Riding the Empire Builder June 16

I made it to Minot, North Dakota, a little early. But now we are waiting fo engineers and conductor to take us on. They were late arriving eastbound last night and have not complied their required rest time between trips. Here’s photos in Minot. 

And later from Williston,ND

Amtrak Vacation June 2018 - Two Trains New York City to Chicago June 13-14

Amtrak's Capitol Limited Arrived Chicago

Two Amtrak Trains New York City to Chicago - June 13-14

After 4 days in New York City with great friends and hosts, I boarded Amtrak's Acela Train for three hour trip NYC to Washington, DC. From DC I traveled overnight on Amtrak's Capitol Limited to Chicago where I arrived at 11:30 this morning. The Acela was right on time but the Capitol Limited was subjected as was the Crescent last week to slow and many freight trains but we still arrived only 2+ hours down. Not done much today except take a walk to a favorite Chicago Hot Dog place just across the river a few blocks from my hotel.  

Tomorrow I return to Chicago's Union Station for my three day two night trip on Amtrak's Empire Builder to Seattle, Washington. As it turns out, the Empire Builder will be my last train ride this trip. Due to a tunnel collapse in remote Oregon, the Coast Starlight trip has been cancelled at least until June 25. No train is running from Seattle to Sacramento and the Coast Starlight will only run between Sacramento and Los Angeles with only coach cars. Me, I am now booked on Alaska Airlines for a non stop flight Seattle to Los Angeles next Thursday where I'll stay two nights at the Hyatt Regency at the LAX airport awaiting my Saturday non stop American flight to Nashville.

I decided to focus my photos today on my train rides with only one scenic photo of Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. So here they are.

On the Acela

Inside the Acela First Class Coach

Relaxing on the Capitol Limited

Entering Harper's Ferry

Capitol Limited Dining Car

Only Fresh Air Break was at Toledo, OH

Only Fresh Air Break was at Toledo, OH

Eating Breakfast in Dining Car
I have now left two caps on trains as I departed.
Yes, that blue Titans cap is now departed from me.

View of Chicago River from THE WIT HOTEL

Looking forward to the next three days on Amtrak's Empire Builder and then the four days in Seattle. Next Tuesday I will be doing a one day tour to Mt. Rainier.

I will do my next laptop blog update Sunday evening. Will possibly send IPhone blog update Saturday.

Amtrak Vacation June 2018 - Last Full Day in New York City June 12

Going to see 2017 Tony Award Winning DEAR EVAN HANSEN

Tonight I See 2017 Tony Award Winning DEAR EVAN HANSEN

This was my last full day in New York City and definitely the most restful. I needed to rest today since I had climbed a couple hills and lots of stairs riding the subways. I had a couple aches last night interfering with sleep requiring a hot shower about 2:30 AM so I went out for lunch at the Olive Garden and then stayed in this afternoon resting. Tonight I went out to see DEAR EVAN HANSEN - a musical I've wanted to see for a couple years. I was not disappointed. I enjoyed the musical and the actors including Michael Lee Brown as Evan did a superb job performing. They earned a rousing standing ovation as they took their bows.

Many thanks and lots of love to Tevy and Scott hosting me and helping me navigate the hills and stairs in the subway entrances and exits. Thanks and appreciation to Julie and Geoffrey for getting me tickets to DEAR EVAN HANSEN and CHICAGO.

Here are today's photos.

Saying Good-bye to Tevy

This is Julie - She got me the ticket to see DEAR EVAN HANSEN

Nashville Music City is represented in New York City

Spaghetti with meat sauce at Olive Garden in Times Square

View from my table at Olive Garden

Attended DEAR EVAN HANSEN tonight

Attended DEAR EVAN HANSEN tonight

Tomorrow Wednesday is travel day. I board an Amtrak Acela train 11AM to Washington, DC, connecting to Amtrak's Capitol Limited for an overnight ride to Chicago. After one night in Chicago, I continue on Amtrak's Empire Builder to Seattle, WA.

I'll be back with a travel blog post Thursday night from Chicago.

Remember you can click any of the photos for a full size photo.

Amtrak Vacation June 2018 - Metropolitan Museum of Art

Flower Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Metropolitan Museum of Art 

Today had two highlights. This morning I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a tour led by my friend Scott. He did a superb job leading me and four other guests to selected exhibits. He is in two of the photos below. If you are ever in New York City, I highly this tour of the museum identified as a museum hack tour. 

You know when you are having fun, you forget to take photos. That happened on the second highlight of the day. Tevy and Scott invited me to their condo for dinner and a time of fellowship with them and two other friends Julie and Geoffrey. Geoffrey got me the ticket for CHICAGO I saw last night and Julie got me the ticket to see DEAR EVAN HANSEN which I will see Tuesday night. The meal and dessert were great but the company was superb. They are all great friends and are great hosts. 

Tomorrow Tuesday I am on my own until I go to see DEAR EVAN HANSEN. I will stop by the Marquis Theater to see Tevy and I give Julie a visit as I enter the theater to see DEAR EVAN HANSEN. 

I may not do an update tomorrow. I depart on my next train adventure Wednesday riding the Acela Train to Washington, DC, to connect to the Capitol Limited to Chicago where I will spend Thursday night. I'll post an update from Chicago.

Here are the photos I took visiting the Museum of Art. That's Scott in the photos leading my tour. The photos are things that I particularly liked. I'll post them without a caption. Yes, there is a train in one of the photos.

 

Don't forget you can click any photo above to see the full size photo. Since the Metropolitan Museum does not allow flash photography the photo quality may be a little less sharp.

Amtrak Vacation June 2018 - First Day in NYC June 10

With Scott and Tevy in Central Park

First Day in New York City - June 10

A very good first day in New York City. Tevy came to my hotel and together we walked to the Ambassador Theater where I purchased my ticket to CHICAGO musical for tonight. With ticket in hand we then took subway to a good restaurant where we met Scott who had worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art leading a tour of the museum. After lunch the three of us rode subway to 81st Street and walked across Central Park to help me find the museum as I wiil be going to the museum tomorrow to participate in Scott's tour of the museum at 11 am. We did so much walking including climbing up stairs exiting the subway I got very tired so now at their suggestion I will take a taxi to the museum. Later tomorrow Tevy will come back to my hotel room and we will go to their home near Yankee Stadium where Tevy will prepare dinner for us. Since most of his theater friends have to work tomorrow until about 8:30 PM, they will come later to visit with us. 

Tevy and Scott rode the subway with me back to my hotel and then went home. I was only in my room about an hour and then headed to the Ambassador Theater to attend CHICAGO. I sat by a lady and her two daughters and, thankfully, we chatted some and she help me understand the plot of the show and I really enjoyed it more understanding what was going on. The music was very good so understanding the action helped me enjoy the show much better.

The photo above is of the three of us resting and catching up with each other as I walked so much and climbed stairs out of the subway. These are two very special young men and I am honored to have them as friends.

Here are a few more photos from today.

View of lower Manhattan from my hotel 38th floor room

View of the New York skyline from Central Park

I attended CHICAGO at the Ambassador Theater tonight 

Tomorrow I'll be doing the tour with Scott at the Metropolitan Museum of Art at 11 AM and then going out to Tevy's condo near Yankee Stadium for home made dinner and hopefully to visit with his and my friends that work in the theater box offices.

Remember you can click any of the photos to see the full size print on line.

 

Amtrak Vacation June 2018 - Amtrak's Crescent June 8-9

Amtrak's Crescent New Orleans to New York City

Amtrak's Crescent New Orleans to New York City - June 8-7

Every train trip I take seems to provide new and different  adventures and my trip on the Crescent provided quite a different experience. We began the trip from New Orleans Amtrak Station right on time crossing Lake Pontchartrain heading north through Mississippi to Meridian and were right on time until just outside of Meridian. That's where we had to wait on our first freight train. Almost if not all of the track from there through Alabama is single track and there are many freight trains so our Amtrak train could not go any faster than the slow freights ahead of us and then we had to take side tracks for freights going opposite direction from us. So as we traveled across Alabama we lost almost three hours which was okay and we expected to be only three hours down entering Atlanta. Around 9 PM I asked my sleeping car attendant to set up my roomette for sleeping and got in bed and was dozing off to the rhythm of riding the rails. Unfortunately we came to a stop and the conductor made a fairly long announcement which I could not hear since he spoke softly and the PA system was not loud enough for me to hear. As I lay in bed I became aware that we were not moving for a VERY LONG TIME. So being restless when I don't understand what was going on, I got dressed and headed to my attendant's roomette to find out what was going on. That's is when I was told that something I have never experienced occurred. A freight train ahead of us broke down and they borrowed one of our engines to pull the broken down train out of the way and then come back and connect back up to our train. Apparently, when they do this they have to perform brake tests and other safety tests before proceeding. In all we lost four more hours and pulled into Atlanta at 2 AM instead of the schedule 7:30 PM or seven hours late. As a result I got to see parts of the route through South and North Carolina which are normally traversed in the darkness of the late night and overnight hours. We never made up any of the lost time and pulled into New York's Penn Station at 9 PM instead of the 1:45 PM scheduled time. All's well that ends well and I am safely checked into my hotel and already have lunch planned with friends Tevy and Scott tomorrow.

Here are a few photos from my trip on the Crescent. The lady in the first photo was my sleeping car attendant and did a great job including keeping me up to date on any of the announcements the conductors made that I need to know about and she arranged "red cap" to meet track side in Penn Station. He actually went to the baggage car to retrieve my checked bag and then took me up to the taxi stand. 

My sleeping car attendant welcoming me aboard in New Orleans

A rare daytime stop in Charlotte, NC

A rare daytime stop in Charlotte, NC

In Washingon, DC, they removed our diesel engines

And then the attach an electric locomotive for the trip to New York City

Other than attending DEAR EVAN HANSON Broadway Show, I have not made any specific plans for my time here. Tevy has already made reservations and I'm eating lunch with Tevy and Scott tomorrow. Another of Tevy's friends has offered to get me tickets tomorrow night to CHICAGO so that is possibility.

It's good to be in New York City and have friends that I enjoy being with and make me happy.

Remember, you can click on any of these photos to see full size photo.

Amtrak Vacation June 2018 - World War II Museum June 6

Victory Belles Singing 1940's Songs

World War II Museum 

Visited the World War II Museum in New Orleans today. Significantly today is the 74th Anniversary of D-Day and the 18th Anniversary of the opening the World War II Museum. As a result, I not only got a thirty minute performance by the Victory Belles singing 1940's music but also a D-Day Commemorative Ceremony honoring four World War II veterans presented medals by a French dignitary. I really enjoyed the Victory Belles and enjoyed the Commemorative Ceremony also.

If you have not been to the museum, I recommend delaying your visit for a while as the museum is under major construction with almost all of the plaza which the buildings surround closed due to construction. For now you have to exit the museum, cross a street, walk a block and enter some of the museum buildings from the back entrance since the front entrances are closed due to the construction activity.

I walked from my hotel to the museum which was only about 20 minute walk for me.

Not a problem, but I seem to enjoy taking nap in the late afternoon which is what I plan to do after I finish this update. 

Only one day Thursday remains from my New Orleans stay before Amtrak's Crescent Friday morning departing 7 AM for the two day trip to New York City. Scheduled arrival in NYC is mid afternoon Saturday but subject to delay normally about 2 hours but can be longer. Thursday is "no plan" day so no blog update tomorrow. I will possibly do a one photo from on board the train blog update via IPhone Friday afternoon followed by a full update on the train ride Saturday after I get to New York City. 

My New York City activities are dependent on my friends Tevy, Scott, and Julie's plans for me. I do know that Julie has help me get tickets to see DEAR EVAN HANSEN Tuesday night at the theater she works at. Tevy is part of my Tennessee adopted family Russ and Margo Bradley.

Here are a few of the photos I took visiting the museum today.

 

Louisiana Museum of the World War II Museum

Inside the Louisiana Museum Building

Attended the D-Day Commemorative Ceremony

State of Louisiana Flag - the Pelican State

Next update Friday from aboard Amtrak's Crescent.