Los Angeles to San Antonio
October 18-19 We boarded Amtrak late–around 10pm– and settled in to sleep soon after; By morning we were rolling through southern Arizona. We had a long stop in Tucson where the train station served up an incredible breakfast burrito. It was a beautiful day to appreciate the desert scenery. The BIG event was the appearance of “Big Boy”, the world’s largest steam engine locomotive. Built by Union Pacific, the giant train was chugging across the country to celebrate 150 years of transcontinental rail travel. Throughout the state, crowds lined the railroad track waving to us while they awaited the main event. I got the impression life was kind of boring down there. One person who was not bored was Jefford from Alabama, strumming on his mandolin in the observation car. He plays violin and piano as well as this mandolin which he likes because everyone is running around playing guitars and banjos. The mandolin also fits better into his lifestyle which involves hopping freight cars and taking them cross-country. What? I thought “riding the rails” ended with the Great Depression. I was wrong. Apparently there’s a whole community–a “rough crowd”, according to Jefford–who travel around the … Continue reading →
