2015.11.11 Veteran's Day at Universal Studios, Orlando FL

What better way to spend Veteran's Day than at Universal Studios in Orlando.  Rick and I left Omaha Wednesday night the 10th for Florida for Mat and Pana's wedding on Saturday so had a few days to explore. We got the "Two Park" Universal Studios pass ---the park is connected by the Harry Potter Train--so if you want a train ride, you need the two partk pass - $313.00 for both of us. I was ready to walk away from the ticket office but Rick sprung.  It was a long and fun day with lots of rides. Unfortunately, theiy did their special Veteran's Day Parade on the 10th. but we were there for the regular parade at 5pm and also the 100 Years of Universal night show around the lake at 7pm.

We parked at the $20 parking lot. Outside the park entrance were movie theatres and shopping and restaurants.  We ate at Bubba Gump's before leaving for the day. Transformers Ride 3D was fun and made me think of nephew Tyler - all the rides were fun - and not long lines, either. Wait time was 5-20 minutes.

Here is lookng back at the empty lines into the Hogwarts Railway Station. We were able to zip around the outside and right up the steps into the station.

However, people at Kings Cross station when we reached the other side, were lined up like this. 

Here are the lines to board the really authentic English train that would take us to Kings Cross Station at the other park. 

I took a picture of the logo on the side of the train. You can see our ties are painted on the cement.

While in the train car we sat in a cabin that held 8 people, 4 on each side. The door to the hallway was closed and we saw silouites of Harry Potter and friends walking down the hall.  The window we looked out gave us scenes of Harry and friends on their brooms flying by, and also the Hippogriffe. Then we arrived at the other park at the Kings Cross Station.

Seuss Landing was very bright. Even the cleaning people on this side wore bright smocks. This was on the first park side.

Seuss Carosel.

Cat in the Hat. Easier rides for the little ones that we skipped.

Dora the Explorer float in the parade at 5.

Beetle Juice Music show:

Some of the favorite rides were the Simpson's ride at Krusty's Carnival, Shrek, Minions, Harry Potter.

2015.10.04 St. Louis, Arch, AAPRCO Banquet

Final day in St. Louis we had to go to the Gateway Arch. There was a lot of construction going on as they were getting ready to celebrate the 50th Anniversay. We took Liz and John from California with us. Got our tickets in the courthouse where the Dred Scott decision was made.

Inside the old courthouse which is now a historical building and ticket office for the Arch:

   Dred Scott monument.

Construction going on around the Arch:

Up at the top!

John and Liz:

 

Mark and Rick looking out:

And looking down at the Missouri River and toward the Courthouse and Construction:

And down one leg of the Arch....makes me a little dizzy.

Later that night at the AAPRCO Banquet, we got to see some more of the beautiful grand hall laser light show before they stopped everything with the hot air balloons on the ceiling.  Good food, good dance, grabbing the extra wine from the tables.

2015.10.03 St. Louis -Museum Tours & 2nd AAPRCO Car Party

Day 2 of AAPRCO included two tours. The first was to the St. Louis Museum of Transport. We took a bus out there with several other people and had a tour guide. They had a lot of train related stuff outside, also car collections under cover.

 Our tour guide with a special school bus train car.They had a huge train shed.

Next to the stop was the University of Missouri at St Louis library which had the Barriger Transportation Library where Nick, the archivist, told us about the collection. Here is Rick with John 'Jack" Barriger IV standing behind in the tan coat in the transportation library. His father was in a position to take lots of photos while on the job and collect a lot of railroad related materials.  They have a lot of the collection stored off site.

Here is Nick talking about the collections. Bill Martin in back with red tag, Dave Hoffman in blue hat looking away, Dave Rohr in tan hat to the right.

There was a John Audobon exhibit at the library as well, art work, and maps of the missouri river.

Then private car party #2.

Debbie Wolff.

Theme party on one car.

Bob and Darlene's car (Evelyn Brown passing through on left) Bob on right.

Rick in the car with a night sky ceiling

Looking in from the outside.

Afterward, we crashed the Dearing for a Maiden Voyge Reunion - most of the people that went on the trip from Washington DC to Chattanooga in 2012.  We had some "sweaty balls" for Nelson & Bordon from Liz and John and Charlie and Kathy made some Texas Milk Shakes. Peter and his sister were there, and Kevin Moore, Mark and Debbie and us.

2015.10.02 St. Louis AAPRCO-Union Station, Grant's Farm, Car Party

AAPRCO conference stuff going on today. Drumhead on "Suits Me" private car from Omaha.

Debbie and Mark entering Union Station. We had a tour of the station today.

This was my first view of the grand hall. It isn't always purpole.  It has two large laser light contraptions that do light shows on the hour every hour. The light shows change - trainis running across the ceiling, then hot air ballons, then old photos of St. Louis.  Nice expensive drinks (about $9).  We also had our banquet and dancing here on Sunday night.

Restrooms in the Grand Hall:

Architectural detail around the restroom entrance.

Stained glass detail over entrance door into grand hall:

Opening above the main entrance into the station hotel looking up and down.

Debbie, Mark and I went out to Grant's farm for a tour. It is where US Grant and his wife lived. It was part of her father's estate. Later the Anhauser Bush family purchased it and built their mansion there.

Wild cows from Africa - they have a lot of different animals:

Then I got into a cage with a bunch of parakeets with birdseed glued on a stick. That was fun!  Made me miss my Jacque Panache parakeet from Lincoln days. --lost in a wind and rain storm after the bottom of his cage came open on the back porch.

Having expensive drinks in the grand hall:

And then the first car party: