Milwaukee Art Museum Expedition

I first heard of the unusual design of the new addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum almost a decade ago, and I was intrigued by what I heard about it. I determined that this was a structure I wanted to see in person. My goal was achieved recently when Milwaukee was the city where my plane landed for a meeting I had in Wisconsin. The Milwaukee Art Museum is composed of several components, but the one I was interested in, is the one called the"Quadracci Pavilion". When I first saw the phrase, "Quadracci Pavilion", I assumed it was some sort of architectural term. However, further research taught me that it is called the Quadracci Pavilion because the Quadracci family is responsible for the $10 million gift from Betty and Harry Quadracci that kicked off the capital campaign to build, what the museum website calls, "a sculptural, postmodern addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum". It seems that the Quadracci family was able to make such a generous donation because of the success of the printing company they started in 1971, called Quad/Graphics. The company has been the printer of well-known publications, such as, Sports Illustrated, People Magazine, Newsweek, and Businessweek. The Quadracci Pavilion was designed by Spanish architect, Santiago Calatrava, and was completed in 2001. Santiago Calatrava is the same architect who went on to design the famous Sundial Bridge (completed in 2004) over the Sacramento River, in Redding, California. I visited, photographed, and wrote about the Sundial Bridge in a March 13, 2009, post on this same blog (see archives). In being chosen to be the architect for the Milwaukee project, Calatrava said he was inspired by the original building, the topography of the city, and Frank Lloyd Wright's prairie-style architecture. (In fact, part of the Quadracci Pavilion reminded me of the magnificent Monona Terrace, located in Madison, Wisconsin. The original designs for Monona Terrace were created by Frank Lloyd Wright, although the designs were not actually implemented until decades after his death.)

The design of the Quadracci Pavilion incorporates both cutting-edge technology and old-world craftsmanship. In fact, its grand entrance hall is Santiago Calatrava's postmodern interpretation of a Gothic Cathedral, complete with flying buttresses, pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and a central nave. The hand-built structure was made largely by pouring concrete into one-of-a-kind wooden forms. The museum's "signature wings", the brise soleil, form a movable sunscreen with a 217-foot wingspan. It is made of 72 steel fins, ranging in length from 26 to 105 feet. The entire structure weighs 90 tons. It takes 3.5 minutes for the wings to open or close. Sensors on the fins continually monitor wind speed and direction; whenever winds exceed 23 mph for more than 3 seconds, the wings close automatically.

I consider the fact that my short visit to Milwaukee was on a day that the bries soleil actually opened up, a gift of God's grace and I am extremely thankful! Since the bries soleil cannot be guaranteed to be open when you visit, there is a video of the process on the museum's website, http://www.mam.org/ . While their website is a "visual feast" for someone who likes architectural photography, there is nothing like SEEING IT IN PERSON to best satisfy one's curiosity! Although I only had a short time to visit the museum's lakeside location, before boarding my plane to return home, it was a gorgeous, sunny day with calm winds, and I arrived before the actual opening time of the doors to the museum. When museum visiting hours started, I suddenly began hearing music playing on the loudspeakers outside of the building, and I could see that the bries soleil was starting to move! HURRAH!!! I was blessed to be able to see it open up completely, and this collage shows that sequence.

As I pondered the experience of seeing the Quadracci Pavilion being transformed in appearance before my very eyes, I was reminded of the Bible's promise in Philippians 3:21, which says that Christ followers are in a constant state of transformation as well, to make us more like Christ. This is paraphrased in The Message to say "We're awaiting the arrival of the Saviour, the Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthly bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He'll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him." So whenever you get impatient with me, just remember that I am in the PROCESS of transformation, and a LONG way from completion. So all of us might as well ENJOY THE EXPEDITION OF TRANSFORMATION! Miles of transforming smiles! Tricia

Caney Mountain Expedition

The Caney Mountain Conservation Area (phone 417-256-7161 or www.mdc.mo.gov ) is in Missouri's Ozark County, five miles north of Gainesville, Missouri. It comprises 7,919 acres of a diverse landscape, that is characterized by unusual geology. This geology includes the roughest parts of a steep range of hills. These hills are the remains of an old elevated plateau that has been dissected by several feeder streams. At various locations in the Caney Mountain Conservation area, one has vistas of numerous prominent peaks, some of which are pictured in this photograph. In addition to the hills and limestone bluffs, there are unique plant communities---a result of the glades, savannas, forest openings, and old growth forests that cover the rugged terrain along the small creek bottoms. One can see the state record black gum tree, that is 106 feet tall, and has a girth of 10 feet, 3 inches! The occasion for my visit there was that it was the location for the weekly Wednesday hike of WHO---Women Hiking the Ozarks (for additional information on WHO, see the blog I wrote about the group in the 2010 archive on March 25).

Our group first explored the picturesque "Leopold Cabin", which is the subject of the photos in this collage. Folks familiar with the outdoors may also be familiar with the name "Leopold", as Aldo Leopold is considered a pioneer of modern wildlife conservation. It was actually the son of Aldo Leopold (A. Starker Leopold) who prepared the first wildlife management plan for the Caney Mountain Conservation Area, and hence, the name for the cabin. Because the state population of wild turkeys had dropped to less than 40 birds in the first half of the twentieth century, the Caney Mountain area was acquired as a turkey refuge in 1940, since it had been a stronghold of that species in Missouri. In addition, 30 deer were relocated here in the fall of that year, with the goal of building up the deer population. Before that time, the land had been repeatedly burned and subjected to open range grazing, with no real attention given to making the area sustainable for continuing wildlife populations. Although hikers cannot go inside the Leopold Cabin, the glass windows enable folks to see its interior. Also, there is a picnic table on the moss-covered limestone between the cabin and the edge of the bluff. It would make for an ideal outdoor meal retreat from "regular civilization". And conveniently, there is a privy on top of the bluff, as well, complete with the identifying crescent moon shape carved into the door!

The photo on the upper left shows members of the WHO carefully ascending the mossy stone steps that have been built into the side of the bluff to provide access to the Leopold Cabin. It should be noted, however, that there is also another trail (although it is longer) to access the cabin, that goes around the bluff, and winds it way up to the top. The main part of the Caney Mountain hike that the WHO did this past week was the Spout Spring Trail, and the other three photos of this collage show the ladies traversing that area. Considering the enormous numbers of downed trees and limbs from the 2009 ice storm that devastated this area, conservation personnel are to be commended for the clean up that has taken place to make the trail accessible. There was only one big tree that had fallen (probably recently) that the hiking trail went under, and which required some stooping to navigate. (lower left photo).

At the headquarters building near the entrance of the Caney Mountain Conservation area, one can pick up a brochure that tells about what is offered and regulations for use of the facilities. There are also handicap-accessible restrooms adjacent to the headquarters building. Throughout the almost 8,000 acres the area comprises, there are helpful signs that explain the proper way to go, and help explain what your eyes are seeing. I found that reading these signs greatly enhanced the experience--made the experience more abundant---that I was having at Caney Mountain. Later in the day when I had returned to "civilization" and I was reflecting on my enjoyable outdoor outing, I could see it as a metaphor for an even more significant outing---life itself. You see, the Caney Mountain Conservation Area is just about twenty miles from where I live, so it very close at hand. I was familiar with the name, had heard people talk about it, had driven past the entrance, but had never had a personal experience exploring its contents. The metaphor I speak of refers to the Bible: I had one in my home, I passed by it regularly, I heard a few people talk about it----yet I had never had a personal experience exploring its contents. However, once I started exploring its contents, I was amazed at what I had been missing out on! There were all sorts of signposts throughout the Bible (similar to the signs at Caney Mountain), that help direct me on the right path, explain what I am seeing, and make life more abundant. I have found great truth in the words of Jesus that say "I have come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly" (recorded in John 10:10 of the Bible). The verse is a reminder to me to take the time to explore all the wonders God offers through His Word as well as the natural wonders of the earth he created. So I would like to wish you "Miles and miles of abundant smiles"! Tricia

Strolling Mt. Shasta

Mount Shasta, California, has been called a small city named for a tall mountain. This town of about 4,000 people (at an elevation of 3,500 feet) is located on the flanks of Mt. Shasta, which rises to 14,162 feet, making it a natural geographic landmark in northern California. This location has made it a magnet for tourists, as well as a beautiful place to live for locals. Out-of-towners may come for the Mt. Shasta Ski Park (http://www.skipark.com/), while locals enjoy their outdoor ice skating rink, and newly completed skateboard park (http://www.mtshastaskatepark.org/) that are pictured in the top three photos shown here. Residents who are runners are able to train on uncrowded city streets, as they prepare for the annual Fourth of July festivities that include a footrace (http://www.mtshastarunners.com/) and the photos on the lower left show Grover and Stacy heading out for a run on a recent winter morning. Downtown Mt. Shasta is a great place for strolling, or even riding a "cargo cycle", as shown in the lower right photo.

Just two blocks from downtown, one can enjoy a stroll through Sisson Meadow, which has great views of Black Butte (upper right photo), as well as Mt. Shasta (middle and lower photos on right side of collage). The meadow is named after Justin Sisson, who was a prominent land owner in the area. In fact, the town used to be called "Sisson, California" until it was changed to Mt. Shasta City, in 1924. Sisson Meadow is a restored 7.5 acre nature preserve that has year-round springs, wetlands, lush grasses, a pond, a home and breeding ground for local wildlife. There is a board walk and wooden benches located throughout the meadow, and it provided a great place for my daughter-in-law, Stacy and me, to take a walk with Stacy's sweet dog, Sadie (shown in middle right photo and lower left photo).

I read that the town of Mt. Shasta developed along the ancient trade and travel route of Native American footpaths between California's central valley and the Pacific Northwest, that was called the Siskiyou Trail. That early footpath has been replaced with Interstate 5, which supplies a steady stream of travelers to the businesses and lodging properties of this quaint area. (visit http://www.mtshastachamber.com/ for a list of available lodging and other services in the area). Stacy and I had an enjoyable afternoon visiting some of the unique shops along Mt. Shasta's main street, and I have pictured some of them in this photo collage. The top left photo shows Noam as he works at the potter's wheel teaching others the joy of "playing with mud" (claydancestudio@gmail.com). The top right photo shows the old-fashioned candy counter at a gift store called "My Favorite Things" (www.myfavthings.com). Another unusual store (to this Arkie from the hills, anyway!) was "Sereni-tea" (http://www.sereni-tea.net/). This store had dozens of varieties of tea for sale, as well as teapots, mugs, and all other things needed for a proper tea ceremony! The store manager, Monique, is shown in middle left photo, and a few of the tins of tea she sells is pictured in the lower left photo. I especially liked the motto of the tea shop, which was "Your Tea Store on the "steep" side of Mount Shasta". Clever, huh??!! The middle right photo provides a shot of the "Mount Shasta Book Nook", which is the very comfortable home of "previously loved books". Their website, http://www.mountshastabooknook.com/ has some fantastic photographs of the Mount Shasta scenes that would not fit into this brief blog. The lovely window sign (bottom right photo) of the Mount Shasta Trading Company (530-926-6782) serves as a mirror to reflect a view of Mount Shasta, which it faces.

There is no fear of going hungry in Mt. Shasta, as several area establishments offer a menu that can please any palate. I had a delicious, cooked-to-order fritatta breakfast with Grover and Stacy at "Mount Shasta Pastry" (530-926-9944). It was a cheery place with one wall being completely glass, and the adjoining wall being a lovely mural of a street scene (top photo). From the day my son first moved to Mt. Shasta, I have been hearing about the legendary "Goats Tavern" (530-926-0209), shown at its strategic location of the "Y" intersection, with Mt. Shasta looming in the background. Although the meal we had there this time, was on the inside, I have had the opportunity to enjoy their outdoor dining, as well, which is often accompanied by live music entertainers. The center photo shows Stacy and me, enjoying a "tea toast" in the comfortable seating area of Sereni-tea. As good as the restaurants are in Mt. Shasta, there is nothing better than a home-cooked meal, and Stacy prepared a FANTASTIC feast for us, and what made it even better was that it was also very healthy! She used recipes from her new, favorite cookbook, "Dinner Tonight" from the Cooking Light publishing group, ( http://www.cookinglight.com/ ) pictured in the middle left photo. I know Grover's ancestors would be pleased that his bride is making use of the iron skillet that has been in the family for generations, and continues to produce some delicious food items! (middle right photo). My brief visit in Mt. Shasta left me with a heart full of gratitude for God's many blessings, and as I looked around at the gorgeous scenery that surrounds the town, it reminded me of these verses from Psalms: "I lift up my eyes to the hills-----where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1-2 (NIV). I am very thankful to the LORD, for making Mt. Shasta a very special place, between heaven and earth! Miles of Shasta Smiles! Tricia

Groundhog Day Expedition

Did you ever wonder what the connection is between the critter shown in this photograph (which I took in my front yard last spring), and the weather prediction about how much winter is left in a year? The connection is that this critter---known as a "groundhog"---is one of a group of rodent ground squirrels (called "marmots" in some locations) that goes into true hibernation during cold temperatures. The length of time it remains in hibernation is determined by the climate of the location where the groundhog lives. Likewise the size a groundhog achieves is determined by the number of predators (such as owls, snakes, human beings) that are within its habitat. The gray hair shown in this photo does not indicate that this is an "elder" groundhog. Rather, groundhogs have two layers of fur, one of which is a gray color. This characteristic is responsible for the "frosted" appearance of the fur of many groundhogs.

The stance of the groundhog in this photo is a common one, as you will often see them standing, nearly motionless, on their hind feet, watching for danger. Groundhogs are mainly found in North America, and the earliest recorded date of someone in the U.S. predicting the weather on the basis of a groundhog's activity is February 5, 1841. The basis they used for the prediction was that if the groundhog emerged from its burrow during its hibernation period, and saw its shadow, it went back down into the burrow and continued to hibernate (observers took this to mean there would be six more weeks of winter). However, if the groundhog emerged from its burrow during its hibernation period, and did not see its shadow, (i.e. the sky was cloudy), it will leave its burrow. This is interpreted as meaning winter will end soon. Some early pioneer in the U.S., probably suffering from a bad case of "cabin fever", decided to turn this characteristic of the groundhog into an annual ritual, and declare it as "Groundhog Day"! February 2 is the official "Groundhog Day" in the United States.

The earliest of these Groundhog Day Celebrations took place in Pennsylvania, particularly among the Amish. The Amish---many of which had a German heritage---may have had a similar natural phenomena in their country that indicated climate conditions. However, the hibernating animal was a bear, and not a groundhog, in Germany. There is historical data indicating celebrations were held to commemorate a bear coming out of hibernation, and hence the end of winter. One of the most famous and earliest Groundhog Day Celebrations has been taking place annually, for years, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. It was this celebration that was the basis of the movie "Groundhog Day". What you may NOT know, however, is that most of the town scenes for the movie were not actually filmed in Punxsutawney, rather, they were filmed in the small town of Woodstock, Illinois, in McHenry County, just a short drive northwest of Chicago. I had the opportunity to visit the quaint little town last fall, and took this photo of their lovely courthouse, which is shown in numerous movie scenes.

This distinctive-looking building is the town's Opera House, but in the movie, it was transformed into the "Pennsylvania Hotel", and it, too, is visible in numerous scenes of the movie. Not surprisingly, all the activity of filming a major movie, brought lots of publicity to Woodstock, and they have capitalized on it, by starting their very own week-long celebration of "Ground Hog Day", which includes special meals, pageants, and walking tours, that will take you to various locations throughout the village where movie scenes were filmed. And of course, the movie is played in the town's theater during the celebration, over and over and over again! You can plan YOUR Ground Hog Day expedition to this lovely place by visiting http://www.woodstockgroundhog.org/ or http://www.visitmchenrycounty.com/

I have to be honest and confess that eighteen years ago, I did not see the moral lesson that the Groundhog movie teaches. But visiting Woodstock renewed my interest in the movie, such that I was reading a description of it in Wikipedia. Wikipedia points out that the TV weatherman character (Bill Murray) must live the same day over and over again until he can learn to give up his selfishness and become a better person. The authors state that is why the phrase "Groundhog Day" has ALSO come to represent going through a phenomena over and over, until one spiritually transcends it. In fact, this pop culture definition of "Groundhog Day" is the same principle that is the mission statement of the church I attend: "Turning Self-Followers into Christ Followers, One Step, One Life at a Time." (http://www.myfbcmh.com/ ) The Wikipedia article, plus a second viewing of the movie after many years of seeing it for the first time, led me to realize that the theme of the movie could have been taken straight out of the third chapter of James in the Bible! The Message paraphrases those verses to say it this way: "Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It's the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts." So get out there and take a "Groundhog Day" Expedition every day of your life!! Miles of smiles! Tricia

SuperBowl Stadium Expedition

SUPERBOWL XLV (http://www.superbowl.com/) is scheduled for the Dallas Cowboys Stadium on Sunday, February 11. (If you are like me, and have forgotten the lesson on Roman numerals, XLV means "45"). The actual location of the stadium is Arlington, Texas, and when I asked the stadium employee I talked to on the phone, "What is the exact street address of the stadium, so that I can enter it into my car's GPS?", the employee told me that there wasn't an exact street address. But, instead, he gave me the street address for the WalMart store, that is across the street from the stadium (You can see the reflection of the WalMart store in the stadium's glass windows, shown in the lower left photo). He said that would be sufficient to get me to the parking lot that I would use to purchase a ticket to tour the stadium. He was right, and I found the very nice WalMart store, without any problems. ( However, I do have a "bone to pick" with WalMart Headquarters at the next stockholder's meeting in Fayetteville: The symbol for the Texas Longhorns was sculpted into the orange-colored brick that made up the walls of the Arlington WalMart store!! As a Razorback alum, I found this a bit offensive. The only remedy for this is for Fayetteville, Arkansas, WalMart stores to have a RAZORBACK sculpted into the RED brick walls of any new stores being built in that city!) Anyway, I guess I am not the only one asking for GPS directions to the stadium, as the stadium's website goes into great detail about using THEIR WEBSITE directions---not your GPS--- to get to your designated parking space for a stadium event (the parking space alone on REGULAR game days STARTS at $40/spot. I can only imagine what the parking costs will be on the day of the Superbowl!) However, the parking fee is probably only a drop in the bucket, compared to what a ticket for the Superbowl costs--- in the unlikely event you were even able to buy one! That is why, even though attending a Superbowl is on my "Bucket List", I decided to settle for taking a tour of the brand new stadium where the Superbowl will be played. And what a magnificent stadium it is!!! It is the world's largest domed stadium AND the world's largest column-free interior. These two world records are made possible by the 300 ft arches that span the length of the dome, and are anchored to the ground at each end. (You can see the outdoor sections of the arches in the top photo of the collage). The stadium was only completed in May of 2009; it seats 80,000, and has a maximum capacity of 110,000, including standing room. What this means is that you can purchase a ticket to an event, with or without, a seat! The tickets, called "Party Pass", are for standing in the open areas behind seats, in each end zone. There are so many video screens located throughout the stadium, that not knowing what is going on down on the field is virtually impossible!

Speaking of video screens, the Dallas Cowboys Stadium holds the Guinness Book of World Records distinction of having the largest video screen in the world! It spans from 20-yard line to 20-yard line! The photo in the upper left corner of this collage may help put its size into perspective: What looks like a tiny white box hanging beneath the video screen, is actually the "employee elevator" used to access the inside of the screen, and is shown in a close-up view on the upper right photo. Our tour guide pointed out an interesting fact about the work area INSIDE the gigantic screen: It does not have a bathroom, even though employees have to be in there for the duration of a game. OOOPPPS! Of course, the omission is understandable, as plumbing for such a bathroom would be almost impossible! The retractable roof of the stadium is shown in the "closed" position on the left photo. The two tiny black dots seen beneath the roof, are the two workers, shown in a close-up photo on the right of the collage. I was pleased (as would be OSHA) to see that the workers had safety harnesses on, since they were working at a height of hundreds of feet!

I would title this collage "Art and Advertising", because no matter where you go in the stadium, you will see plenty of both! The photo of me holding the rookie sign, in the upper right picture, shows the setting for where a tour guest could have their picture made, for purchase at the end of the tour. Note the AT&T logo prominently visible behind me. Likewise, the Ford Motor Company has a HUGE presence within the stadium with new Ford cars literally stacked on top of each other for display beside each end of a lovely fountain in the Party Pass area (center right photo). The top left photo shows a large sculpture which prominently displays the Dr. Pepper logo. But at least one of the logos on display DID show an organization whose goal is to "save", and not to "consume", and that was the Salvation Army logo, shown in the middle left photo. When you have the world's largest domed structure, it makes sense, you're going to have to have some MASSIVE art installations to fill part of those spaces, and the photo on the lower right shows one of those pieces. It is called "Blue Explosion", and fills the wall behind one of the escalators. The photo on the lower left shows an art installation simply titled "Win!" that shows all the words used in the sports world to achieve a winning mind set.

There is a gift shop at the stadium that is open daily, and you do not have to have a tour ticket in order to visit the gift shop. As you can imagine, there were numerous items you could purchase there relating to the Dallas Cowboys logo, as well as the Superbowl XLV logo, as demonstrated by the coffee mugs in the top photo of this collage. The bottom two photos of this collage show the gigantic bronze statue (located outside the stadium near the ticket office) of legendary Coach Tom Landry, who led the Cowboys for twenty consecutive winning seasons. Coach Landry was a leader not only on the field, but off the field as well. He was the "gentle giant" at the Highland Park Methodist Church for 43 years, and for many of those years he taught an adult Sunday School class there, juggling his Sunday morning responsibilities as a Bible teacher, with his Sunday afternoon responsibilities as a football coach. He is quoted as saying "Leadership is the ability to get a person to do what he doesn't want to do, in order to achieve what he wants to achieve . . . it's getting the best out of people." That is a lesson he first probably learned while teaching the writings of Paul, in the seventh chapter of Romans. Tom Landry very successfully applied these Biblical principles to every aspect of his life. What an inspiration to us all! I have highlighted just a few of the things you will see when you take a tour of the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. There are also many "behind the scenes" aspects you get to see, including the players' locker room, as well as the locker room of those famous Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, and the private sanctuary of the Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones. Also, the tour is very reasonably priced, depending on which tour you are able to take on the day you visit. You can find out more about the experience on the stadium website, www.stadium.dallascowboys.com/ . SOoooooo, even though you may not be able to personally be present at the Superbowl game, keep in mind, that you CAN tour the location of that game---nicknamed the "Palace in Dallas", and I would highly recommend it! Miles of smiles! Tricia

A WALKING EXPEDITION!

Have you ever stopped to think what a WONDERFUL blessing it is to be able to walk? Since I worked in health care for over thirty years, I saw early in my career, numerous instances of patients unable to walk due to injuries, birth defects, illness, accidents, amputations, paralysis, and various disease states. One of these disease states is obesity. Since I am a Registered Dietitian, it was my job to try to help obese patients reduce their body weight, so that they would once again be able to walk. I tried to educate patients on how to eat in a manner that would help them lose the extra pounds they carried, and I tried to educate them on the importance of physical activity. Unless they were completely paralyzed, I usually tried to encourage them to try to increase the walking that they did. Walking is not only a way to help your physical status, it is also a great way to help your mental status. If you walk with a friend, it can even improve your emotional status! But there is a fourth component to total well-being, and that is spiritual status.

Starting Wednesday, January 5, at 6 PM, I will be leading a new session of First Place 4 Health. The study book we are using for this 13-week session will address that fourth component of total well-being, which is the spiritual component. The book is called "Walking in Grace", and is pictured in this photograph. We will meet weekly for about one and one-half hours, on Wednesday evenings, and we would love to have YOU join us! If this is something that you might be interested in, you can email me at triciaturnerfirstplace@yahoo.com, and I will try to answer any questions you have about our meetings. You can also log on to www.FirstPlace4Health.com for general information about this very successful, healthy living program, that has been helping people around the country for over 3 decades. So come, walk with us, for miles of smiles! Tricia

Amtrak Overnight Expedition

I don't know why we always seemed to be surprised when typical winter weather interferes with our winter travel plans! But that was the case that resulted in an unanticipated overnight trip on Amtrak recently. My original plans called for my plane to land in Sacramento, California, around noon, after which I would rent a car to make the drive to my son's house in Klamath Falls, Oregon, arriving in time for supper. The plane landed in Sacramento just fine and on time. However, the weather situation north of there had turned into heavy snow, and my son advised against my renting a car. He suggested instead that I take the Amtrak train up to Klamath Falls. Since I was determined to get to his home, I decided to give his suggestion a try. I had been by myself in a snow storm, in a rental car, in northern California a few years earlier, and it was definitely not an experience I wanted to repeat! I took a SuperShuttle from the airport to the train station in downtown Sacramento, and made myself at home in the train station's historic space. Its architecture reflects the year 1925, when it first opened, as the terminal for the Southern Pacific Railroad. The interior features a mural of the celebration of the completion of the Trans-continental Railroad (upper left photo). One of the most fascinating features of the waiting room was its unique, wooden church-pew-like seats with a heating unit built between the seats (upper middle photo). The very "thoughtful" designers of these unique pieces of furniture must have realized that, with the constant opening and closing of doors going on in a train station, it would be easier to keep the people sitting at the benches warm, by putting the heating unit inside the seats, instead of a more conventional floor or ceiling heat register unit. The upper right photo shows that the train station had modern, flat-screen monitors showing which trains were arriving and departing. The lower left photo shows the "automatic ticket seller" kiosk that was available at this station, as well as many other Amtrak stations. Using this kiosk, one could get their ticket, even if there were no "human" ticket agent available to sell them a ticket. One end of the waiting room had several vending machines, offering every type of food imaginable. And there were tables and chairs beside the vending machines, suitable for "dining" , if one chose to use them. The lower right photo shows one of the vintage and lovely chandeliers that were strategically placed around the high, vaulted ceiling. These unique features are probably one of the reasons that the station has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1975.

I boarded the train in Sacramento at midnight, and woke up the next morning just outside Klamath Falls. Lots of people exited the train in Klamath Falls, not because that was their destination, but because the stop in Klamath Falls lasted long enough for people continuing on the train to get outside and stretch their legs. I took a photograph of one of these passengers because the man standing in the snow, shown in the photo on the left , dressed in his Russian type coat, boots, and hat reminded me of a scene out of an old Russian movie! The porter shown in the middle photo was in charge of the sleeper car, which I did not get to visit. The photo on the right shows the trackside entrance to the Klamath Falls station. It is also a historic structure, and its unique architecture, along with the building material of black, volcanic stone, made it a memorable stop for Amtrak passengers who had never seen it before.

The photo on the left gives you an idea of the size of the seats that a passenger in coach class has. Fortunately, I had two of these to stretch out in for the 7-hour ride, which enabled me to sleep like a baby! The porter passed out pillows to everyone, which I thought was a very nice amenity! The windows are large and provide a great view of the landscape you are speeding by. There are also curtains that you can pull, if desired, to made it easier for you to sleep. The photo on the right shows that the Klamath Falls station was keeping the walking area beside the train cleared of the constantly falling snow. This had not been necessary in Sacramento because the boarding area of the tracks had a roof over it. The photo on the left also shows how very long the train was, and the nature of its doubledecker superliner design. The bottom floor of my train car had restrooms, chairs and tables suitable for wheelchairs, and a small storage area for luggage. Then there was a very small, winding staircase that led up to the second level where my seat was located.

The other Amtrak trips I had taken had just been a two or three hours in length, and I had never had big luggage on those other trips. However, on this trip, I had a giant rolling duffel bag, because I was carrying some Christmas presents for family. I was very reluctant to "check" my luggage, because I did not have any experience with doing so on a train. However, another traveler I met in the Sacramento station, who had been on several cross country train trips, said she always checked her luggage, and had never had it lost. So I handed over my big bag at the Sacramento station, and I was pleasantly surprised when I spotted it on the luggage cart that was loaded down with bags at the Klamath Falls station. It was covered in snow, but at least it was not lost!! It was interesting to me that the cart hauling the luggage out of the train and to the station at Klamath Falls was so similar to a cart that I had seen at an "antique" or vintage train ride in Eureka Springs. I guess some things never change! Speaking of baggage, sometimes there is lots of emotional baggage that goes along with visiting old friends and family. All that emotional baggage can keep one from enjoying the blessing of being reunited with loved ones. But just liked I checked my baggage at the train station so I wouldn't have to deal with it during my trip, so I need to "check" my emotional baggage so I don't have to deal with it during my visit. There are some words of wisdom in Ephesians 4:3 that say "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace". That is my prayer for you during this holiday season---may you have miles of PEACEFUL smiles! Tricia