As the month of May speeds up to a fast ending, I am both looking forward and backward. Soon it will be June 11 and time to board a 6 AM flight from Los Angeles to Albany, NY. The NRHS convention is being held in and around Rutland, VT. Have been planing to attend since tickets went on sale in October 2014 when I ordered mine to get the best seats, especially in the dome cars. My first and only time with the NRHS was with their 2013 September convention in Alaska. I enjoyed my time and it was the first and will probably be only time to go and see The Last Frontier. Having never been to New England this too will be a trip of a life time.

            Last fall at our monthly (4th Monday) of the Train Riders Meetup Group in Fullerton, CA, we were discussing attending the Vermont convention. Fellow members Chris Guenzler and Chris Parker and I worked up our trip to see New England. One week in Vermont turned into four weeks of train rides. Originally we started out with five going together. It was going to be the two Chris' and Bob and Elizabeth from the Seattle area and I. Both Chris's  and Elizabeth were with me on the trip to Alaska and I enjoyed their company. The beginning plan was for us to fly and meet in Albany on Thursday, the weekend before Sunday's convention start. On Friday we are to take Metro North to Manhattan then Chris G., Bob and Elizabeth were to ride commuter rail in New Jersey. As I had no desire to ride in NJ and both Chris P. and I had never been to Manhattan, we decided to sight see and take a bus tour of the island.

         Saturday we were to walk over the Hudson, drive up to Kingston to ride trains in the Catskill Mountains then proceed to Rutland, check into hotel and start the convention on Sunday. The week after convention, the five of us would spend time in New Hampshire, Maine, Boston and Connecticut, ending back in Albany to fly home. Chris G. had plotted a route to see, visit and ride scenic railways, diner trains and a cog railroad. Bob and Elizabeth both are into trolleys and street cars so there was some of that for them.

        Well not so fast there boy.
As the new year began and June seem so far in the distance, Bob and Elizabeth decided that a trip to the East Coast was not going to be in the cards for them at this time. Two down and three left. OK, things will still work. Meanwhile Chris P. was vacillating over making a commitment to attend. As he is self employed, he can't always get away when he wants. So as of last week Chris P. decided not to attend this year. He is disappointed to miss but for sure wants to go to next year's, 2016. From five to two, Chris G. and I.

    So that is how it is. Now buying tickets, making sure we have hotel reservations and thinking about what to pack. Decisions, decisions.
           
   Stay tuned here for stories, tales and adventures in New England.

    Enjoy and thanks for reading

        Robin Bowers email:  yr.mmxx@gmail.com
 
        National Railway Historical Society:    www.nrhs.com