Scenes around Modesto.

Photos from my visit to Modesto in April 2019.

PrunePicker and grandchildren Drew, and Lily.

Lily and PrunePicker. Lily is so pretty!

Drew and Lily's Grandma Dorothy, Grandpa  Chuck, and Mom Nancy.

Mike at Amtrak to see Dad off.

Typical Modesto Starbuck.

PrunePicker and mytoecold.

Dorothy and Nancy.

Prunepicker and Mike Monson.

Drew and Dad at the park. They are texting each other.

Scenes around Dana Point

I love this French Onion Soup. Bonjour Restaurant in Dana Point.

Local man on a bicycle. Grandson Mark

Famous Lucy's in Capo Beach.

Nancy, Nephew Danny Butcher, and the old PrunePicker.

Bob, Nancy, Me, and the Butchers. Danny and Diana.

A lot on the beach. Seven and a quarter million.

I am hugging the Butchers.

My oldest grandson Matt and his Dad Bob.

Nice Birthday Party!

I really enjoyed the 100th Birthday Party for Jerondine Wright. I have known Jerry since her boy Bob started kissing my girl Nancy. That was long ago in Coalinga, California.

Nice little birthday cake!

There was card from President Trump.

Jerry band a few descendants.

Panic in the night.

Amtrak threw me a curve. I was all set to catch the Texas Eagle in Marshall and leave my car at the depot and pick it up on my return from California. Here came a message that I was to catch the train in Texarkana! I called and they said that an Amtrak bus would take me from Marshall to Mineola, Texas where I would catch the train. The train had to detour around Marshall because an emergency track repair. The repair should soon be done and I will be able to ride the train to Marshall on my return trip.

Imagine such a revolting development at the last minute. I drove to Marshall in the dead of the night. When I arrived at the depot it was locked and deserted! I called Amtrak in a panic and they told me to be calm the the bus would soon be there. They were right.

Off we went to Mineola
When the train arrived in Mineola my name was called and I was escorted to my small room on the train. They even asked a fellow passenger to take me to the dining cave. Here we are. Isn’t she nice?

Memories of Union Station. Los Angeles.

In 1943 and 1944 I passed through Union Station several times. Union Station was built in 1939 and is said to be the last of the great train stations built in that era. It was impressive to this 18 year old soldier.

I was stationed at Camp San Luis Obispo. I was getting marine training at Morro Bay.  I could catch the train in San Luis and get off in LA which is about 30 miles from my home in Pomona. I remember one time I could not get a ticket so I snuck on the train and tried to hide from the conductor when he was checking tickets. Alas he caught me! I think that he just shrugged his shoulders.

The coffee shop was staffed by  "The Harvey Girls" who were made famous in a recent book. Later in a movie with Judy Garland. The Harvey Girls worked in most of the train stations in those days,

I was impressed. The Harvey Girls served a good meal. My last visit to Union Station was 76 years ago. On my upcoming trip to California I will go through the station three times. I will have time to remember and reminisce about my World War II trips through the station. I will probably take a couple of photos. How about a time lapse video?

Today is the 12th anniversary of the passing of my wife Jackie. I remember and reminisce every day.

A message from Amtrak. (I knew that!)

A long bike ride. 130 miles.

Here is a link to a post I wrote about riding my bike from Bakersfield to Pomona. It gives information about a part of my upcoming travels. You may find it interesting.

Bike ride.

Train trip itinerary. Update.

What is the use of having an itinerary if you can not change it? Based on further research and input from my son Mike. I have changed the side trip to Modesto from bus to train. The train will take me from San Juan Capistrano to Los Angeles. Then I take an Amtrak bus to Bakersfield. Then train the rest of the way to Modesto. Same deal on return trip to San Juan Capistrano. (No train tracks over the Ridge Route and Grapevine). Once during WWII I rode the bus from LA to Bakersfield. The bus was full, people stood in the aisle the length of the bus. I climbed into the luggage rack and went to sleep for the two hour trip.

I must have traveled the route (and back) between LA to Bakersfield a hundred times. Hitchhike, bicycle, Army truck convoy, car, plane, and bus. Much of it I have walked. Caught in snow storms several times. I am looking forward to the trip again this month. Sitting in a comfortable chair by a window.

Here is the schedule for this trio.

The ticket states the trip north takes from 8am to 4pm.  Eight hours. That is very good. The distance is 366 mules. I could not do much better in my car.