North Carolina Transportation Museum

After visiting the Amtrak 40th Anniversary exhibit it seems fitting to write about another rail experience. This time is was on the other side of the country at the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, NC.

I was impressed by the well preserved Spencer Shop Roundhouse and the locomotives that were housed in its bays. Of special interest to our family was a mail car. Back in the day the mail would be sorted in these cars while the train moved towards its destination. This was the occupation of my great uncle Wyman, so it was meaningful too see a workplace similar to his.

Dolomites Roller Coaster Afternote: Spain

With the completion of my trek through the Dolomites I caught a series of buses and trains, arriving in Milan late at night. After a good nights rest I boarded a bus that took me to the airport. It was time to say ciao to Italy and hola to Spain. Here I spent three days with my sister and her family. I was touched to learn that one of my nephews made sure that my room was neat and tidy for my arrival, going as far to write a sign telling his younger brother not to mess up the bed.


After eight days of demanding hiking it was nice to rest, play in the neighborhood pool and goof off with my nephews. Tanya and I also took the commuter rail into downtown Madrid and visited the the Museo Sorolla. This was the home of the painter Joaquin Sorolla and housing many of his paintings. I was impressed by how well he incorporated light in his landscape and beach paintings. The museum did a nice job showing the different phases of his paintings and had a wonderful garden outside.


Tanya also introduced me to the Parque Europa. This is a park across the street from her home that has replicas of many famous European landmarks. In one afternoon I was able to crane my neck looking up the Eiffel Tower, pass through the Brandenburg Gate and cross London's Tower Bridge.

For my final full day in Spain we had a road trip, braving the heat we checked out the ruins of a castle at Zorita de Canes. Before storming the castle I helped my nephews find crawdads at the picnic area. It is very refreshing to see two young boys so excited about the birds and animals in the natural world.


The plunder from storming the castle was cupcakes, mostly to celebrate the birthday of my nephew. The chance to be present so close to his birthday was a gift to me, rarely do I have that chance.

After the cupcakes were digested and the gifts were opened it was time to rest. For the next morning I returned to the airport, checked in my backpack and started back home.

Dani and Tanya visit Portland

My nephew Dani took the train down from Seattle to visit me. He was nice enough to bring my sister along as well. We covered a lot of ground during the weekend. I introduced him to Voodoo Doughnuts, eating out at a food cart pod, Mt. Tabor Park and my neighbor's horse Hal.


Even thought the weather was not hot Dani had a blast running in and out of the Salmon Street Fountain. We even had a 'Keep Portland Weird' event when a large group of men and women wearing red dresses ran thought the area, some which barreled through the fountain.


This visit was more than seeing the sights. I enjoyed seeing Dani's enthusiasm for Mini Coopers (especially the convertibles), fire hydrants and spiders. I also appreciated the opportunity to catch up with Tanya.

High Tea on Vancouver Island

Legend has it it that Anna Marie Russell, the Duchess of Bedford, was looking for a light meal to make the long stretch between lunch and dinner bearable. Her solution was a combination of tea, small sandwiches, and desserts. While High Tea is not as popular in Canada as in the United Kingdom, Victoria is an exception. We were visiting the Provincial Capital of British Columbia and decided to check this tradition out.

We passed on having High Tea at the Fairmont Empress Hotel, instead we partook in this tradition at the Gatsby Mansion. While more than a third of the cost than the Empress, it still had fine offerings with a touch of elegance. The meal consisted of four courses.

A Fruit Plate....

followed by a Scone Plate...

then a variety of Sandwiches...


and then, last but not least, the dessert plate.

As you can see, this was not a light meal. While the practice here is to advertise this as High Tea, careful reading of teatime traditions would discover that this is actually Afternoon Tea. Whatever it was called, it was enough to fill us up for a walk touring the night lights of Victoria and several hands of UNO.

Easter Eggs at Christmas?

This year my parents decorated their Christmas Tree with eggs. You should note that these are not ordinary eggs, but egg shells decorated by my relatives in the Czech Republic. Here are a couple of examples.

Planes Trains and Automobiles

It should not have surprised me that I would have found so much of my past in Minnesota. While it is hundreds of miles from the Pacific Northwest, my parents grew up in this state and I have many relatives that live here. So when I made an early morning journey to the PDX airport the stage was set for a visit to the past, present, and future.

I was traveling to the Midwest to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of my Aunt Judy and Uncle Jack. There were friends and family traveling from all over the country to witness this happy occasion. Even Europe was represented. There were so many people at the reception that my Cousin Jeff had to set up more tables.

I was prepared to see relatives that I had not seen for 11 to 16 years. I was caught off guard for the emotional impact that the slide show at the reception had upon me. I was also surprised to see things that reminded me of my Grandparents. Like the luggage that I spotted in my Aunt's hand. The piano that Grandma played as she would sing hymns. The clock on the fireplace mantel that Grandpa had made.

But I did not come here to dwell in the past. I discovered that I was not the only one in the family tree that would travel to the graveside of a dead American President. It was enlightening to see the traits that my cousins and I share due to our common heritage. In addition, it was meaningful to reacquaint with this part of my family. I certainly appreciated them sharing their homes, stories, laughter, and dreams with me.

While it was the automobile that got me to and from the airport (thanks Tanya and Scott), it was the train that was my ticket home. I boarded Amtrak's Empire Builder late Monday night in Minneapolis and de-trained Wednesday morning in Portland. While airline travel is quicker, I appreciated the more intimate view that train travel offered.

I spent most of the time in the observation car and enjoyed the fields of Sunflowers, the wind rippling like waves through the grasslands, and brief glimpses of the peaks of Glacier National Park. As a bonus some Mazamas friends boarded the train at the West Glacier train station. It was a treat to hear their stories of backpacking in Glacier National Park. I really would like to return here.

Victory

It is not unusual for me to get a little teary eyed this time of the year. For today marks the 13th anniversary of my brother's bone marrow transplant. While that was hardly the end of his ordeal with Burkitt's Lymphoma, it was a major turning point.

Today a reporter from the Charlotte Observer posted a blog entry interviewing my brother. You can access that dispatch here. It seemed fitting and proper to dedicate this space to his story.

"Victory at all costs - Victory in spite of all terrors - Victory, however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival." - Sir Winston Churchill

Central Oregon Trip

My brother Scott was in Portland for a business trip the past week. At the end of the week we took a trip to Central Oregon, which turned out to be a good diversion from rainy Willamette Valley weather.

We covered a lot of territory on this trip. We hiked up Misery Ridge at Smith Rock State Park and watched climbers on Monkey Face. In Bend we caught up with Jen Floyd, who we worked with at Camp Parsons. We also checked out Cline Falls State Park, home of an unsolved attempted axe murder. On the way home we stopped at Silver Falls State Park to relive some childhood memories.

The big surprise of the trip was the hike along Tumalo Creek. I had heard about this area, but it was my first visit there. Tumalo Falls is located within tripping distance from the parking lot, but this is one of those hikes where continuing down the trail is well worth the extra effort.

Tumalo Falls

Upper Tier of Middle Tumalo Falls

Upper Tumalo Falls

Robert Marx Memorial Service

This weekend I traveled to Springfield, VA for the memorial service for Bob Marx, my father's cousin. Even though his family lived on the East coast, we saw him a handful of times during my youth. I always liked seeing cousin Bob. His easy going demeanor had an encouraging and supportive tone.

I knew that he had a long career at the Census Bureau, but until today I did not know the extent of his professional contribution. He was the architect of the Census Bureau's TIGER Format, which was used to improve the Census Bureau's process of taking the Decennial Census. In fact, Bob was the one who coined the acronym TIGER, which stands for Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing. If you are interested about TIGER, you can read more about it here on Wikipedia.

But this gathering was about much more than Bob's professional achievements. His 4 year old grandson got up in front of the audience to say how he wished that his grandfather would return to to play in his sandbox. I doubt at that moment there was a dry eye in the sanctuary. For me, I grieved that my father had lost his surrogate brother and childhood friend. The occasion also provided the opportunity to reacquaint myself with the Marx side of our family. I also got to meet many relatives that I had never met before.

Long Live the Paella King!

My weekend started off with the celebration of my nephew's baptism.  Since he is half Spanish, it seemed fitting to serve Paella.  While we have cooked Paella before, this time we left it in the hands of a pro...the Paella King.  Watching this master at work was as much fun as eating the Paella itself.  I delighted savoring the aroma as he worked through each stage of his craft.

He started by cooking the prawns, thus seasoning the oil.  He ended by placing in the mussels and clams into the rice.  It was like watching an artist working on canvas.

Swedish Connection

My Swedish heritage got plenty to attention on this social whirlwind of a day.  It started when my parents arrived with my Swedish relatives Kurt and Anita.  I had visited them twice in Mora, Sweden - once in 1993 with my friend Eric and then in 1996.  It was great to host them here in Portland.  They were stopping for lunch while underway to visit some friends in Bend, Oregon.  We had a great time catching up and looking at the photos of my past visits to Sweden.

Then I drove to Northeast Portland for my Mazama friends Laura and Dan's housewarming party.  I had worn my Swedish Folk Costume because my next stop would be the ScanFair at Portland State University.  My costume turned out to be a great conversation starter and a great chance to share a part of my self with my friends.

My next stop was Portland State University for the Scandinavian Heritage Foundation's ScanFair Dance.  Here I got a chance to practice the Hambo, Waltz, and other dances.

On Wisconsin

After regrouping from my backpack trip in the Wallowas, I boarded a Delta flight to Charlotte, North Carolina.  Having scored a window seat in an exit row, I was treated to views of the Oregon Cascades as far south as the Three Sisters.  But it was the view of the Wallowas that sent a shiver down my spine.  As the plane past north of this mountain range, I could see the area that I had been backpacking in just days before.  There were so many memories down there.

My visit to Charlotte was short, but long enough to enjoy dinner with Scott and his girlfriend Julie.  And Julie, if you're reading  this, thanks for the cookies and trail mix.

The next morning we departed for Madison, Wisconsin.  Our route took us through the Appalancan and Cumberland mountain ranges.  I also set foot on four states that I have not visited before:  Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana.  Furthermore,  Manus Hand would have been proud, because we visited the grave sites of three American Presidents.  Andrew Johnson in Greenville, TN, William Henry Harrison in North Bend, OH, and his grandson Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis, IN.  Once in Madison we picked up my father, who had flown in from Seattle.

Please note, we were not converging on Madison on a whim.  My brother was going to take part in the Wisconsin Ironman.  This was not my first trip to Madison.  Ten years ago I was here to visit my friend Eric, who was then working on his doctorate at the University of Wisconsin.  Eric has since moved on to greener pastures, but his friend Dave provided local expertise.  Not only did he provide insights on the various hills surrounding Madison, but we had a wonderful dinner at his home.

Not only did I spend time with Scott and Dad on this trip, but I also had a lot of quality time with Scott's dog Winston.  Even though Winston is nearly seven years old, several people would come up to us and ask if they could pet the 'puppy'.  I could see why people would think that Winston was so young, because he was the one taking me for a walk down the streets of Madison.

With over two thousand participants and even more spectators, it was difficult to get a good view of the swimming portion of the race.  We had better luck with the 112 mile long bicycle portion.  The trick is to know the mileage at various viewpoints along the route.  We would go to a spot, wait for Scott, and then scramble to the next view point.  Dad would cheer and ring the cowbell, I would take photos, and Winston would wag his tail.

In the end, it was dark and we were in downtown Madison.  In the background was the lighted capitol dome.  It was an emotional scene.  Often children would join their parent for the last steps to the finish line.  And then Scott came around the corner.  My camera failed me at this critical moment, but a least I was there.  Way to go Scott!!!

The next day I found myself on the plane, going back home to Portland.  Dad would drive back with Scott.  Unfortunately, thunderstorms delayed my arrival to Atlanta.  We were diverted to Huntsville, Alabama to refuel.  By the time I arrived in Atlanta the last flight to Portland had left.  It had been three years since I had flown, now I remember why.  Delta gave me a slight discount at a hotel.  I caught the first flight to Portland.  Even though I had a middle seat, I could see Mts Rainier, St. Helens, and Adams as we approached the airport.  Despite the prospect of getting to work half a day late, I was happy to be home.

Full House on Mears Street

Recently I was blessed with the visit of my sister Tanya and nephew Oscar.  They took the train from Seattle to Portland, which was a thrill for Oscar.

Only hours later my cousin Eric and wife Karen and their daughters Julianna and Sophia pulled into my driveway.

It was great to spend time with everybody.  The big thrill for me was to watch Julianna and Oscar riding bikes and trikes in my backyard.  I knew there was a good reason to have a large concrete patio.

Third Time is a Charm

This weekend was the third installment in the celebration of my birthday.  You may recall that I celebrated the actual date at the Mazama Lodge.  The following weekend my friend Len and I got together for dinner followed by Jazz music at Jimmy Mak's.  This  Sunday I drove up to The Olympic Club Pub in Centralia, WA for lunch with my parents.  I just love the massive Round Oak stove that heats up this one time card room.  And guys, if you ever stop at this place, be sure to check out the larger than life urinal.  Man, there must not have been a shortage of porcelain when they built this monster.

After returning to Portland, I joined some friends for dinner and improv comedy at the Mississippi Station in North Portland.  I certainly appreciated Roger putting this evening together.  The improv comedy was presented by the The Liberators.