A Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step - Confucius

Very True - But good old Confucius didn't have much to say about the planning that goes into that first step!

Having travelled to some parts of America already I was keen to try new places - but as one of the places already visited it was quite hard to avoid New York.

The next best place to start is, of course, the Capitol (American spelling reserved for DC) Washington District of Columbia.  Created by land gifted from Virginia and Maryland, DC is not part of any State.  Named in honour of George Washington, the first American President and one of the founding fathers of the United States, it was founded in 1791.

So that is where I will arrive on 2nd April for a two day/night stay (more about that later).

My next stop will be the Amtrak System hub in Chicago, Illinois.

The name "Chicago" is derived from a French rendering of the Native American word shikaakwa, translated as "wild onion" or "wild garlic",

Chicago is the adoptive home of the author of 'The Audacity of Hope' - aka President Barack Obama.

How did Chicago get its nickname 'The Windy City'

a)  its the most windy city in America
b)  its a reference to Politicians and City Boasters who are "full of hot air"
c)  it is derived from the cool breezes that sweep in off lake Michigan
d)  used in 1893 as a derogatory remark for the length of Chicago's bid to host the Columbian Exposition.

All four answers are written into urban myth but the most likely, due to quotes dated in 1885, is the reference to the breeze from the lake.

For those of you who share my love of American hospital drama it is also the home of 'County General' - and yes, I will be on the look-out for Noah Wylie and George Clooney!

Many of my stops have been picked, not at random, but because the have some significance or other for me - Fictional, Historical and Musical .......... all will be revealed!

Fwd:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Andrea Smith" <ajs.galaxy@googlemail.com>
Date: 17 Feb 2013 11:45
Subject:
To: "andrea snith" <ajs.galaxy@googlemail.com>
Cc:

Adventure or just plain insanity?

After a career spanning 34 years I have opted to take voluntary redundancy - foolish, maybe.  Risky, undoubtedly.  Daring, exciting and liberating ....... hell yes!

Strangely enough I have had few, if any, moments of doubt.  Instead I have been overcome with a sense of relief and feeling of hope.  Also the realisation that I have spent the last 18 months wasting precious time working in an industry I no longer believe in - smothered in self doubt, negativity and a lack of passion for a role I once loved.

As an avid traveller for many years I have always held a certain curiosity for our cousins over 'The Pond' and have a desire to see more of the States.  This, coupled with some romantic notion of travelling on a sleeper train,  bought me to the Amtrak website!

So I am planning a coast to coast round trip, by rail, of the USA.

Taking in 10 cities,  13 rail segments and the States of Illinois, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, California, Arizona, Kansas, Virginia and the District of Columbia (DC), I will be leaving England on April 2nd - returning 3 weeks later.

Maybe you would like to share the adventure with me on here .....................