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 

Amtrak 2020 Winter Trip FOLDER

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)

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

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.

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

Amtrak 2020 Winter Trip - San Francisco February 29

Ghirardelli Square

San Francisco

This morning I decided I would go over to San Francisco and I ended up traveling by bus, BART(Bay Area Rapid Transit), streetcar, boat and Amtrak. I actually decided to go over to San Francisco via the free EmeryGoRound bus to the BART Station and then BART over to San Francisco. While in San Francisco I traveled a short distance by streetcar but mostly walked. I walked from the Pier 39 shopping area through Fisherman's Wharf area on to Ghirardelli Square for my treasured Hot Fudge Sundae. After arriving in San Francisco, I decided I would return to the East Bay via the Ferry Boat to Oakland as it was more convenient and less walking. From Oakland I took Amtrak's Capitol Corridor train 15 minutes back to Emeryville. For me that is a full day of adventure. 

Above lead photo is Ghirardelli Square. Below are photos as I took them throughout the day.

Heading by Amtrak to Sacramento to visit with friend Nancy and lunch at The Old Spaghetti Factory tomorrow. I'll do a blog tomorrow covering my visit to Sacramento.

After all this going, I am pretty sure Monday will be a day hanging in Emeryville and resting up for my return ride Tuesday on the eastbound California Zephyr.

Amtrak 2020 Winter Trip - East Bay Coastal Walk February 28

Reagan on the East Bay Coastal Walk

East Bay Coastal Walk 

Surprise! I know I promised "NO" update post today but I so enjoyed the almost three hours walk I made today on the East Bay Coastal Walkway just blocks from my hotel I decided to share the photos with you today. Even after taking the walk I did take a much needed nap late afternoon.

It took a while but I narrowed down the photos to these 30 to share with you. The lead photo is of "yours truly" as I began the walk with the San Francisco skyline in the background. If you are ever in the area on the East Bay in the Berkerly, Emeryville, Oakland area, I highly recommend this walk. It is an official State Park as identified in the first photo below.

EmeryGoRound Bus - Free Bus I Use to Get Around

Scooters for Rent - Must use a credit card
to activate. Owning company has GPS control
and knows where every scooter is at all times.
These are scattered all around and available for rent.

As I said yesterday, I don't have any specific plans for Saturday.  I'll post an update to let you know how the day turned out. I am heading to Sacramento Sunday to meet my friend Nancy to eat at the Old Spaghetti Factory and spend a little time catching up in Old Sacramento. Will be riding Capitol Corridor Amtrak Regional train to and from Sacramento.