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Art Good’s Daily Baseball Train Journal
Click here for the daily pictures
 Wednesday, July 19Finished a final JazzTrax Radio Show at 4:40 p.m. 25 minutes before departure from the Palm Springs Amtrak Station in Palm Springs. Not to worry. The Sunset Limitted coming East from Los Angeles was 1 hour late. Surprise Surprise. 1 Hour on a Train Platform in the desert, 110 degrees. Boy did those 3 straight Coca Cola’s on board taste great. Checked into our private sleeper car compartment. AND HEADED EAST FOR NEW ORLEANS. Had dinner as the train cruised into Arizona. (catfish) Few cold brewski’s and crawled into Bed…..On a Train!!!! Great Sleep as we rolled down the tracks.  Thursday, July 20Woke up somewhere in New Mexico. Fascinating coming into El Paso as the Train literally ran right along the border with Mexico. Just like San Diego, staring straight into the sister Mexican city, separated only by a border fence. Southern Texas is amazingly fascinating to view from the train. Hilly, miniature Grand Canyon type gorges everywhere. Bridges high above large rivers in deep gorges. Couldn’t spot the President’s ranch. Didn’t want to. San Antonio stop at 1 a.m. Stared out the window with groggy eyes, the city at that hour looked very inviting. The Spurs new arena looked to be almost adjacent to Amtrak Station.  Friday, July 21Arrived in Houston mid morning. Greeted by the Enron Tower. (!!!????#####@@@@@ You Enron…..greetings from Californians) The Astro’s Minute Maid Park passed beside the train. Site of last October’s World Series. Part of the Park used to be the Old Train Station. Arrived in New Orleans 8 p.m. Just in time to scurry over to the House of Blues to see Michael Franks. Austin couldn’t get in. 21 years and older. So Michael Franks let Austin watch from backstage in his dressing room. A little window that looked down from above on the stage. Bourbon Street afterwards…………wild  Saturday, July 22Café Du Monde, of course. Beinets and Coffee A Lait. Then over to the Children’s Museum. Fabulous., The city is just coming back. The stories just keep on comin’. Cocktail Meet and Greet Party at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville in the French Quarter. Sunday, July 23, 2006 Gray Lines Tour of Hurricane Katrina’s damage. Whoa!!!!  Virtual ghost towns where once half million to million dollar home stood.Empty house after house. Eerier as could be. The French Quarter is the original city and smartly built on the city’s highest ground. It did not flood, but quite evident the floodwaters came to the very edge of the Quarter. Down Canal and everywhere else the flood water LINE is still clearly evident on all buildings. And it’s up there. And that’s not the high water point….that’s where it settled at…for weeks, Till they finally pumped out the city. Then to the swimming pool on the very top of Hotel Monteleone here in the heart of the French Quarter, Just 2 blocks off Bourbon Street. Then to Zephrys Stadium. Albuquerque Isotopes prevailed, by l run. As we watched from the Right Field Swimming Pool. No home runs dropped into the water. Darn. Super fun. We owned the whole pool and it’s 2 Jacuzzi’s. Beer and Hot Dogs and Burgers the entire game. Spent $80 bucks in the Zephrs merchandise store. Bat, Ball, Zephyr t-shirt and cap And a poster of the hats of all the Triple A minor league teams. Finished the evening chatting with other tourists at the Hotel Monteleone’s Carousal rotating bar. The Bartender and middle don’t rotate, just the circular bar and the drinkers seated in A circle around it. Takes about l5 minutes to fully rotate. I did about 6 laps. Monday, July 24, 2006  Work-out room is next to the pool on the roof.30 minutes of treadmill, watching it rain outside, overlooking the entire Mississippi River heading for the Gulf. Barges and stuff headin’ down the river. As we get ready to head Up the River. Off for Memphis in an hour on Amtrak’s The City of New Orleans. But first, a quick walk over to get some boxes of Praline Cookies next to Café Dumonde. Pralines for the 8 hour train to Memphis. Graceland Mansion and the Red Birds minor league baseball tomorrow. Continued on board the train. Crossing the Bayou’s and Swamps of Louisiana Did make it to Aunt Sally’s to buy 3 boxes of Pralines. Original, Chocolate and Triple Chocolate Pralines. Just in case you’ve never had them, www.auntsally’s.com Order ‘em on-line. The bayou’s and swamps and waterways were all we saw for the first few hours leaving New Orleans by train. My little boy had his eyes peeled to the big window of our private compartment, hoping to see An alligator. Excuse me………..a crocodile. The lady bartender in the train lounge claimed she spotted one once, with it’s mouth wide open. She also told the tale of the smoker who came down to the lounge in the middle of the night, About a month ago to sneak a smoke. Opened the lounge door and lit up but suddenly the train took a lurch. With the door open, it tossed Him right off the train. Landed on the siding tracks, broke both arms and both legs. Lucky it wasn’t in the bayou’s huh? He would have been lunch since he couldn’t move.The same Amtrak Train going the other direction the next day spotted him and they saved him. Think he gave up smoking. Dining on board Amtrak’s The City of New Orleans…  Catfish, Roasted Chicken, Chicken Fried Steak, and more.We were joined by an older lady. She was taking tennis lessons after being widowed last year. She lives right in New Orleans and had to evacuate, at age 80, a year ago, 24 hours before Katrina hit. Able to come back in October and since her condo was on the 6th floor, her only damage was needing a new refrigator after everything had rotted inside it. She couldn’t return any earlier Because there was no water and no electricity to run the elevator she needed at her age. But the vacation home that she and her Late husband had shared most of their life over on the coastline, that they had so many memories from, but had sold in 2000, was flattened By Katrina. Completely gone, as was her childhood home. And their home in New Orleans they had retired from in 2002 to size down to a condo, (had sold just 3 years before) was destroyed by the flood waters. But she had absolutely no desire to live anywhere but…..New Orleans. If you see the pictures I took from the destroyed neighborhoods you’ll understand that although this is a fun summer baseball train trip…Our memories from a New Orleans slowly rebounding from Hurricane Katrina, this past weekend will not soon be forgotten. Our train pulls into Memphis in 15 minutes. This conductor FLEW. Right on time. Or I should say the engineer cause he’s piloting the train engines. The famed Peabody Hotel downtown Memphis awaits us next……….and the ducks. The ducks we’re told march into the hotel lobby with a (human) Duck Master each morning. We’ll find out if they truly do have a Duck Suite on top of the Peabody.  Tuesday, July 25, 2006Yep….at exactly 11 a.m., the elevator door opened here in the lobby of Memphis Peabody Hotel and 5 ducks marched out. Just ducks. They paraded to the sound of an orchestra down a laid out, just for them, red carpet, and into the elaborate indoor lobby water pond. At 5 p.m. we’re told they paraded back to the elevator and up to their roof top suite. I snuck up later and there was what appeared to be a Duck Mansion On the roof. (but later I snuck back up and discovered the ducks have a pen behind the Duck Mansion mock-up….don’t tell).  The Peabody Hotel was one of the finest I’ve ever stayed at. The feather beds had our group raving about how well they slept. We could see the new Fed Ex Forum just a block away where the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies play. And Beale Street was just 2 blocks away.Kind’ve a microcosm of the Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego. B.B. King has one of his nightclubs there. Isaac Hayes has a brand new dinner club in The more modern Peabody Place Mall. The old on Beale Street….the brand new in the fancy dancy mall. Baseball would come later, but first we were off for our Elvis Presley Graceland Tour. Kind’ve fun for us since when Elvis died in August 1977 he owned only 2 properties. Graceland and his Palm Springs home that I jog past on My nightly jog by my home a few blocks away. Check out the pictures. The ones you see were taken by one of our group. Wayne Ledda from our group took our pictures there. (my digital camera’s batteries went dead, the 2nd I stepped inside Elvis home). Wayne and his wife Lucy signed onto our train for the 1st time this Year. From the San Francisco Bay area He’s a Giants fan. Lucy’s an A’s fan. He doesn’t believe Barry Bonds took steroids (knowingly). His wife KNOWS Barry did.    Graceland seems at first rather an odd tour, until the presence of Elvis starts to take over. And man it does. This guy sold more records and made More Money through the 50’s than you can imagine. Bought Graceland at I think age 22, with cash, for $100,000. Bought a jetliner too, which is Part of the tour. And the movies he made in the 60’s….the list goes on and on. The house is fascinating, and ends by walking past the graves of Elvis and his parents in the garden. I was desperate for a picture and my son Austin said….Duh….Dad….your cellphone is also a camera. So I took it on my phone….pushed the wrong button and Elvis grave is now…….my cellphone wallpaper. I’m in deep on Elvis now. Fascinating experience. That’s my best description of Graceland. I’m still thinking about it, and how it showed the life and personality of this amazing Phenomena called Elvis, a day later.Oh…………………our Tuesday baseball game. The group was still buzzing about having the Right Field Swimming Pool the night before at the New Orleans Zephyrs, but The Memphis AutoPlaza Ballpark is like a miniature major league ballpark. Opened in 2000. Club level with all the amenities and suites, just like a Major league park. And a hot dog stand with 8 different hot dog flavors. Look for the picture here, but it included The Chicago Dog….The Cincinnatti Coney….the Houston Texan and the St. Louis Classic. We think the Salt Lake Stingers edged out the Memphis Red Birds, but we had to leave at the end of 8. We never leave our ballgames early, but we had a l0 p.m. train to catch. We loaded in, after dark. They had turned the upper levels of the Memphis Amtrak station into CONDO’S!!! (I want to live there). Then after getting settled in our private sleeper car compartments for our overnight ride To Chicago, everyone gathered in the lounge car and at midnight, Nick Colionne performed on his guitar, Unplugged, For well over an hour, as the train raced up the tracks, northward. To say the audience was charmed would Be an understatement. It was a classic JazzTrax moment in time. Even the Train Conductor on Amtrak’s The City of New Orleans Grabbed a Heineken and watched most of the show. Nick had his band in an I-Pod who played through speaker, but much of it he just played and once sang, with No amplification. We pulled into Chicago right on time at 9 a.m. This engineer rocked up the tracks.  Wednesday, July 26, 2006We arrived round 10 a.m. at the old rustic Knickerbocker Hotel, just a block away from Lake Michigan AND Most importantly just a couple blocks off Michigan Avenue’s Miracle Mile OF SHOPPING. The Knick was great and within an hour had early rooms for all of us. And like clockwork, our bus rolled up in front at 11:30 a.m. It’d rained all morning, but as we arrived at the home of the Chicago White Sox, the sun appeared. No more rain. But the poor World Champions it seems can’t win a game at the moment. And with the Minnesota Twins winning this afternoon, they tied the Sox for 2nd place. Like I always do, I spent the first 2 innings just walking around the park. I only spent $280 on White Sox Jersey, T-shirts, caps and such. Great merchandise store. I could have hurt myself worse.  Joseph and Diane, from Del Mar, from our group, found the Bullpen Bar. Classic and it seemed everyone under Our age headed there at the end of the game. Looks right into the visitor’s Bullpen and into Right Field. Italian Saugage was excellent and They Had Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Some of our group headed for Chicago’s jazz clubs tonight. Many are going to museums tomorrow. I thought about maybe taking my 6 year old to see Blue Man Group. But since my wife was born in the Italian section of Chicago (she claims 29 years ago), and spent her 1st 3 years Of life here…..we’re off to dine Italiana tonight. WRIGLEY FIELD TOMORROW. And one of the major’s biggest major league baseball Rivalries. Cubs & Cardinals. I ain’t sayin’ a word. I’m keepin’ my mouth shut. The ballpark will be filled, here in Chicago tomorrow with Cardinals fans in red, having driven over from St. Louis for this wild weekend series. We’re here for 3 consecutive nights in downtown Chicago. This …….. is livin’.  THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2006An early morning jog along Lake Shore Drive and Lake Michigan. Okay, it was almost 10 a.m. as we caught up On a bit of normal hotel sleep as we began 3 straight nights at the Knickerbocker Hotel here in Chicago. Just l block from the hotel is a walkway that goes Underneath the Freeway and right onto the miles of city front Beach. One of my pictures on the picture page shows a swimmer in the water and it was humid enough I was Tempted to jump in right in the middle of my jog. There were jogging shoes sitting alongside the water making me Think the swimmer’s, had been jogging too. Our hotel sits just a block from the Lake. Just ONE BLOCK from Michigan Ave. where the Miracle Mile begins. Named such because it’s all fabulous shopping all the way straight down to the Wrigley and Tribune buildings along The Chicago River that most of you know runs right through the heart of the city. I believe it’s the John Hancock Building rising above us on this end. Some of our group went to the top of that yesterday. And Rush Street is only 4 blocks from us. It is Chicago’s version of Memphis Beale Street or San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, Although I’m sure Rush predates both of them by a generation or 4. Our group has on their own ventured down to Classic restaurants there for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We don’t orchestrate people’s days, just the travel and ballgames, So everyone is seeing Chicago on their own time and whim. One couple always does the double decker bus tours in each city. Get off when you want, get back on the next one coming around. I’ve spent so much on ballpark merchandise, I’m scared to Go down onto Michigan Ave. We must be somewhat near saxophonist Steve Cole’s studio. This is exactly where Brian Culbertson began his music career before migrating west 8 years ago. And if I could get myself up early enough I assume I’d hear Ramsey Lewis hosting the smooth jazz WNUA morning airwaves. Nearby Rush Street on these summertime nights Is quite the elegant looking adult party. Great looking people, men and women. High class Chicagoites.  Then end of afternoon it came time to head for Wrigley. We did it the Chicago way, on the L Train. Boarding a couple blocks Away, the ballpark quickly arrived alongside the tracks 20 minutes later. Just like at Yankee Stadium last year, we could hear The L Train throughout the ballgame. It was, as always a sell-out. These had been nearly impossible tickets to get. We resorted to a scalper back in April, professional scalper. Our seats in the far upper Right Field corner, but other than ME having To bend my head around the sight lines of a post, (holding up the roof of Wrigley), it’s much more fun to be up there. Perfect view Of all the play, great perspective, incredible catch by the Cubs Right Fielder, right at the wall, over backward in a flip, and he held it.AND THE CUBS WON, by a run. Over their nemesis the St. Louis Cardinals.  Now….here’s my opinion on tickets at Wrigley. The impossible to get tickets are whenever the Cardinals come to town cause the Fabulous fans of St. Louis can drive over, and do their shopping at the same time and this rivalry goes back a long long way. But the Cubs have let the scalping situation at Wrigley get completely out of hand. We figure half the stadium is season ticket holders And the scalpers get their hands on much of the rest. There were tickets to be had all over the place outside the park. We had overbought by 13 tickets, guessing our group count. I paid $65 a ticket for $17 tickets. Ate the difference. We tried selling Our extra’s, but there were SO MANY scalpers selling tickets, we had to just unload our extra’s to a scalper for $5 each. Bought me a few of my Pabst Blue Ribbons.  Wrigley is a great ballpark, but surprisingly (and I’ve been to ALL but 2 major league parks), it is not my favorite and not even in my Top 10. They’ve let the party aspect get out of hand. They’ve let the drunkenness get out of hand. So much so they have the tightest End of Beer Sales Policy I’ve seen anywhere. Beer Sales end after the 7th OR at 9:20 p.m., whichever comes first. They stopped beer sales in the 6th Inning! So the rest of us get punished for the extreme drinking this Wrigley Party has turned into. So we returned to the bar here in the lobby at the Knickerbocker so I could get into an argument with the bartender as to whether Barry Bonds should be stripped of his record because of steroids. Hey, if I can’t find a good political argument, Barry Bonds (or Floyd Landis) Is a good back-up discussion. And we hung with Joseph and Diane from Del Mar until the wee hours, still talking about those great Feather beds in Memphis and which ballpark so far had the best “dogs”. I still say Memphis. Tomorrow Friday, it’s a free day in Chicago with no ballgame. I’m thinkin’ Museum of Science and Industry (where my dad took us as kids). Maybe Blue Man Group in the evening, or one of the great Italian Restaurants on Rush Street. See if I can “keep myself” off Michigan Avenue shopping and save up to buy more baseball memorabilia at Miller Park in Milwaukee on Saturday. Friday, July 28, 2006 One of our group told me they had decided to do the JazzTrax Train because of All the Diversity of What we do on this trip. Said he loves the baseball and all the stadiums and loves the train travel In between (although at age 50 he had “never” been on a train before). But it was the music, and the Shopping, and the great hotels, and the fabulous restaurants that enticed him to sign up. He told me this by the way, as we sat having dinner together at Rosebud’s Steak House, across the street from The Knickerbocker Hotel, here in Chicago. Rib-Eye was fabulous and the Wedge Salad. First time, I’ve ever Had a Plasma Screen TV to watch the ballgame in the Dining Room of a restaurant. White Sox finally won a game!….grand slam In the 9th. And you know I’m sure that nobody is a Cubs Fan AND a White Sox Fan here in Chicago. They Are either one, or the other. L.A.’s starting to get that way. Our bartender saw me in a White Sox shirt and said, Good man. Then he said I HATE THE CUBS. I said HATE? He said HATE.  Wayne and Tracey Ledda just shared their lunch pictures from the restaurant at the top of the John Hancock Building. Seems to me, at one point, in the 60’s, that was the tallest building in America, maybe briefly in the world, before the World Trade Center and now I think Chicago’s Sears Tower is the tallest. Soon as I get internet connection we’ll see if we can get those pictures uploaded and others we took at Wrigley Field and around Chicago.Kathryn, Austin and I took a cab to the Museum of Science of Industry. What a treat taking My Son, to the museum My Dad took me each year to, as a kid, growing up in Indiana in the 60’s. Much of the museum has changed. Museum’s do that. But the huge room still had all the toy trains and they almost looked still as big as when I was a kid, but now there is A giant United Airlines 747 hanging from the ceiling. A real one. 17th ever that Boeing made. Flew commercially from 1964 to 1990. It’s last flight was Omaha to Denver and then they flew it to a tiny airport 4 miles from the museum. Landing there Grounded it forever because the runway wasn’t long enough for that size plane to be able to take off again. At the museum you can walk through it. The Da Vinci exhibit was on display. Course returning….you don’t go straight to the hotel. You have the taxi drop you off about 10 blocks away on The Magnificent Mile. Michigan Avenue. And every shop and store You’ve ever heard of. Nike Town was calling. Man do they have great stuff. If you aren’t a shopper cause I wasn’t much Of one before we began the JazzTrax Baseball Train, Nike Town will turn you. SHOPPING in Big City’s Great Downtown Shopping Districts is part of The JazzTrax Baseball Train Experience. Friday was a No Baseball Day for us. Everyone on their own to do their own Chicago thing. Some went to Navy Pier. Others to see 2nd City and Old Town. Or the double-decker Bus Tour. One couple went in a fast boat, out on Lake Michigan. Another did the Boat Tour down the Chicago River. But the Cubs did play and THEY BEAT THE CARDINALS AGAIN. The 1st place Cardinals have visited Chicago 3 times this year, to play the Cubs in 2 series and the White Sox in l series. The Cubs have beaten the Cards 5 times here in Chicago this year and the White Sox 3 times. The Cardinals are 0 and 8 in Chicago this year. We’re having a much better time than they are. Saturday, July 29, 2006 The Internet Age is amazing. Returned last night from late night chatting at the hotel bar with JazzTrax Group members from Denver, Green Bay, San Diego and Del Mar. Switched on the laptop and at midnight, watched the ABC Evening News on-line, then checked the baseball stores on mlb.com. Read a little on-line on BBC.net. Checked Catalina Island ticket sales on-line and contest entries for our current Win 7 Nights on Catalina Island. Then turned in. Completely up to date. This morning after 3 consecutive nights in the same Chicago Hotel, which is bliss, we still had the whole morning. Didn’t check out and head for the train station Until NOON. Being 2 blocks from Lake Michigan and it being my son’s birthday, we marked a milestone. As Austin turned 7, he went for his First ever Jog, with Dad. We jogged through the pedway beneath LakeShore Drive and down along the beach. Chicago does have some sand beach front, But much of Lake Michigan bounces up against a cement wall straddling the Chicago waterfront. The beach in many parts is cement and you can Jump right into the water. We did. A heat wave had just arrived here and we were pretty hot and sweaty from our run, so we took off our shirts, And hats, and shoes, AND WE JUMPED INTO LAKE MICHIGAN. It was the highlight of the week for me. Was the water warm? Nope. But the body adjusted pretty quickly and it felt great. They have ladders, just like in a swimming pool, every 50 yards of so, to climb up and out. But if you decide to swim to the next ladder on down, which we did, you suddenly realize, cause it’s like being in the ocean, OUT in the ocean, you can’t Touch bottom (have no idea how deep it was) and you can’t climb out till you get to the next ladder. The lifeguard told me some panic at that Moment and that’s when they throw them a life float. Nice adventure and climbing out of the lake, the cold water temperature had lowered Our body temperature to the degree, we never broke a sweat on the walk home. I am literally writing this on my laptop on the train, heading North. We’ve just crossed the state line from Illinois to Wisconson on Amtrak’s Hiawatha. We’ll arrive at the train station in Milwaukee and head for the Wyndam Hotel downtown and then we’re off to the ballpark. Miller Park and the Milwaukee Brewers, hosting the red-hot Cincinnatti Reds. The Reds currently own the Wild Card in the National League. 4 ballparks down, 3 still to go. 2 more train rides. Lots more restaurants. Won’t have much time for shopping here in Milwaukee. 24 hours later We’ll be head back through Chicago west to Kansas City. Hans Lux in our group, from Green Bay who helps direct the security for the reknowned 2 weeks of Summerfest, each summer in Milwaukee and Also assists with security for the Packers, has just handed everyone in the group passes to go to the Summerfest Grounds after the game tonight For GERMAN FEST. Brewers here we come. The train is just now pulling into Milwaukee.  SATURDAY NIGHT, July 29, 2006I’d have to rank today as my favorite day of the trip so far. My 6 year old son turned 7. We started the party day by jogging together for the lst time ever. And jumping into Lake Michigan. That thing’s like AN OCEAN. It’s hot back here. Guess it’s hot everywhere. That cool (cold) dip in Lake Michigan really Brought the body temperature down. Which is good. 90 minute train ride Chicago to Milwaukee. Still lookin’ at Lake Michigan. Then a Great Game at Miller Park. The red-hot Cincinnatti Reds which I believe is the oldest Ballclub in baseball, defeated by the hometown Brewers. Brewers are having a lousy season, BUT, the ballpark was packed, appeared to be sold-out or close to. Saturday Night in the Summer. Where else. And we were on the Club Level. In the seats it was the most humid night in my most recent memory. Me and my son made the mistake of wearing jeans and baseball jerseys. It was so humid….couldn’t do anything about the jeans, but we went and bought sleeveless Brewers t-shirts and changed in the restroom. Helped a ton. Dress down baby. But being on Club Level in any of the new ballparks, means the concourse is enclosed and Air Conditioned!!!!!. And even after they cut off beer sales at the end of the 7th…….on Club Level, A BAR stays open. Sorry, but that’s a key ingredient to baseball. It’s the Drunks that cause the ballparks now To cut off beer sales 2 innings early. Another evening distinction. Suddenly this dude ran onto the field from the 1st base side. And sprinted towards second. Actually kind’ve jogged. It all just kind’ve happens suddenly. Then you realize it’s a stupid dude who wants his second of notoriety. Security was a tad bid slow. He got to 2nd base and slowed down, but when he saw security comin’ From left field he began sprinting……rounded 3rd…..headed for home. Bruce Froemming the home base umpire was blocking homeplate, so this Dude, Stopped short, let them handcuff one hand, suddenly fell to the ground, reached out, and touched Homeplate. Classic. Another evening distinction. Padre next year hall of famer Tony Gwynn’s son….Tony Jr. I believe, was called up from the minor Leagues 2 weeks ago by the Brewers. In the 7th inning he pinch hit and drove in a run. Fabulous. Then we hit the taxi’s and head for German Fest, thanks to one of our group members. Hans Lux hands us all tickets and we head for the famous, known all over the Mid West Summerfest Grounds on Lake Michigan. As we arrive, he puts us on golf carts. Everybody in the place, knows Hans. He’s a big part of their Security Planning. And he takes us, by golf cart, through the Summerfest Grounds, into the Marcus Amphitheatre, Big concert venue, back end looking out over Lake Michigan…….. Absolute Best View of the l0 p.m. fireworks……..good as any I’ve ever seen, shot up over Lake Michigan. Then over to the German Yaegermeister Stand for Yaeger Shots. Yaeger mixed with Orange Juice, or Power Blend, or on the rocks. I thought I’d done my last Yaeger 10 years ago, but peer pressure. Fabulous day on the Excursion. Tomorrow we wake up and after our quickie in Milwaukee…………….back to the train. WE’RE OFF FOR KANSAS CITY……AND SAXOPHONIST WARREN HILL JOINS US….ON BOARD. ROYALS……RIBS…..NATIONAL JAZZ AND NEGRO BASEBALL LEAGUE MUSEUMS… HERE WE COME……………………………..  SUNDAY, JULY 30, 2006Huge nasty thunderstorm was hitting Milwaukee as we were departing the Wyndam Hotel for the Train station at 9 a.m. Got real dark. Added a nice dynamic to our 5 minute taxi ride, plus dropped The humidity a bit. Easy return down Amtrak’s Hiawatha to Chicago where we had 2 hours to spread out to restaurants Downtown around Union Station before boarding Amtrak’s Southwest Chief Westward to Kansas City. A delightful 8 hour ride. As a group, we boarded early. That’s a treat to being a group. We owned the last car on the train and being a group means we had most of the privacy of our own train car. America and Chicago disappearing out the back window of our train car. They don’t have cabooses anymore. Crossed the Mississippi. 3rd time we’d been on it this trip. Our group all dined together in the train’s dining car as we sped down the tracks. Arriving at the incredible Union Station in K.C. round 10 p.m. Be sure and look at the pictures because this is one of the Grandest Train Stations in the world. It rivals Los Angeles and Washington D.C.’s Union Stations. And as we waited for our baggage………..Saxophonist Warren Hill who had traveled with us from Chicago, including With his wife Tamara and Olivia his daughter…….pulled out his saxophonist, as you can see in the pictures and Gave us an impromptu performance in the Great Hall. The acoustics were…………Unbelievable. He played as much for his own enjoyment in that setting as for us. We captured it on DAT and you’ll hear It on our baseball radio special this fall. You must look at the picture.  MONDAY JULY 31, 2006We all kind’ve spread out today to the various Kansas City Famous Barbecues. But it’s interesting because downtown K.C. now isn’t really downtown K.C. It’s more Country Club Plaza where we are holed up at the Hotel Raphael. If you’ve seen Riverwalk in San Antonio….there is almost an exact river Here between our hotel and Country Club Plaza. It’s actually a dammed up Creek, but it goes for a number of miles and it’s beautiful. It’s just not as commercialized up As in Texas. I jogged down it this morning and didn’t run into a soul…..just ducks. Then lunch at George Brett’s. Remember the pine tar bar? The bat and jersey George wore When he hit his 3,000th hit is on display there. Then fabulous shopping….AT GREAT PRICES. The dollar goes a long way here in K.C. A friend of mine just moved here this month from Monterrey, CA. Can you imagine the size home he got for his California money? 4:30 p.m. we gathered in the very intimate bar here at the Hotel Raphael for a Warren Hill Unplugged Performance. Warren had his band………in his I-Pod. They didn’t even complain. Very intimate. Very cool. And as he played, his little girl Olivia and my little boy Austin, Ran all over the hotel. Just like little kids are supposed to. Then our bus pulled up out front and we were off to see the Kansas City Royals host the world Champion Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium. This was the 1st modern era Baseball Only Ballpark, built back in 1973. It was the first modern day Jewel of ballparks, with the huge Waterfalls Shooting into the sky in the outfield and tonight there was to be no surprise. The Royals being the Worst team in the major leagues. The White Sox being last October’s World Series Champions, The White Sox popped a bunch over the fence and won going away 8-3. This is the stadium that hosted one-half of the All-Missouri 1985 World Series. St. Louis Cardinals versus the Kansas City Royals. I believe the Royals won it in Game 7, right here When Joaquin Andujar (Joaquin on the Moon) went ballistic in the dug-out. High point in Kansas City History. The Royals if you remember, had been the most consistently winning team in the majors Through the early 80’s, in large part thanks to George Brett. Long ago days to what they are now. Dick Howser, the manager, sadly, after reaching the pinnacle of his career with that World Series Victory in ’85, died from cancer just 2 years later. Warren Hill joined us on the bus and at the game and seemed to have a great time.  As we arrived back at the hotel someone mentioned there was a Gelato Store open till 11 p.m.Just across Brush Creek and that is how our day in K.C. ended. Tomorrow we’ll be fed exing more baseball memorabilia home. Some will be taxiing over to the Negro Baseball League Museum and National Jazz Museum. We have a long ‘nother day in K.C. Maybe some more ribs and barbecue. Then a late afternoon Train to St. Louis for the Conclusion of this summer’s JazzTrax Baseball Train. Havin’ a great time folks. Tuesday, August 1, 2006 A final jog along Rush Creek, the beautifully created forefront of Kansas City’s boutique Country Club Plaza. Apparently after a big flood l0 or l5 years ago, they dug out this little creek, dammed it up, and it Became like Riverwalk in San Antonio, without the shops. Couple gondola’s sit along the walkway That runs alongside the water on either side. Some final shopping in the Plaza (Eddie Bauer’s for me) To pick up the incredible Kansas City prices. Man the prices are lower here than in California (or Chicago). We bought all our son’s back to school clothes, here in K.C.  Then headed for that incredible Union Station Train Station you can see pictures of here in the Journal. Some stopped for some Kansas City Barbecue along the way. Jack’s Stack sat right behind the station. Others simply went straight to the train station so they could spend a couple hours, taking it in. 3 beautiful restaurants are inside. Most sat on the upper deck of the Union Café, looking down the Great Hall (gotta check out the picture). There was a Science Museum for kids and store, of course. A number of boutique-ish stores An Imax Theater. Even a Post Office. This Train Station was like a city within itself. And they tell that at Christmas Time, It turns into something absoloutely spectacular. It is so huge because Kansas City in the early to mid 1900’s before air travel Took over, was the middle of America hub. Much like Dallas is today for planes. It must have truly bustled. We boarded at 4:30 p.m. JazzTrax Owned the Business Class railcar. For a 6 hour party down the tracks, eastward this Time, to Saint Louis. I like that spelling better than St. Louis. Arriving here, we passed the old Union Station just before the Train stopped. It’s now a gigantic mall, restaurant, shopping complex. The current Amtrak Station you would not shout Home about. It was a simple non descript building. Further laying out the current train scenario in America. Great stations occasionally, elsewhere, just something that passes. But the great train stations still do exist. Then 5 minutes over to the Millenium Hotel that rises 26 circular stories above Busch Stadium, 1 block away, and above The mighty Mississippi 1 block the other way. With a rotating restaurant on top. Half your meal looking at Illinois east across The river, other half Missouri west. Tomorrow……the Cardinals and Busch Stadium. Wednesday, Aug. 2nd, 2006  First thing you do when you’ve arrived late the night before and you’re sitting l block away from the newest ballpark major league baseball….. Put on your jogging clothes and jog over and around the brand new stadium. They actually have not finished Busch Stadium yet. Almost, but Not quite. When I came with my son for Opening Day back in April, because they had to tear down the old ballpark to finish the Left Field stands In the new ballpark, they didn’t have that portion done. They only got the fabulous new Main Team Store open 2 WEEKS AGO….well past mid season. And they were still, here on Aug. 2nd…..putting finishing touches on that closest wall to the old ballpark.Look at our pictures…..homeplate and part of the infield of old Busch is still there…..a big dirt hole. They plan to build Cardinal Village there with shops, restaurants and the Cardinals Hall of Fame. Mid-day, off to Anheuser-Busch.  You can see it from the top of the Millenium restaurant that also looks right down into Busch Stadium.The tour of the country’s oldest and most successful brewery is free. 1st through the Clydesdale Horses Stable to see them and that dog with spots all over it. You know the brand. Down past the main Administration offices, and into a freezing gigantic holding room where the beer sits for 30 days, doin’ it’s thing. An explanation of the ingredients in beer and how it’s made. Then through the packaging plant with a gigantic robotic arm moving boxes of beer here, there, and everywhere. I grew up a block from a Coco Cola bottling plant in Marion, Indiana and it’s the same process, although greatly modernized. Miles of Bud Lite bottles screaming down an assembly line, being filled, capped, boxed, headin’ out the door. We were mesmorized. Then to a dining room with a bar where the bar tenders were serving every brand they make, including Michelob and the new Budweiser Select, And a new Beach Blonde Beer. We were allowed 2 glasses of our pick. And then of course………………the Budweiser Store. I’m wearing my new Budweiser Shirt and cap. And the finale, best moment of the 90 minute Anheiser-Busch experience. The plasma TV in the lobby showing one after another, all the funny Budweiser commercials through the years.  Then because we splurged our final baseball night and bought a Suite, everyone headed to the ballpark, l block away, an hour before gametime. We owned the Red Schoendienst Suite. He was a former manager and Cardinal player. The Stan Musial Suite was right next door. Soon as we walked in, we were handed a Cardinal plastic cup and the two beer taps began to flow. Budweiser and Bud Lite, of course. The Cardinals got pounded. We’re talkin’ pounded. Down l6 to 8 at one point. Albert Pujols couldn’t even pull them out.Jeff Weaver was pitching for the Birds. Same pitcher who’d been on the mound for the Cardinals when we saw them last week at Wrigley, Was on the mound tonight. He got pounded both games. Bad week for the Cards. Bad week. Not sure we’ll be seeing St. Louis And the White Sox in the World Series. I’m thinkin’ more like the Twins and the Reds. Hey, any guess is as good as any other guess the way This season’s goin’. Ballpark was packed. They come in from all over Missouri and Illinois. Whole families stayin’ here at the Millenium Hotel, for multiple games. Part of their summer vacations. Best part of the Suite? It was air conditioned. St. Louis matched Milwaukee as the hottest summer nights Of the entire trip. Much of it humidity I’m sure, but in Milwaukee we were on the air conditioned Club Level and in the air conditioned suite here. After the game we all plan to meet in the Millenium Martini’s Bar for a final night cap together. Share pictures from our laptops. Hug and head home. This has been the best group of travelers I’ve ever hosted. Everyone got along and became best friends. Trading e-mail addresses and even Making plans to be on Catalina Island in October on the same weekend. Thursday, August 03, 2006  It’s done. Completed.The 3rd annual JazzTrax Baseball Train has done it’s final ballpark and final train ride. Everyone is headed for the St. Louis Airport to head to their homes across America, from Florida to California to Colorado to Wisconsin. But not me and Austin. We have l more assignment this morning. To the top of the Archway…..St. Louis signature gateway to the west. See the pics on this one baby. And then, no airplane for us. We aren’t touching a plane the entire trip. We board Amtrak at 3:30 p.m., Head back to Kansas City where late tonight we’ll jump on board the Southwest Chief and climb into our private sleeper car compartment For the 2 day ride westward on the rails for home. Arriving in San Bernardino at 5:30 a.m.. Saturday Morning. Austin misses his dog, but dad did his assignment. Presents again for the kid. He gets to open 1 every 3 hours and that’s what has his Eyes shining for the train ride home. And having had his 7th birthday………….on the JazzTrax Train. Art Good |
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