37 hours on a train!

Our final train ride on the Crescent out of New Orleans to Washington, D.C., was supposed to last 27 hours. Unfortunately, a train incident (otherwise known as a "wreck," where a freight train hit a truck and tied up our train for several hours) turned out to prevent us from arriving in D.C. until after 2:00 p.m. (scheduled for 10:30 a.m.). We had plans to visit the Air & Space Museum and the National Museum of the American Indian, but we barely had time to grab a burger and drink at the Shake Shack in Union Station before catching the Northeast Regional to take us to Norfolk. We left at 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday and arrived in Norfolk at 8:00 p.m., making 37 straight hours on a train.

Quo Vadimus

Last field day!

On our last day in the field, we spent the morning at LUMCON's (Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium) research facility in the middle of the bayou.

Weather prevented us from taking the kayaks out to explore, but we did take advantage of a break in the storm showers to go out into the bayou on a pontoon boat. Sorry, no pictures of me fighting off an alligator with my kayak paddle.

For lunch, they served us up red beans and rice and sausage.

We spent the afternoon on a visit to Isle de Jean Charles, an island that has lost 98% of its land since the 1950's, due to subsidence, erosion, and sea level rise. While there have been attempts to move the entire community, a handful of residents remain and refuse to leave the island.

Quo Vadimus

It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's just Frack.

Pulling out of New Orleans on the Crescent, Frack takes a nap. Will he wake up in time to get off the train in Washington, D.C.? Will he ever wake up? Or is this the opportune time for "an accident?"

Quo Vadimus

Brotherly love

On Canal Street in the Big Easy - on our way to dinner in the French Quarter. Will both brothers make it home? Will either brother make it home? Stay tuned to find out the exciting conclusion to Amtrak Across America VI. Same bat time! Same bat channel!

Quo Vadimus

Hurricane Katrina

Today, we examined Hurricane Katrina's impact on New Orleans. Even though it is now a decade later, the effects of this natural disaster are plainly evident throughout the city.

We started at a non-profit organization, Global Green, that held a design competition to build sustainable housing for New Orleans. The winning design was built in the lower 9th ward and included solar power, which makes it practically a net zero home (meeting all of its own energy needs). This design was the impetus for Brad Pitt's Make It Right foundation to build these homes in the hardest-hit section of the lower 9th ward.

We then visited the site where the levees broke causing the massive flooding in the lower 9th ward.

We also visited a large cypress swamp essential to the long-term sustainability of the lower 9th ward called the Bayou Bienvenu Wetland Triangle. During Katrina, this wetland area had been overwhelmed by the storm surges that wiped out the cypress swamp. Currently, they are working on plans to fix it and bring these wetlands back to life.

Meanwhile, Frack tried to enter the country illegally, easily going through a gap in the fence. However, he was caught in the act by a camera strategically placed at that spot. If you have seen this man, please contact your local law enforcement authorities or ICE immediately. Do not approach this man. Consider him armed and dangerous.

Quo Vadimus

City of New Orleans

And, of course, we can't start our New Orleans portion of the blog without one of the greatest train songs ever!

Quo Vadimus

Big River

I had to start our venture to the Big Easy with one of my favorite songs - a tribute to the mighty Mississippi!

Quo Vadimus

Alpine, Texas

Our big day in Alpine was spent visiting Big Bend National Park.  This next day was spent not less, but locally.  Jesse our driver arrived with the yellow cheese wagon again to take us around his home town.  Some of the best Tex-Mex food sandwiched between two more great sites made for another exciting day.

The Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center & Botanical Gardens
Russell our guide takes our group on a hike down a rocky canyon to discuss the geology, flora and fauna of the area.  The flora was beautiful and the fauna limited but the geology was tremendous.  The canyon was made of igneous rock on one side and metamorphic the other and made for some very aggressive hiking conditions.

Three of our most intrepid hikers - Ami, Anika & Kerry.

Led by Patty and Jen, some of our ladies hiking through the gardens. This trail was rated as easy and short, something every member of the group questioned over and over.  Ninety minutes later with scrapes, cuts, sunburn and sweat we did finish it.

Westward Ho!!!
Frack and Frick (or is it Frick and Frack) with our long lost sisters - Anika and Ami.
We visited Fort Davis, a military outpost along the San Antonio to El Paso trail.  It provided shelter for settlers heading further west as well as a government presence against Indian tribes in the region.

Much to his displeasure, Frick has not recovered from his Pricklious Pearus Cacti injuries from the Rio Grande/Big Bend.  Here, nurse Anika tries for a second day to rid him of the pricks in his arm.  As gentle as she is, one can see from the look on his face that those little pricks can be painful.

After a rifle firing demonstration, we were able to check out the heavy uniforms and primitive weaponry of the soldiers stationed at Fort Davis.

And lastly, as we spend our waning moments in the Chihuahuan Desert city of Alpine, Texas, Frick delights in the perfect souvenir for his home back at the beach.  What better way to relive this trip daily than by having a life size Texas longhorn in the yard along with one of his favorite new plant species he's discovered - the cactus!

By 9PM, we were on the Sunset Limited heading towards New Orleans.  Because AMTRACK did not have us listed on their manifest (we had tickets in hand), we got to sit wherever there were open seats.  We learned very quickly that the upstairs coach seats were a higher quality clientele while the rail level folks were of the "Lower Level" (AMTRACK's words, not mine) type.  Five of us were forced into the Lower Level since they were the last five seats on the train.  Frack had a wonderful seat next to Florence who was heading to San Antonio to visit family - but I was truly the lucky one.  The rest of our group was meeting new friends who really didn't care to meet new friends nor share the empty seat beside them that minutes earlier was their  kitchen/closet/double bed.  Soooo, instead of sharing blankets and pillowtalk, most of our party found their way forward to the scenic car to spend the next hours playing card & dice games.

By 3AM, we were exhausted from all the new games we learned and made our way to back to our seats to sleep next to some of America's finest.  Though the train was kept cold for a reason, unique smells were quite common around our seat/bed.  By 4AM, we arrived in San Antonio and with the departure of lots of passengers, our group was able to relocate upstairs to the higher quality seating, get our double beds and finally get some shut-eye.

On to the Big Easy!!!

"The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated."

Despite the previous blog entry, I am alive and well after my deadly encounter with the prickly-pear cacti. Thank you to my angels of mercy, Anika, Tina, and Calena, for saving my life! But that wasn't the really big news at the border today. "What?," you're saying, "Bigger news than Frick almost dying! How is that possible?"

Here's how: Frack attempted to stop an illegal alien trying to get into the country. He waded out into the Rio Grande and chased her until she got stuck in the mud. He almost had her, but he got stuck in the mud, too. Don't believe me? I have video!

Slideshow created by Bob Morrill.

I should also have you note that in Frack's hour of need, where am I? That's right, rushing into the river to save him. Did you notice on the other blog entry where Frack was? That's also right, "let me grab my camera and take some photos to document the near-death of my nearest and dearest friend."

Here we are after I saved my brother's life. Photo by Bob Morrill.

Quo Vadimus

Big Bend National Park & the Rio Grande

And we thought school was out!  Here's our "charter bus" for the 10 hour trip to/from Big Bend National Park.  The seating arrangements were spacious - we each had our own bench, with extra ones for our bags.  And it even had air conditioning though it was a struggle to keep the cheese wagon cooler than the 110+ degree road we were on.  We finally gave up and surrendered to opening those tiny windows and having 90+ degree air flowing through the bus at over 70 mph as being the best solution.

Here we go - into the unknown...

An in-bloom Century Flower.  This desert plant blooms once every hundred years, then dies.

Though the purple fruit is edible, the Pricklious Pearus Cactus has a wonderful defense mechanism known as pricks to protect itself from predatory creatures who want to eat it.  For those who venture too close, it can be a very stinging and painful event (more on this later).



The Rio Grande @ Santa Elena Canyon
The left side of the canyon is Mexico and the right is the US.
This picture was taken after we went wading (even crossing into Mexico), searching for rocks (we are science teachers after all), and some of us getting stuck in the mud.  No, really getting stuck in the mud!

Grandpa"s House
Frick & Jesse (our school bus driver) at Jesse's Great-Great-Great-Great-Great Grandparents house located  within Big Bend National Park.  His family farmed and ranched the land back in the 1800's to early 1900's.  Jesse has been a life long resident of Alpine, TX.

Unfortunately, Frick had troubles on the trail when he tripped and landed in a deadly and poisonous Pricklious Pearus Cacti thereby receiving multiple prick wounds in his forearm.  Here our friends Calena, Tina & Anika gently tend to him trying to make his tears stop.  Since the medical kit was back in the hotel and his arm was beginning to swell, Anika was able to grab some Mexican mud and coat the wound.  This worked well and covered us for the 2.5 hour hot and dusty trip back home so he could dress it properly.

One last view of the beautifully diverse landscape that is Big Bend!

Rail Riders again...

Travel day today.  With a healthy morning urban hike across town pulling & carrying our bags, we boarded the Sunset Limited for travels further East to Alpine, TX.  Along the way we were gifted with some of the most beautiful sights one could imagine.  Vast open spaces unheard of along the East coast.  Mountain ranges filled with extinct & dormant volcanoes.  Lands comprised of everything from arid deserts to farmland & orchards.  And towns made up of mobile homes to El Paso, the biggest city we saw all day as we rode along the "fence" separating the United States from Mexico watching for illegals crossing into our country.  After spanning three time zones (Pacific, Mountain, Central), we arrived in Alpine, TX in time for some pizza and cold soda before calling it a night.



Frack & Frick at work riding the rails...

Not sure if this is Arizona or New Mexico - they both look the same!



El Paso, TX overlooking the border fence with Mexico.

This picture was taken of an illegal climbing over the border wall as we passed east of El Paso.
Not sure if he's armed or dangerous but looking at that determined face means there may be trouble.

A Texas cattle ranch...

Our home in Alpine, TX for the next few days...

Arrival of the Train

And since it's an off day, I figure I should add some of my train videos now. I thought I would have more time to fit them in, but we are already at the half-way point and I only posted the Johnny Cash video (although if I could only post one, that would be it.)

But, there's more. One of the oldest "movies" ever made was about a train arriving at the station by the Lumiere Brothers in 1895. In fact, I believe when I was in college, I was taught it was the very first movie and inspired a panic when first shown:  "The spectators ran out of the hall in terror because the locomotive headed right for them. They feared it could plunge off the screen and onto them." (https://muse.jhu.edu/article/171125#FOOT3) In the years since I have been in college, it appears this myth has been debunked. However, it wouldn't hurt to take a moment to look at the cause of the excitement over the last century.

Quo Vadimus

And when I am elected . . .

We had a travel day today in the middle of our train trek. It seems odd to have a travel day in the middle of a train journey across the country, but isn't life a little odd. So, we took a van from Flagstaff to the Phoenix Airport ("the friendliest airport in the country") and then another from Phoenix to Tucson.

Our first driver, Harry, a Vietnam War veteran (Thank you for your service.), had taken a 14-year sabbatical in the middle of his career to complete his "bucket list" before he kicked it. I think this is the greatest idea in the world. Everyone should be able to take a 10-year hiatus after working for 15 years in order to complete their aspirations when they are still able to enjoy it. When I am appointed "tsar of education," this will be the first program I institute. I know it's too late for me, but it may not be too late for you. (To Mackenzie: Ignore this advice. I need you to keep working in order to provide for the massive requirements of financial and other support I will need in the coming years.)

My daughter and I at the top of One World Trade Center the week before it officially opened. Her birthday is 9/11.

Quo Vadimus

A "grand" day!

If you haven't been to the Grand Canyon, you should go. It is awe-inspiring. If you go, I encourage you to go off by yourself at some point (preferably away from the crowds) and just reflect. While I struggle to put the feelings into words, it was like an epiphany without the understanding. I doubt that made sense, so I will encourage you to go and experience it for yourself.

Let me caution you that it is not for the timid. For me, watching parents, climbing over the fences to drag their toddlers to the edge of the precipice to get a snapshot, scared me to death. By the way, I am not in the photo on Frick's last post, where it shows his group being out on the ledge. Sure, you can call me chicken, but there is also a word for those who create unnecessary risks for themselves. A healthy fear of falling off a cliff is not a bad thing. By the way, an average of 3 persons a year die falling into the Grand Canyon. I will not be one of them. Besides, if I got that close to the edge, it would give Frick a chance to push me off the cliff. Further unnecessary risk.

Finally, a note on our "technological" society:  As our group sat down to dinner at the Angel Bright Lodge Restaurant, everyone immediately pulled out their cell phones. I had to take a picture with my phone. As teachers, we often complain about how our students ("the younger generation") are addicted to their devices, but perhaps we should take a look in the mirror. As George Bernard Shaw once wrote, "If you must hold yourself up to your children as an object lesson . . . hold yourself up as an example and not as a warning."

Quo Vadimus

Grand Canyon, Arizona

Not as hot today up on the rim - mid 90's.  First impressions for those who'd never seen the natural wonder was complete awe. Admiration.  Power.  Beauty.  Peacefulness.  Words cannot describe one's feelings when viewing this magnificent creation.  And science doesn't help as there is NO answer as the why it is what it is.  For those of us who decided to brave the canyon, it was a little warmer; it was pushing 115 as one climbed down into the hole.  And several of us did just that though we were smart enough to not go too far down.  Rule of thumb for the hikes was for every minute down, plan on three minutes to get back to the top.  Our group spent almost three hours in the canyon on the Bright Angel Trail and were rewarded with some incredible sights along the way.


If you look real close, you'll see our group way, way out on that overhanging ledge!

Hiking down the trail is soooo much easier than going back up.
The four adventurers (Patty, Anika, Maureen and Frack) who took on Bright Angel for 35 minutes downhill though Anika did go a bit further.  When we regrouped, it took almost 2 hours to go back uphill!!!

 

Enjoying the views!
Hikers Frack, Anika, Patty, Maureen, Ami and Frick take one last look.

Wednesday it's on to Tuscon for the night before riding those rails again to Alpine (Big Bend), Texas and our next great adventure with the high Chihuahuan desert and the Rio Grande.
Happy Summer Solstice!

We walked 4.2 miles over 4 hours in 106° heat in Boynton Canyon near Sedona!

Wow, it's hot out there! But it's a dry heat.

Let's start at the beginning. We left LA on the Southwest Chief for our first overnight train trip, arriving in Flagstaff, Arizona, at 5:00 a.m. Unfortunately, I was unable to get any sleep on the train and Frick did not get much more. We walked from the train station to our dorm with all of our luggage. After checking in, we got about an hour's sleep before we had to get breakfast and get in the vans for our trip to Sedona.

Our guides insisted it was an easy trail for us tenderfoots, but we suspect differently. (By the way, they also insisted it wasn't hot.) No one in the group was able to finish the trail, but some of the younger folk and Frick came very close. Despite the overload on my systems, I was still able to manage most of the trail and, most importantly, make it back out. Our entire group would especially like to thank our guide again for the iced bottles of water at the end of our trail. Throughout most of the day, we were drinking warm water to maintain our hydration levels. Thank you, Malcolm.

Malcolm is a former geography professor at Texas Christian University, worked on the railroad as a young man, and was a helicopter mechanic during World War II - yes, that's right, he served in World War II (Thank you for your service!) and can still wander around in 106° heat for hours and make all of us younger folk look very wimpish. He is truly a excellent example of our "greatest generation."

Quo Vadimus

Ethnicity in LA

Sunday (19 June) was spent touring the ethnic neighborhoods of greater LA.  We began by heading to East LA (Hispanic) and having discussions with Paul Botello, a college professor mastering in street art.  Our first viewing was a huge mural he had painted alongside a community gym.  We learned how intricate his painting became as it intertwined the many aspects (social, economic, religious, familial, historical) of life within that specific community.  The second viewing took us to his church where he was able to create a mural with a more religious lean to it. And his third showing was next door to a senior center which focused on social injustices.

Following our tours with Botello, we visited a traditional Hispanic market to taste their foods, see their styles and view their customs.

We then headed downtown for lunch at the Grand Central Market which has cuisines and cultures from every background of LA and gathers the cities many communities around a shared table.

And to complete the day of exploring, we visited the Japanese-American National Museum.  The museum had a beautiful display of origami along with a history of the Japanese in our county, including their internment during WWII.

We finished our day as we went to Union Station to further our journeys.  We embarked on AMTRACK's Southwest Chief and departed for Flagstaff, Arizona.