The Last Part

"Home"

Kinda has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?? At the end of the work day, you know you are going....home. But at the end of a trip or vacation.....home has a bittersweet meaning. You hate to leave your vacation spot or end the trip that you have been on for the last 2 weeks. But once you are done with the traveling by air and getting your baggage and all of the other stuff that takes place....it is a GOOD thing to be home. And with the advent of Hurricane Sandy, home has a much stronger meaning.

Day 15 began with a 4 hour drive from Kearney thru Columbus and onward to Omaha and Eppley Field. When I left the Midtown Western Inn in Kearney, I swung down to the minicipal parking lot with that ugly, black ornamental steel fence and sat there for about 10 minutes just soaking it where I have been in the last 14 days. And as sad as the moment was knowing that I am now heading back to Niantic, I can't help but to look back at where I have been, who I have seen, and what I have seen. More on that in a moment.

My trip could not have ended any better. As I am driving east to Omaha, I am passing the westbound freights and haven't caught up to any eastbounds. Then around the town of Wood River, midway between Kearney and Grand Island, I see a set of 3 locomotives with no consist going east as seen in my rear view mirror:

"Light Engines" is what the railroad calls this movement. All of the locomotives are made by General Electric and are of the AC-44CW variety. That's UP 5895 in the lead and online with UP 6173 and UP 5709 trailing and in idle mode. And for the next hour or so, UP 5895 East and I race towards Columbus:

Track speed is 60 MPH as it is U.S. Route 30. When I approach a town, I have to slow down to 45 but UP 5895 East blasts right on through. After each town, we catch up and the race/chase continues:

At the point where U.S. Route and the UP mainline split apart between Ames and Columbus, UP 5895 East and I part ways as the locomotives arrive at Columbus yard for their next move:

Have a safe ride, y'all.

And before I go to the airport, one small side trip: a visit to a small ice cream shop that was brought to the attention of the ABC-TV show "Shark Tank":

eCreamery, located at the corner of N. 50th Street and Underwood Avenue in downtown Omaha. eCreamery custom makes ice cream and ships its anywhere in the country via dry ice containers. You are allowed to freely sample their ice cream at their store and buy some right there or go to their website at www.ecreamery.com and dream up your own concoction and have it shipped right to your front door. And the rasberry sorbate was quite good.

Soon I arrive at Eppley Field, drop off the Sonata, and see the folks at Delta Airlines. Boarding passes in hand, it's thru security and then I am at gate A5 waiting for my flight home.



And before we end this journey, a review of this over 2800 mile journey.


I added another state to my Seen-All-States list by going up to North Dakota, discovering its prairie beauty and its contribution to the farming community. And to see the birth place of an American icon of whom my maternal grandmother, Nannie, was a big, big fan. Of going into the Rocky Mountains to see a railroad icon, The Moffat Tunnel, in Winter Park, Colorado. Only to be turned around by the power of Mother Nature and fall time snow. Of being on the Nebraska and South Dakota prairies, in a brand new rental car, and fighting 60mph crosswinds for 260 miles and seeing up close what the power of these winds can do to buildings and those who drive the big rigs and deliver all of our needs.

Visiting my good friend Jenn in Pierre, South Dakota. The model of a single Mom making sure her family is doing well.

My oldest niece, Ali, in Denver attending Regis University. Studying hard, in love, and enjoying life. Of my friend and former colleague Ray and his wife Elaine living on the prairie and just....doing great.

Still being in awe of the vastness and beauty of the Midwest of these great United States. Areas that are pretty much still like they were when our founding fathers and brave pioneers first traveled thru here.

Having the privilege to work and the fun to save and plan this trip and the freedom to travel where you want to go. In some countries around the world, you still cannot freely do that. But to drive around anywhere in the U.S. and meet the great people of these areas where you go is truly something to enjoy. Yes, I will someday fly across the Big Pond and do some traveling over there, but right now, I like where I am at and where I have gone.

Finally, there is the soul of this railfan. Some folks think I am crazy and don't understand this love and fascination I have for trains. That can be "blamed" on my folks. My Dad got my brothers and me our first train set, an American Flyer, made by A.C. Gilbert of New Haven, Connecticut. Soon after were the electric trains made by Lionel. And my Mom had these trinkets from a cross country train trip she made some 60 years ago from Hartford to Sun Valley, Idaho for a big time skiing vacation. And she may have ridden on the very rails that I have been following the last 2 weeks. How cool is that??!! Thanks, Mom and Dad, for giving me the train bug. It's been a good thing.

Before we conclude, how ‘bout some parting shots??

The very cool water tower in Elkhorn:

A Union Pacific locomotive on display in Columbus:

Mums the word in Kearney:

 On the range in Holdrege:

The local skyscraper in Cozad:

A trucker keeping the faith on U.S. Route 83 near Thedford:

A home on the range north of Pierre:

The colors of fall in Pierre:

Remembering our veterans in South Dakota:

The Badlands of South Dakota:

Double stacking in Julesburg:

Keeping it in check on I-80 east of Laramie:

The Colorado Rockies:

Snow and trains south of Greeley:

All that corn in Shelton:

And who can't forget TV's "Wild Kingdom" sponsor:

And so ends On The Road – Nebraska 2012. Thanks again to my son Chris and my daughter Caty for helping me with setting up the blog. Thanks to my younger brother Paul for the name of the blog. Thanks to my youngest brother Jay for helping out with our Dad while I have been on vacation. Thanks to those who covered my shift at News8.

And thanks to all of you out there for following along. It has been an honor and a privilege. Take care. Have a safe ride wherever you go.

I’m Philip J Zocco. Off the road – and home -  in Niantic, Connecticut.

Part Fourteen

"The best laid plans Of Mice and Men often go awry"

Day 14 begins with trying to recover from something I ate yesterday to finding out how Hurricane Sandy just put a kink in my trip. Hence our title today.

When I go on extended vacations like I am doing here, I always watch what I eat and don’t over do it. In fact, the weather has been so nice at times that a good 30 minute walk, in the morning or in the evening, has been on the agenda.

Well, the trip caught up with me last night and continued this morning. I am doing much better but dog gone it!! What are you going to do?? A simple bowl of cereal will be dinner tonight.

And then there is Hurricane Sandy. Seems the megalopolis of Washington, DC to Boston is under the gun. It could be one of the windiest storms in over 30 years.

I would have been a fool to have just ignored this “perfect” storm and taken my chances, but having a folding cot at one of the nation’s busiest airports is not exactly something I would even like to try.

So I made my phone calls this morning and I will be going home this weekend. I don’t like having to cut my trip short, but it has really been one heck of a trip, complete with Denver snow and seeing snow up close in the Rocky Mountains.  And we can’t forget those high wind warnings from last week either. With time constraints as they are, we’ll do one more issue here and when I get back home, we’ll wrap up this great trip.

I leave Sidney at 10:30am MDT and start going east. The snow from Wednesday did make some impact on western Nebraska but not as bad as out in Wyoming and Colorado. Still, the countryside does look great. The temperature outside the Sonata is about 35 degrees. And every time I stop to take some pictures, you feel the cold and the overcast skies just make it feel like it wants to snow. As much as I like enjoy winter’s snow, I’ll be just fine enjoying the rest of fall.

A stop in Chappell shows you the main business district, i.e., the large grain elevators that straddle the UP’s main line:

And east and west of Chappell, you see the seams of snow:

Pretty much like what I experienced back on 2002 and 2008. And soon we are back in Colorado:

For one last time. I arrive in downtown Julesburg to see UP 5566 East waiting at the crossovers as the UP maintenance-of-way crews have about 10 miles of track 2 out of service while they pick up old spikes, tie plates, rail and crossties.

 Outside my mobile office, UP 6646 West rolls by with a 125 car empty unit grain train:

I swing over to the Julesburg General Store to pick up one of their spectacular ham and cheese subs. Upon coming back, UP 5566 East is on its way. Back into Nebraska for the last time:

 I drive ahead and stop outside Big Springs to sit back and enjoy lunch. Soon after, UP 5566 East catches up and rolls by me. West of Ogallala, I play tag - rear end DPU:

And the leader 5566:

 and make it to the head end. Overcast skies still rule the day.

Soon after, we depart the Mountain Time Zone, our host since last Sunday and enter the Central Time Zone. And I am greeted by UP 6044 West with more empty grain cars:

And there is still more corn to ship to market:

And we can’t forget our future “retirement” home of Cozad:

And the last shot of the day:

UP 8668 East at 55 cars in length with the reporting marks ARMN. They are part of Union Pacific’s 4,950-car mechanical refrigerator fleet, carrying fresh fruit and produce from the West to parts East. And as it was when I first saw this type of unit train in 2010, it was fascinating to see that every single car in the consist was covered with some sort of graffiti.

About an hour later, I arrive in Kearney a day early. Many thanks to the folks at Midtown Western Inn for the accommodation change And I lucked out in getting the “suite” over The Lounge restaurant complete with a balcony view.

So Day 14 comes to a close. The Weather Channel shows much of New England and the Mid-Atlantic coast under the high winds of the approaching Hurricane Sandy. I have already been running thru my head what has to be pulled in at my house and our family’s beach house. All I can say is watch the media outlets and stay abreast of the storm.

Time to get ready to head home. We’ll wrap things up later this weekend. Thanks for coming along.

I’m Philip J Zocco. On The Road. In Kearney, Nebraska.