February 2020 Winter Trip - Galleries Ready to View



Amtrak's California Zephyr in Colorado's Canyons

Amtrak 2020 Winter Trip - February 21 to March 7 - Chicago, Amtrak's California Zephyr, California

I write this travel blog update after being home in Nashville/Franklin, TN, two weeks staying at home social distancing hoping not to contract Coronavirus Covid-19 nor spread it. As a 78 year old with type 2 diabetes I am one of the group most susceptible to suffer severe conditions from this virus. I am healthy and I have had no evidence of the virus symptoms and I hope to keep it that way by staying at home isolating myself for the foreseeable future. I have had friends offer to get things I may need and my next door neighbors have been excellent in checking on me and sharing some of their cooked food and running a milk and bread run for me. In addition two other friends have picked up grocery items and delivered them to my home and, yes, we are practicing social distancing when they bring stuff to my door.  

This 2020 Winter Trip may be my only travel adventure this calendar year. I cancelled my April 16-30 Amtrak Trip on the Texas Eagle/Sunset Limited, Coast Starlight and California Zephyr with overnight stays in Chicago and Emeryville, CA. The only other trip I have planned and still have my flight reservation for is a trip to my Louisiana home in May but I am expecting we in the USA may still be asked to stay home practicing social distancing into May and possibly beyond. If I cannot travel in May, I will still travel to my Louisiana home later in the year.

Hopefully, each of you will be okay during this very different time of crisis all around the world. Be safe and do stay at home and practice social distancing.


Amtrak Winter Trip Photo Galleries Ready to View

Thankfully, I was able to experience this very enjoyable trip just prior to the covid-19 virus began spreading in the USA and took over 500 photos which I have uploaded to six photo galleries and they are ready for you to view. Here are the links to each of the photo galleries. Just click on the photo or caption to see the photos.


Chicago


Amtrak's California Zephyr Westbound

East SF Bay Coastal Walk

San Francisco
Emeryville, Sacramento



Amtrak's California Zephyr Eastbound


If you would like to like here is the link to the 




THE FUTURE?

While I may not have any definite future travel plans, I will update you in a few months how I am doing and maybe some future travel plans. 

As we travel through this uncertain time, just remember that GOD IS IN CONTROL and serving Jesus is my definite future.

Proverbs 3:5-6 New King James Version (NKJV)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

















Thursday, March 5, 2020

Amtrak 2020 Winter Trip - Back to Middle America March 5

My Friend Marice from Galesburg, IL

Back to Middle America - March 5

After a full week in Western USA, overnight my Amtrak California Zephyr transported me back into Middle America from Denver across Nebraska into the State of Iowa. So today we traveled across Iowa and Illinois into Chicago arriving early afternoon.  During my very brief stop in Galesburg, IL, my friend Maurice and I had time to take the selfie picture above. I met Maurice a few years ago on a rail fan road trip I made to Galesburg, IL. Maurice along with others runs the Galesburg Railway Museum at the Amtrak Station in Galesburg.

Just as the photos across Colorado were scenic, the photos below show the farming states of Iowa and Illinois(yes, Illinois has farms) which are an essential part of American life. Enjoy and be thankful.





The Mississippi River dividing Iowa and Illinois 


Galesburg, IL, Railway Museum



Having arrived back in Chicago and TheWit Doubletree Hotel my Amtrak 2020 Winter Trip has come to a end. After a restful day tomorrow, I travel home to Nashville/Franklin, TN Saturday.  I have taken over 500 digital photos which I will edit and organize into photo galleries for you to view. My next update will be after the photo galleries are ready for you to view soon in the next week or so. Thanks for traveling with me and also thanks to each of you who send emails communicating your interest in my Winter 2020 travels.


Sunday, March 1, 2020

Amtrak 2020 Winter Trip - Sacramento March 1

My friend Nancy and I at The Old Spaghetti Factory

Sacramento - March 1

Today was a quieter day with participating via the Internet in my home church Forest Hlls Baptist 8:30 AM worship service  which came on at 6:30 AM here in the Pacific Time Zone. After participating in worship, I caught the Capitol Corridor train from Emeryville to Sacramento where my friend Nancy was waiting for me and took me to The Old Spaghetti Factory for lunch and a good time of visiting. I met Nancy about 4 years ago on Amtrak's California Zephyr. She was interested in my travel blog and photo galleries so she subscribed and she emails me after every blog update and asks questions and gives me some information about her each time. So this time we decided to get together just to catch up. She is a life saver for me today. I tend to leave stuff at The Old Spaghetti Factory so I discovered when Nancy let me out back at the Amtrak Station that I left my LSU ball cap. She has already called the restaurant and they are holding my cap for her to pick up and she volunteered to mail it to me. Thank you, Nancy. Most of you may not know that I left my jacket at The Old Spaghetti Factory in Fullerton, CA, in October 2018 and they actually Fed Exed it to me. After our time together I rode another Capitol Corridor Train back to Emeryville.

The lead photo above is of Nancy and I at The Old Spaghetti Factory. The photos below are of my transportation today and a couple more photos at The Old Spaghetti Factory. Nancy actually took the photo of me sitting at the table with her IPhone.

One more day here in Emeryville before I leave Tuesday morning on Amtrak's California Zephyr to return to Chicago. Maybe no update tomorrow but I will definitely do a short update with IPhone photos each Tuesday and Wednesday and then a digital camera update from TheWit Hotel back in Chicago Thursday night.

Departing Emeryville - That's my Hyatt House Hotel
in the background






That's my Capitol Corridor Train back to Emeryville