The Train Trip - Day 2

We woke up late, relaxed, organized the room, got everybody showered and headed out to get a bite, and our bearings. We had lunch at Jamba Juice, Subway, and ended with Starbucks (free Wi-Fi was needed to help in the "getting our bearings" aspect of our excursion). Not exactly a flavor of the local scene, which we generally prefer to visit when traveling, but it was necessary and appropriate for the circumstances at that point. We saw awesome street vendors, many performers, some significantly overweight pigeons, and finally made our way to the Powell Street Transit Station, which was where we had set out to go in the beginning. We inadvertently found the Visitor's Center, which was just what we needed, but was already closed, and made plans to go back again tomorrow. We explored the station a bit, picked up a transit schedule, and headed back to the hotel by way of the street vendor area. We stopped at a Walgreen's (of which there was one on nearly every corner -there are more of them than there are Starbucks!) and in the attempt to purchase a few inadvertently forgotten sundries, had an injury incident with Bekka; she accidentally pulled the shopping cart over and landed on the ground, hitting her head on the floor, while the cart landed on top of her, and hit her face, causing a cut and a fat lip where her braces and her lip briefly became one. We managed to get her lip and braces separated, and all the blood cleaned up with the help of a kind fellow shampoo purchaser, all the kids, and a box of "we'll just use it now, and I'll pay for it when we check out" tissues. We finished the shopping and headed back to the hotel. We discovered a variety of local cafes and restaurants to try during the rest of the trip throughout the course of the day, and enjoyed getting the lay of the land. We finished the day with a good swim, dinner in our room, and a movie on the hotel network. Goodnight!

The Train Trip - Day 1

Friday, July 30, 2010
We made it! Mainly a smooth trip. The train was wonderful (delightful 81 year old man who used to work the mail car on the same route before they took the mail out of the trains, and who had some amazing stories to tell, as a seat mate, AND I treated the kids to dinner in the Dining Car because I can still remember what a luxury that was when I was a kid), we connected to the bus just fine, we had a bit of trouble when we needed to get a cab, but after nearly an hour and a half, numerous phone calls and a huge tip, we made it to the hotel!
And we have to talk about the hotel! By far the NICEST place we have ever stayed! We have a King room, with a roll away bed for Jacob, and Andrew has taken the window seat for a bed. I am snuggled up in bed with the girls, and ready for a good night's sleep. My babies (who are still my babies whether they want to be or not, no matter how old they get;)), are still so young looking when they sleep. I can hardly believe how big they are!

The Epic Adventure Log Begins!

Today is the first real opportunity I have had to log on to a computer and upload the chronicles of our adventure to date. In fact, we only have three more days before we are homeward bound, however, I HAVE been keeping a journal nearly every day of our adventure, and THAT, in-and-of-itself, is an accomplishment!
As predicted, the entries are all over the place grammatically, stylistically, and probably any other adverb (ly) we can think of, and I have not proofed them for typos, spelling or grammar. All that notwithstanding however (again, *major cringe*), I DID ACTUALLY DO IT, just like I promised my self I would! I am weirdly excited, despite my apprehension regarding publishing something potentially less than perfect, to have done an amazing thing (keep the journal), and to actually publish it (even more amazing)! I would probably set a record of some kind if anyone knew the number of blogs I actually write, and then hide in the draft folder (theoretically in order to edit and publish later), rather than getting them posted. Ay-yi-yi!

The Train Trip Pre-face

Having worked it all out to make the Epic Train Trip happen, I have decided that I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT have it happen, and allow it to go undocumented. Although I had played with the idea of having each kid bring a journal and making them write about the adventures of the trip each night before bed, I realized that, ultimately, that was folly, and would serve only to make me an annoyed taskmaster, and the kids grouchy and reluctant participants in the documenting.
SO, I have resolved to write about the trip here, on my often written, rarely published blog. That is, after all, the reason I began this blog in the first place, no?
We leave on Friday, and I can't wait! The kids are nearly beside themselves with excitement, and we are packing and planning and preparing like mad! I WILL write about the trip, everyday if I can, as we go, and I will post it when I have Internet access.
The entries will, unfortunately, be 'fast and loose,' i.e. unedited (not even for typos *cringe*) and unpolished, because that is the only way I will be able to do it and actually have it happen. I will be applying the lesson I have been learning from my good friend Fawndear, and keeping the important things first (having a good time on the trip, enjoying it with my kids, being present in the current activity), and letting the not-as-important things go (editing for hours, polishing and publishing to my personal standard of 'perfect'). I am cringing even as I am writing this, but I HAVE to do it, not just for the kids, but for me. *Sigh* I don't always enjoy working on self improvement!

Anyway, here we go...

Wild and Crazy

Okay, so, here we go again, experimenting!

I had this wild idea a while back, of taking a train trip up the California Coast with my kids. I was thinking about the fact that the train is wonderful, and riding it is relaxing, and no where near as stressful as a car trip, or, worse, flying now-a-days. We have family and friends all up and down the coast, who we are certainly overdue to visit, and there are places we want to visit just, Because.
I had this vision of the five of us traveling together over about three weeks, everyone carrying their own belongings in a backpack, and using all public transportation the whole way.
I put the idea out to Amazing Husband, and he agreed that it sounded like a wonderful plan, and was bothered only by the fact that he wouldn't be able to go (we don't have that kind of vacation time for him to spare, unfortunately).
Next, then, we needed to overcome the ever present obstacle of funds. This would not be an extravagant trip by any stretch of the imagination, however, neither would it be cheap to stay in reasonably priced hotels (reasonably priced hotels equaling reasonably clean and safe hotels) and to use all public transportation the entire way. And, of course, we would never want to plan a trip this epic in nature without allotting at least some meager portion of funds to collecting a few mementos along the way.
I won't go into all the wrenchingly dull details of how we are going to make it happen, however, we ARE going to make it happen!