The 2018 Road, Day 19: A Steamtown Experience, Part 2- Turntables and Roundhouses

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on July 12, 2018 in Historical, Striving, Travel

June 13, 2018, Scranton-

I bypassed the Steamtown Shopping District, mostly as I was itching to get to the National Historic Site and was saving my appetite for a stop to see my friends at D’s Diner, in Wilkes-Barre.

The docents at Steamtown National Historic Site are intensely passionate about trains, and rightly so. Until the advent of mass-produced trucks, in the 1950’s, locomotives were the most efficient way to move goods across country. They still have staying power, and freight trains, at least, have held their own, over the last forty years.

Here, then, are scenes from Steamtown. Please note that this site is free of admission charge.

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The Visitor Center, above, provides all that one would expect from such a place- knowledgeable docents, memorabilia and a fascinating introductory film. Below, in the Turntable, is an Illinois Central Railroad engine car.

Below, a Baldwin #26-0-6-0 Switcher Locomotive (right) is activated, once a day, by a trained rail engineer, for the enjoyment of visitors. A caboose is seen in the middle. To the left is an observation car.

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Below is a depiction of rail setters, doing the backbreaking work of establishing our transcontinental network.

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This diorama shows a full-service rail yard, in miniature. In the middle, is the Roundhouse, with its Turntable at the epicenter.

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This caboose, made of wood, served as the train’s office. It is from Rutland (VT) Railroad #28.

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This is a Spang, Chalfont & Co. locomotive, where one may peer under the vehicle’s “skin”.

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Here, we get a good view of the Roundhouse.

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This is a Lackawanna & Western Railroad wooden boxcar.

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This is where the coal is shoveled into the engine, thus burning and producing steam.

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An engine is, of course, the lead car of any train, thus the yellow bell being attached to this early model.

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Here are some views of an early passenger train. First is a view of the kitchen.

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Below, is the dining room.

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Here is the business lounge, where smoking could also be done, after a meal.

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I spent about an hour, after touring the Roundhouse, visiting the History Museum, which has fine details about all people involved in a railroad operation- including both official (Engineer, Conductor, Railroad Security, Executive, Porter and Ticket Seller) and “unofficial” (Hobo), who actually did some maintenance work, here and there, for the railroad, in return for the security “bulls” looking the other way. It was, for many years, a FEDERAL crime to be caught on railroad property without authorization.

The History Museum features a postal car, from the Louisville & Nashville Railway. The Pony Express was only around for 18 months. Before, and after, the rails were the fastest way to move mail.

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As with any technological advance, there were those naysayers, who tried to sway the public against railroads. Here is a 19th Century version of NAMBY propaganda.

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Having seen how that DIDN’T work and how well the railroads DID, I headed a bit southeast, towards D’s Diner, to see how my friends have fared in their first full year of business.

The 2018 Road, Day 19: A Steamtown Experience, Part 1- The Hill District

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on July 11, 2018 in Historical, Spiritual, Travel

June 13, 2018, Scranton-

At least once, during a cross-country sojourn, I like to spend at least a few hours in a city which has contributed to the economic and material well-being of our nation. In the past, this has led me to Oakland, St. Louis, Des Moines, Kokomo, South Bend and Canton, Ohio, to say nothing of Chicago, Boston, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Today, this meant several hours in Scranton, northeast Pennsylvania’s commercial and industrial hub, and the center of the steam locomotive industry in the U.S., particularly during the 19th Century. Prior to locomotives, Scranton and nearby Wilkes-Barre were important centers for coal mining. Anthracite, or hard coal, was abundant in northeast Pennsylvania, and provided the fuel by which steam could be produced, thus being the impetus for the steam locomotive industry-major to the transcontinental railroads, which have moved a major part of passenger and freight traffic, to this day.

I began my visit with a walk around the Hill neighbourhood, on the west end of downtown. David Spencer bestowed the moniker, Electric City, upon Scranton, in 1886. Many of the large buildings of this side of downtown were among the first in the nation to rely exclusively on incandescent lighting.

Here are some of those fine structures. The churches reflect the ethnic diversity of those who came to dig coal and to help build the railroads.

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Above is St. Nicholas’ Eastern Orthodox Church, which began serving Russian and Serbian miners, in the latter Nineteenth Century.

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Covenant Presbyterian Church was established by Scottish and Scots-Irish immigrants.

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Spacious St. Matthew’s United Evangelical Lutheran Church reflects the central European architectural style of its German adherents.

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This unmarked building, west of St. Nicholas’ Church, is nonetheless impressive.

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Prominent, and well-marked, is St. Peter’s Cathedral, with Scranton City Hall in the background.

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This fascinating private home is certainly well-insulated.

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This is the Administration Building of Scranton School District. There is a history of inventive minds coming out of the Lackawanna Valley. This district’s mission is that this will long continue.

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Adjacent to the District Office is Lackawanna County Public Library’s Main Branch, and, to the Library’s right, Scranton City Hall.

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Here is a closer view of St. Peter’s Cathedral. Downtown is bordered, at the east end, by the yards of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. The regional commuter trains’ main terminus is here:

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I hopped the tracks and continued slightly northeast, to the locomotives’ well-deserved resting place.

NEXT: Steamtown National Historic Site

The 2018 Road, Day 18, Part 2: The Grand Chasm of Ausable

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on July 9, 2018 in Hiking and Nature, Historical, Travel

June 12, 2018, Lake Ariel, PA

I saw the sign for Ausable Chasm, ten minutes after leaving Plattsburgh. Remembering how I had briefly considered making a trip up to the Champlain Basin and Ausable, way back in my feckless University days, I took the exit and headed east.

Ausable Chasm, like Bushkill Falls (July, 2016), is billed as “The Grand Canyon of the East”. It is also, more credibly, called Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks. Both are relatively compact, especially compared to the Colorado River’s system of gorges and chasms. Both are privately managed, and charge a modest entrance fee-most of the time.

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Today, the ticket seller noticed my VA card, when I pulled out my wallet. She asked whether I would be attending any special programs and I answered that I would be walking the trails. She then admitted me for free, and thanked me for my service.

So, starting with Elephant Head, I followed the handiwork of the Ausable River, through 3.3 miles of sandstone.

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I began my walk at Elephant Head overlook, then headed back towards Rainbow Falls. After showing my armband at the main admissions kiosk, I started along the Rim Walk Trail, which offers a series of overlooks, at various waterfalls.

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Triple Falls shows how the Ausable River is flowing a bit more shallow, right now. SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES

Nevertheless, gravity does its thing!

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I left the Rim Walk, went a little way on Dry Chasm Trail, then headed down to the Inner Sanctum.

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You can see one of the Inner Sanctum footbridges, below.

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Float trips are a big draw here. A group of twelve was getting ready to head out, as I descended from Dry Chasm.

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Once on the Inner Sanctum Trail, it is imperative to watch one’s footing, as the rock underfoot gets very slippery.

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The sheerness of the drop is impressive, from the bottom, as well as from the top.

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A set of cairns is intended to keep hikers from going into the cave, to the right.

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The narrow ledge and footbridge in the foreground are sometimes part of Adventure Trail, a more advanced exploration program.

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I stuck to the footbridge taken by the gentleman shown above.

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A short time later, I was back on the rim and returned to the Visitor Center, for a hearty lunch. I was quite pleased with the views atop and inside Ausable Chasm. Comparing the gorges of the Northeast to the Grand Canyon is understandable, but not necessary. These unique geologic wonders hold their own.

Intending to visit Fort Ticonderoga, I found that the hours did not accommodate a visit, today. I spent a few minutes in the town of Ticonderoga, and briefly visited the western shore of Lake George, Champlain’s little brother to the southwest. Lake George is just big enough to have its own tides, as well.

Lake George is connected to Lake Champlain by way of La Chute River.

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Ticonderoga is a somewhat busy town, with a small, hard to see traffic light, strung across the road. I almost got fooled.

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Here are some west shore views of Lake George.

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I headed south from here, grabbing supper in the town of Queensbury and looking for accommodations, west and south of Albany. My default spot, Port Jervis, must have had a special event. The nearest available room was in Lake Ariel, PA, a bit more than an hour from the Three Corners. So, I spent the night in comfort, at Comfort Inn.

NEXT: Homage to Steam

The 2018 Road, Day 18, Part 1: Where Young Estella Played

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on July 8, 2018 in Community, Family, Hiking and Nature, Historical, Travel

June 12, 2018, Plattsburgh-

My day along the Champlain Basin would have three parts. The first, Plattsburgh, is important in my family’s life, because here was the place my maternal grandmother, Estella Myers Kusch, was born and raised.

She was a comforting influence in our early lives, helping my young parents, in what was not the easiest of times for a new blue-collar family. That she had earlier left all she knew, for the uncertainties of New England, in the 1910’s. is a testament to my Grandma’s hardiness. Then again, Plattsburgh, in those days, was no picnic.

It’s a pretty place now, though still largely a company town: Georgia Pacific greets the visitor, on the west side of town.

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Scomotion Creek Trail leads the foot traveler into town.

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A key chapter in the fortunes of our country, during the War of 1812, also resonates, along the water front. Commodore Thomas Macdonough led the U.S. Navy to its signal victory over British, in the Battle of Plattsburgh, August-September, 1814. The Riverwalk, and the lakefront, help to commemorate this key boon to our nation’s success in fending off attacks even worse than the sacking of Washington.

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This obelisk marks the resiliency of American forces in this area. New York and Vermont militias formed a unified front, under Commodore Macdonough.

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Here is the Saranac River, on its way to Lake Champlain.

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The lake itself looks calmer, this morning.

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The top of this driftwood almost looks like a figure from Angkor Wat.

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This is the ship’s bell from the USS Lake Champlain, which fought valiantly in World War II.

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Like many American towns of the Nineteenth Century, Plattsburgh is graced with fine stone architecture. Here is the Roman Catholic Church of St. John the Baptist.

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The First Presbyterian Church is also impressive.

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Plattsburgh City Hall fronts the Riverwalk area.

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Plattsburgh’s bustling downtown,

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leads to its Romanesque county courthouse.

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Through all the hustle and bustle, this solitary creature whiles away its days.

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I am favourably impressed with the Myers family’s hometown. One of my brothers once expressed a desire to visit Plattsburgh. I would heartily recommend such a visit, and would be glad to join him here.

NEXT: Ausable Chasm, the “Grand Canyon of the East”.

The 2018 Road, Day 15: Montreal, Light and Dark

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on July 1, 2018 in Community, distraction issues, Hiking and Nature, Historical, impediments, Matters of Faith, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

June 9, 2018, Montreal-

The gargoyles came to life, this afternoon. My Lenovo, my warhorse, which has been with me across the country, five times, to Alaska, Hawai’i, British Columbia, western Europe, now has a new “owner”. Whilst I was walking to and from the polyglot neighbourhood where Montreal’s Baha’i Centre is located, one or two interlopers broke into my car and rummaged through the backseat, finding the laptop case, underneath two backpacks. Nothing else was taken, but the drivers’ side windows were shattered.

A police officer came, after about 45 minutes, and took down the relevant information, as well as a sample of the shattered glass. She dusted a bit for prints, and filed a report, giving me the number, by which I can send the laptop’s serial number, from my files, once I get back to Prescott. This has all been explained earlier, in “Dear Thug”.

Now to the draw of Montreal- its majesty, as a city. I came here in the first place, because of my memories of the city, when I visited in 1972-73, as part of a college tour group. I had also told my seat mate, on the way back from Europe, in 2014, that I would visit this year. She may well have forgotten, and was not even here, this weekend, but I did visit a branch of the restaurant in which she works: La Panthere Verte.

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I was pleased that it was just a short block from Auberge Bishop.

Also in the vicinity of the hostel are the facilities of La Musee des Beaux Arts, along Sherbrooke Avenue. The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul is in the midst of these properties.

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The church even has a “guardian”!

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Below, is one of the museum’s main buildings.

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Mount Royal Park’s eastern flank is not far from this complex.

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Walking back towards the hostel, I spotted Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, mounted on a mighty steed.

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Here is the bright side of my ill-fated walk of this afternoon, which took place after I had checked out of the hostel, with every intention of beginning my drive south, to New England, this afternoon. May I present Mc Gill University, Victoria Hospital and the Montreal Baha’i Centre:

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Victoria Hospital now has a different campus. This is one of the main buildings on the original campus.

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Montreal Baha’i Centre is a small, but graceful building, I spent only twenty minutes here, as, ironically, I wanted to still find the Baha’i Shrine, a house where ‘Abdu’l-Baha stayed, during His 1912 visit to Montreal. That did not happen, on THIS visit. Here, though, is the modern centre of our Faith’s life in this great city.

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On the way back to my car, I had this view of Montreal’s downtown. In the foreground is McGill’s soccer field.

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In the end, one gets up, dusts self off and moves forward with gusto. No one knew this better than Montreal’s bard.

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So, in honour of Leonard, I made the most of my unexpected Montreal Sunday, returning to Auberge Bishop and taking in one of the city’s historic districts, in the afternoon.

The 2018 Road, Day 13: Toronto The Good

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on June 30, 2018 in Community, Hiking and Nature, Historical, Spiritual, Travel

June 8, 2018, Toronto-

Of course, I pulled into Canada’s largest city at rush hour. Hey, what fun is there in empty streets? With my phone telling me there is no Internet access in Ontario, I drove to a Starbucks, where there was indeed Internet access and a wonderful pair of baristas, who wrote out the directions to Neill-Wycik Backpackers’ Hotel. Turned out, the place was in the Garden District, past downtown. So, I negotiated my way down there, finding the high rise building, then finding its parking garage, in twenty minutes’ time.

Being a large enterprise, in one of North America’s most officious urban centres, Neill-Wycik is chock full of rules and regulations, with a full security staff, uniformed and ready to enforce each and every rule.

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My room was on the ninth floor. There are 26 floors, in all.

After settling in and enjoying two huge slices of pizza, prepared by an elderly Chinese “multicultural chef”, I set out for a look at the Garden District. The first place I spotted was Jarvis Street Baptist Church.

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Allan Gardens is an indoor botanical conservatory, the centerpiece of the District. A spacious outdoor park abuts the facility. It was being enjoyed by a wide cross-section of Toronto’s society, on Thursday evening. A few of them were okay with being photographed, from a distance.

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The outdoor gardens are a riot of botanica, leading some of the locals to remark that the place needs work.

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The east end of the conservatory is a Children’s Section.

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I next headed towards the south end of the Garden District, where a number of great churches may be found. SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES

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Above is St. Peter’s Catholic Church. Below, CN Tower is put in perspective, from back at Allan Gardens.

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Here are a few more scenes, from the northeast corner of the park.

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Here is another view of Toronto, old and new.

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Ryerson University, a private institution, is the driving force of the Garden District. It owns Neill-Wycik’s building.

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St. Michael’s Cathedral, now under renovation, is Toronto’s diocesan center.

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Like any vibrant city, Toronto has its share of murals.

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Not far from St. Michael’s, the Anglican Cathedral of St. James holds sway.

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The Metropolitan United Church completes the ecclesiastical triad.

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So, my evening walk around the Garden District came to an end. The rest of the evening was spent with fellow hostelers, around the lounge television, watching as Ontario’s voters chose a vocal conservative, from a prominent family, as their next Provincial Premier (Canada’s counterpart to an American state governor). People, regardless of locale, are more alike than different-and people these days are often motivated by fear.

NEXT: Toronto to Montreal

The 2018 Road, Day 12: Along Canada’s Thames

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on June 28, 2018 in Community, Historical, Travel

June 7, 2018, London, ON-

In 2011, I met a gentleman from this city, who seemed the epitome of a proper gentleman from the English countryside, but with a definite Ontario accent. Since then, I have made a mental note to check the town out, in the event I visited Ontario.

That time came today, as the Elantra needed a break, between Ridgetown and Toronto. I had already had lunch, at one of Ontario’s excellent highway service areas. London still beckoned, though, so I pulled alongside the city’s Victoria Park. At first, I was unsure where the Master Meter was, so I asked a vendor, who pointed towards the meter in front of his personal vehicle. Ha, ha! I found the Master Meter, on my own and had a lovely forty minutes, walking about the Centre of London.

Here are some scenes of Victoria Park:

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The Band Shell serves as a community gathering spot, several evenings throughout the summer into Fall.

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This is Dundas Street Centre United Church. Several middle school students were taking in this fine edifice and others in London’s Centre, as part of an Ontario History field trip.

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Many of Canada’s great buildings were built to house insurance companies. Across Dundas Street, we see London Life Insurance, Ltd.

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Metropolitan United Church is also found along Dundas Street.

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Back up to London life, which certainly looks like a government edifice.

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St. Peter’s Cathedral Basilica is the center of Roman Catholic life in central Ontario.

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Garlic’s is one of the centerpieces of London’s small, but energetic, Arts District.

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Above, are several others.

I will make more time for this street, when next in Ontario, most likely two years hence.

NEXT: Toronto

The 2018 Road, Day 11: The Essenhaus Kerfuffle

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on June 27, 2018 in distraction issues, Historical, Social, Travel

June 6, 2018, Ridgetown, ON-

On the 36th anniversary of my wedding, I sat on the edge of the bed in Ridgetown Inn, pondering the power of one word. Not seeing the word, tomorrow, on a friend’s post, cost me a fine dining experience, at Essenhaus, an amazing resort property in Middlebury, IN.

All the comforts of the homey Midwest are captured here, and thousands of visitors flock to Essenhaus, each year. I waited for my friends, in the foyer, for twenty minutes, re-read the message that had been sent early this morning, and, yes- as another friend said, not long ago, “It’s the reading comprehension, stupid.”

Not feeling right about dining alone, in the midst of so many happy parties of seven and eight, I headed up the road, found the delightful Hilltop Restaurant, and enjoyed a fish fry/salad bar. I still stood out, being one of the few “English” patrons, in what is a favourite of local Mennonites and Amish, but folks were no more inclined to leer, than in any other small town establishment. I found Hilltop a delight.

Having had the Elantra serviced, earlier today, in Elkhart, I felt confident heading northeast, through Michigan, and across the Ambassador Bridge, the older of the two large commuter thoroughfares between Detroit and Windsor. I wanted to get as close as possible to Toronto, this late night, in the event I was able to meet with two friends there, tomorrow. Their minds, and schedules, change as often as their clothes, though, so I remain open to doing Toronto solo, this time. I love my friends, though, just so we’re clear and we do have a plan to get together, when I make a Trans-Canada trek, in summer of 2020.

Anyway, Ridgetown is a pleasant little burg, in west-central Ontario, so this is where I settled, for what was left of the night.

NEXT: Ontario’s London

I Felt Like The Waterboy

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on June 17, 2018 in Family, Historical, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving, Travel

June 17, 2018, Philadelphia-

From Friday night until about 11 A.M., today, my biological family was giving my youngest niece and her new husband the respect and honour they completely deserve. The wedding rehearsal dinner, and all that pertained to food, last night and this morning, were among the richest and most generous culinary festivals I have seen in many years, now.

I stuck to grilled fish, as my entree, for each meal, but the hors d’oeuvres for the two dinners were an astonishing parade, and no words could do justice to the intensity of the work done by the planners, the servers and the wedding party itself. Then, there was last night’s musical troupe, who gave their all, with a constant stream of dance-able music. Thus, for the first family wedding, in memory, I was relaxed and out on the floor, tripping the light fantastic, rather than tripping over my two left feet. Like Adam Sandler’s water boy, in the movie of that name, I was hearing the voice of his buddy: “You can dooo eeet!” So I danced, almost constantly, to tunes from the 1960’d through today, though I sat out the slow songs. Some things just don’t get done, for a long time afterward.

This weekend was special in another way: My son and his girlfriend came, clear from South Korea, for the wedding. So, Father’s Day was also the most meaningful in years. We went about taking in the historical core of Philadelphia, in particular, the American Constitution Center, parts of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell Center. The Korean War Memorial, near Penn’s Landing, was also of interest to Y.H., she being a Korean national.

Summer is in full swing here, sticky and hot, but the sky has been clear and calm, all three days. After a light supper, I have to bid farewell to Philly, to my new “little family” and to the new Mr & Mrs. I’ve watched that girl grow up and with her entry into the full bounds of marriage, I found tears coming even more readily than in betrothals past. Long may this, and all my family’s unions, last and bring happiness.

Freedom Within

Posted by Sagittarian Seeker on June 14, 2018 in Historical, impediments, Inner Struggles, Inspiration, Striving, Travel

June 14,2018, Oley, PA-

The past two days have been spent taking in some aspects of history. Yesterday afternoon, I learned about American railroads, by visiting Steamtown National Historical Park, in Scranton, PA. Today, I spent almost the entire day at Valley Forge, the place where George Washington regrouped and shored up his forces, for a more concerted run at the powerful British Army.

The knowledge of history is right up there with the natural world, in my pursuit of understanding. I regret not posting photos, but when I get my new laptop, all these visits will be reprised, with the photos I’ve been taking.

Back to the matter of freedom. Valley Forge is a symbol of fighting for freedom. There is even an active organization in the town:Freedom’s Foundation, made famous in the 1969’s by the late American singer, Frankie Laine.

My take, in a nutshell: Freedom is a state of mind and heart. Of course, as with money, one must work to secure outward freedom, and never take it for granted. Yet, even those living in a dictatorship have the option of keeping the flame of freedom alive in their heart and mind.

I will have more to say about this,later, but I am getting tired,after a wonderful day, capped by a lovely dinner with a new friend.