Reality Tour 2: Day 3 is here
On day 3 of Historic Trains of California we travel east out of San Francisco and over the Bay Bridge.
Drew, our driver, calls this the “working bridge.” The orange one is nice to look at but this one handles the heavy load.
Already, just from helping him put the luggage onto the motor coach, I can tell Drew is going to be a goldmine of stories.
It’s a quiet ride. We move past Oakland and the scenery changes. I’m east coast through and through. The landscape here is fascinating and disconcerting at the same time. All this open space – only the ocean can offer that back home.
At one point we pass through a series of hills dotted with modern windmills. My mind starts searching for Don Quixote parallels. What are we chasing after out here?
Dave takes this opportunity to begin a historical narrative that will carry us through the tour. In his own animated style, he’s telling stories from California’s history. John Fremont, Kit Carson and much to my delight, Mark Twain. He’s laying ground work, framing our upcoming adventures in the gold rush cities and towns. It’s hard to overstate how much more interesting this makes the tour. Everything we are seeing now has context, adding a great layer to the “historic” theme.
Sierra Railroad here we come!
PS. for you history buffs out there I recommend Blood and Thunder by Hampton Sides for more info on Fremont and Kit Carson
posted by John Geysen
Collette Vacations
Tags: Reality Tour 2
