![]() Wofford, Shannon Rahn, Sarah Harper, Maria Reetz, Jessica Weber, and Tiffany Burton they are all having a good time and look forward to getting off the train. I am sitting here with Ricky Burton, Emily Reetz, Heather Rahn, Bethany Kuntz, Chrissy Turner and her mom Ginger, Justin Thomas, Katelynne Klein, Kelly Walls, Mike Tank, A.J. They got on the train yesterday at 3 in the afternoon, so all total for them its about a 24 hour ride. ![]() They are excited about going to see all the sites and even get a private visit with Bob Dole. There are 15 students and 6 adults in their group. They are here on a 7th & 8th grade trip to Washington D.C. I am sitting here right now with a bunch of kids from Milwaukee Wisconsin. I saw a big trestle that we went by where there were concrete like caves underneath and you could see where there were blankets and boxes laid out where homeless people stay. There is a nice lounge car that is all glass on the second level and you can sit there and watch the scenery which is where I am at. The tracks have followed the river since pittsburgh, I dont know what river it is but its fast and white water in many spots. ![]() Its a great sunny morning here just east of pittsburgh as I ride this train east, we have been thru cleavland and many other small stops in between, I slept pretty well in my seat and it was just getting daylight before we got into pittsburgh, the train ride is nice and smooth and you can hear the train whistle up in the distance as we come up to the crossings. Thats about it so far so the adventure continues till……………… 9:30 A:M Friday I had to wait at the train station for a while and then a really nice amtrak shuttle bus came and and that brought me to where I sit right now which is in the Toldedo Train Station, They just said our train is about a half hour late. Anyways we made it to the Detroit Train Station and I got off there and went across the street to the white castle, you know the one with the guard at the door and the really thick glass at the order window. They must go thru alot of brakes on those busses cause they sure get going fast and them slam on them. There was a lady sitting across from me with scabs all over her face and she was picking them, not a pretty sight, It was really entertaining listening to the lady bus driver who was black talking to another black lady, they were carrying on talking about everything, really fast and really loud and there expressions just had to make me smile, you know things like, you go girl, and constantly girl this and girl that and just plain laughing, I ended up talking to the one lady for a while, the bus was packed as we got closer to downtown detroit and I got up and asked the driver if we were getting close to the train station, she told me we werent even close to downtown and that we had already talked about where I was getting off and she was doing her job and would let me know when my stop came up. There was a young kid that got on with me who when we first talked was pretty down and out, he came running down from the phone he was on and was all happy that he found a job in Indy and hollering that life was great and was heading to get on a bus to his new life and job, he had just arrived in detroit this morning from florida but for some reason or another his family didnt want him. Its amazing the different type of people from all walks of life that you can meet on a inner big city bus ride. ![]() Anyways there I stood for the second time in an hour looking like an arctic cat refugee, my bag must wiegh 80 pounds, but soon the 450 bus that heads straight down woodward into downtown detroit for only 1.50 and gives a whole new meaning to cruising woodward. The traffic was busy and I jumped out at a red light grabbed my bag and laptop and they drove off towards the palace leaving me standing there in pontiac at the corner of walton and perry only to find out I missed my bus by 5 minutes, so I flagged down MoYen, a local cab driver from russia who took me to downtown pontiac and dropped me at the phoenix center, a ride in a rickety old cab for only ten bucks but he told me he made me a good deal cause he didnt turn the meter on. We got off at the great lakes crossing exit and Mark turned us the wrong way for the palace, after getting his bearings and getting back on course we came across my spot in heavy traffic where I was supposed to get out. We picked up Marks son Paul in flint but he couldnt find his way very well and we had to wait an hour for him. The first leg of my big adventure has begun, It started at 3:30 today in Grayling when I bummed a ride off 4 friends that were going to the pistons game in auburn hills tonight, “Parnelli” Mark Hartman his son Scott and his sidekick Larry “Wimpy” Raymond put me and my overpacked Arctic Cat bag into the van and we headed toward Auburn Hillls. Midnight late on May 2 but darn close to May 3, 2002
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