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California (2008) Trip

This winter I went to California for 2 reasons. First, I wanted to spend some time with my brother and his family. Second, I wanted to get away from the cold weather. Dan talked me into taking the train. Below are pictures from my trip. (Pictures will continue to be added until I get home.) Click here to view the daily trip journal. Click here to view some of Dawn's pictures taken between Portland and Minneapolis.

Here's my whole train coming into the Minneapolis-St. Paul depot. (Picture by Dawn)

Here I am leaving the depot heading for my sleeping car. (Picture by Dawn)

This is the dining car the first morning of my trip. I couldn't sleep that first morning and woke up at 5 AM. Unfortunately, breakfast wasn't served until 6:30. So I cleaned up my room and got everything organized.

Dan always talks about Havre, Montana. So here's proof I was there.

Here we are going down the Columbia River gorge. Beautiful sunrise.

Snow on top the little mountains along the gorge. (Yes, I know. It doesn't show very well.)

A picture for Dan & Dawn. Just a locomotive in a yard. Don't remember where.

An old caboose in the same yard.

Very picturesque river gorge - mountains, snow, river, trees, etc.

Mike, giving 2 grandsons - Holden & Tristan - a tractor ride around the yard (pool).

Mary's helping Tristan juice some oranges from their yard.

Mary & Julian at the Tech Museum in San Jose.

Mary & Tristan & Julian & Mike (with an onlooker).

Roger looking at an integrated circuit machine with a mirror above it.

Mary, Tristan, Mike, Julian.

Mary & Julian designing a circuit.

Roger & Tristan at the I-Max theater - wonder they're afraid of?

Mike & Julian ride the earthquake simulator machine.

Mary & Tristan building.

On our way home from San Jose, we drove by the house we lived in at 1186 Driftwood Court. A second story has been added and the palm tree in the front yard removed.

Snow on top of Mike's hills.

Interesting temperatures shown on Roger's laptop.

Don & LaVonne (Theresa's roommate for 3 years in nursing school) & Roger & Paul. Had a delicious lunch at a nearby Hilton.

Holden & Tristan studying the computer while Mary looks on.

Roger & Tristan & Holden watching TV.

Mike & 3 grandson's cleaning out pool filters.

Mike & Mary's back yard pool & spa.

Three boys at their respective computers.

Mike & Chris at a nearby server farm where Chris houses his servers.

We calculated there to be over 10,000 computer servers in these cabinets.

This is how we spent half time of the Super Bowl.

Chris shows us his birthday presents.

Chris & Tristan preparing to blow out the candles on Chris' birthday cake.

My brother, Mike, & his wife, Mary, in front of their company office. 

Mike & Mary working, holding their daily morning meeting to plan the day's work. 

Guess? 

Roger, Dan, Dawn having dinner on our first night in Portland. 

Roger in front of the Portland Union Station. Sunny, but cool (note gloves). 

Good shot of Oregon Museum of Science & Industry. 

Back on the train. Picture from my roommette into Dan & Dawn's roommette. 

My roommette. 

Just came through the tunnel (picture out the back window). 

One of the Glacier National Park resorts (closed for the winter). 

A private home near Glacier. Note snow thickness on roof. 

Another resort in the mountains.

From here we traveled for about another 24 hours across the states of Montana, North Dakota, & Minnesota before arriving home in Minneapolis (where the temperature was about 20 below zero).  Click here to see some of Dawn's pictures taken between Portland and Minneapolis.

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