Top of the world
Lake Helene
Amtrak took us, surely if a little slowly, from New York to Washington; to Chicago; and then Denver. It’s impossible to do more than scratch the surface of a nation in a whistle-stop tour; but there have been highlights and insights.
Washington seemed full of monuments: big buildings, pronouncing the might, and right, of the United States of America. Ridiculously, I was most impressed by stumbling across the iconic Watergate building down by the Potomac river. Joined the Quaker Meeting in Dupont Circle on Sunday, in their large, beautifully-maintained Meeting House.
Chicago was tall and shiny – and full of volunteers. The Youth Hostel has an information desk; Danny showed us around Little Italy, where he spent his childhood; we could have joined three other tours, shared a spaghetti dinner provided by local girl scouts, or enjoyed an international meal. All of this was on offer, free, just on the day we visited.
By the time we reached Denver, I had – t0 be honest – had enough of cities. We hired a car and headed for the Rocky Mountain National Park. Walking, stunning views, scenery, fresh air – I guess I’ll just use the word correctly for once: awesome. Walking at 12,000 feet above sea level is a little heady, and slow.
If you ever find yourself in the area, stay at Terri Schindel”s Estes Park Hostel (www.estesparkhostel.com). It’s a home-from-home, with the added entertainment of a bear wandering down the street in the middle of the night. Terri’s also a textile conservator and teacher, with great stories about her three gruesome years in London in the 1980s!
Today we came back down to Denver, mile-high city, ready to join Amtrak again. We have to be up early to catch the thru’way coach at 5:30 in the morning – possibly a good thing we won’t be in bed too long, as I think I’ve just spotted a cockroach in our rather down-market hostel room…
