4/1/17 Countdown
It was a hot day last July, when I was sitting by the town pool, trying, only somewhat successfully, to keep myself under my new UPF50 sun protecting umbrella, when my phone rang.
Even though I suspected it would one of those endless telemarketers who ignore all the “Do Not Call” lists, I answered, ever ready to hang up immediately.
A pleasant voice introduced herself as being from Amtrak and asked if I was Grace Stevens. I said yes, and she proceeded to say, “You have been selected…”
I was about to hang up as my brain immediately went to that place where it thought it absolutely was a telemarketer wanting me to buy a timeshare somewhere.
..but I held on as she continued, “as an Amtrak Writer in Residence for 2016.”
My brain, now totally confused went into a freeze, not sure what this was all about. At that moment I had totally forgotten that I had sent in an application for this the previous fall, and I was working with my own editor to select a publication date for my second book. I asked her to repeat this and then it all came together for me.
That was almost nine months ago and now, the initial countdown has started, as I will be on my trip from April 30- May 30. I have been pinching myself for my good fortune and planning all of this for some time and now have the itinerary, tickets and planned stops along the way all set. I have been wrestling with naming this adventure, as I am one of those people and writers that most often start with a name and allow the words to find their way on to the page. I have two names that just may co-exist for this adventure.
The first is “Seventy by Thirty” which describes my sense that this summer I will be turning 70 years old, and for the first time in my life I am taking 30 days off on an individual adventure where I am allowing myself to let go of 100% control of what I may be doing. I have some ideas, but am actually willing to see where it all takes me.
The other is that this will be my “It’s never too late to have a happy childhood” tour of the US of A. Yes, part of me will be writing, but part of me will be seeing things I have always had dreams about but never thought I would actually do
The lost bucket list from my childhood will soon see the light of day.
I will see the Alamo, and the original Disneyland, and go to baseball stadiums in Atlanta, Anaheim, LA and SF, and at long last see some of the country as not just a fly-by on a business trip.
As I write this on April 1, it is T minus 30 days until I first get on my Amtrak train. I am excited, and oh, so honored. I am a little nervous about all the unknowns, but also looking forward to all the people I may meet. I used to be wound up so tight I would have never done anything like this. Now I am open to the adventures, and I look forward to sharing some of them with you.
I just need to remember to bring my towel….
(Some of you might remember this reference…)
Days 1-3: The Adventures Begin
April 30: I set the alarm for 5 AM but really did not get all that much sleep. I had a car going to pick me up at 6 AM for the 6:55 train to NYC. I am one of those people who believe that if you get somewhere on time, you are actually late. I find it a bit crazily head scratching, that I have always seemed to be inrelationships with those who have a completely opposite relationship with time.
iThe Crescent - I love that they name the long haul trains - was scheduled to leave NYC at 2:15 so I got to hang out at the Acela Lounge in Penn Station. At least there were soft chairs in there. For my first time in a roomette it was ...OK... the "little" room had a sink and a bathroom and a it turned into a bedroom too.
May 1: The Crescent arrives in Atlanta at 8:15. I was traveling for over 25 hours.... I did not sleep all that much but had a long day planned... I got to my hotel, bought a City Pass and went to the tours at CNN, The Georgia Aquarium, and The World of Coke. I called my Facebook friend Rabbi Michael Bernstein as I offered to take him to a baseball game at the new Sun Trust Park. A long , tiring, and oh so wonderful day.
May 2; Pretty excited today as the plan was to do a Segway tour of Atlanta. First time for me on one. I think I kind of lucked out by picking the Double Tree Downtown hotel as the little tour place was in the same building. $59 it was about 3 hours, which included 1/2 hour of training on the crazy machine. The guide was very knowledgable as we went through a variety of neighborhoods, on both sidewalks and on the streets.
Got to MLK Memorial Park and tomb, along with Oakland Cemetery. So glad I chose this as my morning adventure.
So glad I chose this as my morning adventure.
In the afternoon, I went to the Center for Civil and Human Rights. I have to admit that this was much more moving - and upsetting- that I had expected. I lived through the days of the civil rights movement but never, ever took part in anything. Our world today needs the courage of the people that fought for their rights. I still do not know if Ihave that type of courage inmate, yet I know that I and many people like me in the LGBT community are now fighting a battle like this.
Day4: Riding the Atlanta beltway
While on my Segway tour, I learned that Atlanta was in the early stages of building out a Rails to Trails bikeway. Living in Lexington MA, I am a little familiar with these things as we have the Minuteman Bike trail that runs 11 miles from Cambridge to Bedford. I am also a fan of the Cape Cod Rail Trail that runs 22 miles from Dennis to Wellfleet. I have frequented both of these numerous times.
It turned that the tour place with the Segway also rented bikes. So my day for today got created. I did have a con call with one of my other worlds that kept me busy until around 11 AM, and then I went out to find and explore the Beltway which is only partially completed for a few miles.
Who I entered the tour shop, the woman I met Monday there said Hi Grace - she remembered me - and asked if my ears were burning, as they were all talking about my trip as am Amtrak Residency Writer. I started to think when did I learn to talk to strangers. Certainly this trip is full of this opportunity.
Luckily, as I was studying the street map with Mira, I started to recognize the street names and East Side layout from the Segway tour yesterday.
My goal was to navigate the city streets, find the Beltway, and most my way up to Piedmont Park, perhaps find a place for lunch and make it back to the hotel to clean up. It was a damn hot day here.
The Beltway itself was beautiful and even on a wednesday afternoon was well used with walkers, runners, skaters, bikers and dog walkers. It was fully paved - just like city streets and quite smooth, not like the paths back home, which are more blacktop. It was wide and there was a good deal of construction going on on both sides. I also learned that these are becoming reclaimed, hot new neighborhoods around the bike path. This is always a good thing.
I stopped at the Lady bird on the way back and order a Fired Green tomato BLT. There is a first for everything. It was yummy!
I am taking a relaxing evening just preparing for catching my train to NOLA early Thursday morning. Leaving around 8:30 am and scheduled to get to NOLA around 7:30 PM. Excited as my BFF is flying down to meet me there and we hope to get to the Jazz Festival on Friday.
Until then, Live Your Truth.
days 5-8: new orleans
Day 5:
I had the expectation that this was going to be a long day. I was scheduled to get on the train in Atlanta at 8:38 AM and arrive in New Orleans at around 7:30 PM this included a time zone change so it was a 12 hour trip.
On my earlier train ride, someone introduced me to asm.transitdocs.com which shows all the long haul trains and how well they are doing on their schedules. I woke at 6 AM and checked out the train I was picking up and found it was already close to 3 hours behind schedule. It was already raining in both Atlanta and New Orleans. Glad this was a travel day. The planned day was getting bit longer. Also, my BFF (for those who may have read my book, No! Maybe? Yes! Living My Truth, you may know a little bit about my BBF who knew me before I transitioned and we still are the best of friends. For here, I will just use her initial "T") was flying down to NOLA to meet up with me for the weekend, and her plane was going to arrive at 5:30.
My train actually did not leave until 10:45, and it was a long day in coach when I arrived at around 10 PM in NOLA. The good news was that another friend who live in NOLA for many years had to make an emergency trip due to the sudden death of one of her friends. This friend, "P" offered to meet T for dinner since I was going to be so late, and it all worked out well.
Day 6:
The next morning, we all met early at Cafe Du Monde (obligatory trip) for beignets.
"P" was a wealth of knowledge as we discussed our plans on going to the jazz festival and how would be the best way to get there. We were thinking about renting bikes, and "P" confirmed that was by far the best way to get there. Turns out the Fair Grounds is only about 2 miles from the French Quarter, where we were staying, so by late morning we found ourselves on "Cruzers" for the next two days. I highly recommend this mode of travel in NOLA and the festival. Can't beat it. You can see the fenced in area for bikes to the right. Just remember to buy cold water from all the hawkers before you get into the ground.
We found our way to buy tickets , get through the security line (long) and spent the next hour or two overwhelmed with the size and scope and how to choose food and what to see. We learned that we had to buy a tarp to layout on. We did not really hunker down to music until around 2 PM but then slowly started, only started, to figure out how this place works. T and I were undecided who to see for the final show, but we opted for Earth Wind and Fire over Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds.
For the who know that I time travel with music, the EWF show was amazing.
After the last show it took a while to get through the crowds, get our bikes and head back to the hotel. We chose to bring the bikes up to our room.
We conformed that we would go back to the festival on Saturday hoping to see Stevie Wonder at the end of the day. We had previously had early dinner reservations at a place called Mr. B's Bistro, which T knew about from a previous trip here. We walked over and cancelled our reservation but managed to get seated for dinner. I ordered BBQ shrimp which, silly me, thought would be like shrimp on the barbie. I was warned I would be making a mess.
Perhaps I am a spoiled New Englander, not quite knowing that ordering shrimp meant the entire critter, and I would have a bit of work to do - but when the waiter came around and tied a bib around my neck, I knew it would be another of the day's adventures. ..and a pretty marvelous one at that!
These shrimp were gigantic with a taste to match. In fact, they were the tastiest and like nothing I ever had before. I did save room for the caramel pecan pie - also fabulously delicious. High marks for Mr B's...
.....and then a walk on Bourbon Street. It was hopping and even though it was not Mardi Grace, I remained an adult, and did not take part in the "Beads for Boobs" game as beads were raining down from the balconies.
Day 7: Saturday May 6
We had a plan. Grab a bite in the hotel, bike down to the levee on the Mississippi on what is called the Riverway and then bike our way back to the Jazz festival. After Friday's reconnoitering, we thought we had a plan. We parked our tarp as soon as we got there at the Acura stage where Stevie wonder would start around 5 PM. Then we were able to walk all over, from stage to stage, and try some different foods all around, The day was pretty hot. we made it to the Jazz , Blues and Gospel tents, and the Cuban stage and a few other venues. Wish we had some chairs but we managed.
By the time for Stevie Wonder, we were landlocked in a sea of people.
Two days at the Jazz Fest. AMAZING!!!!
Dinner was uneventful, but we did manage to get to Maison Bourbon for some "real" old time New Orleans Jazz.
Day 8: Sunday May 7
I lazy tourist day around the french Quarter, included a little shopping in the French Market, more shrimp to eat, a buggy tour, and walking all around including Jackson Square and a few final beignets. T headed back to Boston, and I am packing for another long travel day on Monday - 15 hours to San Antonio.
days 9-12: into the heart of texas
Day 9: Monday May 8
This was going to be a long day trip scheduled 9 AM to around midnight. At least I would have my own roomette, and economy bedroom, and there was an observation car handy. This way I actually managed to have meals on this leg of my trip. Sadly the meals are not much to write home about so that is all I will say about them.
It was a beautiful morning so I headed off to the observation car and was inspired to finish off a new Huffpost blog and send it out before noontime. Check my blog page for "Pinch Me"
The peeps on the train kept saying that the train is usually a good half to 1 hour early, but not this trip… once again a few freight trains had rail priorities. I am now getting pretty used to this event. It was a long day – about 15 hours on the train, but it was not that big a deal. We got to the San Antonio station about 20 minutes behind schedule at around 12:30 AM. It was already Tuesday morning. Luckily, my UBER only took a minute to get me and the hotel was only 5 minutes away. Yay!!!!
I stayed at the historic Menger Hotel across from the Alamo. This place was actually gorgeous. The plaque said established 1859, but it was wow!
Day 10 Tuesday May 9: San Antonio Sans Sun
Let me start off with the single image I will always have of San Antonio, or maybe even burnt into my lungs.
It seems like everyone in San Antonio smokes. I have not, in recent memory remember being outdoors and constantly being surrounded by second hand smoke.
The sign above is in the small garden area of the hotel, and it was even hard for me to sit comfortably there. There was no smoking allowed indoors anywhere but the “great outdoors” was another story.
It was so many different shades of gray as I woke and the weather report promised scattered showers throughout the day. My first goal was to find breakfast. One of the attendants on the train gave me a quick rundown of where I should go to eat, and for lack of any better plan I decided I would be a happy follower. I think my planning and hotel picking worked out well, as I was just a few blocks from everything I wanted to see. Off to Shiloh’s Deli for potato pancakes for breakfast. I knew this trip would have me eating much too much food. Pretty sure when I get home, there is another Whole 30 detox in my future!
Then the “primary objective” of stopping in San Antonio was to go to the Alamo. Yes, I grew up in the fifties and was weaned on Disney’s version of Davy Crockett. Here I learned so much more of the real history.
Again, my train peeps told me to get the audio tour and I think this made the visit entirely. They said that it was about a 45-minute tour but I was enthralled and spent more than twice that time, even in the courtyards when the rain came down.
There was so much to reflect upon as the story of the people fighting there for the freedom they believed in was unavoidable mapping to these crazy days for the LGBT community that I am part of. I am still weighing the difference and the similarities between the times, and what I, myself am willing to do to fight for the freedom and rights of people like myself.
Bucket list item: The Alamo: Check
It was looking pretty gray and already wet after my Alamo tour so I decided to pop into theater next door and catch a showing of Guardians of the Galaxy. After that I headed down to the Riverway (also on the bucket list) did the boat tour, and headed to the recommended restaurant for some enchiladas. I was pretty stuffed with all that food, but when they offered dessert a was compelled (I know....) to take a order of the Mexican donuts to go! Would it be sacrilegious to say they were better than the beignets from a few days earlier...
Day 11, Wednesday May 10 - More shades of gray and checking out
I looked out the window early Wednesday morning and there was still no sign of the sun. Variations on the color gray filled the sky and the ground was dark with dampness. I went back to sleep as I learned that checkout time was noon. This day was a puzzle as I knew I had to get to the train station around 11 PM to get on to the next leg of my journey - the 26 hour trip to LA.
I was thinking about doing a Segway tour in the afternoon, as I had such a great experience in Atlanta, but the iffy weather held me back from making a reservation for it. Oh, well...just not meant to be.
I diddle-daddled in my room until 11:30 and packed up and formally checked out of my room and left my bags with the valet for the day. I headed down to the Riverway looking for a late breakfast, and as I sat down for my Huevos Mexicana, it started to rain, and rain pretty hard. I was lucky, being both outdoors and under cover as I watched the people go by in the rain. It kept raining and I really had no place to go, so a few minutes after the eggs were completed I decided to nurse a nice breakfast beer for another hour. By the time I had enough of sitting, the rain stopped and at least a small opening in the clouds occurred for a bit, and I decide to walk over to Hemisphere Park and take the elevator up the Tower Over America. Not really on my bucket list, but another touristy thing to do.
By this time I was well touristed out in San Antonio and decided to head back to the hotel to relax in the garden area and the pool area until 6 ash when I went over to the mall, grabbed a slice of pizza ( I know, pretty boring and caught another movie - this time The Circle, and when that was over grabbed my bag and headed to the train station. I was able to get on my train at 11 PM, the bed was made, and headed off for the night as the scheduled departure was 2:45 AM.
I was headed to the left coast. Amazing!
Day 12 May 11 Rolling Rolling Rolling
Train day...3 mails on the train and got to sit and chat with a variety of folks. Perhaps even some networking, but we will see about this in the future. I spent more time in my economy sleeper room than the observation car , and watched the seemingly endless landscapes. Changed 2 time zones on this trip and got a bit tired of train food. (sorry Amtrak) Actually got some sleep oaths leg as I arrived in LA's Union Station on Day 13 at 5 AM
day 13: Angels in the outfield
It was my second night trying to sleep on the train. I guess this was partially successful, as I was a bit groggy as I was starting to hear an announcement and had to crack open the door of my roomette. The announcement continued, "We are now entering Union Station in Los Angeles. Please gather all your belongings and make your way to the lower level to leave the train."
It was 5 AM. I had a feeling that the morning would be like this so I pretty much slept in my clothes that night. I made my way off of the train and found the ticket booth so I could get another train ticket for the Surfliner to get me to Anaheim where I was planning on spending the weekend. Got my ticket and made it back to the same track for the 6:05 leaving. It only took a 1/2 hour to get to Anaheim and then grabbed an UBER to get to my hotel.
This stop was a Doubletree, so at least I would get some cookies for breakfast. There was a Starbucks stand in the hotel so I got some coffee too.
In my best Seinfeld voice - "What is about these Starbucks in hotels, that do not take your Starbucks Account App for payment?"
I had to fumble for some cash, but got my morning caffeine, and then a long needed shower!
My friends Christine and Shirley came down from LA to meet me for lunch and it was great to see a few familiar faces. They introduced me to Souplantations - a soup an salad all you can eat place, which was awesome.
My bucket list item for the day was to get to Angel Stadium. The hotel peeps told me it was a straight 1/2 mile walk from the hotel, so late in the afternoon I decided to take the walk.
It is a little hard to believe that just a week ago I was walking through the narrow streets of the French Quarter in New Orleans. This streets were not wide enough to have both a car and a bicycle at the same time. Here in Anaheim it was, as best I could describe it, a Prairie of Pavement. It was unnerving crossing the streets that consists of 10 lanes of traffic. Even watching the 30 second countdown on the walk signs, I found myself running across the streets.
I walked the 1.2 miles and was struck by the lack of people on the streets. Just felt a bit strange...
I did get to the stadium and choose to buy a damn good seat.
Well, I made it through six innings before I crashed and needed to get some sleep in a real bed.
Next bucket list item: Disneyland.
days 14-15: Barrels of Buckets
Barrels of Buckets
As I am about two weeks into this trip, and sharing that I am checking off various items on my bucket list, I have surprised myself a bit to realize that I have a multitude of different buckets that are being addressed.
In the first blog above Countdown, I mentioned the following…
The lost bucket list from my childhood will soon see the light of day.
I now understand that some of what I have done so far is not only filling the lost bucket list from my childhood, but a few other buckets that I created at different stages of my life.
Going to the baseball games were dreams that, if I think about, were created when I became a parent and thought it would be great to combine baseball and vacations. I have done a few, but really not all that many. Actually, since I became single again in 2001, I have done a few more of these than before, but they are more opportunistic on trips than focused destinations. The same is true on this trip where the opportunity for three new stadiums, is an opportunity that I am going to take advantage of.
Now, the story is somewhat different for going to the Alamo and to Disneyland. I grew up in the fifties, and was glued to the Wonderful World of Disney and the Mickey Mouse Club on my family’s old Dumont TV. It was 1955 and I was 8 years old when I first watched Davy Crockett and his coon-skin cap. What an impressionable age that was for me, still watching Roy Rodgers and Gene Autry on TV also. This was the same year that Disneyland opened, and I am pretty sure that was when my first bucket was created.
Disneyland was in California. That was as far from Brooklyn, where I grew up, as being on the other side of the universe. There was no way I would ever be able to get there. No matter how many stars I would wish upon, there was no way. No wonder that bucket went into hiding.
Life went on, and for me there were many years of hiding. That is the story in my book, but as I grew up, there were other buckets for impossible dreams that were also created. There were concerts, festivals, shows, and places to go, that for so long seemed like they could, or would never ever happen, for so many different reasons.
I understand why when people start to age and it appears that they no longer have as many familial responsibilities, there is urge to access those lost dreams and make them come true.
I have reached that point but it is so interesting that it is not just a single bucket that I am finding, but rather a barrel full of buckets.
Day 14: Saturday May 13....My visit with Mickey
I had mixed feelings as I got off the shuttle and arrived at Disneyland. I generally am not big into rides and amusement parks, but this was something different, I kept telling myself this….
Part of it was not knowing what I was walking in to or how it worked, but it did not take long for me to learn.
I purchased my 2 day, 2 park ticket and headed into Tomorrow land. I learned about fastpass, and how long I would have to wait in line.
More surprisingly, I learned that the marketing team at Disney, who describe Disneyland as “The Happiest place on Earth,” got this one absolutely right!
As I walked around, and especially after each ride I went on, I found a grin on my face that would not go away.
I managed an 8-hour day going through the park and found myself enjoying the rides more that I had expected. I did not stay for the fireworks on Saturday, as I headed back to the hotel, but I planned on a longer day on Sunday.
Day 15, Sunday May 14: Happy Mothers Day at Disney Adventure Park
I was ready, and caught he first shuttle of the day. Day 2 – Park 2… with the a plan for a long day.
I got to the park when it opened at 9 AM and just started to get on lines. It was still cool but there was no line on the rafting ride. Got thoroughly wet to start the day and then followed up with Soaring around the World. I made my way to Paradise Pier, and also grabbed a fastpass for the World of Color, which would start at 9:45 PM.
There were a few rides that I jumped on that after, I was kind of glad that it was over. One was that flying swing shown above. However, that big grin was back on face at Pirates of the Caribbean and The Little Mermaid, and loved the rush of the Racers in Car Land.
I took a little break around 5 PM and went back to the hotel for a quick rest, and then returned at 8 to grab a bite in Downtown Disney and head over to the World of Color. I was close to the water, where it said I would get wet. Actually it started to rain a bit during the show, so I start and end my day being wet. This show was totally AWESOME. Yes, that lost bucket really did get filled up this weekend.
So, I have now gone to Disneyland. It has been over 60 years since I first had that dream.
I really do not remember if I ever wished upon a star, but now, that dream has come true….
When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you
If your heart is in your dream
…
No request is too extreme
Your dreams come true
Songwriters
LEIGH HARLINE, NED WASHINGTON
days 16-17: a tourist in LA
Barrels of Buckets
As I am about two weeks into this trip, and sharing that I am checking off various items on my bucket list, I have surprised myself a bit to realize that I have a multitude of different buckets that are being addressed.
In the first blog above Countdown, I mentioned the following…
The lost bucket list from my childhood will soon see the light of day.
I now understand that some of what I have done so far is not only filling the lost bucket list from my childhood, but a few other buckets that I created at different stages of my life.
Going to the baseball games were dreams that, if I think about, were created when I became a parent and thought it would be great to combine baseball and vacations. I have done a few, but really not all that many. Actually, since I became single again in 2001, I have done a few more of these than before, but they are more opportunistic on trips than focused destinations. The same is true on this trip where the opportunity for three new stadiums, is an opportunity that I am going to take advantage of.
Now, the story is somewhat different for going to the Alamo and to Disneyland. I grew up in the fifties, and was glued to the Wonderful World of Disney and the Mickey Mouse Club on my family’s old Dumont TV. It was 1955 and I was 8 years old when I first watched Davy Crockett and his coon-skin cap. What an impressionable age that was for me, still watching Roy Rodgers and Gene Autry on TV also. This was the same year that Disneyland opened, and I am pretty sure that was when my first bucket was created.
Disneyland was in California. That was as far from Brooklyn, where I grew up, as being on the other side of the universe. There was no way I would ever be able to get there. No matter how many stars I would wish upon, there was no way. No wonder that bucket went into hiding.
Life went on, and for me there were many years of hiding. That is the story in my book, but as I grew up, there were other buckets for impossible dreams that were also created. There were concerts, festivals, shows, and places to go, that for so long seemed like they could, or would never ever happen, for so many different reasons.
I understand why when people start to age and it appears that they no longer have as many familial responsibilities, there is urge to access those lost dreams and make them come true.
I have reached that point but it is so interesting that it is not just a single bucket that I am finding, but rather a barrel full of buckets.
Day 14: Saturday May 13....My visit with Mickey
I had mixed feelings as I got off the shuttle and arrived at Disneyland. I generally am not big into rides and amusement parks, but this was something different, I kept telling myself this….
Part of it was not knowing what I was walking in to or how it worked, but it did not take long for me to learn.
I purchased my 2 day, 2 park ticket and headed into Tomorrow land. I learned about fastpass, and how long I would have to wait in line.
More surprisingly, I learned that the marketing team at Disney, who describe Disneyland as “The Happiest place on Earth,” got this one absolutely right!
As I walked around, and especially after each ride I went on, I found a grin on my face that would not go away.
I managed an 8-hour day going through the park and found myself enjoying the rides more that I had expected. I did not stay for the fireworks on Saturday, as I headed back to the hotel, but I planned on a longer day on Sunday.
Day 15, Sunday May 14: Happy Mothers Day at Disney Adventure Park
I was ready, and caught he first shuttle of the day. Day 2 – Park 2… with the a plan for a long day.
I got to the park when it opened at 9 AM and just started to get on lines. It was still cool but there was no line on the rafting ride. Got thoroughly wet to start the day and then followed up with Soaring around the World. I made my way to Paradise Pier, and also grabbed a fastpass for the World of Color, which would start at 9:45 PM.
There were a few rides that I jumped on that after, I was kind of glad that it was over. One was that flying swing shown above. However, that big grin was back on face at Pirates of the Caribbean and The Little Mermaid, and loved the rush of the Racers in Car Land.
I took a little break around 5 PM and went back to the hotel for a quick rest, and then returned at 8 to grab a bite in Downtown Disney and head over to the World of Color. I was close to the water, where it said I would get wet. Actually it started to rain a bit during the show, so I start and end my day being wet. This show was totally AWESOME. Yes, that lost bucket really did get filled up this weekend.
So, I have now gone to Disneyland. It has been over 60 years since I first had that dream.
I really do not remember if I ever wished upon a star, but now, that dream has come true….
When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you
If your heart is in your dream
…
No request is too extreme
Your dreams come true
Songwriters
LEIGH HARLINE, NED WASHINGTON
day 18: A turn to the serious
Wed May 17 Day 18 A Turn to the Serious.
It was another cool morning in Santa Monica. Although I definitely over packed, I did not even think of bringing a sweatshirt with me. I had a picture in my mind that traveling through the Southeast and Texas and then Southern California it would be hot and sunny until I reached my 2 days finishing in San Francisco.
My plan for the morning was to get some coffee and then perhaps rent a bike to check out the bike path down to Venice Beach, which was only a couple of mile south of Santa Monica. I have always heard about “Muscle Beach" and the “boardwalk.”
I walked down from my cute little Airbnb room on 7th street and entered the 3rd street promenade on Wilshire. One block later I walked into an amazing Farmer’s Market that I had to explore. It went on for about 4 blocks on intersecting streets. I taste some strawberries and cherries. They were fabulous, and the crowds were buying like crazy. I saw a sign that this occurs here each Wednesday and Saturday I know there will be a trip back in a few days.
I headed on for coffee and hoped that there would still be something worth buying if I made it back before they closed at 1:30. At this point I still was not sure how my day would unfold.
Today I needed a dark roast from Starbucks and dawdled over it as I watched the dark clouds move slowly overhead. It was still early – not even 10 AM as I decided to head to the Pier and rented a bike to explore the bike path down to Venice Beach. Perhaps my expectations were a bit too high as it was a nice path that pretty much followed the wide, wide beach down the coast. There was a separate path for bike, from runners & walkers. There were many permanent beach volleyball courts set up, there were many gymnastic items for the muscle peeps and others. There were some places where there was sand on the bike path so I had to pay a little more attention so I did not get bogged down.
There were a few more unexpected discoveries along the way. First, there are no boards on the boardwalk at Venice Beach. It is just a wider strip of pavement that paralleled the bike path and tourist, honkytonk shops and eateries along the path.
Between the bike path and the boardwalk there were a number of encampments of homeless people. I noted that I saw so many homeless in my blog form Monday. I will talk about this more shortly….
I made it to Venice Beach and back to the pier in an hour, and then walked around some more. Turned out I walked about 6 miles on Wednesday. Grabbed some lunch and made my way back through the farmers market, and grabbed a box of sweet cherries – the strawberries were long gone.
I relaxed a bit as Christine was going to pick me up and take me to the LA Chief of Police’s LGBTQ Community Forum
I was amazed, impressed, saddened, tearful, and hopeful through this evening.
There were updates and Q&A on Homelessness, Immigration and Hate Crimes.
I learned so much about topics and issues I was barely aware of.
I learned that in LA, there are approximately 26,000 homeless people. I learned that the police believe they have made contact with about 10,000 of them. The police do not take action on anyone just being homeless homeless, as that is not their job. They are working with a variety of politicians and service providers to help those that are willing to seek and receive it. I learned that the police do not operate with the idea of homelessness being a crime. There are crimes to and by and within this community, and their job is to enforce and protect. And I learned that not all of the homeless want this help, often due to mental health and/or substance abuse issues.
And I learned…..
LA police will not detain people on requests from ICE, without a court order signed by a judge. There are many people who do not leave their homes and fear dropping their children at school as they are afraod they will get picked up by ICE agents.
Being undocumented is not a crime that the police need to address. It is outside the local laws and jurisdiction of the police who, once again stated there job is to enforce and protect. People that break laws are dealt with independent of their immigration status. LA police do not report immigration status to federal authorities in general; however any arrests go into an FBI database that other federal agencies have access to. LA police do not arrest or detain just due to immigration status and are totally within their rights to deny a request (from ICE) to detain anyone just because ICE wants more time to investigate them.
And I learned…
There are 26000 open cases in LA for children’s services They reported that based on surveys approximately 19% of the children identify as LGBTQ and many are abandoned by their families and homeless also. There is a common thread that for many of these children, they have no consistent adult presence in their lives. Whether foster care, or counseling services, the survey indicated that the people change all too often.
I learned that there are many groups trying to help with this, and there was a hint of an announcement coming on May 30. I will be home then, but this forum has changed the landscape for me. I do not quite know what this means to me, but I have learned so much. Many that has brought tears to my eyes and a feeling of dread to my soul, and yet,
I was so impressed by the LA Police leadership that they care and are front and center in wanting to and actually helping, I am also left with hope, that we all may be able to learn from.
day 19: Rides and a cheeseburger in paradise
I am beginning to like calling for an Uber. The entire dynamics of the pricing based on supply and demand is pretty fascinating to me, and certainly after a few weeks I just accept the adventure as it is. I usually sit in the front seat and have a great conversation with the driver. Way cool.
This was my day headed out to Universal Studio Hollywood. After my weekend at Disney I was looking forward to it, mostly, but still wondered what it would be like. Another good example of my adventures without a great deal of research beforehand.
Looking online, it appeared that buying the tickets online save 415 and also let you in the park early, so early in the morning I did just that, and called for the Uber. I still have not got acclimated that driving in LA takes forever so it took almost 45 minutes to get there. It was a gorgeous day.
Of course the first stop was going to be Hogsmeade, and the world of Harry Potter. I found out quickly the ride was not opened yet. I thought this was a bummer but it turned out to be pretty fortuitous. It was recommended I take the studio tour first, so I headed down to the tram. I did not know what to expect but WOW! The trams themselves became ride simulators at various stops along the way. That grin I found at Disney was planted back on my face and just got bigger throughout the day. On the tram, we entered Skull Island and were immersed in a 360 - 3D screening of Kong saving us from some dinosaurs as the tram was rocking and rolling. What a great start to the day. The tram took us through the lots and we had further adventures. But I won’t spill all the beans to you, but, my bottom line (jumping to the end here) is for someone not too big on these parks before this week, I have been converted to a theme park fan. You just got to go!
Universal is pretty manageable in a day. After the tram, I hit Springfield and the Simpsons Ride – pretty awesome in its own right and then headed down to the lower lot, for the Jurassic Park River Ride, and then Transformers. At this point I was blown away by the Transformer ride, and thought nothing could top it. But I was wrong. I skipped the Mummy ride as I am not a big roller coaster person, and then headed back to the upper lot and back to Hogsmeade and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. For those interested, single lines work well at Universal and the lines on a Wednesday were all pretty reasonable.
OK, this Harry Potter ride was AMAZING.. You get to go through a tour of the castle at Hogwarts and it is dark and so true to the book. But this ride is not like any others You are put in a 4 seater all facing the same way and held in with a full body harness and you are spun and shaken and turned almost fully upside down as you are gong through the ride with the characters and adventures going on all around you. Each ride I went on seemed to be increasing intensity but. Did I say this was AMAZING!!!
I continued my day with Minions, The Walking Dead, Shrek and the live performance of Waterworld. I sat in the front rows that said clearly Soaking area. Yes, they were true to the their word. Thoroughly drenched I was , when it was over, but oh, what great fun.. That grin was ear to ear!
I hung out in the sun to dry off a bit and soon headed over to the City Walk and for the first time went to a Margaritaville to get a Cheeseburger in Paradise.
Pretty sure I liked Universal even more than Disneyland.
Yes, Day 19 was just another day in Paradise…
day 20: a long lazy day
This Friday was planned to be a day without Uber, and although it had some structure, it seemed that it would be one primarily spent just hanging around. I know, that I have many, many of these the of days, and suspect that you are also familiar with them. However, it seems that being on a trip for a month, there is always some specific destination in mind and somewhere to go, someone to meet, or something to do. Even on this day I had a few planned items but all in all, I still feel that I experienced a long lazy day.
Actually it started early as I needed to get on a 90 minute conference call at 6:30 AM here in Santa Monica. These are calls that I am on every few weeks that are never an issue as they are scheduled for 9:30 Eastern Time. Being here on the left coast added a little challenge this week. It was video con call with about 18 people on it. I threw on some clothes so I did not look like I hopped right out of bed. I found it funny to hear people in central and mountain time zones complain about how early the call was. Yes, anther example of perspective at work..
As you remember my stop here in Santa Monica is at a room in an apartment, so when the call ended I thought I would do my laundry, Yup, after 20 days on the road, this was well needed. So by 10 AM, I already had a day behind me, but had not yet put any coffee into my system.
There are coffee shops everywhere in the neighborhood. It is a nice experience not being in big hotel, and actually just walking down streets and seeing people walking their dogs, taking kids to school, jogging and riding bikes. The voices in my head are having an ongoing debate how it might feel to live in this neighborhood, just blocks from the beach. They have not as yet reached an agreement!
It was still early, and I wanted to catch up on my blogs, so I thought I would hit one of the local Starbucks - yes, it seems they are on every other block here. The one I chose was in a Barnes and Noble, but they actually took my Starbuck App for payment. I know I have $$$ in the account, but it is always nice not to have to reach into my wallet for cash.
I spent a good 2 hours writing a few blogs and posting them. Even though I have few local Starbucks where I live, I have never hunkered down at one before to do this. I was multitasking as I had my iTunes on shuffle mode playing in my ears. It was just like home, as I realized I may be evolving into a road warrior of sorts.
Once I posted the blogs, it was around 12:30 and I took a walk around the store and then down the promenade to find something to eat. I grabbed a slice of pizza, and checked out what was playing at the movies, for future considerations. I then headed back to the apartment to get my stuff to go to the beach.
I walked down California and found the path/ramp down to the beach. It ws long and windy. You can see the way I saw it as I was walking down it on the left, and what it looked like from the bottom on the right. The best part about my traveling days is that there is hardly a day that goes by where I have not walked at least 5 miles (according to my iPhone)
It was a long wide beach and crazy windy. It reminded me of Les Mistrals in France - the winds that made Van Gogh crazy. There were some swimmers in wet suits, although I did not see any surfers where I was hanging out today. I put my toes in but the water was frigid.
There were people there and coming throughout on this Friday afternoon. I stayed for about 2 hours enjoying the sand the surf and just being able to lie down on the beach and let the music keep shuffling in my ears (I love my iTunes library) as the wind was blowing.
One song popped up that I don't often here - this is why I love shuffle mode - that just seemed so appropriate for this trip and the present time of my life. I am happy to share it with you here on the right.
Just to finish off the long lazy day, I went to grab dinner at PF Changs, and get my share of lettuce wraps. I found I still had time to catch the opening day of the new Alien flick. It was pretty good, and tied a lot of the pieces that were hanging out after Prometheus, together. It is still true that in space, no one could hear you scream. There was scattered applause in the theater at the end.
As I was walking back to my airbnb, I was also applauding my long lazy day.
day 21: Berries, Beaches and baseball
This was looking to be the warmest day so far in Southern California. I was in no real rush as I dragged myself out of bed and realized that in one more week I will be on the California Zephyr to make my way back to Boston over the Memorial Day weekend.
I have surprised myself that it has already been 3 weeks on the road and I still am thinking how cool this is and has been. For the past few days, I have had the habit of posting my blog in the morning and then let my day unfold.
Now that I have learned that Uber pricing is based on some supply and demand algorithm, I was trying to figure out when the best time would be to head to Dodger Stadium. With standard LA traffic I had expected it would take at least an hour. My target was to leave around 4. It was a plan.
When I was ready to head to for my morning coffee, today I stopped at a place called Sidecar Donuts right on Wilshire where the small batches of unusual flavors were constantly coming out of the oven as the line of people grabbed them as fast as they could. Warm and wonderful they were. I bought 2 but would have been satisfied with one, they were so doughy, tasty and filling.
I mentioned earlier that the Farmers Market would be back today. My destination ws 3rd and Arizona as I wanted to find the strawberries I missed out on last Wednesday.
Little do I know about strawberries, but there was a choice of different types. that were labeled by acidity and sweetness. As I sampled a few, I chose the Giovanni (not sure if have this name correct) which were melt in your mouth pure sugar. I carefully placed them in my pack so I cold enjoy them at the beach.
I decided to head down to the crowded part of the beach near Santa Monica Pier today. More people and closer to bathrooms if needed. And yes! Hot day, hot sand, lots of people and vendors all over the place selling towels, umbrellas, pails and shovels and even mango on a stick.
It was a great beach day! Even had a chance to let my mind wander and got to pull out my tavel journal and take some notes. After all, this entire trip was gift from Amtrak as a writer, with the intent to work on project. My mantra for the trip has been the quote by Pablo Neruda which is in the opening page of my journal, but it has happened that a new project has been forming in my consciousness on this trip.
For those who are somewhat familiar with me, it would be no surprise that it about taking some of my own personal stories - perhaps memoir like, but will each have some familiarity to I hope the reader, to perhaps look at their own lives in a new way. Since I typically start "top down," I have a working title - Memories, Realities and Other Stories I Tell Myself.
For now, the outline is being filled in, and wondering if I can find a publisher this time around.
I am pretty sure that I have never had a year where I attended as many MLB games as I will do this summer. Another check on the bucket list for Dodger Stadium. In all truth, I was a little wary from the outside, but once I was inside it was just simply gorgeous. Perhaps it is the laid back LA attitude, but this was just so comfortable, clean and easy to navigate. Once again I bought a field seat and was behind first base and had a great view of the game.
It was Pups in the Park night and I was pretty blown away by the parade of pups around the warning track.
As you know I am not big on souvenirs, but I did acquire a Dodger hemet with my nachos - Not to worry I only finished about half of them.
So far three stadiums checked off. Hopefully I will get to a Giant game towards the end of the week.
days 22-24: vacations on vacation
- It is early on Tuesday morning May 24 and I am sitting on the Coast Starlight train just about an hour south of San Luis Obispo as I am catching up on sharing how totally lazy the past few days have been. We just sat for a bit on a siding to allow another train to pass us. Just like in the movies.
The scenery along the coast has been everything I have been told. On the left side of the train I see the ocean, the surf, farms, and an occasional flock of birds fly by. On the right side I see hills, some ranches and occasional cattle grazing. It is like walking the knife-edge between two different worlds – yet, I know it is but a single world that I am traveling through.
I have spent the last 4 days focused on just hanging out at the beach. This was al according to my plan of just having short vacation within this month long – uh, vacation that I am on. I have taken different pictures from the beach, strolled back and forth on the 3rd street promenade and the pier more times than I could count and yet it seemed new each time. Street performers were everywhere at all hours. I tired different eating spots each time and all were wonderful.
It is hard to believe that in a few days I will be eastward bound and headed for home. Today is a 10-hour ride to San Jose and a colleague will be picking me up for my full day presentation on Wednesday in Santa Cruz, that is titled, Everyday Transitions: Discussions on Authenticity, Relationships, Change and Gender Variance. First, a little vacation and then throwing in this one “work” day on the trip. For those who know me, you know that for me presenting for a full day is not really what I consider work, but just gives me so much energy, and I truly hope that I can make a difference to at least one person who will be attending.
As I am getting close to the end of this amazing month on the road, I am a bit sad to realize that for the next few days, I will not be walking as much as I have been for most of the days.
Even though I have been on a few bikes, and a Segway, the touring I have done has been marked by walking. Here are a few screen shots from my iPhone as how much ground I have covered on each day. Even the 10 mile day was not that tiring. I am still aging gracefully. LOL!
days 25: Presentation day
After my 10 hour train ride on Tuesday, my colleague and friend Stan picked me up at the San Jose Amtrak station and was kind enough to be my host for the presentation that he hired me for.
As usual there were many great questions, some quite personal and some on what knowledge is needed for clinical practice in supporting gender variant individuals.
I am so impressed by the close knit group of therapists, and support resources in the Santa Cruz community that are dedicated to support gender variant people and their families here.
Again, of those who know me, my primary focus is always about living one's true life - living authentically, whether you are trans or cis! Everything I taught and shared about gender variance, is always based on this core value that I believe and encourage everyone to do and to be. Again, as an IFS therapist, I am always ( yes, always) talking and sharing, and hopefully speaking for my parts, when I present and when I go within to answer the many personal questions that come my way.
I am quite excited by the very nice feedback and initial evaluation I received when I finished. I also lost my voice.
After, Stan and I went out for a drink and nachos at The Crow's Nest at Santa Cruz Harbor, and then we went to the promenade in downtown Santa Cruz and had a late bite at Chocolate, and the most incredible hot chocolate I have ever had to pleasure to have. I have a giant thanks you to Stan for inviting me and hosting me while on my trip.
Day 25 was a work day, but this too was a great pleasure.
days 26: last stop san Francisco
Stan, once again was kind enough to fight the morning rush hour and drive me from Santa Cruz to the San Jose station so I could catch the Capitol Corridor Amtrak train to Emeryville.
I made it to my hotel before 11 AM, and despite feeling a bit (or even more than a bit) sleep deprived, I forced myself to find something to eat and explore a bit.
I knew the SF Museum of Modern Art was nearby. When I found my way there I noticed there was a public garden area. Yerba Buena Gardens is across the street from the museum, and as I arrived I heard music. It was so neat that there was a free lunchtime concert going on. I got to sit down and listen, although, I found myself nodding off.
I took quick recon of the museum, but with my energy so low, decided to head back to the hotel for a nap. OK, so much for the aging gracefully comment from yesterday, eh?
I explored a little more but today was just a recovery day. Stay tuned for the next entry. my last day of touring. (a tear is falling)
days 27: a patchwork voyage
I think I may now begin, yes just beginning, to understand that feeling that is sometimes called melancholy.
Melancholy: a pensive mood
a fine romantic kind of a melancholy on the fading of the year — Richard Holmes
This day would be my last day before I get on the California Zephyr and then the Lake Shore Limited for four days on the rails, headed back to Boston.
There was a pretty good internal debate going on inside of me. One part was wondering how to fit as much as possible into the day. Another was already feeling sad that this amazing voyage was soon to be over.
In one corner of my mind, there was part that was starting to curl up and letting me know that she was dreading having to be cooped up on trains for four days and three nights. She was sniffling and on the edge of tears, as I went over to tell her it would be fine.
There was a planner part who as already organizing the day ahead, as he was not paying any attention to any of the other voices trying to be heard.
In truth, he actually came up with a good plan for the day. It included going to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art when it opens at 10 AM; walking up to Chinatown to the restaurant that my friend Stan recommended for lunch; and then heading over to AT&T park for my fourth MLB game on this trip.
I have been surprised that there was no voice inside that was expressing any inkling of being homesick. In fact, I was hearing a few murmurs of how much fun all these adventures have been and even a few questioning if we really had to go home?
I headed out a little after 9 in search of breakfast. As far as I can tell about downtown SF, there are people walking in every direction at every hour. This is so different than my walking experience back in Anaheim when I could walk for a mile and saw less than 5 people on the streets.
I grabbed a quick breakfast on Market Street and headed to SFMOMA. This is a beautiful museum. I am sharing a picture of me in front of “Robbin’ Peter” by Sam Gilliam. This work stuck me due to it actually being like a patchwork quilt of different pieces and shapes. It made me reflect that this voyage I have been on has also been a patchwork of sorts. Museums; beaches; ball game; movies; music; meeting friends; presenting and trains-trains-trains. – and sharing the adventures with anyone who cares to read about it
I spent 3+ hours at SFMOMA. As I went from gallery to gallery, and with the help of the app that would inform me a bit about the different works on display, I started to become aware that for many – if not all – of the works on display, no matter how abstract or clear they might be, were causing internal feelings within me, many of which were hard to put words to. OMG! This was a Eureka moment for me, so this is art!
There was a critical part inside getting ready to tell me how dumb I was, but another part quietly took him aside as she told him it has taken a long, long time to realize this, and it was all for the best. Surprisingly the critical part listened to this and even admitted that he too was truly enjoying this visit.
It was a nice walk up through Chinatown to find The House of Nanking, and I tired the “Melt in Your Mouth Calamari” which were true to their name. Yes, Stan gave me another great recommendation (Thanks again.)
I decided to head back to the hotel for a short rest before I headed out for the ball game. I have been to ATT park before so my immediate target was the garlic fries. As soon as I made it into the park, even before I found my (oh so excellent) seat, they were a must. It was going to be a long evening as it was Star Wars night at the game, and there would be fireworks after the game.
The Giants were playing the Braves. I think I may have been a good luck charm for the Braves on this trip. I saw them in Atlanta on May 1, my first tourist day on tis trip and they beat the Mets. Tonight, on my last tourist day, they beat the Giants. Just saying…..
Luckily the game moved along quickly and the fireworks were quite awesome as they played to the videos and music of Star Wars.
As I walked back to my hotel, the streets were still filled with people, that feeling of melancholy was present within me, but there was a brod grin forming on my face.
Yes, there was a patchwork of feelings inside me, on this patchwork voyage.
days 28-31: I can see for miles and miles - 7238 of them
The California Zephyr schedule shows it covers 2438 miles from Emeryville to Chicago
The Lake Shore Limited schedule from Chicago to Boston adds another 959 miles.
My trip back from the West Coast covered a total of 3397 miles.
…
Westward bound, the trains I traveled on included:
The Crescent, from New your to New Orleans – covering 1377 miles.
The Sunset, from New Orleans to Los Angeles, added another 1995 miles.
Then a relatively short, 10 –hour hop upon the Coast Starlight, with the most amazing scenery from Los Angeles to San Francisco (well really to San Jose and then I picked up a local for 469 miles
Westward total miles = 3841
Total long haul = 7238 miles
This day would be my last day before I get on the California Zephyr and then the Lake Shore Limited for four days on the rails, headed back I left Emeryville at 9:10 AM on a Saturday morning, and arrived at Boston’s Back Bay Station on Tuesday close to 9 PM. The trip spanned three time zones – luckily just one per day, and had only a single seven-hour stopover switching trains in Chicago.
This was my journey home.
Yet, I never felt far from home, no matter where I was on this trip. This trip, that I can easily and truthfully call a trip of a lifetime…..of my lifetime, or even more accurately, one of my lifetimes.
I started out from Boston on April 29 and passed the canyons of graffiti covered concrete down most of the east coast corridor, as my first stop was Atlanta. This included my very first time in a sleeper car – called a roomette, that to me it seemed misnamed, as I was not very successful in getting much sleep within it. I passed the waterlogged marshes and highways in Louisiana; the tumbleweed and rolling hills along with the flimsy and sometimes non-existing border fences in Texas; the prairies of pavement streets and freeways in Anaheim and Los Angelis; the endless rolling surf and surfers along the coast from LA going north; and the endless flow of people constantly moving in all directions in urban downtown San Francisco.
That Saturday morning, I boarded the California Zephyr, and it was not long before I got to feel my ears pop as we slowly climbed high into the Sierras; and the seemingly endless and deserts of Nevada; entering the canyons along the Colorado River and later the majestic canyons in the Rockies.
It seems a bit like a cliché, to say I have at last, seen this country that is my home.
Perhaps this is the true meaning of my journey home. Perhaps?
Seeing all these miles from the ground is so different than traveling by air. My eyes were able to reach out and touch the land, and be touched by it. The rocks, the trees, the sand, the surf, the canyons and rivers, all formed new pictures and memories that I am still searching to assign meanings to, although I fully know how important those meanings will be.
There is another wonder about this journey on trains. Meeting new people at meal times, as the tables that seat four, are always filled. We share stories of our journeys, and sometimes even a bit more.
Once again, I marveled as to how many different journeys each and every traveller had to share. I shared that I was an Amtrak “writer in residence” with most folks. Only a few couples had heard about it. Another group was excited and one of them actually looked up the Amtrak site afterwards and came by to chat with me more after dinner. I met others who had their own bucket list items to check off. One couple bucket list’s item was going to see Tom Petty and Joe Walsh at Red Rocks. Hmm, I just might add Red Rocks to a future bucket list for me too.
No matter how many miles I have travelled on this trip;
No matter how many museums I have gone to;
No matter how many amusement parks and rides I went to and on;
No matter how many hours I lazed on a beach, pedaled a bike, or leaned into a Segway;
No matter how many people I met, and shared stories and perhaps have made a small difference to;
I have never been far from home.
It is said that home is where the heart is.
As I am approaching my 70th birthday in just a few months, I can now understand that more deeply than I have ever dreamed before.
This true and authentic version of me was clear and willing to undertake this gift of an adventure.
My heartfelt thanks to Amtrak for providing the opportunity to me to take my heart and mind on this trip of a lifetime, where I have never been far from home.