Travels in the 2nd half

Yes Los Angeles is a city based on driving, but there are pockets that are very walkable. One of those pockets is the Downtown area, I spent a few days there during our grand adventure. Downtown LA stretches from Olvera Street and Union Station at its north end, to the Convention Center and LA Live at its south end. I explored several places within that boundary, and I walked the whole length. This is not the first time that I have found neighborhoods in Los Angeles that easily walkable. In fact I was really impressed that even though we were in LA for 4 days and during that time made a trip out to North Hollywood, at no time during our stay did we need a car. Downtown LA is well served by mass transit. There are many bus affordable bus lines that crisscross the area, and there is a service called LA DASH that for 50 cents will take you as far north as Chinatown and the art district and as far south as Exposition Center and USC Campus. It was also fairly easy and afforda...

The Southwest Chief in La Junta Colorado Taking the Southwest Chief out of Chicago means spending a good 15 minutes traveling through one train yard after another, followed by a seemingly endless stretch of suburbs. But once you get past Naperville you are in farm country and the vista opens up. Flat fields off to the horizon. The trees are wind breaks, or provide shade for houses. On a grey day like the day we traveled the sky and ground just kind of blend into each other like an impressionist painting, losing distinction in the distance. Mendota IL Mendota Water Tower Coming into the town of Mendota IL, past the Del Monte Factory and the silos, we are met with a very quiet Easter Sunday afternoon. A few square blocks of downtown, then it is back to the farms. Truthfully, I can’t imagine living in a town like Mendota. As a city kid it would drive me nuts, but I know that there are people here who feel the same way about living in New York City.  ...