Back in 2013, my children (then aged 3 and 5) took Amtrak from NYC across America, then up to Canada, then back on VIA rail to Toronto, then back to NYC.
Many people said I was mad!!! But we had a blast!
since then, we have continued to take trains around the world!
We've taken trains all over Europe, Alaska, Africa and Australia....
The children are now 8 and 9 and we find ourselves headed back to America to take the Texas eagle from San Antonio to Chicago.
Just saying hi!
Posted by KacyB (Member # 52680) on :
Oh, and we took the bullet train around Japan too!
Posted by Moderator (Member # 2933) on :
Hi Kacy
Yes, we certainly remember you, and your interesting commentary while on your adventure in the States. I look forward to hearing all about this sojourn with your family.
Laurie
Posted by MargaretSPfan (Member # 3632) on :
Welcome back, KacyB!
Yes, now that you reminded us, I do remember you. How can it have been more than 4 years since you shared your adventures with us? So glad your trips on various trains in this country and Canada were so much fun! That is wonderful!
Please do continue to share your passenger-train-riding adventures with us, and please do not confine those to only reports of riding trains in this country. I'd love to read whatever you feel like writing about your travels in other countries, too. And I am pretty sure so would others here, too.
Hope all your trips are wonderful!
Looking forward to more of your travelogues!
Bon voyage!
MODERATOR -- Please allow what KacyB writes about her travels in other countries to be put here on the Amtrak forum, with a link to whatever other discussion forum you deem appropriate, as I think most of us do not check any other forums regularly. Thanks!
Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
Good to hear from you. Let us know something about your itinerary. If you don't want it open to the world, send a few of us a PM.
The TE has a very convoluted route which makes for a few fairly slow segments. San Antonio to Ft. Worth is particularly such. San Antonio station is the former Southern Pacific station. From there it takes a fairly convoluted path to get to the former Missouri Pacific line and the location of their station which was/is on the other side of downtown San Antonio. From there is follows the former Missouri Pacific line north to Taylor TX. From there it makes a left turn onto the former MKT (Missouri Kansas Texas) line, then going north to Temple TX. There goes onto the BNSF, going north on it to Ft. Worth. Then onto the TRE, ex CRIP line to Dallas, then back onto the former Missouri Pacific for the rest of the way to St. Louis. All these pieces now being UP south of Taylor and northeast of Dallas.
Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
The sun has riz, the sun has set. Here I is in Texas yet.
Posted by KacyB (Member # 52680) on :
Ah thanks Guys!
Well, GBN, I'm sure it'll be smoother this time! I only travel with two of the children now (the elder two are 19 and 23 respectively now and, while they will join us in Chicago, no longer travel with me)... and we are much more savvy with packing too! No more heavy bags for us!
Yes, I've checked out the route George. Thank you. Our last trip was around Australia - the ghan and the Indian Pacific- we've got our heads around huge 😂
We also have taken Rovos Rail across Africa - a trip lasting 15 days... we enjoy our trains!
So... the plan is to take a few days in San Antonio (specifically to visit Morgan's Wonderland) and then take the train up to a Chicago to hit G-fest, which starts on 13th July, so I guess we'd be looking to fly out once the children are out of school.
Posted by yukon11 (Member # 2997) on :
Hi Kacy:
Glad to have you back on the Forum! Please continue to post and let us know of your future train travels and impressions.
Besides Morgan's Wonderland, I hear that the San Antonio River Walk is worthwhile:
Welcome back, Kacy!
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
Hi Kacy Hope you have another great travel adventure. Let us know if you head to South Carolina.
Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
Visit the Alamo while there, and when you do read the names of those that died there. About 1/3 are Spanish surnames. It was not just the Gringos that wanted Texas out of Mexico.
Posted by sojourner (Member # 3134) on :
Hey, Mr Harris, don't mean to make you mad, but I do want to point out: even if it was not all Gringos at the Alamo, there were a lot of Gringos who got Texas land from Mexico under 3 conditions and then never met those conditions, weren't there? The three conditions were (a) become Catholic (b) be loyal to Mexico and (c) no slavery.
(Of course, one can argue the land was all Native American, not Mexico's to give . . . but you could argue that about the Louisiana Purchase etc etc too)
And it was also the Texans who got the U.S. government/military to fight their controversial (see Thoreau, e.g.) Mexican War for/with them and a short time after were seceding from the very same U.S. and fighting the very same U.S. military. . . .
Just sayin'. I mean, in spite of that, I of course love San Antonio. (I like those other missions further out from the city, too). Loved Austin too! Had a great time on my Fort Worth stopover on the way to OKC as well. So . . . I'm just talking about history. And Thoreau--I'm a big fan of his.
Posted by DonNadeau (Member # 61606) on :
Hi Kacy. I remember you, too.
Regarding Texas, it's karma. The Spanish took Texas from those who first came, the Mexicans (with more moral justification)from the Spanish, and a group of mostly undocumented Americans, who didn't meet the conditions Sojourner mentioned, from the Mexicans--all of these without permission.
In fairness though I want you to know that in contrast to so many colonial powers the U.S. purchased much of its territory - Alaska from Russia, a vast section of the Central U.S. from France, and the southern part of Arizona (south of Tucson) from Mexico. Florida came to the U.S. via an economic agreement re. debt, not cash, with terms apparently acceptable to both (am not sure).
All the best to you and your family.
All the best
Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
quote:Originally posted by sojourner: Hey, Mr Harris, don't mean to make you mad, but I do want to point out: even if it was not all Gringos at the Alamo, there were a lot of Gringos who got Texas land from Mexico under 3 conditions and then never met those conditions, weren't there? The three conditions were (a) become Catholic (b) be loyal to Mexico and (c) no slavery.
Generally the method of border setting and adjustment anywhere on this planet has been by warfare, invasion, or threats. So, I feel we in the US have nothing to apologise for.
Posted by sojourner (Member # 3134) on :
Mr Nadeau, you are right; the US did make a lot of land purchases; in fact, even at the end of the Mexican War, the US gave $15 million to Mexico for California etc. and paid $5 million to settle claims in Texas. One could argue that most of the land purchased was not the sellers' to sell, i.e., that it was unfairly acquired from Native Americans (including in Russia's case Native Alaskans), but that is an entirely different issue into which I will not go. You will notice in my original post that I put the remark about this issue in parentheses.
But my remarks were not criticizing the US fighting the Mexican War (which I could do, but wasn't doing) and acquiring land at a bargain price as a result so much as they were pointing out some historical facts about some of the gringos (Mr Harris's word) in Texas.
Mr. Harris, same applies--I was trying to give a bigger historical picture about the "gringos" in Texas, not criticizing the US's means of land acquisition. (As for whether or not we owe apologies for the latter, I don't see the point in apologizing for the past. I just think it's good to know the facts of the past as much as is possible.)
I am off on a (partly train) trip maņana but will be back on line in a couple of weeks and hopefully will report on my travels!