Trip Report: November 27 - December 21, 2001
by Ted & Sylvia Blishak
28 DAYS ON THE RAILS
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, December 1, 2, 3, 2001
San Antonio to McGregor to Dallas
The ancient Missouri Pacific rails north of San Antonio may not have been upgraded since they were first laid in the 19th century. This results in a long period of slow running. We lazily sleep in, as it is much easier to stay in bed when tracks are this rough. When the tracks smooth out a bit after San Marcos, we answer the last call to breakfast and enjoy a big Texas Eagle breakfast as the rising Texas sun beats through the dining car window. When we had checked the weather forecast last week, it was predicted to be in the twenties on our day of arrival. However, the headlines of the San Antonio newspaper that was slipped under the door of our bedroom this morning reported an ice storm yesterday, with photos of Interstate highways barricaded due to ice, backing up miles of 18 wheelers.
Our arrival in McGregor is about 20 minutes behind schedule, and we are met by our daughter-in-law, Lonnie, with our nearly four-year-old granddaughter, Kaelyn. Our grandson, Garrett, six, is still in his first grade class, and our son Mark is attending a Boeing-sponsored class in aircraft maintenance in the Ft. Worth area until later today
We enjoy a nice family reunion and an early Christmas celebration Friday and Saturday. On Sunday morning we pick up a Hertz Mercury Grand Marquis at the Waco Airport. This is our first visit to any airport since September 11 and we are greeted at the entrance by a police car parked on the driveway, where we are stopped and questioned before being waved through. Lonnie is permitted to drop us off at the arrivals area, but cannot wait for us or park in what was formerly short- term parking, but is now a deserted parking lot. She must leave the terminal area and meets us in the Hertz rental car return parking lot. Inside the terminal, a local policeman and a National Guardsman ask for photo Ids before we proceed to the Hertz counter.
We say our good-byes here as we are headed for Dallas by car up Interstate 35E, which seems to be under construction for about half of its length. We seldom drive on Interstate highways, as there are none in Klamath County, so find it somewhat alarming as traffic cruises along between 75 and 80 mph. At one point we encounter a motorcyclist doing wheelies at 75 mph in the fast lane. When we attempt to pass him on the far right, he speeds up and disappears over the horizon.
We have reservations for brunch at the Dallas Fairmont Hotel and tickets for the Dallas Symphony, where we hear Midori perform Glazunov's Violin Concerto, followed by Beethoven's Third Symphony. The Meyerson Symphony Center is an architectural and acoustical masterpiece, designed by M. I. Pei and opened in 1989.
We walk back to the Fairmont along beautifully landscaped streets, lined with fountains, between towering skyscrapers of unique shapes and colors.
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