Wild West '06

Train-bus connections completed

The girls made their train in Lincoln. The map that Amtrak had published of the train station's location in Lincoln was hugely in error, but we had plenty of time to ask directions and track down where it really was because the train was 58 minutes late in arriving. It was so late that when they boarded, the conductor announced to them that they would be boarding a van in St. Louis to be sure they got to Kansas City on time. They wound up actually getting to Kansas City about 1 hour earlier than they were supposed to arrive on the train had it been on schedule. It does make one wonder...

Last night (9:00 p.m.) they finally met the rest of the crew from MN and boarded the train (11 p.m.) to get them to Raton, NM. They were to arrive in Raton at about 10:30 a.m. today, be picked up by a school bus from Philmont and be at the ranch in time for lunch. I don't expect to hear from them again until we see them on July 2nd when they come off the trail. We plan to be there with our camper in tow.

Margaret is now on here way home with John and Ward. (Actually arrived 11 p.m.)

Impressions of the trip to central Illinois: A Suburu with five people in it gets smaller when driven for 10 hours. Books on tape are great inventions for traveling. Southern Indiana is like Kansas with trees. Illinois is like Kansas with corn and alfalfa. It's great to visit old friends, especially where the friendship is one that just seems to pick up where it left off at the last conversation or visit.