I think we made the decision this morning to pull up stakes and head up to Clarksdale, AZ where they've got another train (Verde Canyon RR).
Yesterday we visited the train exhibit in Scottsdale, AZ (McCormic & Stillman RR) where we not only got to photograph 5 great cabooses (Three full size and two 1/5th scale), but we also got a personal tour of their machine shop. It was amazing to see that two dedicated men maintain their 1/5th scale train operation, but also do the actual manufacturing and milling of replacement parts.
Book orders from places we've visited continue to come in on a regular basis, as well as request for personal appearances. One of our clients in southern Missouri called today and asked if we could spend National Train Day (May 8th) with them. They plan on doing three caboose rides that day with me doing storytelling between rides.
Wickenburg, AZ has been a great place to hang out. The weather has been consistently in the mid-70's and it is close enough to Phoenix to allow us to make side trips for business and visit friends in the area.
We've been living in a 19' travel trailer for the past month as we've worked our way through New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. 19' didn't seem that small when we started, but it now feels like shrink to fit jeans. It is so small I have to go outside just to change my mind.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
2/9/10 I’m sitting next to the pool in Wickenburg, AZ (with three layers of clothing) catching up on e-mail. The pool is the first area that hasn’t kept bumping me off the Internet since I left Santa Fe.
Wickenburg has got a really cool engine and caboose display right in the middle of town at the Chamber of Commerce. Actually the COC is using the old depot for their information office. Someday in Santa Fe I’ll get all the photos posted.
We didn’t know it before arriving, but this is the town’s biggest celebration of the year. Gold Rush. Everything is sold out. We stayed in the driveway of an RV park last night and moved today to a better spot today, but have to move to a parking lot on the 11th for what they call “dry camping.” We’ve been caught up in the local hype of carnival, rodeo, and parade, so we plan on hanging out until the shine wears off.
Nights are cool here, around 50, at least no snow and now pipes freezing.
Tomorrow I fly to Albuquerque just for the day. I should be back tomorrow night. Unavoidable business….
2/7/10
Tonight we are in Deming, New Mexico. We checked into an RV park that promised cable TV and high speed Internet. Cable Yes, Internet No. Again, I’ll post it later when I can get connected.
Saturday we left San Antonio and ad headed for San Angelo. San Angelo turned out to be a delight. We passed through the Texas hill country in total awe. It was beautiful and the small towns were something that would have stopped Norman Rockwell in his tracks. Frozen in time from times past, the little towns left us longing to come back to hang out and capture a bit of Americana.
Our meandering drive caused us to arrive in San Angelo a littler later than we had planned, but once in town we found the San Angelo Train Museum to be well worth the drive. If you read “The Red Candy Caboose” and remember Fast Freddie, then you can appreciate Harold who works at the San Angelo Museum. Harold is a perfect “Fast Freddie.” Harold informed us he was born in 1926 and started railroading in 1947 with a career that lasted 39 years. Harold was proud of the fact he was the only man on the roster that was able to spend his career with no demerits. Harold teamed up with another museum docent Dave Wood. Between the two of them I don’t think there is any question one could ask that couldn’t be answered. Dave has spent countless hours creating beautiful miniature train displays that replicate actual Texas towns. This wonderful duo was complimented by a beautiful lady by the name of Jimmie who was in charge of the gift shop. It should be noted that Jimmie is married to Harold. With a team like this it is no wonder the San Angelo Museum has been so successful in persevering Texas train history.
Next we made brief stops at Fort Stockton, Van Horn and Sierra Blanca where we were able to get additional caboose shots even though no one was around. Sunday seems to be a sleepy day for train museums.
Wickenburg has got a really cool engine and caboose display right in the middle of town at the Chamber of Commerce. Actually the COC is using the old depot for their information office. Someday in Santa Fe I’ll get all the photos posted.
We didn’t know it before arriving, but this is the town’s biggest celebration of the year. Gold Rush. Everything is sold out. We stayed in the driveway of an RV park last night and moved today to a better spot today, but have to move to a parking lot on the 11th for what they call “dry camping.” We’ve been caught up in the local hype of carnival, rodeo, and parade, so we plan on hanging out until the shine wears off.
Nights are cool here, around 50, at least no snow and now pipes freezing.
Tomorrow I fly to Albuquerque just for the day. I should be back tomorrow night. Unavoidable business….
2/7/10
Tonight we are in Deming, New Mexico. We checked into an RV park that promised cable TV and high speed Internet. Cable Yes, Internet No. Again, I’ll post it later when I can get connected.
Saturday we left San Antonio and ad headed for San Angelo. San Angelo turned out to be a delight. We passed through the Texas hill country in total awe. It was beautiful and the small towns were something that would have stopped Norman Rockwell in his tracks. Frozen in time from times past, the little towns left us longing to come back to hang out and capture a bit of Americana.
Our meandering drive caused us to arrive in San Angelo a littler later than we had planned, but once in town we found the San Angelo Train Museum to be well worth the drive. If you read “The Red Candy Caboose” and remember Fast Freddie, then you can appreciate Harold who works at the San Angelo Museum. Harold is a perfect “Fast Freddie.” Harold informed us he was born in 1926 and started railroading in 1947 with a career that lasted 39 years. Harold was proud of the fact he was the only man on the roster that was able to spend his career with no demerits. Harold teamed up with another museum docent Dave Wood. Between the two of them I don’t think there is any question one could ask that couldn’t be answered. Dave has spent countless hours creating beautiful miniature train displays that replicate actual Texas towns. This wonderful duo was complimented by a beautiful lady by the name of Jimmie who was in charge of the gift shop. It should be noted that Jimmie is married to Harold. With a team like this it is no wonder the San Angelo Museum has been so successful in persevering Texas train history.
Next we made brief stops at Fort Stockton, Van Horn and Sierra Blanca where we were able to get additional caboose shots even though no one was around. Sunday seems to be a sleepy day for train museums.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
As bad as the Internet service was in Dallas it is worse in San Antonio. I’ve given up. I’m posting this in my computer and will transfer if I ever get connected.
Before leaving Dallas we spent Saturday (1/30) at the Dallas Convention Center with our budding star friend Ellie Thurston. Ellie tried out for “America’s Got Talent.” She won’t know the results until sometime in April.
It was really a kick to see over a thousand people lined up to have a three minute shot at launching their career. Spectators can’t be in the judging room, but there was ample entertainment as people practiced and gave impromptu performances in the large waiting area. People came in from hundreds of miles away, waited six to eight hours and had one brief shot to impress the judges.
Sunday we left a cold Dallas and headed southeast. We visited trains in Rusk and Lufkin, Texas. Both places had cabooses to add to my caboose gallery. We then set up camp in the parking lot of Sam’s Club in Lufkin. Micki was embarrassed to stay in the parking lot, but after seeing the one RV park in the area she voted for Sam’s Club.
Tuesday we headed south to Diboll, Texas and met with their local museum. This is a small museum that encompasses the towns logging history and railroading as it relates to logging. Saying the museum is beautiful is a great understatement. This small town has a first class facility (Including a train with a caboose.) that any town would be glad to have. The folks in the museum encouraged us to stop by their local library and check into their storytelling program.
The library was another big surprise. Not just a library, but set up to give a warm cozy feeling like you were in someone’s private estate setting. The library was very welcoming and I posed for a unexpected photo shoot in their entrance as I held a copy of the RCC along with their librarian.
Monday evening we arrived in San Antonio chased by the cold wet weather. Folks here said it’s the coldest they have seen in over ten years. We are currently in a super cool RV park. It has got everything you can imagine, except the Wifi is down. They call the place an RV Resort. Cable TV, hot tub, heated pool, play grounds for kids and dogs, and a daily activity program with different events each day of the week. We would stick around longer, but with no Internet service we are going to hit three train museums in the area and then head out.
I have to be in Albuquerque on Feb 10th for a fifteen minute consultation with my doctor. We are planning to leave the trailer in southern Arizona and I’ll fly to Abq., for the day and meet up with Micki that evening.
Before leaving Dallas we spent Saturday (1/30) at the Dallas Convention Center with our budding star friend Ellie Thurston. Ellie tried out for “America’s Got Talent.” She won’t know the results until sometime in April.
It was really a kick to see over a thousand people lined up to have a three minute shot at launching their career. Spectators can’t be in the judging room, but there was ample entertainment as people practiced and gave impromptu performances in the large waiting area. People came in from hundreds of miles away, waited six to eight hours and had one brief shot to impress the judges.
Sunday we left a cold Dallas and headed southeast. We visited trains in Rusk and Lufkin, Texas. Both places had cabooses to add to my caboose gallery. We then set up camp in the parking lot of Sam’s Club in Lufkin. Micki was embarrassed to stay in the parking lot, but after seeing the one RV park in the area she voted for Sam’s Club.
Tuesday we headed south to Diboll, Texas and met with their local museum. This is a small museum that encompasses the towns logging history and railroading as it relates to logging. Saying the museum is beautiful is a great understatement. This small town has a first class facility (Including a train with a caboose.) that any town would be glad to have. The folks in the museum encouraged us to stop by their local library and check into their storytelling program.
The library was another big surprise. Not just a library, but set up to give a warm cozy feeling like you were in someone’s private estate setting. The library was very welcoming and I posed for a unexpected photo shoot in their entrance as I held a copy of the RCC along with their librarian.
Monday evening we arrived in San Antonio chased by the cold wet weather. Folks here said it’s the coldest they have seen in over ten years. We are currently in a super cool RV park. It has got everything you can imagine, except the Wifi is down. They call the place an RV Resort. Cable TV, hot tub, heated pool, play grounds for kids and dogs, and a daily activity program with different events each day of the week. We would stick around longer, but with no Internet service we are going to hit three train museums in the area and then head out.
I have to be in Albuquerque on Feb 10th for a fifteen minute consultation with my doctor. We are planning to leave the trailer in southern Arizona and I’ll fly to Abq., for the day and meet up with Micki that evening.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
A combination of good weather and our friend Ellie Thurston flying in for Saturday's "Amerca's Got Talent" try-out has caused us to hang for a while in Dallas. I have to confess, I've been goofing off and doing tourist type things like rodeos and two-stepping.
Sunday we will head to S.E. Texas for more serious work.
Sunday we will head to S.E. Texas for more serious work.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Texans do love their cows. The Ft. Worth Stockyards is a beautifully restored historic area with great restaurants, shops full of cowboy stuff, and museums.
I had no sooner parked the car when a cowboy came riding down the main street on a giant long horn cow with a saddle. He stopped and allowed the tourist to climb aboard for photos. A few minutes later they ran a cattle drive of long horn cows down main street. When that was over they had a typical old west gun fight where just about everyone gets shot.
To our disappointment the train was down for maintenance. However visiting the Cowboy Hall of Fame and having lunch in the historic old hotel made the visit worth while.
If you are ever in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, I give the Stockyards a "Thumbs Up" for a tourist attraction.
I had no sooner parked the car when a cowboy came riding down the main street on a giant long horn cow with a saddle. He stopped and allowed the tourist to climb aboard for photos. A few minutes later they ran a cattle drive of long horn cows down main street. When that was over they had a typical old west gun fight where just about everyone gets shot.
To our disappointment the train was down for maintenance. However visiting the Cowboy Hall of Fame and having lunch in the historic old hotel made the visit worth while.
If you are ever in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, I give the Stockyards a "Thumbs Up" for a tourist attraction.
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