http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/wendymarie37/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from wendymarie37 en-us Thu, 07 Jan 2010 19:30:27 +0000 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 19:30:27 +0000 Monday morning my Uncle cooked us a breakfast of sausage and biscuits. We loaded up my Aunt's van and headed toward the train station in Fort Worth. We made one wrong turn once we got into the city and had to backtrack a little. We found that across the country...people are bad at giving directions. So instead we used common sense and the map we had and found it with no trouble. We ate lunch http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Texas/Fort-Worth/blog-314422.html We headed out to the Witchita Mountains in Oklahoma after a breakfast of fried left over cornbread from the night before. There are buffalo elk long horn steer and deer in the park along with prarie dogs. The first thing we saw was a giant longhorn steer just ambling up the road. We drove through and found two sets of buffalo herds. The first set was on the side of a hill one cow came out i http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Texas/blog-306866.html The girls came over fairly early Saturday. After much coffee drinking we decided to ride to down town Wichita Falls to a resale place they like to browse. I picked a book entitle Maine Lingo up off the shelf and it was signed in the front by my cousin John Sjstrom 1980 Farmington Maine. He also lives in Texas but is now a bit of a recluse my mon doesn't even bother to try and visit him an http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Texas/blog-306859.html We spent all day the 25th our anniversary driving to Texas. The first couple hours we drove 160 milles but by then we were out of Arizona where the speed limit was 75 and traffic picked up as it got later in the day. We knew we were losing two hours before we hit my Uncle's due to the time change. Brian was worried it was going to be 10 or 11 before we got there but we arrived at my uncle's h http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Texas/Amarillo/blog-306848.html We're in Chicago catching the next train home. Texas was fun. I'll post more when I get home http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Illinois/Chicago/blog-306154.html GRAND CANYON DAYWe were up early the next day and hit the road after a quick breakfast. We had about 5 hours of driving to do before we hit the canyon. We started out by driving through the Mojave. It was flat and barren. The speed limit in Arizona was 80 though so Brian put the car on cruise control so we wouldn't loss time by getting pulled over. We drove out of California and into Arizona. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arizona/Grand-Canyon-National-Park/blog-306152.html Wow was Wednesday a long day. We woke up in Merced ate another hotel breakfast and the Hertz guy picked us up. We were right by the road into Yosemite and we were off by 830. The road into Yosemite wasn't too bad we climbed to what height 7000 feet. Brian's new favorite height. The park is really pretty. We were more or less auto touring but did stop and walk into look at Yosemite Fall http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Yosemite-National-Park/Yosemite-Valley/blog-304212.html We took al taxi ride from the San Diego hotel to the train station. The Pacific Surfliner was on time and we had a business class seat just so that we were guaranted a seat to LA. Uneventful would describe the entire day. We made our bus connection in LA just fine this time we didn't have to race through the place. We also didn't go exploring too much. No time or will to. We found where the http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/blog-303893.html We went to the Zoo today. There were lots anad lots of animals to look at. Here are pictures of a few of them. The tram ride over the park was fun and gave us another view of San Diego.Tomorrow we're traveling by train and bus to Merced then on to Yosemite and such. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/San-Diego/blog-302955.html Today we slept in and then went to Sea World. It was overcast and cool most of the morning and then turned sunny and warm after lunch. Sea World was nice. I didn't realize it was such a theme park place. I guess I expected something more zoo like. We don't go to many theme parks except the time we took the kids to Disneyworld and this was pretty much a small version of Disneyworld with sea an http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/San-Diego/blog-302585.html We awoke on the train in Sacramento. On the Coast Starlight they had a Parlour Car in addition to a Dining Car. The Parlour Car had a more interesting menu so we took our meals in there. It wasn't as busy so we weren't seated with anyone else during meals. The waitress would have lasted at crossroads half a day tops. To say the train ride was uneventful would be overstating it. I missed the geo http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/San-Diego/blog-302574.html We were up early at the Rouge River Inn and had breakfast at the hotel with lots of Amish people from Ohio. Once out the door we headed toward Crater Lake. It was a lovely ride through some more redwoods and alot of National Park land. As we entered the Crater Lake area and stopped at the guard station to pay up ahead a deer walked across the road with two little ons trailing behind her. We http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Oregon/Crater-Lake/blog-302565.html Tonight we interupt this blog for a Wildlife Report for Steve Wight. We often interupt selectmen's meetings for discussion of recent wildlife sightings and I don't want Steve to miss out.Wildlife sighted so far on this trip includeWhite tail deer in Illinois Jackrabbit in a Colorado train station Parie dogs in Denver a little village between the tracks and the road mule deer in Colorado a http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Oregon/Grants-Pass/blog-301283.html Day 5After breakfast Brian kicked my ass at Gin for awhile. It was a continuation of him kicking my ass at Cribbage. I thought sure I couuld beat him at my favorite game but no luck. I'm into him for like 12.70 now 10 cents a point. Bob said if we gambled on the train we had to give him half. But we gave him a nice tip instead. You couldn't have asked for a better car attendent. He'd bee http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Eureka/blog-300819.html Day 1We left for Portland around 6am. Kelsie drove down with us to take the car back. A quck stop at Tim Horton's on the Maine Mall road enabled us to meet what had to be Tim Horton's newest employee. Two atempts at a hazelnut with just cream no sugar and she produced a regular coffee for Brian the third time we asked for it. We'd already paid for it and it was on the screen but she was st http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Sacramento/blog-300323.html No Steve we haven't left yetHere's the ambitious trip schedule. It's mostly road trip.Leave Boston the 12 at noon.Arrive in Sacramento the 15th in the evening.Pick up car and leave for Eureka the morning of the 16th. See the Redwoods head towards Crater Lake need to be in Klamouth Falls at 10pm on the 18th to catch the train to San Diego. Arrive in San Diego 1amish on the 20. Spend 20th an http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Maine/Bethel/blog-289077.html I have now bought all the train tickets I need. Today I order San Diego to Merced and Fort Worth to Boston. We'll be getting into Boston at 9pm. I probably won't be able to find a kid willing to come get me at 11 or midnight so we may spend the night in Boston or Portland and ask for a pickup in the morning. I have one hotel reservation left to make in Merced. Brian found something but I did http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Maine/Bethel/blog-272960.html I've bought more train tickets. This time down the California Coast. We're spending three days in San Diego. Sea World and the zoo are on tap. Maybe a trip to Mexico. Maybe Kelsie will join us. We're probably taking the train home as well. I haven't bought those tickets yet.I did get a hotel room in Sacramento. The 13 mile taxi ride from the train station is going to be expensive but the hotel http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Maine/Bethel/blog-270946.html Wow I wanted a travelblog for my upcoming summer adventure but I am not doing anything half as exciting as the folks on this place are doing. But since this isn't high school I'm sure nobody will mind and it's only for the family and friends anyway.The Amtrak tickets have arrived BOS to SAC Boston MA to Sacramento CA. The luggage is here and I bought a new camera to document the trip. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Maine/Bethel/blog-258071.html