Best laid plans

I had hoped to be posting this from a comfy seat on the Empire Builder, headed eastbound, but that was not to be. Instead I’m at the airport drinking *bux coffee and reflecting on unrealistic expectations.

But first…. I have spent the past couple of days riding the ferries from Seattle to Bremerton, to Bainbridge Island - twice - and then the rest of the day wandering The Alaska Highway, First Avenue, and all roads between. Why the same ground every day..? Good point and that was going to be the subject of today’s blog post, but you’ll have to wait for that.

Today was a breather from the 18,000 + daily steps I’ve averaged this week, rest, pack and head to the Train Station for a 4:40 departure this afternoon, but my plan was rudely disrupted by an email informing me, quite brusquely, that the train was cancelled. Indeed, all trains for the rest of the week are cancelled. A strong winter storm is dropping large amounts of snow in the Cascades and all across Montana and Idaho - the railways are shut down across the north.

A sense of irrational blind panic sets in -I’m trapped..!!! - but no, not really. A phone call to Amtrak resulted in an instant refund as the first trains, and most trains, next week are all full. That leaves the airlines, not my first choice since Alaska is the only non-stop SEA-BWI and they are in the middle of a pilot shortage meltdown, cancelling a lot of flights for lack of crews. I could go on at length about these kinds of problems, having sweated through several brutal contract negotiations during my airline career, suffice to say the management in this case have really shot themselves in the foot, mouth and head, resulting in some very, very pissed off customers. Southwest has its own problems but are getting slowly better, however, all they have are two sector flights with a plane change in places like Denver, arriving in the early hours of the morning. Not a lot of fun.

So Alaska it is, I’ll wait for the dreaded ping from my phone in the early hours of the morning and see what tomorrow brings. These really are First World Problems, and I’m reminded of my own post about people who schedule too tightly and then watch as their world is reduced to self inflicted chaos when nature intervenes. I should be so smug…. the reality is I could just check back into my hotel and sit it out, I guess that’s Plan C. Or is it D…?

Seattle

I’ve been to Seattle any number of times over the past few decades, and it remains one of my favourite cities. It has suffered over the years by what ails most big cities, failing infrastructure, rising crime and homelessness. To be fair, the crime rate had been going down as it has nationwide, but the past couple of years have seen a dramatic rise after COVID and an exodus of police officers which sees the department shrinking.

The downtown area where I am is pretty badly hit by both violent crime and homeless. I don’t wander the streets at night, but I have in the past 48 hrs or so been accosted by some pretty aggressive but non violent homeless men and women. They are everywhere on the streets, wandering or sleeping in corners which is where the problem usually arises. You don’t see someone until you are almost on them, and a started reaction usually provokes a loud outburst which follows you down the street, but you hear it all the time. These people are angry, angry at you, angry at me and angry at the world. They are clearly mentally disturbed, either off their meds or on something far more lethal.

There is no easy solution, since the advent of effective drugs meant the homes and hospitals that used to care for these people have been closed - give them a handful of meds and send them on their way. Problem is no-one supervises them and they don’t take their meds. I saw a fire truck pull up in the street this afternoon, no fire, but a homeless person punched a window and cut his hand badly. The EMT’s were his source of help - bandage him up, send him on his way.

All this begs a bigger question - do we as a society owe it to those who through no fault of their own are left to wander and suffer as outcasts and should we provide them with help and shelter..? Many in government say no, let the volunteer organizations and churches show compassion, but don’t ask for money to finance it. Personally I think this is abhorrent, we are an obscenely wealthy country whose gap between the haves and have nots has opened into a yawning chasm, many of the so called middle class now find themselves living in tents and their cars while the über rich become wealthier and wealthier, retreating into their gated enclaves with armies of servants to do their bidding.

Make no mistake, I am no pitchfork wielding communist firebrand, but I am an historian, and I come from a country that has seen it all before. The middle ages in England were dominated by the rich earls and dukes, led by the the most ruthless who devised a system of heredity that would guarantee their holding power for all time. I see some very strong parallels between the former guy and Henry VIII - you can read it in the history books for yourself and make up your own mind. We are a young country and have a lot to learn before we can call ourselves civilized, but just look back to what happened in europe when the downtrodden masses finally decided enough was enough. The best gated community and private security force is no match for a determined mob, I think we saw that on January 6th 2021 as did England on the night of 5th November 1605. And don’t forget the French and Madame Guillotine..

None of this detracts from why I’m here - to see and enjoy a place I love, to photograph what I see (but not the homeless, I consider that exploitation and a violation of their privacy, of which they have precious little), and just smell the scent of pineapples, wafting in from Hawaii.. I try to write about what I see without letting my personal views intrude, that’s not what this blog is about. But sometimes….

Seattle - by train...

It has been an interesting couple of days, and an experience. The train left right on time and arrived two minutes early three days later - not bad service. The accommodation was, to say the least, cramped, and how two people could manage in that space is just amazing, especially since my days of climbing into a top bunk are long gone. However, a lot of people do it, and the train was at least 90% full, the vast majority in their later years. It was almost exclusively sleeping cars with just one coach class car.

The food was really quite good, not gourmet standard, but enough variety, and cooked on board. Dining is by reservation, and if you are on your own, you get the table to yourself. Three meals, all included in the price of the ticket plus a drink of your choice at dinner. I was pretty impressed with the service. Your seat is turned into a bunk by the cabin attendant and is remarkably comfortable if a little narrow. I slept pretty well, but years at sea in relatively small ocean going boats (150’-200’), I was used to the motion, even though it was a little different. The rule at sea is one hand for you, one for the boat - always maintain three point contact, ‘cos if you don’t, you’ll get thrown around. Generally the track was smooth, but both night sections (North Dakota and far west Montana into Spokane) were a little rough - woke me up briefly. I actually find the motion quite relaxing, but that’s just me.

We stopped some thirty times, and sometimes long enough to get out and stretch our legs, just don’t wander or you’ll be buying a ticket on the next available…. Two blasts of the horn and an ‘All Aboard” and we were off.. Speaking of horns…. There are a gazillion unregulated and regulated crossing points for roads, and the engineer leans on the horn every time so it can go on continuously for up to an hour, but believe me, by 10am day two you don’t hear it any more.

Useless fact…. Each engineer has his or her signature tune, so you can tell who’s in the driving seat. Ours was dah dah di dah, which happens to be Q in morse code. Never forget that one. Ever.

All told, from the boarding process in Chicago to the service on board and the attention to detail, it was a good experience all round. My only gripe is the equipment is long in the tooth and is in real need of upgrade. Would I do it again..? You betcha. I cancelled my flight and booked a return Empire Builder next week.

So, three days in downtown Seattle…. What to do..? Hmmmm.

I always wonder....

…why people schedule their vacations with minimum allowance for the unforeseen. The number of people I have seen at the airport on their way to Florida for a lengthy cruise - and they booked the last flight possible to get them there in time. Those same people are the ones screaming at the gate agents when the flight is delayed or cancelled and they now missed their sailing time. Really, happens all the time.

I flew to Chicago on monday, had a night in a nice hotel and woke up the next morning to thick fog that lingered all morning. Nearly all flights in were cancelled or delayed, but the fog wasn’t thick enough to make me lose my way on the three blocks from the hotel to Union Station…

I don’t know how many Union Stations there are, but it’s more than one, and they are all pretty impressive buildings with vast halls, elegantly decorated - Chicago is no exception. Amtrak has a lounge for passengers on their sleeper trains, free snacks and coffee, comfy chairs, quieter rooms off the main one, and even padded couches in a separate room for people to take a nap.

The train was announced thirty minutes before departure, and we were ushered through the station to our train, greeted by the sleeping car attendant, train conductor and finally by the dining car attendant who came through to take individual reservations for dinner.

Two fifteen approached, and we rolled out of the station dead on time. So far, so good…

Amtrak Empire Builder - Chicago to Seattle by train...

I’m sitting here in Chicago about to leave the hotel and walk the three blocks to Union Station and board Amtrak’s ‘Empire Builder’ train to Seattle. Three days and two nights, and yes, I have booked a sleeper…

I’ve never ridden a train here in the US, but I have ridden many trains in the UK, I used to catch one for school back in the day - and yes, they were steam trains. I even took a sleeper from London to the west of Wales, but I honestly don’t remember much about it.

One big difference over here is if you have a cabin with two bunks, they are yours even if you are travelling alone, but not so in Europe. You buy the bed, not the room, so beware - you can find yourself listening to the stentorious rumblings of a total stranger for the entire journey…

Time to head for the Train Station. Let the fun begin.

It's been a week...

Actually a little more than that since I last put digits to keyboard…. I wrote about how a trip ends in two ways and that’s a big part of the reason I haven’t posted. I was last heard of in Colorado Springs about to head for Kansas and the inevitable wind that never seems to stop, which accounts for all the wind turbines I’m sure - there are certainly a lot of them out there, so perhaps they are a little more popular than we may have been led to believe. I hear Texas could use some more though.

A lot of last minute changes in the schedule, it seemed I could really stretch my days out some more and cut a day off the trip, so many phone calls later, I was set to make Salina, KS the first night, Granite City, IL (St Louis) the next, and finally Buckeye Lake, OH, the last stop before home. Which of course isn’t what happened at all…. Temperatures were rising to the levels I’d seen in Flagstaff and Zion, but in the high desert, once the sun goes down, the temperatures swiftly follow, making for cool sleeping conditions in my little cubby. Not so much when the altitude is only 2,000’ or less. Salina was OK, low 60’s, but when I got to Granite City it was 98 degrees, no shade and 70’s forecast that night - heat and humidity. A quick phone call got me into a hotel instead where I rethought the rest of my trip. Buckeye Lake became a hotel in Cambridge, OH and then I headed north to a friends home in State College.

Turns out I was rather more worn out than I realized, so I stayed an extra night and arrived home on Friday with enough time to clean out the camper and deliver it back to its home the next day. Eighteen days on the road, twelve nights in the camper, sixteen days of continual driving 6-8 hours a day, 5,800 miles in all…

It’s taken a couple of days just to get the road out of my head, and try to get back into a regular sleep cycle and catch up with the routine of life again. And I have an awful lot of pictures to edit and process, so this trip ain’t done yet…

Kansas - here I come...

I’m sitting here on the Front Range of the Rockies in Colorado Springs, about to leave the mountains behind.

From here eastwards it’s pretty much flat land and a long straight road for the next four days, it’s going to be a slog.

I spent a day in Mesa Verde NP, a beautiful place, though much is still closed down. Ship Rock was barely visible in the blowing dust, so that will wait until next time. It was then on to Durango, and Colorado Springs via Pagosa Springs, Wolf Pass (10,850’), Salida and Cañon City. Every journey has its end points, the physical one, but more importantly the mental one. There comes a moment when it’s just over, regardless of where you might be, and for me that is now. Watching the mountains fade in the rear view mirror and shading my eyes from the rising sun while driving east has always been a sign that this endpoint has been reached. It becomes a time for reflection, the memories that will stay, the highs and the lows, how it could have been better and how some things really worked out. By the time I roll up The Hill and home, it will have become an adventure, to be put in its shoe box, close the lid and put it on the shelf.

Then the embellishment begins….

Back on The Road

I’m sitting in Cortez, CO after a beautiful drive from Hurricane, UT. The desert landscape is wonderous, the wide flat vistas with mesas and towering remains old old ones, all eroded away. So many National Parks in this area, could keep me busy for years to come…

Winding down from a supercharged few days with family and a packed schedule of nature’s wonders, so tomorrow is a Me Day in Mesa Verde NP where I have been before, if nothing else i want to capture the view of Ship Rock from atop the mesa - whatever did the inhabitants make of this mystical world..? And why did they decide to leave..?

Perhaps I’ll find out tomorrow.

And now - Zion...

Well, actually not yet. Parked up at St George/Hurricane KOA after an beautiful drive from Flagstaff. Place is packed, seems everyone is getting into the great outdoors, campgrounds are full and the NP’s are as well. The Grand Canyon was very busy, and apparently the day before - Sunday - it was a zoo.

Early up tomorrow, more amazing sights to see…. Enjoyed four hours of one-on-one time with the grandson on the way up here, Todays generation are def different, but teenagers are still teenagers…

The Grand Canyon

Well, yes, I joke about it being a Big Hole in the Ground, but the reality is , when you first actually see it, then it just takes your breath away. The sheer size, depth and enormity of The Canyon is very hard to get your head around, as is just comprehending exactly what it is you are looking at - normal dimensions cease to exist - you need some hard numbers on width, depth to even comprehend the scale.

To say it has been an experience is to put it mildly. I am writing this after a twelve hour day, and I’m still a little jazzed to go to sleep, though I have a long day ahead tomorrow. A 45 minute drive to Williams, literally the trail head of the Grand Canyon railway, then a two hour winding train ride to the Canyon Rim, four hours of walking the Canyon Rim Trail, two hours by train back to Williams, home, eat, bed.

It’s late, I’m tired, I have many, many images to process and video to edit, but it will be a while before I post them. Tomorrow will see me in Zion NP for the last two days of this part of the trip. A lot to do tomorrow…

Sedona...

…is without doubt, a beautiful place. The drive in from the north is just a series of gob smacking stunning vistas featuring red rock pinnacles and wind eroded rock columns. I have video but you’re going to have to wait until I stop having fun with the family.

Sunday in Sedona is a zoo. The traffic is horrendous, but whoever designed the street layout is a genius. Roundabout after roundabout (OK, traffic circles) keeps everything moving whereas four way stops or lights would have clogged it all up. Cathedral Rock (from the parking lot is just overwhelming, a towering pinnacle of weather eroded rock that is hard to describe. The Coffee Pot Restaurant does an awesome omelet and killer breakfast burritos…

Tomorrow is The Grand Canyon, only ever seen it from the air, but looking forward to the train ride from Williams - someone else does the driving…

Flagstaff...

..finally. A pretty easy 380 mile day straight down I-40. The hoped for good nights rest was somewhat marred by the Bang Bang Spicy Shrimp that announced their presence around 4 am. Somewhat rested, I headed out after a hearty breakfast - apparently chefs these days are not taught how to poach eggs as that seems to be a request which often produces consternation in the kitchen. Perhaps they don’t know how to microwave poached eggs. He said, smugly.

My room on the ninth floor overlooked the Sandia Mountains, and I was pretty sure I’d see the sunrise…. Bang on cue at 0630 the sun burst over the mountain bang in the center of the large window.. Amazing.

The road out of ABQ starts to rise steadily for several miles, and then as you crest the hill a beautiful landscape of distant mountains and mesa unfolds before you - quite breathtaking. I would share a photograph, but operating a camera and dealing with traffic is not guaranteed a happy outcome, but I have rigged a GoPro and that should capture some interesting stuff. All I need do is figure out how to append images to the blog..

I’ve had to reconfigure all my boxes to free up the back seat for human habitation, took me two hours in all and at the end I was feeling a little light headed and groggy. Nothing a beer wouldn’t fix, but no that did not help. Cleaning out the cab, I noticed the altimeter… 7,000 ft. Well Duh. Forgot to pack the O2.

Hopefully everyone will be here before dark, but at this rate I’ll be asleep by then…

Naming of The Beast

I think many of us like to name those inanimate objects that are a part of our lives. I name my cars, motorcycles, aeroplanes and sundry stuffed animals that accompany my travels. Why do we do that..? Simple. To name something is to own it, pets being the classic example. So, what to name the camper..?

This is not a task to be taken lightly, it requires considerable thought, and the long and somewhat boring drive through Missouri, punctuated only by curt remarks from Mistress Google to see if I was still awake, gave me the opportunity to consider all the aspects of our - the campers, not Mistress Google’s - relationship. How to accurately describe how much I depend on this wheeled cell..? What emotions does it inspire..? How much of an effect is it having on my life..? More than I’d care to admit.

So, come the OK line a decision was made. Blivit. BLIVIT..? Really..? What does that even mean..? Well, it’s a WW2 expression, put in more polite terms, that describes the emotional feeling associated with trying to pack ten pounds of (shall we say) wet sand into a five pound sack.

Pretty much says it all. Hello Blivit.

Oklahoma...!!!!

No - wait…. That was yesterday. I wrote a nice long piece last night from the comfort of my cell, but come time to post it, the universe nudged my finger over to ‘delete’. Probably just as well, it was pretty snarky .

So. The rain soaked bed - solved with the help of two industrial strength dryers and five bucks of quarters.. Job done. It gave me enough time to remove the pathetically ineffective mattress I brought with me and replace it with the nice new inflatable one from Walmart. Wrangling an inflatable item of those dimensions inside the camper is akin to watching an emergency evacuation slide being deployed into a jetway…. It happens. Having provided the entire campsite with enough amusement to satisfy an entire circus crowd, all was installed with fresh, warm, mostly dry bedding. I slept like a log.

The long slog to OKC was uneventful today save for a spat with Mistress Google over redirection for non existent roadworks.. I declined her advice. So the Gordian Knot of Tulsa, OK approached with some trepidation, but the navigation was efficient, smooth and easy to follow. I believe we are friends once more.

Today was another long slog to ABQ, 550 miles of I-70, but the saving grace is I’m in an hotel on the ninth floor with a lovely view of the Sandias to the NE so the sun will wake me in the morning. Mind you - the sunset is shaping up to be pretty awesome as well. When I find a way to post pictures, I will.

A very moist Day Two..

Well, the best laid plans…. My sleeping arrangements proved to be way less than adequate, save to say I woke tired, groggy and aching from head to foot - several times during the night.

Plan B: A trip to Walmart - saviour of all who travel - provided the necessary changes to effect a decent nights sleep tonight.. Hold that thought…

The day was challenging, Granite City north of St Louis was the objective, but soon after leaving the Walmart parking lot, the rain began…. One thing I have noticed already after my hiatus is the phenomenal increase in truck traffic from just a few years ago - and the phenomenal decrease in driver competence and regard for other road users. More than once I was trapped in a line of trucks and cars trying pass a line of trucks, all doing 70 in a cloud of blinding spray that meant seeing more than a truck length ahead was an impossibility. Some of the carnivals extended five, seven or ten miles long - and I thought I-81 was bad…

Indianapolis was a nightmare…. Five years ago I-70 was being torn up - it still is outside Indy. Five years ago I-70 was shut down in the middle of Indy - it still is.. The I-270 loop is a phalanx of trucks, cars and idiots, all doing 70 mph in frightening condition of rain, spray and periodic explosions of brake lights for no apparent reason…. But finally Mistress Google spat me off the Loop and down I-70 as the rain faded and a sense of normality ensued. Indianapolis may serve you a nightmare of traffic and idiots, but she sends you down the road with the gift of the greatest rest stop ever, just ten miles down I-70 - a haven of peace, calm and serenity. An oasis of sylvan woods, grassy banks and rural perfection…. Indianapolis - you are forgiven.

So, as the rain ceases, the sun tries to break through, I roll into my campsite, ready to relax. Opening the door of my trailer for the night I find that all that rain and spray has a final trick up its sleeve…

My bed is soaking wet…

The M&M Road Trip begins..

First day on the road - always exciting and full of expectations, trepidation, and of course - the unknown…

I have not done the trip west in a few years, certainly not alone like this since my motorcycle epic of 2004 - Seattle and back, six weeks on the road, but staying in hotels. It was fun, at least looking back I can say that, at the time there were moments of awe, moments of amazement, and the odd moment of visceral fear…. This trip is different, I’m in a tear drop camper that has limited space, no heat, no a/c and bugger all room… It’s great. So tonight is in Buckeye Lake, OH, a haven for mosquitoes but so far no cicadas.

The camper was two minutes from I-70, the route that leads to Buckeye Lake and beyond, so with the Mistress of Google Maps to guide me - off we set. It was supposed to be I-70 all the way, but about a half mile from the I-68/I-70 split she changed her mind - take I-68…. A quick swerve across four lanes of traffic and me and the trusty camper dived down the road to Morgantown and I-79 north. Good choice Mistress Google, western Maryland is quite beautiful with mountains, rivers and beautiful views around every curve - somewhere I’d like to explore.

So, I crawl into my modern igloo and see what tomorrow brings.

Road Trip 2021...

After a year of confinement due to the COVID 19 pandemic, it’s finally time to travel once more.. For reasons not entirely clear to me even now, I agreed to join my son, daughter in law and grandson in their first RV experience…. I’m meeting them in Flagstaff, and we will visit The Grand Canyon, Sedona and Zion NP.

Meanwhile I have to get from PA to Flagstaff in the sub-compact RV I rented through Outdoorsy… Wish me luck