2006 North American Rail Pass Journal

Home of Plake Tax Service

2006-09-01T16:47:00.000-07:00

Leg 18—Fullerton to Phoenix: May 20 & 21, 2006

2006-05-20T08:57:00.000-07:00

I board Amtrak’s Train 4, the Southwest Chief, in Fullerton and travel through the following cities: in California, Fullerton, Riverside, San Bernardino, Victorville, Barstow and Needles; in Kingman, Williams Junction and Flagstaff. It is dark going through these cities, so I get some good sleep. I have traveled on this leg many times and there is nothing new to see. In Flagstaff, I have a two and one-half hour layover.

I try to find something to eat in downtown Flagstaff, but it is Sunday morning and nothing is open. I am hungry and tired. After all, it has been 29 days since I started this trip. I am anxious to get home.

At 7:30 a.m., an Open Road Tours thruway van transports me from Flagstaff to Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport with a ten minute stop in Verde Valley.

The van is crowded and the seats are small. Only one seat is empty in the van and it is too small for my carcass, but I have to make-do. I think about positive things to pass the time. I reflect on my trip. This van does not compare to a train with few passengers, large seats and plenty of leg room.

I think about Bob and me taking a car from Kansas City to Branson, traveling through Missouri and into the Ozarks, riding the Branson Scenic Railway. I think about watching the Cubs and Braves game at Wrigley, seeing Babe Ruth’s wife and son, and riding the Red Train.

I reflect on traveling through four more states that I have not previously visited, i.e. Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont. Now I have been in forty-six states: I have been in all states but Connecticut, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Nebraska. I will need to visit these states next year.

I traveled through eight of the ten provinces in Canada. Canada is the world’s second largest country by area to Russia. I traveled from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean in Canada stopping at some of the larger cities. The country has ten provinces and three territories and is considered a bilingual and multicultural nation; both English and French are official languages.

What a trip. I traveled 10,000 miles in 29 days seeing some of God’s most beautiful landscape.

My friend, Alex, picks me up at Sky Harbor Airport, the final destination of the thruway van. I have completed a trip to remember.

Leg 17—Vancouver to Fullerton: May 18, 19 & 20, 2006

2006-05-18T09:09:00.000-07:00

The itinerary for this leg was supposed to be as follows: Bus 8911, a Thruway Bus, was to take me to Seattle where I was to catch Amtrak’s Train 11 to Los Angeles, California and then transfer to Amtrak’s Train 596, the Pacific Surfliner to Fullerton. Due to Union Pacific repairing a tunnel somewhere between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, this route will have service delay until December 2006. Below is how my journey actually goes:

I awake at 3:45 a.m. to catch Bus 8911, the Thruway Bus, which departs Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on Thursday, May 18 at the scheduled time 5:30 a.m. and arrives at Seattle at 9:15 a.m. I grab a banana for sustenance at the B&B until I get something to eat. I call a yellow cab and arrive at the train station at 4:40 a.m. and discover the train station is locked. About ten passengers are outside waiting to get into the station. We wait until 4:50 a.m. when a security officer opens the door. All concessions inside the station are closed and there are no vending machines to buy food.

At 5:15 a.m., our bus arrives to take us to Seattle. No stops on the way to buy food.

When the bus arrives at the Seattle Union at 9:40 a.m., the Station Master announces that Train 11, Coast Starlight, arrived so late in Portland the night before that the route was terminated in Portland and all passengers will be bussed to Portland to catch the train. The coach passengers are unhappy about not riding a train, but so are the passengers who paid for a sleeper.

I can’t imagine paying for a sleeper and having to ride a bus. I am sure that Amtrak, in some way, will compensate the passengers who purchased sleepers. I had thought about purchasing a roomette, but I’m glad I didn’t. Unfortunately, delays and inconveniences are a few things that are expected on a train ride, even from way-back-when the trains were a major mode of transportation. In those days, passengers occasionally were involved with train robberies.

I purchase V8 juice from the vending machine to give me some energy.

As we leave Seattle, we pass Qwest Field, the Seattle Mariner's baseball stadium.

Bus to Portland: We stop at Centralia, Washington to pick up additional train passengers. At Kelso-Longview, the bus stops for a longer period. Passengers get out of the train to smoke. When we pull away from the train station, one lady notifies the bus driver that we have left a young girl’s grandmother behind. We have gone about a block before the discovery. Her grandchild was asleep in the seat. The bus driver returns to the station and finds the grandmother.

The State of Washington is green and the sun is shining brightly today. There is plenty of water between Seattle and Portland—including rivers, ocean and bays. We pass farmland, grazing sheep and lumber mills.

Train to Santa Barbara: In Portland, Train 11, Coast Starlight, which was one of my favorite train routes on our trip last year, is waiting for us and departs Portland about one hour late. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful of all train routes. Going between Seattle and Los Angeles, the train passes through Portland, Eugene, Sacramento, the San Francisco Bay Area and Santa Barbara.

The scenery along this route is some of the best: snow-capped mountains, rolling hills, dense forests, fertile valleys and long stretches of the Pacific Ocean shoreline. You can smell roses in Portland’s famous rose gardens, ride trolley cars in San Francisco, visit wineries in Paso Robles or visit Hearst Castle near San Luis Obispo. Since we departed late, much of the route is traveled at night.

But on this trip, my patience is tested and I fail. It is about 3:00 p.m. and I haven’t eaten a meal all day and am hungry and cranky. The car attendant announces that the café car will open soon. When he takes my ticket, I ask him, “How soon will it open? I haven’t eaten a meal all day.”

He suggests I go to the café and wait. Thank goodness, it is open when I get there. I spill my heart to the café attendant. While I am eating, I feel bad about my attitude. It’s not his fault about the inconvenience. I sit with the grandmother and granddaughter. They are hungry too. We strike a friendship, which lasts throughout our ride to Santa Barbara.

We pass several little communities in California. The country along the coastline is filled with farmland and industrial sites.

After eating, I returned to the attendant and apologize, saying now that I have eaten, my attitude will change. We were friendly the remainder of the trip, and when we parted, he comments that he hopes circumstances will be better the next time we meet.

When we arrive in Santa Barbara at 9:30 p.m., five buses are waiting to transport passengers to various cities in Southern California.

Bus from Santa Barbara to Fullerton: I previously made arrangements with my son to pick me up at the Fullerton train station, but because it is so late, I call him from my cell phone when we reach Santa Barbara. I tell him that I will call him when we reach East Los Angeles, about twenty minutes away from Fullerton.

I fall asleep and wake up about ten minutes away from Fullerton. I call Ken; he hurries to the Amtrak station and we meet there about 1:30 a.m. We hit the hay as soon as we reach his house which is less than one mile from the Amtrak station.

I am able to stay with my family only one day because many of them had previous plans. My daughter, Jennifer, is on a cruise, but her husband, Dave, is home with my grandson, Evan. We will be meeting them for dinner before I leave for home. Ken is attending Biola University, a Christian University, to earn a graduate degree and must study for finals. My granddaughter, Jennifer, has to work and I won’t be able to see her at all.

My train is due to depart Fullerton at 7:20 in the evening. I visit with my daughter-in-law, Kim, and watch television while Ken is studying. In the afternoon, Dave brings Evan to Ken’s house for a visit before dinner. A short time before dinner, Rob, a 26-year old grandson, and his girlfriend come for a short visit.

We eat at the Fullerton Spaghetti Factory, an old depot converted to a restaurant. Dave’s birthday is just around the corner, so I buy dinner to celebrate everyone’s birthday. At the dinner are Ken and Kim, Dave and Evan, and Rob and Melissa plus me.

The stay is short, but I will see most of them again at the family reunion in the middle of June.

Leg 16—Jasper to Vancouver: May 15, 16 & 17, 2006

2006-05-15T09:47:00.000-07:00

While waiting to board the train in Jasper, I could hear an operatic voice singing in the background, and I see Cameron, the gregarious gentleman that talked a lot on the previous time I was on Train 1. This leg is a continuation of the Toronto to Vancouver route. Both Cameron and I detrained in Edmonton: He spent time with his daughter and I took the bus through the Rockies. Of course, Cameron knew the opera singer.

After waiting for the crew to load and unload trash and cargo, we board the train. An hour away from Jasper, VIA Rail’s Train 1 crosses over the border between Alberta and British Columbia and the division between Mountain and Pacific Time Zones at the Yellowhead Pass. In British Columbia, we travel through Mount Robson, Valemount, Blue River, Kamloops, Ashcroft, Lytton, Boston Bar and Vancouver. We also pass the continental divide: Now all rivers flow west.

Soon after passing the border, the conductor announces that we are passing Pyramid Falls--too fast for me to get my camera. While much of this trip allows time to sleep, we see more of the Canadian Rockies as the train leaves Jasper. The conductor points out Mount Robson, which is the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. It can be easily seen from the train.

It's time to go to dinner. The opera singer sits behind me unbeknownst to me. He sings a classical and gets a round of applause. He continues his singing, Irish songs, contemporary and popular songs. It becomes tiring to my ears and to other passengers as the applause subsides. I say to the diners at my table, "I wish he would give our ears a rest."

The gentleman sitting directly in front of me points to his lips to shush me, pointing to my back to let me know he is sitting behind me.

After being served and savoring our very tasty dinner, one of the servers yells, “Bear on the left.” I look to my left and see nothing. I look back to see the server, he is facing west and I am facing east. The bear would have been on my right. The server’s loud shout causes a stir in the dining car. As it turns out, no one but the server saw the bear. Maybe, he was trying to quiet the opera singer.

All trees are mature and beautiful the farther west we go. The deciduous trees have sprouted green leaves that are mature now. During the night when most passengers are asleep, we exit the Rockies.

When I awake, I don't eat breakfast--just drink coffee.

As we pull into Vancouver, flowers are seen almost everywhere. The rainfall averages 57 inches each year.

The train pulls into Vancouver Pacific Central Station about 45 minutes late, but it is still early in the morning. In addition to VIA Rail and Amtrak, Pacific Central Station is also served by Rocky Mountaineer tour trains, and intercity coaches run by Pacific Coach Lines and Greyhound Lines.

Amazingly, McDonald's has a concession in the station. I eat a Sausage McMuffin with egg and drink coffee to gather my wits and plan my day.

I will not be able to check-into my B&B until the afternoon, so I decide to take the tour I purchased from Gray Line for their Double Decker bus. I rent two lockers at the Greyhound terminal, located in the same building, to store my bags while I take the tour, but I have a difficult time locating a stop to catch the bus. Finally, after asking several people and walking around the area for about six blocks, I ask a gentleman sweeping the streets where the hop on-hop off bus stops. He points to a sign about six feet in front of us and says, "I think its there." The sign advertises a trolley stop.

When a trolley stops at the sign, I asked the driver if Gray Line stops here. He says, "Get on. The Gray Line tour works together with the Vancouver Trolley Company. The tickets can be used on either tour."

I hop on the trolley. The plan is to tour the entire route the first day and to hop off at certain stops the second day. The tour has 25 stops.

There is plenty to see in Vancouver. It is a beautiful city. The tour guide drives by and points out many famous buildings and tourist sites. A couple of the stops are on Robson Street, which is popular for designer stores and restaurants similar to Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California. Some locals call it 'Vancouver's Rodeo Drive'.

Stanley Park is a must-see. The tour has five stops in Stanley Park: The rose gardens, Vancouver Aquarium, Totem Poles; rose gardens, again and Prospect Point. The 1,000-acre park is a popular tourist attraction. Beautiful lush green grass and flowers of many species can be seen from the trolley. The park features many huge Douglas-fir, Western Redcedar, and Western Hemlock trees. Tours around the park can also be taken by horse drawn-carriage or by a bicycle-built-for-two. On one occasion, the driver makes an unscheduled stop to allow the passengers take a picture of Lion's Gate Bridge.

The Lions Gate Bridge (officially known as the First Narrows Bridge is a suspension bridge) that connects the City of Vancouver, to the North Shore municipalities of the District of North Vancouver, the City of North Vancouver, and West Vancouver. The total length of the bridge including the north viaduct is 5,890 feet. The main span alone is 1,550 feet, the tower height is 364 feet, and it has a ship's clearance of 200 ft. The bridge has three reversible lanes, the use of which is indicated by signals. The center lane changes direction to accommodate for traffic patterns. The bridge is very well used with 60,000 - 70,000 vehicles crossing daily.

Granville Island, another stop on the tour, features a microbrewery, a Kid’s Market and eating establishments. A public market has fresh produce and seafood, craft shops, theatres, and bakeries. We stop to let some tourists hop off the trolley here and make another stop down the hill to let some tourists hop on.

Riding through Vancouver reminds me of Seattle. The Starbucks coffee houses seem as thick here as in Seattle. In fact, at one intersection two Starbucks are kiddy corner from each other. The driver says the intersection is nicknamed 'Caffeine Crossing'. Both cities have Chinatowns.

The Vancouver Chinatown stop allows you to hop off and visit the second largest Chinatown in North America. Shops with exotic herbs, teas, produce and porcelain collectibles, the Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Gardens, and many restaurants are a few attractions to visit.

The Gastown stop is the older part of Vancouver. It still has cobblestone streets. This part of the city is Vancouver’s first official settlement known for its architecture and art galleries.

I ride through all 25 stops and get off the trolley at the stop I boarded, but I leave my two-day pass on the tour bus. Now, what do I do? I have to change my plans.

I eat lunch and enjoy some refreshments at a pub near the train station, which I learned on the tour that it was built in 1912. The pub is located inside the Ivanhoe Hotel. In 2001, the historic Ivanhoe Hotel changed ownership and was transformed into the new The Central Station Hostel. The beer is cheap. One of the pub owners is serving and tells me he works on volume. I believe it, because the pub is crowded with people.

I strike up a conversation with a friendly contractor, named Paul, who waterproofs commercial buildings. After talking with Paul awhile, I think it is time for me to find my B&B.

I check into Catherine's B&B at 4:00 p.m. in the afternoon. The owner’s son greets me at the door and tells me the owner is out of town. He is the host during my stay here. I ask him where a bank is located in the area. He directs me to a bank, gives me his cell phone number and takes off for his job.

I then check my email at the B&B and log out of the computer.

I walk to the bank about six blocks from the B&B and get cash. I am hungry, look for a restaurant and see at a Chinese restaurant, where I eat chop suey and drink green tea. The meal is delicious. Most of the customers are Chinese.

When I return to the B&B, I see a couple of guests arriving at the same time. I say, “Hello” to each of them and return to the computer to gain access but discover I need a password. The couple is not too happy when I tell them that I logged out of the computer previously.

The guests are an English couple. The gentleman says that I need to call the owner, but his wife says that the owner is on Holiday. I tell them that the son is working and that his sister may be at the B&B later. Apparently mad at me for turning off the computer, the couple ignores me, so I go to my room.

I call the son’s cell phone number—no answer. He has not set up his answering device with his telephone company. I finally reach him later that night, but he will be working late. He says that he will fix the computer when he gets off work. Thank goodness for cell phones. When I awake the next morning, the computer is fixed, but the couple has checked-out.

The B&B does not serve a full breakfast as advertised on the Internet, but there is cereal, milk, muffins and other breakfast foods available for a continental breakfast.

I locate TransLink, Vancouver’s transit network, on the computer. I call them to ask how to catch the bus from my location to downtown. I am told to catch the #8 bus on Fraser, which I take to downtown Vancouver. I window shop, take a few pictures and return to the pub. I learn that the pub is located in the C&N Central Station Hostel.

The station is located steps away from the bus depot and train station, as well as the sky train and city buses. It is also just a short distance from the ocean front boardwalk and the future Olympic village. The hostel offers single beds and private rooms and has a communal kitchen, laundry facility, storage and luggage room, internet café; rooms have cable TV; some rooms have a refrigerator; and free parking is available on the streets around the hostel. If I return to Vancouver again and because I am looking for cheap deals, I may review the hostel as possible lodging.

For dinner, I eat at a deli in a strip center on Fraser. I am disappointed. The restaurant has one person working both as server and as cook and I am the only customer. The food is not very tasty. I don’t recommend eating here. I can't remember the name of the place anyway. I guess that's good.

I return to the B&B and check my email before going to bed for the night. I need to arise early in the morning to catch a taxi to the train station. The #8 bus goes in front of the station, but I need to be there early and my luggage is too large for a city bus. I figure I better eat because I don't think anything will be open this time of morning. I drink some milk, grab a banana and call a cab.

Vancouver is one of the most beautiful towns I have been in. I recommend putting Vancouver in your Canadian travel plans.

Leg 15—Banff to Jasper: May 14, 2006

2006-05-14T17:27:00.001-07:00

Before leaving for my vacation, I purchased tickets through Gray Line to take a Brewster tour from Banff to Jasper prior to my vacation. The tour costs $93.81 (CAD) but well worth the bucks. The nine-hour tour through the Canadian Rockies takes gorgeous scenery, to put it mildly. We see wildlife, evergreens, blooming deciduous trees, snow-capped mountains, and top it off by visiting a glacier. The bus passengers walk on a glacier. This tour has to be the highlight of my vacation. Although the tour is by bus, it is worthwhile because it travels where trains can’t go. This leg is my favorite of the whole trip.

We continue on the Trans-Canadian Highway (TCH), Icefields Parkway, and the Provincial Route 93 from Banff to Jasper through the Canadian Rockies. The Trans-Canadian Highway is the second longest in the world. The longest is in Australia.

One of our stops is Lake Louise. The lake is still frozen at this time of the year. Lake Louise is both an actual lake and a nearby small settlement located in Banff National Park. The unique emerald color of the lake comes from Rock Flour carried into the lake by melt-water from the glaciers that overlook the lake. Recreational activities in the area include hiking, scrambling, and down-hill skiing. On the eastern shore of the lake is Chateau Lake Louise, a five-star hotel. It was gradually built at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century by the Canadian Pacific Railway and is thus a cousin to Château Frontenac in Quebec.

The background of Lake Louise is filled with views of several snow-capped mountains including Mount Temple (3543 m / 11,692 ft), Mount Whyte (9,844 ft) and Mount Niblock (9,820 ft).

The Canadian Rockies contain five national parks: Banff National Park, Jasper National Park, Kootenay National Park, Watertown Lakes National Park, and Yoyo National Park. The tour bus travels in Banff National Park and Jasper National Park. Banff National Park alone is 2,564 square miles, and Jasper National Park covers 4,199 square miles.

The bus driver makes many stops for photo shots, to eat and to use the wash room (a Canadian bathroom), thus making the trip a nine-hour ride vis-à-vis a four-hour trip by car.

The Brewster driver, Bill, says, “Bears are waking up now, so yell, if you see a one, and I will stop the bus for everyone to see.” He says that a bear attacked a bicyclist two days ago in Banff. He shows us fences constructed next to the highway to prevent animals from getting killed by cars. Animals have overpasses to cross the highway.

Someone says they see deer. The driver drives slowly by six deer alongside the road but not slow enough for me to get a picture.

The driver is humorous. He tells a joke, “What is the difference between a bison and buffalo? A buffalo is a four-legged animal and a bison is what British wash their hand in.”

Evergreen and deciduous trees cover the mountains up to 7,200 feet. The deciduous trees are beginning to turn green. In the fall, these trees produce many fall colors in a backdrop of evergreens. On several mountains, there are large areas where trees had been mowed down by avalanches.

The Rockies is home to a whole host of wildlife known to man: elk, deer, moose, caribou beaver, marmot, big horn sheep, mountain goat, snowshoe hare, lynx, cougar, wolf, and black and grizzly bears. But also claiming the Rockies as their home are two species of humming birds, a ground squirrel that sleeps for eight months of the year, and a frog that freezes solid in winter and yet thaws out in spring alive and well.

On our trip, we spot mountain goats at about 6500 feet on the mountainside. The goats live above the treeline in cliffs, rocks, scree, rockslides as well as grassy slopes and alpine meadows. Bald eagles and golden eagles try to knock the goats of to their death for their dinner.

Along the highway, we see several flocks of bighorn sheep, climbing on the rocks near the road and feasting on grass and plants. The sheep can easily climb and scale steep rocky faces that are extremely difficult for man. They live at lower elevations than the mountain goats, they travel in flocks, and they are shy and elusive.

The driver stops the bus to look at two Caribou. The Caribou of North America is now considered to be the same species as the Reindeer of Europe and Asia. The Caribou are mammals and live year-round north of the treeline in the rugged Canadian Rockies.

Banff National Park has in excess of 1,000 glaciers. Brewster offers rides onto the Columbia Icefield in custom built Snowcoaches for $33.95. The Snowcoaches are the monster-trucks of the bus world and the experience of walking on a living glacier together with riding in a Snowcoach is worth the cost. The Snowcoaches travel at 12 miles per hour.

The Columbia Icefield is astride the Continental Divide of North America. The icefield lies partly in the northwestern tip of Banff and the southern end of Jasper National Park. It is about 1066 feet in area, 328 feet' to 1,197 feet in depth and receives up to 23 feet of snowfall per year. The icefield feeds eight major glaciers, including: Athabasca Glacier, Castleguard Glacier, Columbia Glacier, Dome Glacier, Stutfield Glacier, and Saskatchewan Glacier.

Part of the icefield, the Athabasca Glacier, is visible from the Icefields Parkway. The Athabasca Glacier has receded significantly since its greatest modern-era extent in 1844. During the summer months visitors to the area can travel onto the glacier in the comfort of large "snowcoaches".

Some of the highest mountains in the Canadian Rockies are located around the edges: Mount Adored, Mount Athabasca, Mount Bryce, Castleguard Mountain, Mount Columbia, Mount King Edward, Mount Kitcheners, North Twin Peak, South Twin Peak, Snow Dome and Stutfield Peak. All are two miles are greater above sea level.

The Athabasca River and the North Saskatchewan River originate in the Columbia Icefield, as do tributary headwaters of the Columbia River. These waters flow ultimately north to the Arctic Ocean east to Hudson's Bay (and thence to the North Atlantic Ocean), and south and West to the Pacific Ocean respectively, making it a triple divide point.

When we leave the Icefields, we enter Jasper National Park, the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies, spanning 4,200 miles. The park includes the glaciers of the Columbia Icefield, hot springs, lakes, waterfalls and mountains. Wildlife in the park include: elk, moose, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, bears and caribou.

Some of the park's many photogenic vistas include Mount Edith Cavell, Pyramid Lake with Pyramid Mountain, Maligne Lake, Medicine Lake, and the Tonquin Valley all considered best photographed at sunrise except for Maligne Lake, which is best in the evening. Other attractions are numerous other outdoor related recreational activities (e.g. hiking, fishing, wildlife viewing, rafting, kayaking, camping, etc.).

Major river systems originating in the park include North Saskatchewan River, Athabasca River which flows north along the parkway then turns east at Jasper town site to continue out of the mountains and on into the Mackenzie River system.

On our tour, we stop at Athabasca Falls, just 23 meters high. It is not known for its height; Instead it is known for the force of the falling water due to the quantity of water flowing. We follow the Athabasca River to Jasper, the final destination of our tour.

Jasper, Alberta is a railway town built next to the Athabasca River. The town is the vacation center of Jasper National Park. There are several hotels and B&Bs in Jasper. I stay at the Evergreen Guest House.

A young couple hosts the B&B. The Evergreen Guest House bright guest rooms in a quiet neighborhood, just a short walk from downtown Jasper. Each room features a private bathroom and a queen-sized bed with pull-out futon couch or twin bed. Both rooms have cable TV and private entrances. The young lady offers me a discount on my room without the breakfast, which I accepted.

After checking-in I walk three blocks to have dinner at the Mount Robson Restaurant. There I eat their special, pork chops and salad.

The next morning, I window shop, have my digital pictures transferred to a C.D. and eat breakfast.

Leg 14—Calgary to Banff: May 13, 2006

2006-05-13T08:38:00.000-07:00

I have several alternative times to catch the Greyhound Canada bus to Banff. I catch Bus 5, which takes me from Calgary to Banff with stops in Canmore—each city is in Alberta.

The bus travels on the Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) for fifty miles or 83 kilometers through Banff National Park, Canada's flagship park. The highway runs through the heart of the Bow Valley, an ecologically rich and important part of the Park. On the TCH to Banff, we see the Canadian Rockies in the distance. At one point the driver says we have reached the highway’s highest point—1,470 meters above sea level. The countryside is glistening with glaciers and snow-capped mountains.

On this route, wild life can be seen from the road, including grizzly bears, deer, caribou, and wolves. Bears are just coming out of hibernation, so very few can be seen during May. No one on our bus spots any bears. Occasionally, deer and caribou are seen.

I break the pattern of staying at B&Bs because of the cost involved. I choose Red Carpet Inn, which has an AAA discount. The Red Carpet Inn in Banff is located near downtown. It is a two-block or three-block walk to most restaurants and stores. Some of the hotel amenities include: continental breakfast, balconies, parking, hot tub and wireless Internet. I use the hot tub for about ten minutes and feel very relaxed.

After the relaxing dip in the hot tub, I walk downtown for dinner at Earl’s. Beef, chicken, fish and vegetable dishes are moderately priced. Earl's satisfies many pallets: Recipes reflect Thai, North American and oriental influences (e.g. Caesar and chicken salads, finger foods, burgers and sandwiches, pastas, fresh BC salmon, prawns, and baked-on-site desserts). Prices for lunch and dinner range from $7 to $17. It is customary in Canada to add a 15% gratuity to your bill. I usually give 20%.

After dinner, I walk around town to window shop and stop at Safeway for trail mix to take with me on my tour bus tomorrow.

As is my custom, I arrive a couple of hours early so that I don’t miss my bus. The bus line is Brewster, a Canadian company that specializes in tours. I bought my ticket through a Greyhound referral.

Leg 13—Edmonton to Calgary: May 12, 2006

2006-05-12T09:01:00.000-07:00

I was previously instructed by a Greyhound agent to purchase a ticket from Edmonton to Banff with a stopover in Calgary. The ticket is less than purchasing two tickets: one from Edmonton to Calgary and one from Calgary to Banff. Greyhound Canada does not take reservations so I need to be in the station 40 minutes prior to the bus departure. I get to the bus station in time to catch Bus 1189 at 8:30 a.m. The bus travels in and through the following cities: in Alberta, Edmonton, Edmonton South, Leduc, Red Deer and Calgary.

When I arrive in Calgary and enter the Greyhound station shortly after noon, I look for an ATM. The station ATM will not accept my card. Only Bank ATMs seem to accept the debit cards. I use my last four dollars to store my luggage in the lockers and search for a Bank. After asking several people for directions to a Bank, I finally locate one about ¾ mile from the Greyhound station in downtown Calgary.

It’s a nice day for a walk. I take several pictures of the distinctive Calgary skyline. The skyline glitters with skyscrapers, which suddenly arose as the result of an oil boom in the 1970s. The city is located in the foothills of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains at the junction of two rivers, the Bow and the Elbow. Calgary, the largest city in Alberta and second largest municipality in Canada, is famous for its annual Calgary Stampede.

I walk past Shaw Millennium Park, which is situated immediately west of the Mewata Armory and the Calgary Science Centre. The park provides an environment for the skateboard subculture to demonstrate techniques and share experiences in a public space.

On the way to downtown, I stop at an office supply store and ask several clerks where I can find a bank. One clerk directs me to a bank a few blocks away. I spot a pub on the way, but decide to get cash first. I try to maintain $100 in cash to cover any surprises.

After getting my money at the TD Canada Trust Bank, I walk back to Dickens Pub, which is the one I passed on the way to the bank, for chicken wings and refreshments. I need a break from this long walk.

On the return trip, I pass the Mewata Armory, which houses a reserve military unit and the meeting place for the Regimental Pipes and Drums of the Calgary highlanders. The band is comprised of pipers, drummers, and dancers who perform in a number of venues.

Upon returning to the Greyhound station, a cab is waiting in front. The cabbie takes me to City Centre Riverpath Bed and Breakfast, owned by Paul and Arlene Roberge. The B&B is my lodging for the night.

The B&B is located in Downtown Calgary on the Elbow River. The dining room picture window frames the skyline of beautiful downtown Calgary. The patio deck, which has a spa, overlooks the Elbow River that has a pathway connecting to over 500 kilometers of pathways throughout the city. Since I am traveling alone, I reserved a bedroom in the loft with a shared bathroom and cable TV.

Arlene shows me my room, the bathroom with a whirlpool tub. The room is comfortable and just the right size for me. We sit in the kitchen and dining room area talking about how she likes owning a B&B. She thinks that I and a professor who comes to the B&B on occasion would get along famously. She is very much into Astrology and guessed that I was a Gemini. She says that I would probably like to have dinner at the Hose & Hound and gives me directions on how to get there.

Paul arrives, shows me the computer to check my email, and helps me with my luggage up several flights of stairs. I have become accustomed to climbing stairs. I rest awhile, take pictures from the patio area and walk to the Hose and Hound for dinner.

The Hose and Hound, one of Calgary’s top ten pubs was one of the town's fire houses. The pub is crowded when I arrive with customers watching the Edmonton Oilers and San Jose Sharks in the Stanley Cup playoffs. There is plenty to do: there's pool to play, darts to throw, and beer to drink. For dinner, I eat soup and salad. I enjoy the Hose and Hound--great ambience and a lot of fun.

Walking back to the B&B, the clouds are spitting drips. I throw the hood of my jacket over my head and reach the B&B before the rain descends heavily.

I go to the computer, check my email and head for a good night’s sleep.

The City Centre Riverpath Bed and Breakfast serves a continental breakfast. There are plenty of hot and cold cereals, breads, fruit juice, toast, peanut butter and jelly, and coffee. I recommend this Bed and Breakfast. It is one of the best B&Bs I stay at on my trip.

I will use the second half of my ticket to go to Banff.

Leg 12—Toronto to Edmonton: May 9, 10, and 11, 2006

2006-05-09T13:04:00.000-07:00

In excess of two days and nights, VIA Rail’s Train 1, the Canadian, travels across Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, through the following cities: in Ontario, Toronto, Sudbury Jct. and Sioux Lookout in Manitoba, Winnipeg; in Saskatchewan, Saskatoon; and in Alberta, I detrain in Edmonton. The Canadian crosses the lake lands of Northern Ontario, the western plains of Prairies and through the Canadian Rockies. I travel the entire route except from Edmonton to Jasper. Leg 13, 14, and 15 are bus trips for a closer view of the Canadian Rockies. On leg 16, I rejoin the Canadian.

Because leg 12 lasts two days, I try to purchase a lower bunk rather than sleep on the seats, but all lower bunks are sold. I don’t mind the seats—they are wide and have plenty of leg room. During May, the cars are not as crowded, making it more comfortable to sleep in the seats.

Out of Toronto’s Union Station, we back up 16 miles before going forward. When we start forward, the train guide says, “Look out to the left of the train, a man will be standing by a group of apartments and waving at the train. He has been waving at the train for the past 20 years. Wave at him and make his day.” Sure enough, we pass the apartments and there he is waving and smiling. Most of the people on the left side of the train are waving back.

The Canadian has service similar to Amtrak with dining for coach passengers and no car service by attendants. For lunch, I eat a Bison burger out of the train's snack bar.

May 9 is a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky. I enjoy the scenery rolling by my window. Occasionally, I watch the landscape from the dome car. We enter Washago, the gateway to the Muskokas lakes. The trees have more green leaves than in the Atlantic region--partly due to the days are nearing the summer months.

Parry Sound marks the eastern edge of the Canadian Shield, a region of billion-year-old exposed bedrock that covers half of Canada and part of the United States. Parry Sound is the home of Bobby Orr, hockey great. Parry Sound is the 150-mile marker from Toronto. It takes 4 hours 15 minutes to get to this point, which is about 35 miles an hour. Patience is a virtue in train travel.

Sudbury is blessed with an abundance of mineral resources. The city is known as the nickel capital of Canada. Alex Trabec was born here. Many of the trees were killed by acid rain, but many were replaced by a group of volunteers in a campaign to plant trees. Most of the trees are less than 20 years old.

The sky gets cloudy later in the evening as it begins to get dark about 9:15 p.m. Four of us retired gentlemen have dinner together—two from the railroad, an executive and me, a banker. We can see a few patches of snow out the train window. This is a fun part of riding the train: relax, eat, drink and talk.

On May 10, I awake at 4:00 a.m. to shave and to beat other passengers before they occupy the bathrooms. There are only two bathrooms available in this car. Amtrak has several bathrooms in their Superliners. While riding coach, it is a good idea to plan ahead for bathroom in the morning. The Canadian has entered the Central time zone during the night. I have gotten my eight hours sleep. The sky is cloudy. Lakes, lakes, lakes: This part of Canada is full of lakes.

When I eat breakfast, I again sit at a table with four gentlemen. One gentlemen seems to dominate the conversation. When asked what his job is, he responds bullsh___er. Come to find out, he sits in the same coach car I do. You can hear him talking throughout the coach talking with people, getting their name, address and telephone number (in case he wants to send them a birthday card). Amazingly, many people give him their personal information. He claims he will get a contract with VIA Rail to turn the company around. He puts on a suit and barges into the sleeper cars and diner cars that are off limits to coach passengers. I later learn that he is a salesman.

The train stops for about forty minutes in Sioux Lookout. The passengers detrain to breathe fresh air and smoke if they so desire. About one hundred yards is a drug store where many of the passengers buy goodies. I buy a package of trail mix. I learn there is much history in this city.

Legend claims that late in the 1700s, a decisive battle was fought between the Ojibway and the Sioux at Pelican Lake (one of the many lakes near this town). The Ojibway reached the high peak of land above Pelican Lake and camped there and posted a lookout. One summer morning, a young scout spotted several war canoes in the distance and ran down the mountainside to warn the camp. The Ojibway ambushed the intruder Sioux tribe and all of them were killed. The Sioux boy became an Ojibway chief. When the railway bridge was built over Pelican Narrows, downstream from Sioux Lookout, many skeletons and skulls were found and identified as Sioux remains—thus, substantiating the legend.

Soon after leaving Sioux Lookout, a sign on the north side of the steel rails denotes the Ontario-Manitoba border. I thought we would never leave Ontario—it is huge. On the Manitoba side of the border is the undeveloped forest and lakes of Whiteshell Provincial Park, well know for its canoeing and fishing. Some of its 200 lakes were formed by meteor craters and offer some of the best northern pike, perch and lake trout fishing in Western Canada.

Originally, I scheduled a stay in Winnipeg, which is the next big town on my trip but could not find much to entertain me. If I would have had time, I could have taken a train to The Pas and Churchill. I have been told that this is beautiful country to see.

Winnipeg, Manitoba’s capital was originally the hub of Canadian fur trade, given its strategic location at the junction of the Red, Assiniboine and Seine Rivers. The forks has been a meeting place for thousands of years. The Forks includes Restaurants, shopping and entertainment. The train station is within walking distance from the Forks. One of the passengers suggests I eat one of the hot dogs at the Forks. I shop: I buy a key chain, brandy and a hot dog. It was a nice break from the train ride.

As we cross the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border, The Canadian is near the mid-point of it transcontinental journey. We make a stop in Saskatoon, named for purple berries that are found along the banks of the Saskatchewan River. The train does not go through the capital, Regina.

During the night we pass the Saskatchewan-Alberta border, which also marks the division between Central and Mountain Time Zones.

In the morning, the Canadian stops at Edmonton, where I detrain. Edmonton is Alberta’s capital and is regarded as the gateway to the north, given its role as the staging point for explorers and adventurers from the early days of fur trading to the Yukon gold rush and the Alberta oil discoveries of 1947.

In each of the cities, I look for transportation to the hotel or Bed and Breakfast. When I arrive early in the morning, I look for a place to leave my luggage. On this particular morning, many of the Canadian passengers detrain. I wait until most of them have gone before I call a cab. The cab driver has been a cabbie in Edmonton for 33 years. I ask him if he had ever driven for Wayne Gretzky, Hockey Hall of Fame Inductee for the Edmonton Oilers now the General Manaager with the Phoenix Coyotes. He had and he had transported several other hockey greats including Mark Messier and Grant Fuhr.

I stay at the Glenora Bed and Breakfast Inn. This 1912 Victorian era, City of Edmonton landmark has been renovated to reminisce of times past. Each room is furnished with antiques. The B&B is located in the heart of the Glenora district, within a neighborhood that offers art galleries, restaurants, and upscale shops for a variety of tastes. It is 12 minutes by car to the famous West Edmonton Mall and a ten minute walk to the Alberta Provincial Museum. I learn that one should ask how many blocks from the point of destination since each of us walk at a different pace—mine is slow.

There are twenty (21) guest rooms, suites and apartments with queen or twin beds. The Inn is smoke-free and caters to tourists like me. A full breakfast is served on the first floor at the Glenora Grill. Thank goodness, coin washers and dryers are available once housekeeping has completed its daily duties. It’s time for me to wash clothes. I take enough clothes to last a week before it is time to wash again.

Since I arrive early at the B&B, the desk clerk cordially places my bags in the manager’s office until time for me to check-in. I look around the Inn and head for an Internet café, The front desk clerk directs me north about seven blocks away from the B&B. I check my email, write more on my blog and walk back towards the B&B. It’s time to have lunch. I walk to Rosie’s Bar and Grill and eat a Pepper Jack Bacon Burger and a salad a couple of Canadian Beers. I return to the B&B and launder my clothes.

I have depleted my cash and need to locate an ATM, but there are very few banks in the area. Many of the businesses have ATMs, but these ATMs do not accept my debit cards. Hopefully, I will be able to find a bank before I leave in the morning.

I return to Rosie’s Bar and Grill for dinner and eat a Philly dip with a salad and a couple of Canadian Beers. I sit at the bar and strike up a conversation with a young male customer. It turns out that he is the chef for the Glenora Grill. I told him that I was staying at the B&B and will see him in the morning. I do not have a ticket for the next leg of my journey so I go to bed early tonight.

The bar customers are watching a hockey game. Edmonton is the only Canadian team still in the Stanley Cup playoffs. One of the customers will be going to the game tomorrow—Edmonton vs. San Jose. (Eventually, the Edmonton Oilers make it to the finals but lose to Carolina Hurricanes.)

In the morning, I have breakfast at Glenora Grill, see the Chef that I met the night before, and walk out into the rain to wait for my cab. He takes me to the Greyhound station.

I arrive in time to purchase my ticket and try to get cash out their ATM but with no luck.

Leg 11—Ottawa to Toronto: May 8, 2006

2006-05-08T09:34:00.000-07:00

In four and one-half hours, VIA Rail’s Train 45 takes me though the route called, the Corridor, from Ottawa to Toronto through the following cities in Ontario: Ottawa, Kingston, Napanee, Belleville, Trenton Jct., Cobourg, Port Hope, Oshawa, Guildwood and Toronto. I arrive in Toronto at 5:00 p.m. or as they tell time in Canada, 17:00. There is still about five hours of daylight left so I have time go to Eaton Centre, which is only four block from Les Amis B&B.. Canada gets dark around 21:30 or 22:00.

GO Transit is Canada's first, and Ontario's only, interregional public transit system, linking Toronto with the surrounding regions of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).The system carries 47 million passengers per year in an extensive network of train and bus services that is one of North America’s premier transportation systems. Officially known as the Greater Toronto Transit Authority (GTTA), GO Transit provides transportation to the communities of the Toronto area.

Les Amis B&B is advertised as a “Vegetarian Bed & Breakfast”. The hosts are Paul-Antoine & Michelle Buer, a French Parisian couple. Not far from the B&B, are the following: Eaton Centre, theatres, restaurants, art galleries and museums, University of Toronto, Ryerson, and only one minute to the College Subway Station.

The B&B has maps near the front entrance. I recognize Dundas Street East and Yonge Street, where Eaton Centre is located. I walked on Church Street toward Dundas and turned west toward Yonge Street. I walk past the Bond Place Hotel where Bob and I stayed on our vacation in 2005. I drink a couple of Bud Lights across the street from the hotel at The Imperial Pub. I then walk to the Eaton Centre

The pub is one block from the Eaton Centre. The Toronto Eaton Centre is a large shopping mall and office complex in downtown Toronto, Ontario Canada. In terms of the number of visitors, the shopping mall is Toronto's top tourist attraction, attracting over one million patrons each week.

One of the most prominent sights in the shopping mall is the group of fiber glass Canada Geese hanging from the ceiling. This sculpture, named Flight Stop, is the work of artist Michael Snow. There are now about 330 stores in the retail complex, which encompasses about 1,600,000 square feet (150,000 m²), making it possibly the largest downtown shopping center in North America. With the Eaton’s chain succumbing to bankruptcy in 1999, the department store space at the north end of the mall is now occupied by Sears Canada. Nonetheless, the complex retains the Eaton Centre name, representing an ongoing tribute to Timothy Eaton and the small shop he once opened at this location.

I eat my dinner at McDonald’s in the food court at the Eaton Centre. After walking around the center, I walk down Yonge Street to the B&B, stopping on the way for a few post cards. When I arrive at Les Amis B&B, I realize I don’t have the key to my room. Fortunately, the hosts, who do not live on property, left their telephone number in the hallway. After waiting in the hallway for about thirty minutes, the host, Paul, comes with a new key. We talk for awhile.

I tell Paul that I would be leaving early the next morning to catch my train. He offers me a bag lunch, but I decline because I put him out by losing my key and his having to come back to the B&B. Although the train leaves at 9:00 a.m., I prefer to arrive at the station one to two hours early, especially on trip from Toronto to Edmonton. The train runs the route only tree times each week.

I sleep well, awake early in the morning, walk gingerly on the creaky floors and take a shower. In the hallway was a telephone with a cab number listed on a directory.

Toronto is located on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario, and is the provincial capital of Ontario. Toronto is a global city with regional, national, and international influence, and is multicultural and ethnically diverse. It is Canada's financial centre and economic engine, as well as one of the country's most important cultural, artistic, and health sciences centres. Toronto was named the world's most livable city in 1994 by The Economist. It was displaced in 2005 by Vancouver, but is still ranked among the top ten.

The city of Toronto proper has a population of 2,481,494 inhabitants (2001 census) and is the most populous city in Canada. The population of the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) is estimated at 5,304,100 inhabitants in 2005. The Greater Toronto Area (GTA), slightly larger than the Toronto CMA, is defined by provincial authorities for urban planning purposes. Toronto is at the centre of the Golden Horseshoe, a densely populated region in Ontario which is home to roughly eight million people, or one quarter of the Canadian population.

Leg 10—Québec City to Ottawa: May 7 & 8, 2006

2006-05-08T08:20:00.000-07:00

Getting to Ottawa from Québec City requires two trains with a layover of two hours in Montréal. Both of these trains have assigned seating. VIA Rail’s Train 23 takes me from Québec City to Montréal with a stop in Sainte-Foy. VIA Rail’s Train 635 takes me from Montréal to Ottawa with stops as follows: In Québec, Montréal, Dorval and Coteau; and in Ontario, Alexandria, Casselman and Ottawa.

Much of the area seems to be farmland, but not much growing yet. It appears the land is ready for plowing. However, I spotted a few rows of small evergreen trees and a few horses and cows grazing. This ride is a short ride. The train arrives on time. Taxi driver from India and has Master’s degree at a university in India. He was amiable. All taxis in Ottawa seem to be from the same company with blue cars.

There is not a better place for VIA Rail to have a two hour layover, because there is much to do in Gare Centrale, where the station is located. I eat lunch, I check my email at an Internet Café, and I write and mail post cards to friends and family. Time goes by fast.

Home Sweetland Home is hosted by Brian Desjarlais and Sid VanReenen. When I arrive, Brian carries my luggage to my room. As in many B&Bs, the rooms are upstairs. Both Brian and Sid are congenial. We strike up a conversation about my being an Enrolled Agent. After checking me in, Brian gives me a tour of the home, offering fruit anytime and showing me where I can find drinks in the refrigerator.

Home Sweetland Home is located downtown in the Sandy Hill district within walking distance of all of Ottawa's major sites including Parliament Hill, the Byward Market, the University of Ottawa, major museums, and the Rideau Canal. Rooms are comfortable and reasonably priced. A full breakfast is served daily from 7:30 am to 10:00 am. Among the many amenities are: On site parking, central air, senior discounts and laundry facilities for long term stays. One block from the B&B is a Laundromat, Spuds.

My bedroom #4 overlooks the front of the house and has an antique wooden double bed and television with cable. I shared a bathroom with Room #2.The bathroom has a new glass shower. My bed is a full-size bed and very comfortable.
I didn’t want to bother the hosts with my washing clothes, so I walk to Spuds to wash them. Then, I walk one block north of the B&B to Laurier and locate the Urban Well Bistro & Lounge and eat a taco salad and drink a Stella Artois. When I return back to B&B, I watch Canadian comedians on TV and fall asleep.

In the morning, I am the first guest to arrive for breakfast, but soon afterwards, a Canadian couple joins me at the dining table. I enjoy a spinach omelet with strawberries, pineapple slices, orange juice, coffee and a delicious breakfast cake. The breakfast was gourmet and served in quick fashion. Brian, an excellent host, joins in a conversation with me and the couple. They gave me a few hints about what to see in Ottawa. Brian says that is about a fifteen minute walk to Parliament hill. In talking with Canadians, it is obvious that the majority of them know more about the United States than American citizens know about Canada.

I recommend Home Sweetland Home.

It takes me more like 30 minutes to walk to Parliament Hill, but it was worth the trip. There is much going on outside the Parliament, such as people taking pictures, protestors making their plea and street people holding out their hands. I miss the changing of the guard, a Canadian tradition, offered from July through September 10. There is much to see, but check the Parliament of Canada’s Website for the dates of operation: Outdoor Guided Tour, Changing the Guard, Sound and Light Show on Parliament Hill, Discover the Hill Self-Guided Tour, Costumed Interpretation / Theatre on the Hill, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and Carillon Concerts.

After taking pictures at Parliament Hill, I walk by the Rideau Canal and found a Starbucks for a Latte, and a post office to buy stamps at a pharmacy on Rideau Street. Walking back to the B&B, I passed Ottawa University and St. Thomas Church to take pictures. St. Thomas Church is celebrating its 150th anniversary.

Ottawa is Canada’s Capital region and offers a combination of culture and history: museums, galleries and theatres, night clubs, restaurants. Heritage sites, architecture, festivals, and cultural activities. Like most of the cities I visit, I would like to spend more time to visit Ottawa’s cultural and historical sites.

Leg 9—Halifax to Québec City: May 5 & 6, 2006

2006-05-05T12:15:00.000-07:00

VIA Rail’s Atlantic Canada: Train 15, named Ocean reverses the route as in leg 8, except when I arrive in Charny, I transfer to a van that takes me to Québec City—only a few minutes from Charny. I can understand the name, Ocean, for this route: There is water, water everywhere.

May 6: Today the sun is shining—unbelievable. It has been a few days since the sun peeked from behind the clouds. The natives say that it is a warm day. They have a different perspective of warmth than this Arizona boy. I see people wearing shorts and I’m wearing long pants, two shirts and a jacket. One gentleman said, “It’s warm today.” I said, “Where?” We chuckle, and I tell him that I am from Arizona. He says, “I bet this weather is cold for you.”

All announcements on the VIA speaker are given in French and English. My laptop computer battery or the LED screen gives out on this leg, I think. I now write in long hand.

From what I am told, Québec City is nice. The cabbie taking me from the B&B to the train station says that it is an interesting city with lots of charm. I will detrain in Charny and catch a van into Québec City. It costs me $9.20 (CAD) extra plus $6.00 (CAD) for a cab ride to the B&B in Québec City.

I stay at the Maison Historique James Thompson bed and breakfast. The B&B is one and one-half blocks from Rue-Saint Jean, which runs through the heart of Old Québec. “One of the city’s five best street,” says VIA’s Magazine, Destinations.

Maison Historique James Thompson: It’s six o’clock in the morning on Saturday, May 6. The van that picks me up at Charny brings me to the B&B. As far as I know, no one is awake. I wait on the front porch until I hear movement.

The B&B is a “classified Historic Monument” built in 1793 and is furnished with many antiques. While waiting, I take pictures of the old and historic neighborhood with hills all around me. Nearing seventy years of age, I don’t want to take a walk yet because of the hills. I want to save my energy for later. And I am afraid I will miss movement in the B&B.

At 7:15 a.m., Greg, the host, opens the door to take trash out to the curb. I tell him that I previously told his wife that I wanted to drop my bags off and be on my way to do my thing. He thanked me for not ringing the door bell and waking up the guests. He puts the bags in the parlor, brings out several maps, and explains the city to me.

I have leisure time before my tour with Quebec City Tours at 10:00 a.m. so I head for Saint Jean Street, the entrance to the heart of Old Quebec, “One of the city’s five best streets,” say VIA’s magazine. The street is down a steep hill. I will need to leave plenty of time to climb the hill before the tour begins. Greg suggested I have breakfast at Casse-Crépe Breton. The restaurant is famous for its crépes. The crépes were something to behold, large and tasty.

I located an Internet café on Saint Jean Street and checked my email.

I return to the B&B before 10:00 a.m. to catch the tour. For the second time, I am fortunate to be the only guest on the tour. Just like Fenway Park, I get my own private tour. The tour guide, André Roy, is comical but educational. The tour lasts two hours.

André says that the city was founded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain. The city has a rich history, architecture and culture. It can be toured on foot. But because the city is hilly, I take the tour with André Roy.

The Old City is one of the most popular areas for both tourists and locals with many restaurants, pubs, hotels and boutiques. St-Jean Street is the main entrance to the Old City. This street is at the heart of the social and cultural life of the city.

Quebec City was the capital of Canada from 1859 to 1865. After the Province of Canada was formed, the capital moved to Kingston and Montreal. When the Dominion of Canada was formed in 1867, the capital was moved to Ottawa. The Quebec Conference on Canadian Confederation was held here.

Sometimes called "the Gibraltar of America," Quebec Citadel is a fort located on Cap-aux-Diamants, overlooking the St Lawrence River. Manned to this day by traditionally-dressed troops who perform the changing of the guard every summer day at 10am, the Citadel also offers a museum of Quebec's military history and the story of the Royal 22nd Regiment. Unfortunately, I was unable to see the changing of the guard.

In World War II, two conferences were held in Quebec City. The first one was held in 1943 with Franklin Delano Roosevelt (the United States' president), Winston Churchill (the United Kingdom's prime minister), William Lyon Mackenzie King (Canada's prime minister) and T.V. Soong (China's minister of foreign affairs). The second one was held in 1944, and was attended by Churchill and Roosevelt. The meetings took place in the buildings of the Citadel and of nearby Château Frontenac.

Standing high on a bluff overlooking the St. Lawrence River is the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, located in the heart of Old Québec. It is the heart of Old Québec. The hotel can be seen from most vantage points in Québec.

André drops me off at St-Jean Street, where I have lunch at Café Bruyere. The sun is shining but it is still cold to me. Everyone says, “What a beautiful day!” Many of the customers are sitting on the patio absorbing the sun, but I ask for an inside table. I have a soup and salad

When I return to the B&B, I chatted awhile with Guitta, Greg’s wife. Since I am interested in buying a B&B, I had many questions. We had a long discussion. Her mother and father own one in town, also. She said that she enjoys being a proprietor of a B&B. She enjoys talking with guests, and they want to take a break, they can block-off days.

Greg suggests that I have dinner across the street from the B&B. The restaurant is called Saint-Amour. For dinner, I have a few refreshments and for my entrée, Bison—tender and delicious.

My train leaves early on May 7, so I have to forego breakfast. Greg packs me a bag lunch. He packs two egg salad sandwiches, bottle water, bottle of orange juice, Pringles, three kinds of pastry, Chiclets. This bag was good enough for breakfast and lunch.

Greg and Guitta are nice people. I recommend staying here. The B&B is comfortable and the beds are perfect for a good nights sleep.

The cradle of French civilization in North America, Quebec City is preparing to celebrate its 400th anniversary in 2008. Quebec is a must-see return trip.

Leg 8—Montréal to Halifax: May 3 & 4, 2006

2006-05-03T08:27:00.000-07:00

VIA Rail's Atlantic Canada: Train 14, named Ocean, travels through the Atlantic Region, which included the provinces of Québec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia: in Québec, Montréal, Saint-Lambert, Saint-Hyacinthe, Drummondville, Charny, Montmagny, La Pocatiére, Riviére-du-Loup, Trois-Pistoles, Rimouski, Mont-Joli, Sayabec, Amqui, Causapscal, and Matapédia; in New Brunswick, Campbellton, Charlo, Jacquet River, Petit Rocher, Bathurst, Miramichi, Rogersville, Moncton, and Sackville; and in Nova Scotia, Amherst, Springhill Jct., Truro and Halifax. Many of these cities, the train stops on request, but VIA Rail schedules stops in Montréal, Charny, Moncton, Truro and Halifax.

The train travels through many charming towns, but many of them I sleep through. I will get to see some of those on the return trip

The VIA Rail train cars are much different than Amtrak. The seats sit about a foot higher than the aisle. There are only three seats across whereas Amtrak has four seats across. The cars look very plush and fairly new. There is not as much leg room as the Amtrak cars. Most of the personnel on this train are women. Frequently, a young lady brings a cart around with drinks and food.

The sun stays up until about 8:00 p.m. I go to sleep about 9:00 p.m. and wake up about 7:00 a.m. When I awake the young lady with the cart is serving coffee. I sleep well through the night. I think we are in Nova Scotia, having passed through New Brunswick during the night.

Most of the trees are brown with patches of green spruce or maybe another evergreen. There are patches of snow still on the ground which probably means that it is cold out there. And the sun is shining. I have not seen Mr. Sun for two days now. Much of the land the train is traveling through is marsh land. However, along the way I can see several beautiful rivers and streams.

I almost forget to take my pill this morning. It is tough to remember your daily routines unless you make a conscious effort. Amtrak has water coolers in every car; this car on VIA Rail does not. I ask one of the young ladies if they had drinking water. All they have is bottle water in the canteen or in the dining car. I did not want to buy a bottle of water just to take my pills, so I went to the dining car for water. On this particular route, coach passengers are not allowed to eat in the dining car. The canteen has the only available food on the train. Amtrak allows both coach and sleeper cars to dine in the dining car. The only difference is that the food in included with the sleeper car price, but the coach cars pay separately.

My knee is hurting from being cramped so long. I hang my left leg off the side to get some circulation. We stop in Moncton for a long smoke bread and/or a chance to stretch your legs. I badly need to stretch my legs so I detrain and walk about 1/4 mile taking pictures.

We are about 30 minutes late getting into Halifax. The sky is gray and has been since noon. My cell phone has gone dead so I wait until I get into the train station to call the owner of the bed and breakfast. The taxi driver that takes me to the bed and breakfast is interesting. He is from Iraq and some of his family was killed by Sadam Hussein. He says that Sadam is worse than Hitler. He is glad that Sadam has been captured but says they should hurry up and end the trial so that they could execute him.

I stay at the Garden View B&B. Garden View is the first bed and breakfast I have ever stayed at. When preparing for my trip, I scheduled several B&Bs due to cost savings and because it sounded like it would be fun.

When I walk inside of the Garden View B&B, I smell bread pudding. The house is an old Victorian-style home with many antiques. I am met at the door by a friendly host, Joe Bowlby-Lalonde. He explains the house rules, how to get in-and-out of the B&B with the my set of keys. He then takes me upstairs to my room, the Rose Room, and gives me a piece of paper to order my breakfast. I choose, ham and eggs with bread pudding, coffee and orange juice--sounds good to me.

I watch television in the parlor for awhile and then try to find a restaurant. I ask a couple of boys skateboarding along the sidewalk. One of them said "Just look around, you will find restaurants. Go downtown. There are a lot of restaurants there." I guess he thinks I have a car or a skateboard. I see another couple who directs me two short blocks from where we were standing. I got two pieces of pizza and a Caesar salad--not the best, but my stomach is full.

After letting the food settle, I took a bath in a whirlpool bathtub. Now I am sleepy. I was given a menu and form to order my breakfast. I place it on the table downstairs and then I go to bed.

I eat my breakfast at 8:30 a.m.
I take a walk into downtown Halifax. Joe says that it is a fifteen minute walk. It takes me 30 minutes. I just don’t walk as fast anymore. The sky is gray and the weather is cool. I take my camera with me to transfer the pictures to a CD.

In the middle of downtown is St. Paul's Church, an evangelical Christian community which is part of the Anglican Church of Canada. The church is 250 years old and is the oldest Sunday School in Canada.

Halifax Regional Municipality, commonly referred to as HRM is a Canadian regional municipality, the largest population centre in the Province of Nova Scotia and the Atlantic region, the provincial capital, and the cultural and economic centre of Canada's east coast.

Halifax, Gateway to Atlantic Canada, has flourished as a prominent port situated on the world's second largest natural harbor.

I enjoy my stay at the Garden View Bed & Breakfast. The breakfast is delicious—ham and eggs, toast and delicious bread pudding with raisins and apples. Joe is an amiable host.

Leg 7—Boston to Montréal: May 2, 2006

2006-05-02T06:18:00.000-07:00

Greyhound Bus 9341, known as Vermont Transit in the Northeast, travels through the following cities: in Massachusetts, Boston and Lowell; in New Hampshire, Nashua, Manchester, and Concord; in Vermont, White River Jct., Montpelier, the capital city of Vermont, and Burlington; and in Québec, Canada, Montréal.

I decided to purchase a ticket on Greyhound to go to Montréal rather than travel to New York City to catch Amtrak to Montréal, because I wanted to go through New Hampshire and Vermont to fulfill my goal of traveling in all fifty states. The senior fare allows a discount for passengers 62 and over. The bus seats are small but this bus is not crowded, allowing me plenty of room to stretch my legs.

The sky is gray and the rain continues to fall. I enjoy looking at the rain. It nurtures the green grass and trees and nourishes the blooming flowers.

In White River Jct., we get a 30 minute bathroom and snack break. The station is small with only a few snacks, but there are no other businesses close to the station to purchase anything. We have to stay in the station because the rain is falling steadily. We also stop at a bus station in Montpelier, the capital of Vermont. Montpelier looks too small to be a capital of a state. After researching information about the capital, I discover that Montpelier is the smallest state capital in the U.S.

The bus will be arriving late, so I use my cell phone to call the hotel to let them know I will be late.

I stay at the Hotel Du Nouveau Forum. The hotel offers 38 rooms, of which six rooms share a bathroom. All other rooms are equipped with bathroom and shower. I have a private bathroom. The hotel is located within walking distance of VIA Rail’s Station, but because I am late, it is raining and I lack familiarity with Montréal, I take a taxi to the hotel. I open the drapes to see the pitter-patter of rain on the windows.

On Wednesday, I awake to have the continental breakfast, which includes pastries, toast, juice, coffee and oatmeal for $1.50 (CAD). As I walk past the front desk, I ask the clerk if they have laundry facilities. She says that for each load, she will wash them for $3 (CAD) and dry them for another $3 (CAD). I return to my room to get my clothes. I have one load to wash. I then eat breakfast.

The rain is drizzling now. I walk to the VIA Rail station with my hood over my head to check the distance from the hotel. VIA Rail is located in the Gare Centrale, which is the primary railway station in Montréal. The station is only six blocks from the hotel with a few small hills in between.

Gare Centrale is located adjacent to CN Headquarters and is an important link in the underground city, with tunnels to Place Ville-Marie, Place Bonaventure, the Queen Elizabeth Hotel, 1000 de La Gauchetière and the Bonaventure metro station.

The station includes Les Halles de la Gare, a shopping and restaurant complex. It also contains two parking facilities, one of which is a multi-level facility that is located above the station. I spend the morning in the shopping area, looking for a connection from my camera to my computer to store my pictures on a C.D. I go to three stores. None of them have the right connection. I eat lunch in one of the many restaurants. All of the restaurants are crowded with business people eating their lunch. I buy a small piece of luggage to replace my existing one.

I return to the hotel after lunch, pick up my laundry, pack my luggage and head back to Gare Centrale. I donate my old piece of luggage to the hotel. The Gare Centrale is a great place to wait for your train with all of the restaurants, shopping centers and VIA Rail located in the same building.

Leg 6—Portland to Boston: May 1, 2006

2006-05-01T07:57:00.000-07:00

Amtrak’s Train 686, the Downeaster, departs Portland on Monday May 1 at 3:40 p.m. and arrives at Boston’s North Station 2 ½ hours later at 6:10 p.m. going through the same cities as Leg 5 but in reverse order. Many Red Sox fans are traveling on this train to go the baseball game against the New York Yankees. Many of the passengers sit in the lounge talking about trains, baseball and fishing. One of the passengers is a professional fisherman. Two young ladies are making a sign for the game, calling Johnny Damon a traitor. This game will be the first game when Johnny returns to Fenway after opting to become a Yankee.

I stay at a different Days Inn this time. I stay at Days Hotel-1234 Soldiers Field Road (Map), using my AAA card for a discounted rate. Days Inns are comfortable and reasonable. The hotel is on Soldiers Field Road, which runs along the St. Charles River. The taxi ride costs $30. I guess the fares are just higher in Boston.

When I awake the next morning, rain is falling. I finally get my wish for rain.

I will be leaving today from the South Station so I catch a cab, The fare is $30—total Boston fares for four rides $120 (For the remainder of my trip, I never paid more than $20 for a taxi; the average was about $12, including tip.)

I leave my bags at the Greyhound desk and catch the subway to Fenway Park. People are coming and going in South Station. They get off a commuter train and go to work or catch a bus, subway or taxi for their final destination. I ask several people how to catch the subway. After misdirection from several people, including the information desk, I ask a clerk at the commuter rail desk. He gave me specific directions that were correct.

To get on the subway I go downstairs in the South Station. I take the Red Line to the Park Street stop and then switch to the Green Line. Then, I take the Green Line to the Kenmore stop using any Green Line train, except the E. Once on the train, announcements tell me how to get off for Fenway. After detraining, I walk about two blocks to Fenway Park

At the ticket office, I purchase my tour pass. The ticket agent tells me I need to wait at the Souvenir Store across the street for the 10:00 a.m. tour. Rain is lightly falling and the wind is blowing. I wear the hood of my jacket over my head. When the tour guide arrives, I am the only person that has signed-up for this tour, probably because of the rain. During the summer months the guide says that the tours average between 200 and 250 people per tour. The man gave me a thorough tour and took a couple of pictures of me with various backgrounds in Fenway Park.

It is the guide’s opinion that the game tonight with the Yankees will be called because of rain. Tonight’s game is the second and final game of this series with the Yankees.

I take the subway in reverse order to the South Station to catch the Greyhound bus for Montréal. It is unbelievable the number of people going in and out of the station, even in the rain.

The Red Sox vs. Yankee for tonight’s game is postponed.

I love Beantown. It could be one of my favorite cities save the cold and snow.

Leg 5—Boston to Portland, Maine: April 30, 2006

2006-04-30T05:01:00.001-07:00

Amtrak’s Train 683, the Downeaster, leaves Boston’s North Station on Sunday, April 30 at 12:05 p.m. and arrives in Portland, Maine two and one-half hours later at 2:35 p.m. The train travels in three states and through the following cities: in Massachusetts, Boston, Woburn, and Haverhill; in New Hampshire, Exeter, Durham, and Dover; and in Maine, Wells, Saco, Old Orchard Beach and Portland. I have never been in Maine, so this trip meets my objective to have traveled in all 50 states.

When I arrive in Portland, Amtrak pulls into the Portland Transportation Center. The Portland Transportation Center is a full service facility home to the Downeaster and Concord Trailways. It is located minutes from downtown Portland. Convenient shuttle services make it easy to visit local attractions and business centers, but a cab is waiting outside the station, so I hail the cab. The driver, a Caucasian, is affable. He drives me to my motel, the Travelodge, and we discuss the high cab fares in Boston. His theory is that the gasoline prices may have caused them to raise their rates. Gasoline prices are playing havoc with the cabbies’ costs, so I tip him big.

The cabbie hands me a free admission to the Platinum Plus, a strip club, which is within walking distance of the motel. I thank him but don’t go.

The Travelodge is located on the outskirts of town. I do not find much to do in Portland. Next door to motel is Denny’s, where I eat dinner. The waitress tells me that, a hopping center is kitty-corner to the restaurant and down-the-hill. I stroll over to the shopping center to shop at a Shaw’s super market and to see if there might be an Internet café to use the next morning. There is an Internet café in the shopping center but it is located in a restaurant, which is not open for breakfast.

I stay in my room, watch a little television and sleep. The next morning, I eat breakfast at Denny’s, call a cab and head for the Portland Train Station. I have become accustomed to waiting at train stations. I would rather be early and wait than to be late and miss my train. Usually, I can strike up a conversation with someone in the waiting area.

Portland is Maine's business, financial and retail capital and the largest city in the state. With a metro population of 230,000, the Greater Portland area is home to almost one quarter of Maine's total population The population of the city is 64,000. It is ranked nationally as one of the ten safest, culturally most fascinating US cities.

Leg 4—Chicago to Boston: April 28 & 29, 2006

2006-04-28T11:37:00.000-07:00

Amtrak’s Train 48, the Lakeshore Limited, takes me from Chicago on Friday, April 28 at 7:55 p.m. to Albany/Rensselaer, New York on Saturday, April 29. The train is due at 12:30 p.m. but due to freight traffic, we arrive about thirty minutes late, where our connecting train is waiting for us. The train travels in six states, including: in Illinois, Chicago; in Indiana, South Bend; and Waterloo; in Ohio, Bryan, Toledo, Sandusky, Elyria, and Cleveland; in Pennsylvania, Erie; in New York, Depew, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, Schenectady and Rensselaer/Albany.

The passengers transfer to Amtrak’s Train 448, still called Lakeshore Limited, in Rensselaer/Albany. The train departs later than scheduled but makes up time, and we arrive in Boston’s South Station on Saturday near the scheduled time, 6:30 p.m. This phase of the Lakeshore Limited takes us to Massachusetts, Pittsfield, Springfield, Worcester, Framingham, and Boston. Much of the ride is at night until we hit Depew, New York. (Over last two legs, I travel through three cities named Springfield: Springfield, Missouri; Springfield, Illinois; and Springfield, Massachusetts.)

I use my cell phone to call the hotel to inform them of the late train.

If you like trains, go to Boston. The city has four train stations: (1) Boston – South Station, (2) Boston – North Station, (3) Boston - Back Bay Station and (4) Boston – Route 128 Station. Amtrak Downeaster trains to New Hampshire and Maine arrive and depart from Boston's North Station. All other Amtrak services in Boston depart from South Station and Back Bay Station. The Boston – Route 128 Station services Acela Express and Regional trains.

Amtrak’s Train 448 stops at both the Back Bay and the South Stations. My ticket says to detrain at the South Station. The station is bustling with people even though we arrive at night. I locate the taxi stand to hail a taxi. The fare to get to the hotel was $35—that seemed high. I didn’t know if the cabbie cheated me or not.

I check into the Days Inn-1800 Soldiers Field Road (Map), using my AAA card for a discounted rate. Soldiers Field Road runs along the St. Charles River. The hotel has a laundry facility. I wash my clothes. I am tired. I watch TV until it is time to fall asleep.

I still wish for rain.

When I awake, I locate an IHOP next to the hotel. There I have breakfast. Then, I catch a cab to the North Station for my train to Portland. The fare was $30—I guess the previous cabbie didn’t cheat me.

Boston aka Beantown and city on the Hill is the capital of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. It is the largest city of the region known as New England. Boston is one of the oldest, wealthiest, and most culturally significant large cities in the United States. Its economy is based on education, health care, finance, and technology. The population is pushed up to one million or more on an average week day. On days with major events such as baseball or basketball games the population can easily increase to 1.5 million. Like many other major cities in the 1950s and 1960s, Boston's population decreased dramatically due to new highway systems that made it easier to access the suburbs and outer regions.

I wish I had more time in Boston. I would be able to visit Harvard University, Boston University, M.I.T. University and Boston College. But the object of my trip is to see as much as possible in my 30 days. I do pass some of these institutions on the expressways.

Leg 3—Branson to Chicago: April 27, 2006

2006-04-27T15:16:00.000-07:00

Bob drives the PT Cruiser from Branson to St. Louis where we catch the Ann Rutledge to Chicago.

Branson to St. Louis: Bob drives the car from Branson to St. Louis leaving Branson and going through Springfield, Lebanon, Rolla, Sullivan, Kirkwood and arriving in St. Louis about three and one-half hours later. We return the car to Avis in St. Louis and catch a taxi to the Amtrak station. We have plenty of time so we have lunch at the Sheridan's Cove Bar. I take a few pictures of downtown St. Louis and the Savvis Center, the home of the St. Louis Blues. The building is also home to Saint Louis University Billikens basketball, St. Louis Steamers indoor soccer and RiverCity Rage indoor football. In addition, Savvis Center plays host to a wide variety of other sporting events, ice shows, concerts and family shows.

St. Louis to Chicago: Amtrak’s Train 324, Ann Rutledge, begins in St. Louis on Thursday, April 27 at 3:10 p.m. and arrives at Chicago’s Union Station on the same day at 8:45 p.m., going through St. Louis in Missouri; and in Illinois, Alton, Carlinville, Springfield, Lincoln, Normal, Pontiac, Dwight, Joliet, Summit and Chicago.

The Ann Rutledge is a 567-mile passenger train service operated by Amtrak running between Chicago, Illinois and Kansas City, Missouri. It operates as part of the Illinois Service and Missouri Service train networks. The train service uses the same track as three other Amtrak routes, the State House, the Kansas City Mule and the Texas Eagle.

The train was named for Ann Rutledge, a woman from New Salem, Illinois who may have been the first love of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.

Last year, Bob and I stayed at the Travelodge in downtown Chicago, using our AAA cards for discounted rates. We like the hotel because of its proximity to the center of the town’s many activities and because of its laundry facilities. First things first: we wash clothes. We are hungry so we return to the South Loop Club, which was recommended to us last year by the Travelodge desk clerk. We like the food and can get a Stella Artois.

When planning this trip I wanted to see Wrigley Field, the second oldest ballpark in the major leagues. The Chicago Cubs seldom give tours and the Milwaukee Brewers happen to be playing the Cubs in a day game, so I bought my ticket through the Internet before Bob decided he was going on the trip. He wanted to go too, so we purchase his ticket online close to my section of seats. Our seats are in the Upper Deck next to the press box, my seat is on one side of the press box and Bob’s seat is on the other side.

We arrive early at Wrigley Field so that we can tour the field ourselves. We walk several ramps to the top level where our seats are located. I am hungry, so I get a Chicago Cubs Hot Dog, and Bob orders coffee, which isn’t ready yet. It is chilly. The ushers are very friendly, showing us our seats. After we tour the park, we go to our seats. My seat is easy to find. One of the ushers follows Bob, who is using a cane. He says, “I think you better find your friend and come with me.” The usher seats us in the handicap section behind home plate beneath the press box. The seats were fabulous. Bob finally gets his coffee just before the game starts.

Wrigley Field is the site of Babe Ruth’s “called shot,” where he pointed to a bleacher location during Game 3 of the 1932 World Series. He then hit the next pitch for a homer. To honor Babe Ruth, the Cubs presents Babe Ruth’s wife and her son with a Babe Ruth framed jersey in a ceremony before the game.

Even more interesting, Greg Maddux is pitching. The Cubs win 6-2. The game is fun to watch, but it is too cold for us, so we head back to the hotel on Chicago’s Transit Authority’s red line train.

We still have a few hours before my train leaves at 7:55 p.m. We go for refreshments at the Conrad Hilton’s Kitty O’Shea Irish Pub across from Grant Park and Lake Michigan. The pub features Irish food, drinks, and entertainment and uses an Irish wait staff.

Bob and I separate in Chicago. I catch a cab and wait for my train to Boston. Bob stays another night in the hotel before catching a flight back to Phoenix.

Chicago is a beautiful town this time of year with the tulips blooming everywhere. Being from Arizona, I want to see rain but no luck.

Leg 2—Flagstaff to Branson: April 24, 25 & 26, 2006

2006-04-24T16:40:00.000-07:00

Amtrak's Train 4, the Southwest Chief: We depart Flagstaff, Arizona on Monday, April 24 at 5:01 a.m. and arrive in Kansas City, Missouri on Tuesday, April 25 near 7:30 a.m. The train starts in Flagstaff and passes through the following cities: in Arizona, Flagstaff and Winslow; In New Mexico, Gallup, Albuquerque, Lamy, Las Vegas, and Raton; in Colorado, Trinidad, La Junta, and Lamar; and in Kansas, Garden City, Hutchinson, Newton, Topeka, and Lawrence and in Missouri, Kansas City, where we detrain.

On this leg, we travel through the Navajo Indian Reservation and see the “Indian Capital of the World,” Gallup, New Mexico. The name was given to Gallup because it is a meeting place for the Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, Apache and Acoma Indians. During the peak season, a Native American Tour Guide boards the train at Gallup for a presentation on the areas between Gallup and Albuquerque.

After boarding the train, we wait until 6:30 a.m. to eat our breakfast in the dining car. Our breakfast is free as it is part of the of purchasing the bedroom. Before we left Phoenix, Bob received a call from an Amtrak Agent asking if he would like to purchase a bedroom at a discounted rate. The rate of $250, including meals for two, was much cheaper than the going rate of $641. I am able to share his room at no additional charge.

After leaving Gallup, we pass through the Red Cliffs of New Mexico, noted for their changing colors. It is said that the hills got their color from wounded stag as it fled through the hills.

In Albuquerque, the train has a service stop. On the side of the train are Indians selling their ware, jewelry and other crafts. We eat our lunch during the stop but we are unable to photograph the beautifully reconstructed depot

We stop briefly in Lamy to let people detrain that are going to Santa Fe, the capital city of New Mexico. It is getting dark with rain clouds hovering over the tallest peak of the Southwest Chief line. We pass through Las Vegas and Raton in New Mexico before heading through the tunnel that leads us into Colorado.

Bob and I eat dinner, and I take a shower while our car attendant makes our bed for us. Off to sleep we go at 8:30 p.m. We go to bed early so that we can get up for breakfast when the dining car opens at 6:30 a.m. Our train is due into Kansas City at 7:36 a.m.

Kansas City to Branson: Bob rents an Avis car, a PT Cruiser, with an airline rate through his employer. He drives us to Branson and then to St. Louis to catch Amtrak’s, Ann Rutledge. With our rented PT Cruiser, we travel through or past the following cities: Kansas City, Overland Park, Harrisonville, Clinton, Osceola, Springfield and Branson.

Missouri is flat but emerald green—quite a change from the brown fields we have seen for the past couple of days. We pass through farm country, seeing grazing cattle all along the way. We pass ranches with large homes in the middle of the fields. In El Dorado, we stop for a coffee break at McDonald’s.

After Springfield, we enter the Ozarks. It is hilly from there to Branson. The hills are filled with billboards advertising the many shows playing in Branson. We have made reservations for the Branson Scenic Railway and a dinner show for the Showboat Branson Belle, a two-hour cruise and three-course dinner around Table Rock Lake.

Our accommodations were reserved by me as the result of a telephone call I received from the Westgate Resorts. I was instructed to go to the Welcome Center across the street from Wal-Mart on West 76 Country Blvd. The resort offers a tour with free show tickets, a free dinner and another mini-vacation to and of their many resorts. I am sure the tour is conducted to try to persuade visitors to buy time-shares. I am not interested so I decline. This took some persistence but so far I have made it through.

After driving through Branson, we rest until dinner to make up for some of the sleep lost aboard the Southwest Chief. Once we nap, we eat dinner at the Outback Restaurant. We drive around Branson to find the Branson Scenic Railway station and the Branson Belle dock.

Both Bob and I enjoy train rides, so we take another train ride in Branson on the Branson Scenic Railway. We arrive early enough to have Breakfast in old downtown at the Branson Cafe. The restaurant reminds me of Mel’s Diner on the television show, Alice. The food is good and reasonably priced.

We are the first to arrive for the scenic trip through the Missouri Ozarks and into Arkansas. The train has engine #99 on the southbound end and engine #98 on the northbound end. Our train takes us through two tunnels and over two trestles. The only animal we see is a wild turkey. Looking at beautiful trees and springs flowing from rocks consumes most of our time. On the way back, we travel over the same territory. This gives us time to wander about the train and look at the old cars.

There are three dome cars, a power car and a lounge car. A fun part of the trip is to walk through the vintage cars from the 40s and 50s and to drink a cup of coffee in one of the dome cars while viewing the green trees, crossing bridges and passing through tunnels. The excursion also has a Dinner Train, which departs Branson at 5 p.m. each Saturday, April through December.

After the train ride, we have plenty of time to kill before our Branson Belle cruise and dinner show. We shop in a five and dime store for souvenirs, lunch at the Farmhouse Restaurant, and travel to the Inspiration Tower at the Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Theater. We are lifted by glass elevator to the top of the tower, which sits atop Inspiration Point, the highest point in Southwest Missouri. On top of the tower we view the Ozarks in an enclosed deck. During the summer, there is much to do at the Shepherd of the Hills, including: the Old Mill Theatre, guided tours, horseback trail rides, craft shops and demonstrations, backstage tour, playground, pony rides, inspiration tower and the Sons of the Pioneers Chuckwagon Dinner Show

We head for the Branson Belle dock. Arriving an hour before boarding at 3:00 p.m., we browse the gift shops where we bought some tasty instant coffee.

The Branson Belle (Steppin' Out) show on the Branson Belle Showboat is fun and entertaining. The voices of the Showstoppers are well-trained and the dancing adds excellent entertainment. Bob and I especially enjoy Todd Oliver and Irving. Todd is a ventriloquist and Irving is a talking dog—yeah, right. The three-course dinner (beef and chicken) is tasty for a banquet-style setting. During the show’s intermission we are able to go on deck to see the beauty of Table Rock Lake. At the end of the show, we pet Irving and buy an album with Todd’s and Irving’s autograph :-). We have loads of fun and meet a couple from Fredericksburg, Texas who joins us at our table for dinner.

Branson is a city in Taney County, Missouri, United States. It was named for Rueben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s. The population was 6,050 at the 2000 census. Today it is sometimes referred to as a "family-friendly Las Vegas" because of the numerous shows and attractions, as well as the flashy building decorations and neon lights. The streets are full of cars in April. I can only imagine what it is like in the busy summer season.

Leg 1—Phoenix to Flagstaff: April 23, 2006

2006-04-23T16:32:00.000-07:00

Our friend, Alex, drives us to Sky Harbor Airport where we catch the bus to Flagstaff. The bus is actually a 13-passenger van. It is a toss-up as to which vehicle for this leg of our trip is more comfortable--the Phoenix Greyhound bus or the Open Road Tours van. Neither of them have much leg room. Van 8558, Thruway Bus Leg: Bob Jones and I depart Phoenix (Airport), Arizona on Sunday, April 23, 2006 at 2:30 p.m. and arrive at Flagstaff, Arizona on the same day at 5:30 p.m. We stop in Verde Valley for a ten minute break.

Bob wanted to stay in a hotel in Flagstaff rather than catch the bus late at night to arrive at the Amtrak station for our 5:01 a.m. departure. We stay at the Monte Vista Hotel, a historic hotel built in 1927. Our room is in the Humphrey Bogart suite, overlooking the heart of downtown Flagstaff and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe train tracks. In the distance, we can see Arizona’s highest mountains, The San Francisco Peaks, standing at 12,600 feet above sea level.

During the 40s and 50s, over a hundred movies were filmed around Flagstaff. The Monte Vista Hotel attracted many movie stars, including John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart and Walter Brennan. The hotel is an historic landmark in downtown Flagstaff. Zane Grey, cowboy author, contributed to the hotel's building fund. The hotel is now part of the downtown's nightlife with Rendezvous serving as a coffee bar by day and a martini bar by night.

Since we arrive in Flagstaff on Sunday evening, very few restaurants are open. At 6:30 p.m., we stumble into Flagstaff Diner, where we had breakfast last year. Although the door is open, workers are eating dinner and the manager informs us they are closed. She directs us to a bar, called Mahoney’s, which has very good food. Bob has a Jersey Steak Bleus sandwich and I had an oriental chicken salad. Both meals were very tasty.

Some say the Monte Vista Hotel is haunted. On a couple of occasions, there is no doubt in mind the hotel is haunted. I am trying to take a picture of the door with Humphrey Bogart’s name while it is open. The door begins to close. I re-open the door and chastise the ghost, saying “Leave the door alone. I want a picture of the door with Humphrey’s name.” The door remains open. On another occasion, I am getting ready for bed; Bob is asleep; and I hear a crash in the closet like something fell and broke. I open the door and found nothing. We listen to the lonesome train whistles all through the night. The whistles awake me several times during the night. But I enjoy the sounds of trains.

Flagstaff is a community with cultural diversity, beauty, and history with educational, recreational and scientific opportunities. The famous Route 66 passes through the downtown as well as the tracks that transported many famous celebrities from Los Angeles to Chicago on the Super Chief. The Super Chief was one of the named passenger trains and the flagship of the Atchson, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.