Arrived at my house at 1:45am, dragged the luggage into the kitchen and went straight to bed. The phone messages, mail and everything else will hav…

The trip from Chicago, Illinois was  fun, met a guy named Bob in my coach car and we ended up talking most of the trip in the lounge car. He was…

Woke up around 9am, showered, repacked and checked out of the hotel. The front desk was nice enough to allow me to keep my luggage there until it was…

Arrived in Chicago about 5 minutes early, had spoken with Phil, Richard and Jimmy on the cell phone. As I left the station, I noticed how cold it was…

We had a long stop in St Paul, Minnesota and I was able to stretch my legs for a bit before breakfast in the dining car. During breakfast, I sat with…

Woke up early, the hotel was not the most pleasant I have ever stayed in. During the night I had to shut the windows because of what I can only descr…

Left Portland, Oregon on the Empire Builder right on time (4:45pm), only to be delayed for 20 minutes because of a cargo ship that caused the draw br…

The train ride was smooth, slow going at times due to Union Pacific's horrible record of keeping their train tracks in decent condition. Had dinner w…

Slept pretty well at the hotel and got back to Paul and Victoria's house around 11am after returning the rental SUV. We had some lunch and just sa…

Early morning start so I could head to Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. Even though these share a common border they are considered 2 sep…

Got up late this morning, due to a really spicy gumbo meal the night before. I should have known better, I'm Irish, potatoes are spicy to me, but i…

As I left San Francisco, California to head towards Yosemite National Park, I made a brief stop in Berkeley to meet up with a couple of guys that e…

My hotel for the night was in Oakhurst, California, about 45 miles from Yosemite National Park. The hotel, a Best Western, is huge and very nice. My …

Golden Gate Park stretches from Ocean Beach to Stanyan Street. It is larger than New York's Central Park, once consisted of sand dunes, is now cove…

The Haight-Ashbury's elaborately detailed, 19th-century multi-story wooden houses became a haven for hippies during the 1960s, due to the availabilit…

We went to the Cliff House and Sutro Baths Ruins in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The Cliff House has been rebuilt several times and curr…

We drove on to Big Basin Redwoods State Park. The park is California's oldest State Park, established in 1902. Home to the largest continuous stand o…

After being in the redwood forest, it was time to see the sun again. Drove  to Santa Cruz, California to see the boardwalk there.Definitely, you…

Today we  drove to Santa Cruz and stopped at a Japanese garden in Saratoga, California. It was built in 1915 as a  private retreat for …

Drove across all the bridges around the San Francisco Bay today. Made the usual tourist stops at Lombard Street, Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf and of co…

Arrived in Fremont, California around 5PM. Turned the car in at the San Jose airport and then went to Paul and Victoria's home. Unpacked my bags …

We started out on our drive up the Pacific Coast Highway towards Carmel, California. The PCH is a very beautiful drive, but if you are in a hurry…

After checking out of the hotel, which was very noisy during the night, we decided to go Hollywood. Drove around the area and saw some of the studi…

Since it was Cinco de Mayo, we stopped in Santa Barbara, California for the night and had dinner at a Mexican restaurant. There was a large (9 of t…

Before we headed out on our van tour, we grabbed some food from the Belwood Cafe on Hollywood Blvd. All I can say is excellent bakery and great custo…

The train arrived 1 hour early, but Victoria had called and said she would be about 3 hours late arriving from San Francisco. I made my way to LAX …

Petroglyph National Monument protects a variety of cultural and natural resources including five volcanic cones, hundreds of archaeological sites and…

Had a very nice drive to Albuquerque, New Mexico on Interstate 25. Checked into the hotel, ate at a very nice Mexican restaurant and headed for bed…

It was getting late and I wanted to visit Four Corners Monument before sunset. I stopped briefly in Kayenta, AZ for food and fuel and continued…

I headed towards Glen Canyon Dam near Page, Arizona.Glen Canyon Dam was constructed and is operated by the  Bureau of Reclamation, an agency w…

Finally made it to New Mexico! Another state off the list.Stopped for the night here, not much to see, just wanted to rest. Can't believe I did so mu…

Arrived in Santa Fe, New Mexico around noon. Went to the visitor's center and got some helpful information on a quick walking tour and possible place…

I let my GPS guide me out of Bryce Canyon National Park towards Glen Canyon. Never trust your GPS!The unpaved Cottonwood Canyon Road is a cross-c…

After a bad night of sleeping, next time buying a tent and an air mattress, I left Zion. The drive out of the park was very windy and takes you throu…

After leaving Las Vegas, I drove to Utah and Zion National Park. The drive was quick and went through very beautiful landscape. About half way th…

After leaving Phoenix, I made my way to Wickenburg, Arizona. I heard there was a ghost town/old mine nearby. I stayed the night on Friday, at a hotel…

The Joshua Forest Scenic Road was designated on April 20, 1992, by the Arizona Department of Transportation. Along the route is the backdrop of r…

Where is Hoover Dam?    In Black Canyon on the Colorado River, about 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada.How tall is Hoover Dam?…

Since I had to go through Las Vegas to get to Zion and Bryce National Parks, I made sure I went through at nighttime to see the lights on the strip.I…

Received a free pass from one of the guys at the camera shop and decided to take a look at the botanical garden. The Desert Botanical Garden is locat…

First off, I'm not a big shopper. That said, Old Town Scottsdale is nothing but shopping, with a few restaurants thrown in. I went there because I th…

I wanted to visit V-V (pronounced vee-bar-vee) to view the petroglyphs there outside of Sedona. They are not open on Thursdays, just the weekends. An…

I left Flagstaff, Arizona today after 5 days in the area. My travel plans have changed somewhat due to the loss of my telephoto lens. Nikon suggest…

Decided that I had better take a look at Historic Flagstaff, since I've been here 4 days and have not gone there yet. First stop this morning was…

 As I was leaving Walnut Canyon, feeling pretty low about the damage to the 200mm telephoto lens, I suddenly had the urge to go to Winslow, Ar…

Wupatki National Monument is one of several sites preserving pueblos (houses) of ancient peoples, but unlike the Tonto, Montezuma, Casa Grande an…

Today, I will travel around the Flagstaff, Arizona area and see the National Monuments close by.In densely-wooded country southeast of Flagstaff, the…

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument is the slightly clumsy name given to an area northeast of Flagstaff containing the results of much igneou…

Went to the Grand Canyon today on a tour with Angel's Gate Tours. I was one of 12 passengers in a van driven by Bobby. Bobby must have a phobia about…

Slept very well last night, but still got up around 6AM, don't know if it is excitement or still adjusting to the time change from Ohio. This allowed…

After arriving in Flagstaff, Arizona around 4PM, I checked into the AmeriSuites which will be my home base for the next 5 days. A nice surprise was t…

After a sleepless night, by choice, we arose before sunrise to head to a spot on the mesa that would provide the best first light on the monument…

Up bright and early today, loaded up the vans, left Grand Junction, CO and headed towards Monument Valley. We drove through some very scenic areas (C…

Went to the Colorado National Monument outside Grand Junction, Colorado today. The Colorado National Monument is named after the river rather than th…

The trip from Denver, Colorado to Grand Junction, Colorado is something that everybody should do. The scenery is beyond description. The words to Ame…

Serving lunch and dinner, Pantuso's is a family friendly restaurant offering an extensive menu of pasta, veal, chicken, soups and desserts. Don't mis…

After leaving Chicago on the California Zephyr, I settled into my Sleepette room and got to know a nice couple from Saginaw, Michigan who were ac…

I board the Capitol Limited in Toledo heading towards Chicago. After a 4 hour  layover, board the California Zephyr for a 24 hour trip to Grand …

Located at the beginning of Route 66 at 565 W. Jackson Boulevard, Lou Mitchell’s is THE place to eat breakfast while in Chicago. I discovered this …

The station replaced the overcrowded Grand Passenger Station built in 1881 for a consortium of four railroads. This consortium, headed by the Pennsyl…

Arrived in Chicago on the Capitol Limited from Toledo, Ohio. The train was about 47 minutes late, which is lucky because the Lakeshore Limited, which…