Tacoma2012: January 2016

USS Midway Aircraft Carrier

The HMS Surprise, a modern tall ship, is based on the HMS Rose, a 20 gun frigate built in 1757. The ship was used in the making of the film Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World and was restored to sailing condition in September 2007. In 2010, the ship portrayed HMS Providence in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

I'm surprised we didn't end up buying a boat on this trip. Really surprised.

Seagulls looking wistfully into the restaurant windows

Early morning departure from San Diego for the marathon drive day back to Salem, OR. 3:15am departure from San Diego hotel....pulled into the Salem apartment at 7:00pm.

Saying goodbye to the California sun

Autobot

Halfway through the drive home

And back to the rain and clouds - coming over the Siskiyous between CA and OR

Heading down the Gorge on the way to Promontory Summit, UT to see the Golden Spike

Just east of Portland - Multnomah Falls is the second tallest year-round waterfall in the U.S. and the tallest waterfall in Oregon

Heading towards Idaho and Utah

Pop art at a brew pub in Pendleton, OR

Scary looking burned out City Hall in Pendleton, OR

Pretty winter scene heading into Idaho

Sunrise on the way to Utah

Roads are getting worse as we head to Promontory Summit, Utah

Wasn't expecting to see this in Promontory Utah ... ATK Aerospace Group has test facilities here where they recently test fired the largest, most powerful booster ever built for the Space Launch System (NASA's new heavy-lift rocket that is in development to enable missions farther into space than ever before).

As the freezing fog lifted...Promontory Summit, UT (not to be confused with Promontory Point, UT -- not the place where the first Transcontinental Railroad met)

Jeep pic

Since there weren't many visitors on the snowy Sunday, the Park Ranger gave us a private tour of the locomotive shop. There are two replicas in the shop, the Union Pacific's No. 119 and the Central Pacific's Jupiter. In the famous photo of the "Meeting of the Lines" the No. 119 is on the right and the Jupiter is on the left.

Both engines were steam engines, the No. 119 was coal powered and the Jupiter burned wood.

The location of the famous picture - the wedding of the rails

On the road again after an exciting Sunday morning exploring our nation's train history

Uh-oh....got stuck in Rawlins, WY. Interstate to the East closed...then Interstate back to the West closed. Decided to hunker down, stay at the Marriott, eat at the local honkey-tonk, and make a night of it.

Made it out of Rawlins, WY the next day...what a beautiful arctic scene

50+ mph wind gusts blowing snow everywhere

Big accident in the other lane

A few hours delayed, but finally made it into Colorado

Denver, CO

Mile High Stadium (Sports Authority Field) in Denver

Rolling into New Mexico

Back to sunshine and warmer temps

Finally into Houston on Tuesday

View of the roof of the Toyota Center from our room (PS - it lights up a bright neon red as soon as the sun goes down....)

City view from the other window

The park near our hotel - a nice space with light gardens, a lake, and ice skating rink

Ross liked the hotel stairs

Finished up conference in Houston and stopped at the Wigwam Resort in Phoenix on the way to San Diego...ahhhh palm trees, a pool side bar, and warm temps - so nice!