For the second consecutive year, I spent a few days in Miami Beach to get away from Chicago’s winter. It was even more enjoyable the second time around. The late Jackie Gleason was correct. How sweet it is! (All photos credit The Weekly Opine)

Riding Amtrak, Western style. (Pics are below the intro)

Officially, hooked. Although admittedly, in the days leading up to my most recent rail adventure I began having second thoughts. Was another 4-nights round-trip excursion on Amtrak really a good idea? The prior three train trips, to Washington, D.C., New York City and Miami Beach, had all been fun experiences. But maybe a trip to and from Los Angeles/San Diego would be better served by flying.

The morning of the trip I woke up enthused about the prospect of seeing the country from the coziness of a sleeper car roomette.

One reason I am a train travel aficionado is the unhurried, mellow atmosphere at the train station. Another is that, unlike air travel, which is about getting from point A to point B, the train ride is an integral part of the vacation experience. Amtrak did not disappoint!

Eat and greet

The Amtrak dining experience is unique; you choose a reservation time and then go to the dining car and are seated with strangers. I’ve shared meals with fun, interesting people and the L.A. trip was no exception. Dinner with a couple from Northern Virginia and a pie-maker from Dodge City. Breakfast with a couple from Pittsburgh. Lunch with a man from Palm Springs and a woman from Riverside, California. Dinner with a woman from Wisconsin and her college-age daughter. Pleasurable, interesting conversation and the food was very good. (So was the wine!)

Same thing when the train makes a “fresh air” stop allowing you to step off the train. Chatted up a guy from Poughkeepsie and another couple from Pittsburgh. Talked with grandparents and their 9-year old grandson whose sleeper room was next to mine. They were headed to the Grand Canyon. The young fella even showed me how to make time-lapse videos using my iPhone.

Check out the pics below! (All photos credit The Weekly Opine.)

After arriving in Indianapolis a day earlier to visit relatives, on Thursday, May 23rd, I drove to Speedway, Indiana to get a pre-race day peak at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS). I approached the track on 16th Street and saw the familiar huge grandstands that run along Turn 2, the short chute, and Turn 1. Then I drove past campers and circled around to 25th Street. It had been years since I’d driven on Georgetown Road alongside the massive grandstands that frame Turn 4, the outside of the main straightaway and Turn 1. The world’s largest stadium did not fail to impress even me, who grew up just 15 miles from the track in Plainfield. (All photos credit: The Weekly Opine.)

Boarded Amtrak on Tuesday, February 5 for an eight-night trip that took me to South Florida - destination Miami Beach. To quote the great, late-Jackie Gleason, “How sweet it is!” Scroll through the photos. (All photos credit: The Weekly Opine)

On Saturday, July 7, 2018 Chicago’s Father Michael Pfleger led a march of thousands of Chicago residents to protest police brutality and persistent neighborhood violence. Responding to a question from The Weekly Opine prior to the march, Pfleger said he was “surprised” to have the support of Chicago’s mayor. After tense negotiations involving Pfleger, Illinois State Police, City of Chicago Police, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Governor Bruce Rauner, marchers were permitted to fulfill Pfleger’s stated goal to shut down the Dan Ryan Expressway. Scroll down to view event photos. (All photos credit: The Weekly Opine)