[PRCo] Home again

[Fred Schneider]

Back home again last night.
Twenty-three states and the Canadian province of British Columbia.  Five
weeks, five days.  Marie had her freedom.
Somewhere between 9,000 and 10,000 miles (the trip accountant hasn't
given me that figure yet).    With the addition of North Dakota, I've
been in each of the 48 contiguous states (I think overnight in all but
Delaware).   (My companion completed all 50 long ago and he now collects
counties.)

Seventeen new light railway (trolley systems) and subway extensions
(Cleveland, Chicago, Kenosha, Minneapolis, Tacoma, Seattle, Portland (2
companies), Sacramento, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Los Angeles,
San Diego, Dallas, Houston and New Orleans.  One heritage trolley line
(Nelson, BC in the Kootenay Mountains).  Four railway museums
(Minneapolis area, Rio Vista (CA), Los Angeles.   One ferry boat.

A flock of National Parks .... Glacier, Olympic, the Redwoods (the VW
fits through the tree), , Saujuaro National Monument, San Jacinto,
Carlsbad, and one in Chattanooga.  Almost the entire Pacific Coast
highway from the Olympic Peninsula in Washington to San Luis Obispo,
California.  Some old homes ... the Hearst Mansion on the Pacific Coast
and Oak Alley, one of the ante-bellum mansions along the Mississippi
River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans come to mind.   One amusement
park ... Santa Cruz, California.  Another one of Fr. Junipero Serra's
missions in California.

All sorts of wondrous means ... Mexican, Korean, Chinese, Indian,
German, American.  Perhaps the most memorable and best meal was a Korean
interpretation of Chinese wonton soup ... a huge fire filled bowl of
noodles, hot peppers, shrimp, pork, onions, and other means served by
and for Koreans in Tacoma, Washington (It was on that part of the menu
in the Korean alphabet, not the part in English that listed Americanized
dishes.).

And thanks go out to several people on the trip who made it even more
enjoyable ... Walt Keevil, Rich Krisak, my cousin in San Diego, and my
accomplice Bruce Bente.

Anyone want to know more, ask and thou shalt be bored.

Fred Schneider