Saturday / Sunday – Flagstaff to Chicago

July 26, 2015July 28, 2015 ~ admin ~ 5 Comments

It was a brisk 58° at 4:00 am Saturday morning in Flagstaff. Against all odds, the Southwest Chief was running exactly on schedule, and I boarded car 430 and found my roomette, #4. Lucy, the sleeping car attendant for my journey to Chicago, greeted me and explained the minimal technical details of the room – lights and air conditioning controls. Everything worked. The seats are wide and comfortable, recline nicely, and the seat opposite fits my feet perfectly.

The roomettes are for two, but you don’t have to share if you are traveling alone. You pay a hefty fee for the roomette and a very reasonable coach fare for the transportation. If someone traveled with you and shared the room, that person would only have to pay the coach fare. The roomette is perfect for one, tight for two. The two seats convert into a pretty comfortable bed (long enough, even for me) at night. And there is an upper bunk that drops from above. I brought my old portable GPS with me (for use in my rental car in NY), and I hooked it up to the window where it remained for the entire journey to Chicago. I also turned my cell phone to GPS mode and got a wider view of where we were with that. There is a single socket for plugging things in the room, but I had my trusty little traveling extension cord so I could have three things plugged in at the same time. The GPS shows the train speed. Our best speed between Flag and Chicago was 92 mph.

Breakfast on the train starts at 6:30 and is first come first served. I had scrambled eggs and bacon with tea, sharing the table with a young girl (30ish) and an older gentleman both of whom were riding in coach. They weren’t traveling together, but sharing is the norm in the dining car. She was so hung over, she was shaking, and the only thing she wanted was a Bloody Mary. He could have passed for homeless just about anywhere, bedraggled and scruffy to a fault. She couldn’t form words, let alone sentences, and he immediately stared into his food and never said a word. It was a quiet breakfast.

Lunch was a much more pleasant affair. For lunch and dinner you reserve a time slot with sleeper passengers getting preference. An attendant winds through the train before each meal time taking reservations. Once you arrive in the diner, the matron, who rules with an iron hand, seats you where she thinks best. I sat with three women, all traveling alone. One was a hospice worker on her way home to Taos after a San Diego vacation. One was a high school English teacher headed home to St Louis to get ready for a new school year. And one was an office worker from LA heading to Pittsburgh to visit family. We had good conversation, highlighted by the English teacher confirming my long-held belief that Thomas Hardy’s Return of the Native is boring and incomprehensible. She, like me, hates the book!

I spent the day napping, reading, and taking pictures out the window. America is a fascinating place from a train.

I had dinner with two old guys on the way home to Philadelphia from a California family reunion. They were real characters. My Amtrak Angus Steak Special was decent enough, possibly because I had indulged in a large gimlet in my room before dinner. I brought a small thermos of gimlets with me and Lucy kindly fetched me some ice. After dinner, Lucy converted my roomette to the nighttime bed and I was soon in dreamland. I slept surprisingly well and woke at about 5 am – still dark as night. I reconverted the bed to seats myself – there is barely room to stand when the bed is down. Then I gathered what I needed and trudged downstairs (it’s a double decker) to the single shower in the car. The shower is just big enough and the water was as hot as you would want it.

By that time it was breakfast again followed by more America viewing with an anticipated arrival in Chicago at about 4:00 PM. By this time the train was running about thirty minutes behind schedule.

Tune in on Monday night (late) to hear about my adventure in Chicago and the train ride from Chicago to Albany, NY.

PICTURES FROM A DAY ON THE TRAIN (click to enlarge in new window)

IMG_2540 - Copy - Copy — Flagstaff Amtrak Station at 4 AM

IMG_2544 - Copy - Copy — The Southwest Chief Approaches Out of the Dark

IMG_2549 - Copy - Copy — Arizona from the Train

IMG_2552 - Copy - Copy — The Southwest Chief Engines in Albuquerque

IMG_2558 - Copy - Copy — New Mexico from the Train

Princeton, IL – Their Own Christmas Tree

Friday – The Trip to Saratoga Begins

July 25, 2015July 28, 2015 ~ admin ~ 3 Comments

Saratoga – The Summer Place to Be

By way of Flagstaff, Chicago, Albany, and Alton (NH)

Saratoga used to be the August Place to Be, but the racing season has gradually been extended from four weeks (24 racing days) to over seven weeks, starting in late July and ending on Labor Day (40 racing days). So now it’s the Summer Place to Be. My solo adventure to Saratoga began today.

Elaine drove me to Avis on Northsight Blvd where I picked up a rental Ford Edge that I will drop in Flagstaff. When I was through packing up the car at home, Elaine noticed oil on the driveway. So, packed up and ready to go, I drove back to Avis. Fortunately they had an identical Ford Edge SUV that they swapped out for me. I transferred my bags to the new car and I was off.

The two-hour drive to Flag was uneventful. No traffic at all. Flagstaff, on the other hand, is a bustling town with lots of traffic. I checked in at the Drury Inn, unloaded my luggage, and then drove all of two minutes to turn in my car. It was a ten minute walk back to the hotel. From the hotel I will have to walk, schlepping my bags, to the Amtrak station at the ungodly hour of 4:15 am (10 minute walk). The Amtrak Southwest Chief comes from LA and is due at Flagstaff at 4:37 am. I have been monitoring regularly, and it is NEVER on time. It runs thirty minutes to two hours late. Timeliness is not Amtrak’s forte.

For dinner tonight I went to Brix Restaurant and Wine Bar in downtown Flagstaff, not far from the Amtrak Station. I started with a Don Juan cocktail (Plymouth Gin, Muddled Cucumber and Mint, Habanero Tincture, Lime Juice, Simple Syrup). For an appetizer I had Tomato and Basil Soup. Sounds basic but it was delicious. For my main I had Steak Frites. No desert. A delicious glass of Pinot Noir with the main.

After dinner I strolled back to the hotel and hit the sack after setting alarms for 4 am.

There is no wi-fi on the train. I have a five hour layover in Chicago (depending on how late the Southwest Chief arrives – normally they are way behind early but catch up some as they approach Chicago). I have a little adventure planned for Chicago – more about that later. I may also find some wi-fi in Chicago to do an blog update. If not, then I will post next on Monday night after disembarking from the train in Albany, NY.

On to Winslow

July 6, 2015July 6, 2015 ~ admin ~ 3 Comments

The drive to Winslow was uneventful except for an intermittent “check battery” light. Will check that when I get home. Standing on the Corner in Winslow AZ

We stayed at La Posada – a restored Fred Harvey hotel designed by Mary Colter. The restoration is much more finished and the hotel more attractive than it was at our last visit some years ago. We were in the Edward Ruscha room.

We ate at the Turquoise Room – food well worth travelling for! Waitresses dressed like the old time Harvey Girls. Menu report below.

Pictures for the day (click to enlarge):

La Posada Gift Shop – Nice Stuff Actually

Elaine with Portrait of the Last Two Harvey Girls

DINNER REPORT

For appetizers Elaine had:

Our Famous Stuffed Squash Blossoms

Stuffed with sweet corn tamale and Oaxaca cheese, beer batter dipped and crispy fried. Served on a bed of salsa verde with a grilled squash and roasted corn salsa.

I had a special, lamb meatballs with a delicious chili mint dipping sauce

For the main we both had the:

Churro Lamb Sampler – Three ways

Lamb shoulder simmered with tomatillos and green chile, pulled off the bone and served over our sweet corn tamale, bowl of red corn posolé with house-made lamb and pork chorizo. Grilled lamb rib chop with a mint and garlic au jus, served with a fresh vegetable medley.

For desert we both had delicious gelato. It was all YUM!

End of blog until I head for Saratoga on July 24th.

Happy Birthday America

July 5, 2015July 8, 2015 ~ admin ~ 2 Comments

Dinner at the Glacier Club last night was excellent. I had a beef fillet. No one had the elk medallions. After dinner back at the “cabin” we played charades (less Bill & Cindy who crapped out and went to bed). The boys killed the girls.

July 4th broke clear and sunny. Bill Stehle, the honorary Master Sergeant, insisted we do an “honor the flag” ceremony. Boys only. The girls mostly laughed at us and took pictures.

Cookout

Preparing for the cookout we had a crisis in the kitchen. The oven caught on fire, apparently due to a faulty element. Disaster was averted, but there will be no cooking in the oven until it is repaired.

The cookout was traditional Fourth of July stuff (franks, brats, and burgers with the usual accouterments – chips, warm & cold potato salad, beer, soda,etc.) The whole crew was present along with a few guests from the area.

The beautiful morning unfortunately degraded into an overcast afternoon with a constant threat of showers. Not to be denied, a good time was had by all.

Fireworks

Fireworks were in downtown Durango (a fifteen minute ride). RAINY! We skipped them.

Friday – Rafting Day

July 3, 2015July 8, 2015 ~ admin ~ 3 Comments

Caroline was the breakfast chef – eggs to order, potatoes, and bacon. Delicious.

Ann did a load of laundry and managed to include a roll of toilet paper in the machine. The result wasn’t pretty.

Caroline couldn’t find her plastic bag of dirty underwear and blamed Gary. Gary finally found the bag where Caroline had put it.

Then Bill drove everyone but me to the Mild to Wild rafting site on the Animas River. I had opted out as had Bill. Blissful quiet at the house while Bill was driving them to the rafting site. Rafting was reportedly good – wild, wet, and cold!

The Day in Pictures (click to enlarge)

Russ, Bill, Caroline & Gary at Breakfast

Dinner tonight is at the Glacier Club. Reports tomorrow.

Thursday in Durango

July 3, 2015July 3, 2015 ~ admin ~ 2 Comments

Bill, Russ, and Gary left at 7:30 for their golf date at Ann & Russ’s club, the Glacier Club. At 10:00 or so, Greg (driving), me, Elaine, Ann, & Cindy hopped in Ann’s SUV for an Ann-led quick tour of Durango. We stopped at Durango Mountain Resort (Purgatory) for a walk about.

Then we drove into downtown Durango, the old historic section, after a drive through Durango’s Fort Lewis College. We parked and walked around, finally stopping at the Diamond Belle Saloon at the historic Strater Hotel. Neat place. I had the Diamond Burger. This deserves a page of its own on the menu (click the link – do it!). And I had pints of Durango Summer Wheat Beer – delicious.

Then it was back to the condo for much deserved and needed naps – well for me and a couple of the golfers at least.

Dinner tonight will be Cindy’s grilled pork tenderloin with barbeque peach sauce accompanied by Dijon mustard grilled potatoes and a spinach and kale blueberry feta cheese salad with lemon vinaigrette.

Click on pics for larger views in new window/tab

Greg, Elaine, & Caroline Playing Uno (with Cocktails, of course)

Road Trip !!

July 2, 2015July 3, 2015 ~ admin ~ 3 Comments

For the July 4th weekend we are off on a road trip to Durango, Colorado for a reunion with Elaine’s brother and sisters. We left Scottsdale at 6:15 am on Wednesday, and after losing an hour when crossing into NM/CO, we were at Ann’s place in Durango by 3:00 pm.

We briefly stopped along the way to see Four Corners, the only place in the USA when the borders of four states (Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado) meet. We came here about six or seven years ago on another long road trip, and it was closed for renovations. The site is on the Navajo Reservation and is administered by the Navajo Tribe. It isn’t quite clear what renovations they might have done. There is a cement patch with plaques of the four states, and you get to stand in a line to actually stand on the spot. The site is surrounded by stalls where various Navajo (and perhaps Hopi) tribe members sell hand made jewelry and trinkets (and, of course, tee shirts). The rest rooms are pit toilets and not very well maintained. On a ten point scale this place gets a one as a place to stop. $5 per person to enter. Well worth missing. We also passed very close to Monument Valley and Mesa Verde National Park, but stops were not in the plan. Maybe another road trip in the future.

At Ann’s, we settled in and the reunion commenced. No shortage of wine, beer, and other sundry alcohols (including Absolut gimlets). Elaine had prepared dinner in Scottsdale and transported it here: delicious chicken casserole, salad, and bread. After dinner we sat on the porch/patio in the back and played music trivia using my Surface Pro music collection. Caroline guessed “Frankie Avalon” for every song. We over served ourselves on alcohol and hit the sack around 10 pm.

More family pictures will be forthcoming over the following days.

Caroline & Elaine - Thursday AM — Caroline & Cindy – Thursday AM

"The Cabin" - three bedrooms and huge living areas — “The Cabin” – three bedrooms and huge living areas

Our Bedroom at Ann's — Our Bedroom at Ann’s

Saturday – Last Day in London

June 6, 2015June 20, 2015 ~ admin ~ 3 Comments

Friday night dinner was Indian – You can’t spend any amount of time in London and not eat Indian. We chose Marsala Zone on Earls’s Court Road, just a stone’s throw from our hotel. We both had the “Grand Thali”, mine with lamb, Elaine’s with chicken. Very nice and spicy, accompanied by some garlic naan and a bottle of wine.

The Grand Thali

Equal to a starter and main course combined. It comprises a Canapé, a choice of curry, 2 vegetables (one green and one root), Dal (lentil), Raita (yoghurt), Indian salad, Papadum & Chutney, freshly-made whole wheat Chapatti (Indian bread) & Rice.

The drizzle was gone by late in the day yesterday (Friday). For our last day in London we decided on a light day – a guided walking tour of Quirky London – to maybe learn a few more new things about this great city. (Yes, we abhor tours, but what the hell!) The tour began at Covent Garden, the London equivalent of Quincy Market in Boston. I’ll let the pictures tell the story of our walk which ended up in Trafalgar Square.

Did the Duke of Westminster put his the logo of his first love (Coco Chanel) on all the Westminster Lamposts? Answer here.

Cellar Door – A Nightclub in a Former Underground Toilet

Pollock’s Toy Shop – The Last Original Shop in Covent Garden

The Royal Opera House and the Revolving Dancer Globe

Somerset House – An Outdoor Performance Venue (Favorite of Paul McCartney)

London from the Waterloo Bridge (Looking East)

Sculpture by Gascombe John in Victoria Embankment Gardens

I Always Hated Sunday School – Now I know I have Robert Raikes to Blame!

The Last Remaining Sewer Gas Destruction Lamp in London on Carting Lane

So Carting Lane is Now Commonly Called Farting Lane

The Coal Hole Pub – It Used to be the Coal Cellar of the Savoy Hotel

The Nell Gwynne Pub – Her’s is a Great Story – See Here

A Trafalgar Lion, a Double Decker Bus, and Big Ben

Tomorrow (Sunday) we were supposed to take a taxi to Paddington and then the Heathrow Express (train) to Heathrow for our flight home. Not so fast! Work stoppage on the Heathrow Express no trains on Sunday. We considered going by tube, but with bags, it would be a hassle. So we have a car picking us up at the hotel at 9:00 AM. We fly to Boston where we will stay overnight at the Airport Hilton and then fly home on Tuesday morning (US Air) to Phoenix. We’ll be home by 1:30 PM on Tuesday.

[addendum] The Heathrow Express work stoppage was cancelled, so it ran. But I had already requested a refund (and got it). The car cost 1/2 as much as the Heathrow Express when you factor in the taxi needed to get to Paddington and was twice as convenient. The Heathrow Express is often cited as being the most expensive train ride in the world (for the 15 minute experience). You can fly London to Madris for less.

Friday in London

June 5, 2015June 20, 2015 ~ admin ~ 1 Comment

Late Ship Picture – Elaine with our Butler, Bento, from Goa in India

Dinner Thursday night was at a little French restaurant called, of all things, a Little French Restaurant (emphasis on little – maybe seven tables). French cooking, eastern European staff, and Italian house wine. Eclectic but good. Elaine had Vichyssoise (hot – I thought it was always cold) for a starter while I had chicken livers in a red wine reduction. We both has coq au vin for our mains and apple pie (tart really) with ice cream for dessert. Everything was delicious except the ice cream which was icy. Total bill including two Kir Royales, a bottle of wine, and gratuity: £55 – extraordinarily reasonable in London. Cash only.

Friday broke cloudy and we had scattered sprinkles (nothing serious) but bright sun by mid afternoon. We continued our search for new things to see in London by taking the tube to Russell Square:

First stop: the Charles Dickens Museum where Dickens and his family lived for part of their lives. He wrote here and produced a bunch of children. Very well done museum. We had hot chocolates in the cafe for breakfast.

Second stop: the Sir John Saone Museum. An architect, Saone was a collector, and his collections are displayed here. Really quite a remarkable home. It is located at Lincoln Inn Fields, a lovely park, so we bought picnic stuff at Pret A Manger and ate at a bench in the park. No pictures allowed in the museum.

Third Stop: the Old Curiosity Shop immortalized by Dickens. Actually this isn’t the place he wrote about, but why quibble – it’s cute? We viewed from outside but did not enter.

Fourth stop: the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons. All you ever wanted to know about surgery and more. You could spend hours here. We would have spent longer but we were rousted out by a fire alarm. Did you know surgeons in the seventeenth century did not have a college education but rather were apprenticed? They were joined in a professional society with barbers. Things change with time.

Fifth and final stop: a walking tour of the Lincoln Inns of Court, an active and thriving society of lawyers with a very long history, situated in a tranquil enclave of some 11 acres in central London. “Lincoln’s Inn” thus refers both to the Society and the place. Think Rumpole. The tour was led by a spry old lady who had a brilliant sense of humor. Great fun and very educational and entertaining.

A pint at a pub and back to the hotel by 5:00 PM – a long day. No reservations tonight, so we will venture out and find somewhere to eat.

Hot Chocolate and a Sweet at the Dicken’s Museum

The Saone Museum (No Pictures Allowed Inside)

Fire Drill at the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons

The Hunterian (No Pictures Allowed Inside)

Picture Window of Coats of Arms of Head Barristers

Thursday – Brilliant Day in London

June 4, 2015June 16, 2015 ~ admin ~ 1 Comment

Dinner last night was at The Orjowon, a Lebanese restaurant a short walk from the hotel. We had the set meal offering and a bottle of wine, and it was all grand! We booked a table for Saturday night, our last night in London.

Thursday started out and stayed just beautiful – all sun and 70 degrees. Having been to London so many times, there was no need to see Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s, the Horse Guards, Churchill’s War Rooms, Piccadilly Circus, et. al.

That said, we decided on a walking tour that began at St. Paul’s. So we used our Oyster Cards from our last trip, which still had some value on them, and took the tube to St. Paul’s station. Amazingly, they now charge £15 ($22) just to get in the cathedral. We viewed the outside and started our walk, stopping in order at:

The Millennium Bridge over the Thames.
The College of Arms where Queen appointed heralds record and keep track of coats of arms.
A Church now converted into a bible school and/or a tea room. We had hot chocolates and a oatmeal raspberry muffin.
The Guildhall (official headquarters of the Lord Mayor of London since the 12th century. Boris didn’t come out to greet us. Bad form on him. We visited the art museum here. The clock museum is being moved to the Science Museum and won’t reopen until October, so we couldn’t see that.
St Lawrence Jewry at the Guildhall, the Mayor’s official church
We briefly viewed Mansion House, the Lord Mayor’s residence.
We stopped in at St Stephen Walbrook church designed by Sir Christopher Wren, a predecessor of St Paul’s.
The Bank of England and it’s museum
Leadenhall Market, which dates back to the 14th century, and is now a popular meeting spot for locals working in the financial industry and needing a cup of tea or a pint of lager.

We also stopped at Waterstone’s so I could buy a new book. (Remember when Waterstone’s had the best bookstore in Boston in the Back Bay?)

I had a beer at The Swan while Elaine did some shopping at Marks and Spencer. Some of you will remember having beers at the Swan with us in London. (You know who you are!) Well, this is a different Swan. There are at least three pubs named the Swan in London, probably lots more.

Then we topped up our London Transport Oyster Cards and took the tube back to Kensington, had a brew at the Courtfield Pub where we chatted up some locals, and ambled back to the Nadler for naps. It was a great day!

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