The long-awaited Trainweb.com 10th
Anniversary Party had finally arrived, Dec. 6, 2006, 5 to 7 p.m.
I left our home in Placentia, CA, not more than a 20 minute drive to
the site of the party, The Rail Restaurant, in Fullerton, CA. You
might know the feeling if you are a Rail Traveler, I would be boarding
the Amtrak Southwest Chief this night for a trip of nearly 2,000
miles. I often go to the Fullerton Station about 7 pm just to see
it begin its journey from Los Angeles to Chicago, but this night I'd
actually board and have a roomette in which to spend 2 nights and a
day!
At the Fullerton Amtrak Station, there is a multi-level parking
structure in which you can leave your car for up to 14 days IF you get
a window sticker the day of your departure and place it in the back
window. I pulled into the garage and the 3rd place in, on the
first floor was open. This is exciting considering the structure
is 4 levels with no elevator! I got the sticker, placed it in my
window and left my luggage in the car and walked to the Rail
Restaurant, a half block away. Arriving at 5:15, there were
hardly any places left. It turned out that 24 people came for the
celebration. As an Anniversary gift, I gave Barbara, one of the
four partners of TrainWeb.com, a bottle of wine with a photo note card
I made with a closeup photo of a cluster of grapes of the same variety
used in the wine. (Earlier in the week I'd given Steve Grande,
another partner of TrainWeb.com, a framed 12 x 18 photo of the
Amtrak Surfliner in Carlsbad, CA, passing under Hwy. 101, on the cliff
above the Pacific Ocean.)
Everyone signed the list of attendees at this Anniversary Celebration,
then the staff took the dinner orders of those of us who were leaving
on the Southwest Chief this evening. I ordered, and thoroughly
enjoyed the Salmon dinner.
(Click any photo for a double-sized copy, click BACK in your browser to
return to this page.)
|
|
|
Chris Guenzler showing Tom's gift to TrainWeb.com
|
Chris Parker, Videographer, (a.k.a. Paul Bunyon)