9/24 day 21 of East coast trip

After some coffee and cereal, Chris and Kathy drove us to Knoxville and the airport. We left at 9:30 am and arrived at 11:00 am. The airport is small and not crowded so we got through security and the gate in short order. The Chicago O'Hare airport was a different story but manageable. 

Did you know that O'Hare airport was named for the son of Al Capone's accountant, who was a decorated war veteran? Well, now you know.

The flight to Seattle was fine. I did feel sorry for the crying babies on board. I wish that parents would talk with their pediatricians before the flight and get something for their ears and the pressure. Everyone on the plane would be a lot happier at the end if they did. 

Upon our arrival and collecting our bags we took the light rail to downtown Seattle and walked to catch the ferry. Nancy picked us up at the other end and we went to Karen and Mark's for dinner and to watch the last part of the Seahawks game. I question the call at the end of the game, enough said.

We had a great time on our visit. We tried to see everyone but we never are able to. For those of you we missed, please accept our apologies. For those of you who cheerfully provided us a place to stay, Thank You. 

Now we turn to the chores we need to complete before we return to Windarra in mid October. 

Another interesting sign

This sign was on the road up to the McCloud restaurant and lodge. 

9/23 day 20 of East coast trip

Today was another great sun rise. We sit in the living room, reading the local paper and Kathy does the crossword puzzle.

For lunch, Chris drove us across the valley and up McCloud mountain to the restaurant on top. It is at 2700 ft and perched on the ledge overlooking the valley. The views across the valley are magnificent.  In the distance we could see the Smoky Mountains, radio towers in Knoxville and the Cumberland Gap. For more information on the restaurant and lodge, see www.mtcloud.com.

The road up to the restaurant and lodge was a bit treacherous. I certainly would not want to travel it during the winter.

View between the restaurant and lodges. The Smoky Mountains are in the distance.


In the afternoon and evening we watched more football. Lyle and Judy, friends of Chris and Kathy, came over to join us. Lyle is a retired United Airlines pilot and Judy is a retired teacher. They also live in the Deerfield Resort complex. It was a fun evening.

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9/22 day 19 of East coast trip

This morning we watched the sun come up over the hills on the other side of the lake. All is peaceful and quiet. As the day progresses deer come out to feed on the lawn. At one point there was as many as 8 deer, their coats starting to turn from light brown to grey for the winter.

Some members of the Quemore clan who live in Tennessee came over for lunch and a visit. Chris and Kathy's two daughters, Laura and Kristin, along with Laura's 3 year old son, Cameron, arrived. Chris' mother, Betty, and his sister, Chan arrived a little later. It was fun visit, especially with Cameron, who we have only seen in pictures up until now. It took a bit for him to get comfortable with us strangers but he did in his own time.

Chris, Betty, Chan, Kathy and Rich

In the late afternoon and evening we got our dose of college football. Rich and I used to be more football fans. We even had season tickets for the Seahawks but since we have been cruising and we don't have a TV, we have not been watching or following the sport. Chris gets most of the sport channels so we had many choices of games to watch. 

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9/21 day 18 of East coast trip

We got up early and took the shuttle to the airport, checked in and got through security with little drama. We flew from Philadelphia to Washington DC and then changed planes and flew to Knoxville, Tennessee. Both flights were on Embrear  Brasilia aircraft. I have to say that they are small inside and noisy but other than the hard landings, reasonable flights. 

I am always amazed at the frantic pushing and rushing that people do when getting off of an airplane even when the flight arrived a little early. Either everyone is suffering from claustrophobia or small bladders and can't wait to get into the terminal. It is down right rude in some cases. I am tempted to use my elbows at times.

Chris and Kathy Quemore met us at the airport and we left on the hour and a half drive to their home overlooking Lake Norris past the town of La Follette. After unpacking we all select a rocking chair on the deck overlooking the lake and catch up. It is quiet and relaxing. A hummingbird visits some of the potted flowers on the deck. Button buck deer graze in the yard, a doe and 2 fawns. A hawk flies by, crows chasing and harassing closely behind. A vacation houseboat glides around the bend in the lake, looking for a peaceful anchorage for the evening. You can feel the sense of calm blanketing everything. Ahhh.

9/20 day 17 of East coast trip

This morning we got up at 5:30 am as we wanted an early start for our drive back to Philly. We had a false start but soon we were  back on the road. The wait at the border was minimal and after a few questions we were back in the US. The drive through northern New York was easy, very little traffic and the trees are just starting to change color. 

As we approached Philly, the traffic backed up. Ahead we could see the base of a large wind generator being transported on the freeway, taking up 3 lanes at a time. Traffic tried to funnel to one lane to get around this moving obstruction. Once we got around the freeway opened up completely. I can't imagine the impact on rush hour traffic later in the day.

We drove to our hotel at the Philly airport and dropped off our luggage before returning the rental car to the Amtrak station on 30th street and taking the commuter rail back to the airport and then the shuttle to the hotel. we looked to see if We could catch another episode of Boardwalk Empire but no joy. 

Tomorrow we fly to Tennessee to visit Chris and Kathy Quemore.

So far our trip has included a ferry ride, trains, automobiles, commuter rail and tomorrow planes.

9/19 day 16 of East coast trip

The sun came back out but the wind is brisk and there is a chill in the air. Fall is coming I guess. 

Our first stop this morning was the Marche Bonsecours to buy a few souvenirs and gifts. After leaving our loot at the hotel we walked to the  Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal. The massive stone church was built between 1672 and 1683. It was expanded in 1824-1829 to its present size. It boast a pipe organ with 7000 pipes. The Chapel of Notre-Dame de Sacre-Coeur was built 1888-1891 and has a smaller pipe organ of  1648 pipes. Both the main church and the chapel have several stained glass windows and very intricate woodwork. Truly works of art.

After the basilica we took at cab ride to Schwartz Hebrew Deli, home of the famous smoked meat. This deli is so famous that someone wrote a musical about it. We ordered corned beef on light rye with coleslaw and dill pickles. The sandwiches were full of meat and tasted great. Now we know why this place is so famous.

Instead of taking a cab back we decided that we needed to walk off some of our lunch. Once we got back to Old Montreal near our hotel we stopped for some liquid refreshment at a sidewalk cafe and watched the pedestrians go by.

In the evening we were to the Papillon Cafe. We had had dessert here the previous evening. We were fashionably late but found that others had the same idea. We sat at the bar to wait for our table. Rich and Phoebe had a martini. I asked the barkeep fora Lemon Drop. He replied that he did not know how to make one but that he was willing to look it up in the Internet and give it a try. His try was very tasty. For dinner we enjoyed squash soup and either pork loin stuffed with blueberries and cranberries or rabbit with a white wine tarragon sauce. The food was delicious but we had no room for dessert this night.

At Schwartz's Deli, Montreal

Phoebe and Reg pose in front of Schwartz's Deli in Montreal. This deli is so famous someone even wrote and produced a musical based on it. We waited in line but the sandwiches were well worth the wait.

9/18 day 15 of East coast trip

It is raining here in Montreal. It is a complete change from the warm, sunny day and warm evening we had last night. So we are adjusting our plans accordingly

After breakfast we walked to the Marche Bonsecours, down Rue Saint-Paul, from our hotel. We thought that it would be a market but instead it was more of a small shopping mall with shops. In the basement was a gallery of art by the First Nations tribes of Quebec. They include Iroquois, Huron, Cree, Mohawk,  Inuit and others that I can not remember. The art is moving. One artist did an oil of tree and the Aurora Borealis, very colorful. Another work was of birch trees with autumn leaves in a style similar to Van Gogh. 

A woman at the gallery suggest we go to the Pointe-a-Calliere, an archeology museum. So after a brief stop at the hotel and a coffee at Starbucks we went to the museum. The museum is built above an archeological dig of early Montreal. At one point it was the site of a guard house of the fortification surrounding the early settlement. Later a storehouse was built on the same site. I. The basement you could see the early foundations that had been uncovered as well as exhibits explaining the progression of Montreal. It was very interesting to see, especially how they built the museum above this site while preserving it in place at the same time. Other exhibits we saw at the museum included the Samurai and the Etruscans. We marveled at the Samurai armor and sword making as well at the 8th century BC metal work of the Etruscans. 

Interesting sign

We saw this sign in Montreal. Beware in the winter.

9/17 day 14 of East coast trip

This morning we drove from Wyckoff to Montreal. At the Springhill Suites in Old Montreal we meet our friends, Reg and Phoebe of SV Three Sheets, who are visiting friends and family in Ontario while their boat is in San Carlos, Mexico.

We are staying in the middle of Old Montreal, a city established in the 1600's.

We walked around the old town. It is sunny and comfortable and there are many sidewalk cages open. We stopped at one on the a large square for some wine and small plates. Many people are out enjoying the weather. A busker plays guitar hoping for some tips. Farther away a group plays pan pipes, attracting a large audience. We continue our walk, exploring the area. There is a building that is supposed to house a market that we will visit tomorrow. 

We stop at another cafe for salad before returning to the hotel. Our waiter is friendly and talkative. We ask him about what to see in the city but he laments that most of the festivals are over for the season but that the historical sites are open. We will investigate more tomorrow.

9/16 day 13 of East coast trip

Today, Bill, Steph, Anneliese, Rich and I went to the 35th annual New York Renaissance Faire. This Faire runs each weekend in August and September. 

The website for the Faire describes itself as:

"The Faire is a rollicking romp through Elizabethan England complete with 16th Century games, rides, arts, crafts, food music and dance - set within the majestic groves of Sterling Forest in Tuxedo Park, New York."

I think we would all agree it fit the description. So many of the attendees are dressed in costume that it was hard to tell who was working at the Faire and who was just enjoying it. We saw knights jousting, merry maids and lads dancing around the maypole, a falconer demonstrating with birds of prey, glassblowing and other entertainment. There were booths braiding hair, applying face paint and elf ears. Other booths sold medieval clothing, chain mail, pirate paraphernalia, garden gnomes, swords, shields, jewelry, etc. Food offerings included a turkey leg, chicken on a stick, banana on a stick, and a large piece of cheesecake on a stick. This last option was also dipped in chocolate. We also got plenty of exercise walking around much of the 65 acres of the Faire

New York City

Bill, Steph, Rich and I outside the August Wilson Theater where we are going to see the "Jersey Boys".

9/15 day 12 of East coast trip

Bill, Steph, Rich and I drove into New York City today. We went to see the musical, Jersey Boys, at the August Wilson Theater, just off Broadway. The musical debuted in 2005 and the actor who played Franke Valli at the beginning, a Tony award winner, played at our matinee. He was fantastical. Is is full of music and the songs fit the story of his rise to fame with the Four Seasons. The house was packed and Steph was able to get us great seats on the first row of the balcony, just left of center on the aisle. We clapped and enjoyed an encore of one of Franke Valli's hits, Rag Doll. As we left and walked down Broadway, we passed a theater that was advertising a concert by the real Franke Valle in October. In case you are wondering, yes he is still alive, and is 78 years old.  Amazing

Broadway is not only closed to traffic but there was a street fair taking place with vendors selling, food, jewelry, souvenirs, T-shirts, smartphone accessories, purses, etc, etc. 

Later we had dinner at Trattoria 'dell Arte. We shared an antipasto plate of seafood, eggplant, cauliflower and  roasted red peppers. Rich had lamb shank with paste, Bill had a seafood risotto while Steph and I enjoyed veal Marsala. We should have stopped there but the bittersweet chocolate mousse was too tempting but proved to be too much for Rich and I to finish.

it was a day to remember in New York City.

9/14 day 11 of East coast trip

While we were at Wilda and Jim's, we watched the HBO series, Boardwalk Empire. It is about the Prohibition and the history of Atlantic City. The show is well written and we started watching it.  In the evenings we would watch a few episodes. One of the actors that plays the new mayor of Atlantic City was in my high school class, Kevin O'Rourke. Since we had some time on our drive north to visit my cousin and her family in Wyckoff, New Jersey, we decided to take a side trip and drive through Atlantic City, which is north of Ocean City where we have been staying. Some of the large homes look like they may have been built during the time depicted in the show. One of the hotels was advertising a special premier showing of this season's first episode of Boardwalk Empire. So even Atlantic City is making profit on the history of the town even though it is a bit nefarious.

We did stop and taking photos of Lucy the Elephant. It is a large structure in the shape of an elephant, with stairs and rooms inside. Rich remembers crawling inside when he was a kid. Lucy is similar to the giant pineapple or mango, etc we saw in Australia but perhaps not as old as Lucy, which was built in 1881. You can read more about Lucy at www.lucytheelephant.org.

After Atlantic City we drove north on the Garden State Parkway to Wyckoff, NJ to spend the weekend with my cousin, Steph,her husband, Bill and their daughter Anneliese. That evening we joined at dinner by my Aunt Bert, whose is Steph's mother and Tom, Anneliese's boyfriend. We spent some of the evening looking at photos of my father's family.

9/13 day 10 of East coast trip

This morning we joined Wilda and Jim for an early lunch at The Anchorage tavern in Somers Point. The Anchorage is a historic site where sailors would stop for food and brew. 

After lunch we visited with Rich's mother, Jim and Jeanne. We shared our pictures of our trip to Oshkosh.  We also visited Rich's cousin, Barbara, her husband, Tom, and her mother, Anne. Anne is now 94 years old and doing well.

In the evening we had dinner with Alyce and her husband, Michael. 

Lunch at The Anchorage

We joined Wilda and Jim for lunch at The Anchorage, a tavern at Somer's Point that dates back to 1888.

We are off to more adventures....

9/12 day 9 of East coast trip

This morning Rich and I went to an exercise place here in Ocean City. For $10 each we were able to use the facility. I am trying to counteract some of the vacation calories we have been enjoying. We did treadmill, ,weight lifting and I did some core exercises. It was not a lot but every bit helps.

After showers, Alyce, Rich and I went to the diner across the bridge for lunch and then drove to the Cape May Zoo. It is not a large zoo but it did have some snow leopards which we got to see up close and some lemurs which were very active and playing with each other. Other animals and birds include a kookaburra and wallabies which we saw in Australia as well as giraffes, oryx, lion, ,black bear, eagle, plus others too numerous to name. The weather was pleasant and it was a nice walk around the grounds. 

This evening, Alyce is having some friends over for salad and pizza. It promises to be an interesting evening.

9/11 day 8 of East coast trip

This morning Alyce, Rich and I went for a walk along the waterfront. Alyce recently has a knee replacement 3 months ago so she set the pace. She is doing great. The weather has been sunny but not as humid as when we first arrived.

Later Rich and I took a drive along the ocean, through Wildwood and had lunch in Cape May. 

When Rich was growing up, he would spend his summers at Wildwood. At one time his parents ran a small hotel, called the Melrose, in Wildwood. He tells me stories of his summers, exploring in a small rowboat called the Daisy Mae, and then his summer jobs delivering soft drink syrups to the businesses on the Boardwalk.

Cape May is the southern most tip of New Jersey. The architecture is predominately Victorian,similar to the painted ladies of San Francisco. Cape May was named for a Dutch explorer, Cornelius Jacobsen Mey, who sailed by one a voyage in 1620. In the mid 18th century Cape May became a seaside resort for the well-to-do from Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore and New York, a place to escape the hot summers in these cities and enjoy the beach and the cool breezes off the ocean. The town is a designated National Historic Landmark. We stopped for lunch and then drove back on the Garden State Parkway

9/10 day 7 of East coast trip

Today we drove up to Pitman and went out to lunch with Rich's mother, Mary, plus Rich's brother, Jim and his wife, Jeanne.  We went to the restaurant, Terra Nova. Mary is doing well, especially for 92, and living at the Pitman Manor.

In the later afternoon we moved to a place in Ocean City to stay with Rich's cousin, Alyce. She is retired now but she used to be head of public affairs for Harrah's. We spent the evening catching up on the comings and goings of the family.

Rich and Mary

Rich and his mother, Mary at Pitman Manor

9/9 day 6 of East coast trip

This morning we did not get up very early again. We went for a walk on the Boardwalk but this time we went south instead of north. This section is more homes instead of commercial. Some of the homes are triplexes or duplexes with a value of $1 million per unit. Of course each unit has a beautiful view of the ocean, access to the beach, prime real estate.

For lunch we had cheesesteak sandwiches but not top of the line. We went down and watched Jim and Wilda's son, Jimmy, surfing off the beach at 59th street. There was quite a crowd on the beach plus in the water.

In the evening we went across the bridge to Smitty's Clam Bar. It is a very popular place, read crowded, but the weather outside was comfortable to wait. The food was great. The waitress has been living in Quito and is marrying a fellow from Ecuador in December.

On the Boardwalk

Rich on the Boardwalk at Ocean City, New Jersey

9/8 day 5 of East coast trip

We got up at 11:00 am. I guess we are not yet on East Coast time.

We went for a walk on the boardwalk. The boardwalk is an East coast phenomena. It is a long wooden sidewalk about 35 feet wide that boarders the beach on one side and the otherwise is a collection of retail, entertainment and food. The shops sell everything from beach attire to beach chairs, umbrellas, boogie boards, T-shirts, hats, jewelry, souvenirs and just stuff. For entertainment there are putt-putt golf courses, with themes from zombies, ,pirates to glow in the dark. Other options include water slides, movie theaters, and penny arcades with air hockey, video games, and Sarah's favorite, Skeeball. The popular food options are pizza, funnel cakes, Italian water ice plus some nice seafood restaurant. On our walk back, Rich bought us some Italian water ice, very cool and refreshing. Even though it is after Labor Day and the main summer season, it is a weekend and the beach and boardwalk are still very crowded with families. This weekend there was a street-rod car show on the boardwalk, with cars like Model A's, 1948 Fords, Corvettes, etc. There was plenty for us to see on our walk. Last night there was a rain storm so there is a lot of humidity in the air and it is in the 80's but the wind helps keep it from being too oppressive. Tonight there are  thunderstorm warnings all along the coast. It could be interesting night

9/7 day 4 of East coast trip

We arrived at the Pittsburg station at 5:30 am about an hour late but we still had to wait until 7:20 am before we could board the 42 Pennsylvanian to Philadelphia.

Getting off the train was a little bit of a problem at first. The door on our car was stuck. Our porter, Jamal, kept trying but the door handle would not move. He reached around into the emergency kit and got out a sledgehammer and banged on the handle but still no luck. You tell from the marks on the door that this was not the first time forth is technique. The conductor was outside and thought that the door might have been locked, but no the door was unlocked. He asked for the sledgehammer and tried banging on the outside door handle. Still the door was stuck. Next a mechanic came in and tried the door. Then he asked for the sledgehammer. After a few good wacks, the door opened and we exited the train. I am glad they don't do this on airplanes!

Since we are just riding this train during the day we have coach seats instead of a roomette. When we first got on the train, everyone headed for the front of the car, we picked a spot in the middle. Shortly after we sat down, four women, speaking very loudly with Delaware valley accents got on the train and selected four seat across at the front of the car. Slowly, some of the people who were originally seated at the front of the car moved to to seats in the back of the car. One young couple mentioned that they did not want to spend 5 hours listening to the women. The women are going to New York City for the weekend, and they have started to party already. We are glad they have gone to the dining car.

There were two Amish gentlemen on our train from Chicago and they are on this train as well with and older Amish couple that got on in Pittsburg. I am not sure which sect they belong to as not all of the men have beards. Rich thinks they are traveling to Lancaster. PA, a large Amish community is there.

A fog hangs in the trees as the train winds through a forest of more deciduous than conifer trees. In places the leaves have started to turn red and yellow but most are green. Occasionally a freight train passes us going the other way as we ride through the Allegheny Mountains which seem more like hills compared to the Cascades and Rockies. The train slows as we pass a small town, then speeds up until we reach the next one.   Many of these small towns grew around the tracks, their lifeline to the rest of the world.  As we pass through towns we see the front doors of the houses facing the tracks. Yet in other places, the town growth was away from the tracks, focused on the river, before the railroad came through. We are like voyeurs looking into the backyards and porches as the houses face away from the tracks.

We arrived at Philadelphia's 30th street station, picked up a rental car and headed out of town and onto the Atlantic City Expressway. We are now at Ocean City, staying with some friends, Wilda and Jim.

Let the vacation continue.

9/6 day 3 of East coast trip

This morning I was awaken by the announcement of our pending arrival in Minneapolis. Unlike the first night on the train, I slept very soundly on the second night and was a little disoriented by the voice. We decided it was a good time to get up anyway and stretch our legs a bit. After the twenty minute stop, we were back on the train and had breakfast. I have to say that the French toast on the first morning was much better than the scrambled eggs and the desiccated potatoes we had this morning.  Not even ketchup could soften then up. 

We sit in our roomette watching the Mississippi river go by. Rich has spotted numerous eagles. We passed lock number 5, one of the 29 locks between St Paul and  St Louis and before our stop in Winona, Minnesota. Winona is Sioux for 'firstborn daughter', in case you wanted to know or not.

We rode through Pewaukee, Wisconsin, home of the famous Clark bar candy, and for all of you sailors, it is also the home of Harken, makers of sailboat gear. The stop was very brief at Milwaukee. It was almost a 'tuck and roll grandma' stop, as the conductor wanted to get to Chicago as soon as possible so that folks like us can make their connecting trains. Another piece of trivia, Milwaukee is the only major city in the US to have elected 3 socialist mayors. 

We arrived in Chicago with plenty of time to get our luggage and find our next train, the Capitol Limited. We will take this until Pittsburg, where we will get off and change trains to the Pennsylvanian, to Philadelphia. We were able to wait in the Metropolitan lounge in the train station before boarding. It is available to passengers who are traveling in a roomette or bedroom. 

This train is newer and has things like LED lighting and upgraded bathroom and shower facilities. For dinner we had Maryland crab cakes, rice pilaf, steamed veggies, salad and a small raspberry sorbet. It was not bad and certainly better than this morning's breakfast. 

On this leg of the journey we pass through some interesting places. South Bend, Indiana, the home of the Studebaker Corporation. Elkhart, IN, the town that was the inspiration for the musical, "The Music Man", and the place where Miles Laboratories developed Alka-Seltzer. Bryan, Ohio, where the Ohio Art Company made the Etch-a-Sketch. Unfortunately, we are passing all of these places in the dark, so we can't see anything.

I need to get some sleep. We are supposed to arrive at Pittsburg at 4:30 am. Yawn.

Twin Cities

A stop at Minneapolis

Twin cities

A stop at Minneapolis

9/5 day 2 of East coast trip

9/5

Early in the morning we had breakfast with Benedict and his partner. They are on the first leg of a multi leg rail trip across the US and back to Seattle. Benedict was a boat chief on the Coast Guard ice breaker Polar Star for many years.

At Whitefish, MT we got a seat in the observation car before the train to heads for Glacier National Park. There are park service rangers on board and they gave a lecture on the park.

The depot at Whitefish was built by the Great Northern Railway in 1928. It was later renovated by the Burlington Northern railway and now maintained by the Stumptown historical society. The original name of Whitefish was Stumptown, called such since they were in such a hurry to establish the town they did not clear all the stumps.

The views from the train are gorgeous. We see lenticular clouds over the mountains, forests, fast running rivers an interesting shade of blue. Even though it is called Glacier National Park, we did not see a single glacier as we are passing along the southern edge of the park. I did not see any wildlife either though Rich claims he saw a deer. It is different seeing the park from the ground in contrast to the view from the air when we flew with Doug in his plane.

After the park we passed though the Blackfeet Indian Reservation with long, gently rolling hills of grass and wheat with a few cows studding the landscape.

Between Havre and Malta, Montana the train slowed to a crawl. Burlington Northern is working on the tracks so we need to go slowly. Unfortunately. We are now a little over a hour late arriving at our next stop, Glasgow, Montana. We hope that between here and Chicago we are able to make better time so we do not miss our connecting train to Pittsburg.

As we ride down the tracks and see cows in the distant I am reminded of the Gary Larson cartoon about cows. In the cartoon, there is a cow on lookout for people while the other cows are standing on their hind legs smoking cigarettes. When the lookout cow signals, they all return to 'normal' cow behavior, eating grass. I wonder what the cows are really doing when we can not see them.

9/4 day 1 of East coast trip

We boarded the train at 4:25pm. Shortly thereafter as the train headed north towards Everett, our porter, Larry, brought us two small bottles of champagne, which we enjoyed as we watched Puget Sound go by. We are in a roomette on the upper level, port side which gives us some great views.

We sat for dinner as we travelled passed Index and Skykomish. Our dinner partners, Mark and Judy, are returning to Maine after a visit with their son and his family in Port Angeles. Mark is a retired school principal and superintendent. They told us about their trip on the Trans Siberian railway to visit a school in Siberia in 1993. It sounded like quite an adventure.

Later in the evening our roomette was converted into bunk beds. We went through the 8 mile tunnel, continually popping our ears. There are large fans in the tunnel to blow air so that the passengers do not get asphyxiated by the exhaust from the train engine.

During the night the train stopped at Spokane to combine with the train from Portland, OR. On it went, rolling along, rocking back and forth, the whistle blowing as we passed crossings. I was not quite used to the motion. It is not like the motion of the ocean.

Yet another adventure

Nancy dropped us off in Winslow and we walked onto the ferry, Tacoma, the first conveyance on our trip to the East Coast. From Winslow, the ferry will depart for Seattle, passing the guest house where we have been staying this summer. At the Colman dock we will walk to the Amtrak train station, which is being renovated, and board the Empire Builder to Chicago. All aboard!