Most people would have checked the flight schedules. In October 2023 I left to visit various family members in Pennsylvania and Texas, so of course I would be taking several flights. But I am not most people. I do not enjoy airplanes, especially the modern day hassle of security checks and boarding fully booked, even overbooked flights and being stuffed into seats that are ridiculously close together.
But I enjoy riding on trains. In fact I love riding on trains.
So, other then the two flights that were necessary to get me off and then back on my trainless island home, I did it by rail. Once it was over I had ridden on nine different trains that covered 8,000 km (5,000 miles). I slept on board five times. My journey included the overnight train from Halifax to Montreal, day trains to New York and then Pittsburgh, overnight trains to Chicago and Austin, a ride in the coach section from San Antonio to New Orleans and then overnight trains to Chicago and Buffalo before ending with the day train to Toronto.
This was my route which included a little road travel in Pennsylvania and Texas.
It would have been faster and much cheaper to fly. And, unlike my trip the year before that took me through the Rocky mountains, there was no spectacular scenery. (Unless you count the number of lovely Dollar General stores that I passed.)
With that great endorsement, I will tell you the details.
October 12
I will miss this in the future. For the past many years my travels have always begun with a stop to say goodbye to my dear friend and unofficially adopted mother, Shirley. It began with our trip to Madagascar in 2016. She was 92 that year and was quite nervous about Po and me leaving to go so far away. As my trips continued, she seemed more relaxed about my leaving. I always showed her my photographs and blog posts when I got back.
She was now 99 and living in a nursing home. She called me a couple of days before my departure date to wish me a good trip, and I stopped to see her the next day. Unfortunately this was our last pre-trip visit. Shirley did not quite make it to her 100th birthday.
October 13
Was Friday the 13th a great day for my departure? I thought so, although the weather was much like the day that I left for my spring trip to Turkey and Georgia, fog and rain. At least this time there were no flight cancellations.
Po joined Zoe and me on our morning walk.
I had booked the 12:30 Air Canada flight to Halifax. The airport was quiet, and I was able to walk straight into security. With all my train trips to come, this would be my only security check until I was flying home.
Air Canada had recently contracted our local PAL Airlines to operate their local flights, including this one to Halifax. I already knew that it would be on a prop plane, but PAL uses Bombardier DH4 planes, which are a lot more comfortable than the Dash 8’s that Air Canada used to fly under Air Canada Jazz banner.
I found an off-duty pilot sitting in my aisle seat. He offered to move, but I just shrugged and slipped past him to the window. I noted a little dog on the other side of plane, sitting quietly in his little carrier. The pilot gave his announcements while standing outside the cockpit. He asked us at the end, “Any questions?” He did the announcements again in French but needed help with the weather forecast. The flight was a bit bouncy. The little dog was quiet until we began our descent into Halifax. Then he voiced his displeasure.
My friends picked me up at the Halifax Airport. I normally stay with them in Toronto, but this year they were at their Nova Scotia cottage, so I had invited myself to visit them there. We headed up the eastern shore, taking the scenic route by the ocean before stopping for a quick coffee and a snack at a café. I took a few photos, including the rainbow that appeared as we sipped our coffees.
Another stop was the Atlantic Dutch Shop in East Lawrencetown. I bought some stroopwafels, part of my Dutch heritage. I later shared a few with my hostesses but was advised to keep the rest to eat on the trains. If I had known how bad the food was going to be on the Amtrak trains, I would have bought a second package.
The views were beautiful along the coast. We pulled over for this photo.
My friends’ cottage is next to Martinique Beach Provincial Park.
October 14
I did a couple of long walks along the park’s 5 km of sandy beach, the longest stretch in Nova Scotia. There is a protected area for the piping plover and other migratory waterfowl. There were lots of dog walkers and young people learning to surf.
I was treated to an evening meal at the Mermaid, a German restaurant. We then stopped at a fund-raising concert where I recorded the Nova Scotians singing along with “Ode to Nova Scotia”. It was inspiring, much like Newfoundlanders singing along with “I’m a Newfoundlander”. We always get emotional singing along with these local anthems, even if some of us only came to the Atlantic provinces later in life.
October 15
I did another morning walk before my friends drove me to the train station where my train journey would begin.
This featured blog entry was written by Bob Brink from the blog Searching for Magical Moments.
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