Sunday, February 14, 2021

SAINT VALENTINE'S DAY


 

8 comments:

Eric said...

Thirty-three years ago today, Pat and I celebrated Valentine’s Day by taking an Amtrak Pacific Surfliner train from downtown San Diego up to San Juan Capistrano to have lunch. Just north of Del Mar, our train suddenly came to a stop. After about 15 or 20 minutes, it started moving again but at 25 miles per hour. An announcement was made that an earthquake had just occurred and that our train was required to travel at a reduced speed until the tracks ahead of us could be inspected for damage.

From Del Mar to San Juan Capistrano, the tracks run mostly right next to the shoreline and, since it was a beautiful, sunny day, we got to enjoy some spectacular scenery while our train crept along. Fortunately, we were not on a tight schedule and were not inconvenienced by the late arrival at our destination.

After an enjoyable lunch, we caught a southbound Pacific Surfliner for the trip back to San Diego. By then, our train was running at its usual speed. It seems like yesterday. Happy Valentine’s Day.

Roger Smith said...

You had good luck. Last week, part of the Pacific Coast Highway, near Big Sur, suddenly broke away and plunged into the ocean. Reports did not include cars going with it, but that's just for this time. I lived in Lancaster CA for 14 years, directly astride the San Andreas Fault. I left in 2017, and the Big One had not hit--yet. Here in Yuma AZ, we are on the tail end of that fault, and feel earth movement to some lesser degree--at least, for now. But we never forget where we are.

Eric said...

On a totally different subject, the San Diego Zoo is open again or soon will be. You have to make reservations in advance to get in.

Chic Silber said...


I'm a life long train rider both

domestic & many foreign travels

Amtrak is a poor replacement for

the many passenger railroads it

became the default nationwide

partial service replacement

I'm on Amtrak's Silver Star

(a name it glommed from the

long defunct Seaboard Airline

Railway) this Friday headed

South in a very nice bedroom

The train ends up in Miami

but it does a side detour

to Tampa where they provide

a full size dedicated coach

to Sarasota

Chic Silber said...


I take this train a few times

each year to break up flying

Chic Silber said...


For a short time I had an

incredible stateroom on

the Blue Train in the 70s

Chic Silber said...


When the Monte Carlo Tour Train

was being assembled there was a

plan to have the Hickory Creek

as the end car that I would have

shared with a senior staff guy

(he turned out to be a phony)

Chic Silber said...


Feld sold the car to a New Jersey

railroad club that restored it

As it turned out the train left

Venice before the plumbing was

insulated so upon arrival up in

Providence for our premiere the

whole shebang froze up & we all

were sent to a very nice hotel

A very bad omen as it turned out