Meteorology Boy! For Skywatch

Most of the time our skies are clear and blue because we live in the desert. But every once in a while we are blessed with an overcast sky and clouds that might--well, they just might--bring rain to our parched land.

At Cody's age, a ripe old 15, every sky is a wonderful one. He sits here on his favorite windowsill to check out the possibility of rainfall on a rare cloudy day.

As you will see from the photo below, taken several months earlier, Cody is devoted to his meteorological duties and seldom leaves his observation post. Click on the pre-dawn photo to enlarge it and look for Cody's glowing eyes in the window to the left of the porch.

For skies (and sky observers) everywhere, be sure to visit Skywatch Friday. 

What Places Would You Go?

Next week I plan to get back to posting about the fiber projects I'm working on, and there are (I'm afraid) several of them. But before I leave the topic of travel, Sallie's comment on the last post reminded me that there are lists to be made.

I'd like to start my list of places to see with the Galapagos, as I know a couple of people who have been there. Go to An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel to read what Kay has to say about the place (once on her blog, search Galapagos to find all her posts on the subject).

In talking with my knitting group, I learned about barge travel through canals in France from Marilyn, who was kind enough to bring photos of her trip there some 30 years ago. Without her stories, I would never have known a thing about barge travel, where there is time to walk along the tow-paths and to bike into the passing towns. And Susan, another knitter, said that the best way to see Paris, the City of Light, is to hire a taxi for a ride down the Champs Elysees at night.

So we've already put travel by barge or river boat (and taxi!) through France on our list; but we'd also like river barging in England, Italy, and Germany, and perhaps even some travels in China and Russia.

But you are experts in travel, I just know it. I'm sure you have suggestions of places where you've been or where you'd like to go that we should add to our list.

We are looking for any ideas about any kind of travel, although I might add that we are not very formal people and that we prefer not to be too organized and touristy. To us, slow travel is best, especially now that we have tried the train and loved it.

What do you say? I'd love to hear your experiences and suggestions. 

What I Learned on our Train Trip to Boston and Back Again

Our really marvelous bedroom compartment--the type that we had all the way back across the country.
It cost more than the smaller roomettes we had on the way to Boston,
but it was roomy and private, and we really loved it. 

1. Always wear your glasses when visiting the little bathroom down at the end of the train car for the first time. If you don't, as I didn't, you will see several buttons to push, each with a little blurry sign next to it. I pushed the first and largest black one, expecting to hear the toilet flush. Nothing happened right away, so I poked at a few other buttons, one of which just happened to be red.

When I emerged victorious from the tiny cubicle, I almost ran over Rene, our kind and most solicitous car attendant, who politely inquired if he could be of service. I thought--oh, my, this traveling first class business is really something else--you get such wonderful service (while wondering how on earth he might assist me with the business at hand).

It was only on my second visit to the necessary room--this time wearing my glasses--that I could read the sign next to that little red button, which said, Press for emergency assistance.


Ah, well, I can only assume that Rene, used as he is to older, near-sighted passengers, has run into this situation many times before, which would explain his air of calmness and general lack of anxiety.

The first train: Cameras were at the ready!

2. This riding on the train is a special experience. We discovered through chats with our table mates in the dining car, people were on the train for a variety of reasons--because they could no longer stand the indignities of post 9/11 air travel, because they wanted to see where they were going, or because they just wanted to experience the nostalgia of old-fashioned rail travel.

We were trying hard to act like grown-ups, but were so excited when our train arrived in Albuquerque and we were to board for the first leg of our journey. But then I saw that others around us were a bit giddy, too, when I observed the cameras coming out to document both the train and the travelers. That somehow made the fact that we were so thrilled okay, and we all gaily took pictures of every part of this wonderful travel experience.

3. Now that we have traveled by train, we have somehow become true Travelers. Going places by plane never had this effect on either of us, but now we want to experience travel throughout the world, mile by mile. Maybe we'll try freighters or the Queen Mary to get ourselves across the ocean; once there, we might try trains and canal boats to travel through England, Italy, and France--and maybe we'll even go to China or to Russia. That's as far as we've gotten with our plans and fantasies, but henceforth we will consider ourselves Travelers, with a capital T.

History, History, and More History; Our Last Full Day in Boston

I borrowed this photo and logo from the Union Oyster House website. For this part of our trip, my camera was still jammed and I was unable to take any photos.
Later, however, I used some Internet tips to get it somewhat un-stuck.

On our last full day in Boston, we had a lovely sidewalk breakfast at a little bookstore on Newbury Street called Trident Booksellers & Cafe. Newbury Street, I have just discovered, was underwater until the mid-1800s, when that part of the Boston Harbor was filled in. You can read about the street's history here.

We lunched with friends and family at the Prudential Center (mad, crazy, loud food court where there were too many people eating the wrong foods--but a nice visit); and we had an entirely spectacular supper with my son, Ben (up from New York City), and our friends, Pat and Mary (in from western Massachusetts), at "America's oldest restaurant," the Union Oyster House.

We either walked or took the "T" to all our destinations, and doing so gave us a sense of Boston's mixture of old and new streets, gardens, cemeteries, squares, sidewalks, and other public spaces;  its buildings, shops, and churches; and its incredibly varied architecture. We walked on sidewalks made of cement, and on sidewalks made of brick, and on sidewalks made of cobblestones--stepping back in time, more or less.

On our way to supper, we stopped at the New England Holocaust Memorial, located right across the street from the restaurant. We knew nothing about it ahead of time; we simply saw six tall towers made of glass in a little park and wondered what they were all about. It was only when I was standing inside the first tower that the power of the memorial struck me, because each of those towers was inscribed with etched numbers--numbers, not names. The numbers went up and up and out of sight, and standing there, I understood why there were six towers, because each one represented a million people who had lost their lives. It was a very powerful way of illustrating the horror and inhumanity of the Holocaust.

You can see a photo essay about the memorial here on the official website. If you should visit Boston, I urge you to visit this memorial, because it is one of those experiences that will change you and stay with you forever.

Being inside the Union Oyster House was an amazing experience of a different sort. No one knows exactly when the building was constructed (although historians know that Union Street was laid out in 1636), but it is known that the restaurant has been in continuous service since 1826. Our booth had a sign telling us that at the Oyster Bar Daniel Webster, a constant customer, daily drank his tall tumbler of brandy and water with each half-dozen oysters, seldom having less than six plates. Our modern appetites were somewhat curbed by the later discovery of cholesterol, but we still managed to get ourselves around helpings of lobster, clams, and oysters. Our server--Maggie? Meggie?--had the thickest Boston accent I have ever heard, so it was easy to imagine ourselves back in the time of the Revolution, perhaps plotting tea parties over our oysters. 

Along the Mississippi River by Train, for Skywatch

The Sun shines not on us but in us.

The Rivers flow not past, 
But through us.

~John Muir

A river sings a holy song conveying the mysterious truth that we are a river, 

and if we are ignorant of this natural law, we are lost.

~Thomas Moore - From The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life

Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day. 

~A. A. Milne, Pooh's Little Instruction Book

For skies everywhere, be sure to visit Skywatch Friday. 

Batting Practice at Fenway

Continuing the story of our trip by rail to Boston (all posts are indexed here, for those of you who just can't get enough of other people's endless vacation pictures):

We were so close!

L. to R.: Maybe Dustin Pedroia, Carl Crawford, and ***Jacoby Ellsbury***

"The Captain," Jason Varitek, and Jacoby E.

Jacoby

Thank goodness Beez was a Red Sox fan, otherwise I couldn't have married him thirty years ago!

I just couldn't shoot enough pix of Jacoby Ellsbury, my favorite player

Youk!

Youk, again!

Right after I got this shot, my camera lens jammed. Can you believe it? Our seats were just above Jacoby in the outfield and I couldn't take a single photo.

This board above later carried a message: "She said YES!" even though I didn't get that shot.

On Our Way to Fenway

Continuing the story of our trip by rail to Boston (all posts are indexed here, for those of you who just can't get enough of other people's endless vacation pictures):

Okay, now how many people travel across the country to go to a baseball game? Quite a few, as it turns out, and a lot of them were staying at the Lenox Hotel along with us.  

To get one of these packages (hotel, limo, Fenway tour, a close-up look at batting practice, a pre-game party, pictures with the Red Sox' World Series trophies, free food and drinks brought to you non-stop by your own server, Red Sox uniform shirts, and first-row seats on the Green Monster) you have to sign up with RedSox.com and pay close attention to the emails they send you. You have to be quick and you have to fork over the money, and then you are in for a treat!

Beez was pretty excited to be leaving for the game at last!

The fans start to gather in the elegant lobby of the Lenox Hotel

Jimmy Fisher, 80-something bellhop, entertains the fans with stories of when Casey Stengel and the Yankees used to stay at the Lenox 

Boarding the limo--they called it a limo, it looked like a bus to me until...

I saw the tricked-out interior

There were even drinks facilities, but

... the ride was a short one and we arrived at the world-famous Yawkey Way before we knew it.

There is nothing like your first view of Fenway Park, no matter how many times you've been there before

Look, it's the Green Monster. Our seats were to the right, by the light pole

"America's Most Beloved Ballpark," indeed

Breakfast at the Boston Public Library

Continuing the story of our trip by rail to Boston (all posts are indexed here, for those of you who just can't get enough of other people's endless vacation pictures):

I'm pretty sure that Beez didn't plan it this way, but our hotel in Boston was right next door to the Boston Public Library, a National Historic Landmark. On our first morning in Boston, we strolled over there for breakfast and to meet our friend, Greg, who had driven down from New Hampshire.

On the way, we saw a Duck Tour bus/boat. These World War II-style amphibious vehicles take visitors around the city and right into the Charles River. 

Libraries grow with the times, and the Boston Public Library is no exception. Its building at Copley Square was built in 1895, with an addition in 1972. 

Between the old and new buildings there is a wonderful courtyard. We picked up our breakfast at the in-library cafe, and headed outdoors to admire the fountain, the morning, the beautiful buildings, and to catch up on news with Greg, who was one of my students way back when he was in elementary school.

The display in the foyer of the newer library building was all about Boston's role in the Civil War, and we admired a signed, first edition copy of Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe.

Greg (left), has grown a bit since third grade, when I first knew him. 

I couldn't resist taking a photo of the first streetside pissoir that I have ever seen. Very civilized, I think.

Then we headed back to the hotel to get ready for a limousine ride to America's most beloved ball park and a very special baseball game.

Dark Skies Over the Night Train, for Skywatch

On our recent train trip from New Mexico to Boston and back again, I was fascinated by the night scenes I could observe from the lower berth. I awoke one night when the train stopped for fuel in Kansas City, Missouri.

Mmm, mmm, it doesn't get any better than a night train. A night train in Kansas City. I know there's a song there, somewhere...

I loved the angles and the light and the sight of the empty night train. And the dark skies, of course, for Skywatch.

I think I just like that phrase: Night train. It conjures up the memory of train sounds, and that slightly swaying train feeling, and the darkness sliding by, and the moon on the river, and the clackety sound of going over the bridges. Night train.

And I really, really loved the effects I could get of the night lights in Kansas City, once the train started moving. You can see that it was just a little bumpy, down there in the lower berth. 

For skies in the day and skies in the night, be sure to visit Skywatch Friday. 

Luxury in Boston's Back Bay or, Is It Really Us?

When we travel, our overnight accommodations can usually be described like this: Cheap, close to the highway, pets allowed, easy check in and check out. Yep, I'm talking Motel Six.

Not this time. For our trip by rail to Boston in honor of our anniversary celebration, we stayed at the Lenox Hotel, which has been described in the following ways: Boutique hotel, "one of the five greenest luxury hotels in America," historic charm, environmentally friendly, personalized service, richly appointed... The list could go on, and it all accurately describes the place. 

I'm telling you, I could hardly recognize us as we stepped into the elegant mirror and marble elevator run by a uniformed elevator guy!

Our room, chandelier and all. I kept opening the curtains day and night for the wonderful view.

Our view from the 10th floor.
Harvard and the Charles River are off to the right, just outside the edge of this photo

A beautiful stairway just down the hall

One of the great characters at the hotel is Jimmy Fisher, who has been a bellhop there for over 60 years and who is well into his eighties. You can read about him in the article, Beloved Boston Bellhop Gets His Due, and you can see him at the hotel on weekends. I know you'll want to go.

Here is a video showing some of the amenities at the hotel. Oh, my, I am still impressed with the fact that we stayed in a hotel with actual amenities. Imagine.

Irene's Damage in Upstate New York

A lock along the Erie Canal has been terribly damaged by the flood. It has become a dam, rather than a bridge.

From Chicago to Boston, we traveled on Amtrak's Lakeshore Limited. According to the route guide: 

The Lake Shore Limited follows some of the nation’s most beautiful shorelines, combining scenic beauty with interesting history. Traversing the shores of Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, the Erie Canal, the Mohawk River, the Finger Lakes and the Berkshires, it splits in Albany offering alternate routes to either Boston or New York. The variety of landscapes and waterways that make this trip so beautiful and memorable punctuate the skylines of either city at journey’s end within blocks of the Atlantic Ocean.

[The Lake Shore Limited is the descendent of the former New York Central Railroad’s train of the same name, along with the 20th Century Limited that plied the same route,albeit with all-Pullman (sleeping car) service. Making its first run in 1902 out of New York’s Grand Central Station, the train ran for almost 70 years. So rich and famous were its patrons that Paparazzi would often wait at its terminus with the expectationthat somebody in the public eye would step off of the train – perhaps James Cagney or William Randolph Hearst.

The most famous incarnation of the train was the new streamlined version designed by Henry Dreyfuss that debuted in 1938. However, “cowled” steam locomotives soon gave way to diesel power at the conclusion of World War II. After the failure in 1970 of the merged New York Central and Pennsylvania Railroad, Penn Central, Amtrak was formed to take over passenger service. On October 31, 1975, the Lake Shore Limited returned to the route with service that included both coach and sleeping cars, more closely aligned with its namesake than with the Century.]

After the train split at Albany--our part went on towards Boston and the other part went to New York City--we began to see the effects of Hurricane Irene, which had churned through the region just days before, leaving flooding and extreme damage in its wake. We first saw curiously gray-colored ground cover in the woods along the track, finally realizing that this was due to the recent flooding and that everything was drying out after being covered with mud.

Then we saw a beautiful historical building (Guy Park Manor, built in the Revolutionary War era) that had been torn apart by the raging floodwaters. You can see photos and an article about it in the New York Times of Sept. 1, 2011: Manor That Has Stood For Centuries Teeters in Storm's Wake.

I took these photos along the Erie Canal--as far as I can tell, we were just passing Lock 11 near Amsterdam. You can see a newspaper slide show of the area and the damage in the Albany, NY, Times Union newspaper of Sept. 19, 2011.

The downstream side of the lock

For more information about the Erie Canal, see The Erie Canal for the history and some historical photos; and The Official Site of the New York State Canal System, where you can find updates and press releases about the damage to the Erie Canal from both Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, as well as advisories and anticipated re-opening dates for the canal. This site also includes information about all the canals in the 524-mile New York Canal System.

In spite of the damage we could see, this was beautiful country, much as we both remembered seeing it in The Last of the Mohicans.

Union Station, Chicago

Continuing our rail journey out of Albuquerque: On our second day on the train we came into Chicago's Union Station for a bit of a layover and a change of trains. What an amazing place this is! On our first stop there on the way back east, we pretty much grabbed something to eat, pawed through our suitcases for a change of clothes, and hopped onto the Internet to catch up with the world. On the way back, we took more pictures, shown here. 

From the Union Station website: ... completed in 1925 by the Graham, Anderson, Probst and White Firm, the Great Hall is considered to be one of the greatest indoor spaces in the United States.

Guests are awed as they enter this 20,000 foot classic Beaux Arts style room which boasts 18 soaring Corinthian columns, terracotta walls, a pink Tennessee marble floor and is crowned with a spectacular five-story, barrel-vaulted, atrium ceiling.

While waiting for the train the second time through Union Station (on our way back home) we found the Metro Deli, where I had the best salad ever--Grilled Shrimp and Roasted Pear. I have posted a version of it here on my recipe blog. You can drool over the rest of the Deli's menu here. 

On this leg of our journey, traveling from Chicago to Boston, we had a different type of roomette. I was so looking forward to having my own private bathroom, but once again we were reduced to giggles at the sight of it. If you look carefully to the left of Beez, that is the whole thing. There is a toilet (with a pillow stored on top of it in this photo), sitting right there next to the seat, with a little pull-down sink above it. 


I'm telling you, we broke some new ground on this journey! At least there was a nice view from the toilet, and a nice view of the toilet, as well. When you are traveling by rail in the eastern part of the country, only single level trains are allowed, because bridges and overpasses are lower than in the wide-open west, where our double decker train traveled with no restrictions. So our little in-room bathroom was in full view on ground level. 


I was so desperate to wash my hair that this is where I used a rinsed-out wine bottle to pour water over my head and into the tiny sink, while waving merrily to the porters just outside the window in the station as we waited that night for the train to leave on the final leg to Boston.