St Paul

Arrived in the Twin Cities yesterday morning after nearly two days of travel from Vancouver. Took the bus down to Seattle and walked almost directly onto the train. The station in Seattle is in the area made famous by the recent earthquake. Just over a block away is the green-awninged brick building whose facade collapsed during the tremor. Not surprisingly, the building is still undergoing reconstruction.

While the accommodation was cozy on the train, the company was great. I think we crossed the most scenic parts during daylight hours, which was a big plus. We skirted the southern end of Glacier National Park Friday morning. The weather was clear so the views were spectacular. As the mountains gave way to the plains, our pastime changed from admiring the scenery to spotting wildlife. Throughout eastern Montana and North Dakota we saw coyote, bison, foxes, deer, antelope and a variety of waterfowl. My dad had the advantage on us when it comes to ducks and geese. He could have been making up names for the birds we saw and we would have been any the wiser.

The recent flooding is causing problems with the rail schedule. We arrived in Minot, North Dakota about 10 minutes ahead of schedule. Yet, as we pulled out of the station, they announced that the train would be about two hours late into the Twin Cities and about three hours late into Chicago. This anticipated delay is due to work being done upon the rails and the additional caution necessary when using rails that had recently been underwater. The announcement went on to add that ours was only the second train to have continued on to Chicago since the floodwaters receded. We are expecting the same type of delay when we depart tomorrow.

My parents and sister had a party for us last night which provided a great chance to see a lot of family and friends as well as sate the urge for Green Mill spicy chicken and feta cheese pizza. On the wall was a map of the world with our route marked on it, indicating where we have been and where we have yet to go. Seeing it there really struck home how far we have really traveled on this trip. In some ways, others seem to have a more comprehensive perspective of our trip than we do. It is very easy for us to get pulled into the short-term view: where are we and what do we want to see and do today? What time do we need to be at the station? Why does my bag seem so much lighter? What have I forgotten to pack? To put it another way, Helsinki seems a part of an entirely different trip.

We were asked a lot of tough questions about our travels: What was the best; what was the most exciting; what surprised you the most. We are still pondering the answers ourselves.

Trivia time: In the 1860’s, a German military officer who had been observing with the Union Army was in St. Paul, Minnesota. While there, he took the opportunity to take a ride in a hot air balloon. This experience sparked an interest in flight in Count von Zeppelin which culminated in the rigid airships which bear his name.

• Around the World
• Minnesota
• USA