For the second Reality Tour – Historic Trains of California – I adopted Mark Twain as my literary guide.
Before leaving, I reread The Innocents Abroad to help shape up my travel writing. Never one to take myself too seriously I thought it the perfect match. Especially because I knew we would be visiting San Francisco, [...]
Last night we drove down from Ft. Bragg. Dave, our tour manager, conspired with Drew to change up the route to ensure that we would travel over the Golden Gate Bridge on our way through San Francisco.
It was a nice touch. It had been too foggy to see much of the bridge on the first [...]
This was my favorite historical train of the tour.
The Skunk Train was a short drive from our hotel. After David secured the tickets we had some time in the gift shop. I bought a Redwood burl – from which tiny redwood sprouts are already growing.
The train left Ft. Bragg, our jumping off point. We slid [...]
We are on the home stretch of our Reality Tour.
As the sun comes up, Chad and I help to load the luggage and then we head down to the Ft. Bragg cliffs again.
They look different in the morning. The horizon seems further off and the sea angrier.
Yes, we are at the end. Near the [...]
Today Drew – captain of the motorcoach – more than earned his paycheck.
On a trip carefully crafted to keep the rides on the short side, the drive up from Napa Valley to Ft. Bragg felt long. I have to admit I was wondering why would we go up so far. Couldn’t we meet the Skunk [...]
It was sad leaving Sacramento behind. I’d grown fond of California’s capital. But as always, today we had something to look forward to.
I wasn’t sure what to expect on Day 8. Would the Napa Valley Wine Train live up to the hype?
Now I enjoy a glass of red wine now and then but it’s not [...]
Upon our return to Sacramento, Chad and I head over to the California State Railroad Museum. It’s on our list from Collette HQ of things to see.
Other passengers are heading over there as well. Mr. Davis and Mr. Ruehle are milling about.
The place is fantastic. What an amazing collection they have. Located right in Old [...]
The train pulled out with a pair of cowboys on board. One handed out “money” to the passengers, sharing the wealth we thought he was trying to protect. (no one said the story had to make sense) And he’s posing for pictures, mugging for the camera. Everyone is eating it up. Even a cynic like [...]
Put your hands up and keep them up because we are about to travel through time – back to the old west. And once aboard the Sacramento River Train anything can happen.
Before we set out on this adventure, nearly everyone took advantage of the included breakfast at the hotel. After that we gathered up in the lobby [...]
To cap off day six, Chad and I joined a few of the passengers downstairs at Holiday Inn Capitol Plaza. This hotel is centrally located and allows us to walk to Old Sacramento or into downtown. There’s also a nice mall right nextdoor. So if you are like me and maybe forgot to pack something [...]
© 2009 Collette Vacations. All Rights Reserved.
