PTSW: No Matter Where It's Going

Travel

The railroad track is miles away,

  And the day is loud with voices speaking,

But there isn't a train goes by all day

  But I hear its whistle shrieking.

All night there isn't a train goes by,

  Though the night is still for sleep and dreaming,

But I see the cinders red on the sky,

  And hear its engine steaming.

My heart is warm with the friends I make,

  And better friends I'll not be knowing,

Yet there isn't a train I wouldn't take,

  No matter where it's going.

- Edna St. Vincent Millay

I tell folks that I am a territorial creature. A home body, in a way. I love my Northwest Georgia valleys and ridges. I soak in the rich greens as soul nourishment. Our environmental bounty astounds me and blesses me daily. 

But...

If there is one regret I have it is that I have not traveled as much as I would like. How Sheila and I enjoyed, late last fall and early winter, our ten days crossing the continent by car followed by several weeks with grandkids in California, then another six days by car back to this river side. It ranks right up there with our 31 day rail trip in 1979 from Georgia to DC to Cinci to Minneapolis to Glacier Park to Seattle to Oregon's coast to Frisco to Salt Lake to Denver to Chicago to Birmingham to home.

Here are a few pics from that trip...

Sheila writes in her journal whilr we sat in the scenic dome of the club car of "Empire Builder" as it sped west across Montana. June 16, 1979.

"

We purchased US Rail Passes on the last day they were available. The pass was good for unlimited travel anywhere Amtrak went for 31 days. We got our money's worth.  I did the math and figured we paid about 4¢ per mile for that trip. 

Sheila with two of the folks we became acquainted with on the long leg of the trip from Minneapolis to Glacier Park -- the train had some problems that extended the trip to 36 hours.

We scheduled our trip so that we never had to spend more than one night at a time on the train, so we survived without paying for a sleeping berth. 

Lordy, I'm a lucky man.  

Our miniature Scrabble and Chess sets attracted the interest of several fellow passengers.  The young fellow was just learning. Here, according to my notes, I was teaching him how to achieve "Fool's Mate" if the opponent makes the wrong move.

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George Bailey heard a train whistle and stopped Uncle Billy:

“George Bailey: There she blows. You know what the three most exciting sounds in the world are?
Uncle Billy: Uh huh. Breakfast is served; lunch is served; dinner...
George Bailey: No no no no. Anchor chains, plane motors and train whistles.”