Willis (Sears) Tower, Chicago - to Denver

On our last morning in Chicago we walked up to the Willis Tower (2 blocks). No One around - streets virtually empty of cars and people - eerie, strange! It was 24 degrees (minus 4 celsius!!!!) with a FREEZING breeze/wind blowing, but fine ans sunny!

We caught the lift/elevator to the 103rd floor!!!!! in no time. As we went past floors it compared how far up you were to various other world buildings.

INCREDIBLE 360 degree views! Warren was game enough to sit and stand out in the box sky view window - I took his photo and the video!

The next leg of our trian trip was to Denver. We left Chicago at 2pm and arrived in Denver at 8.45 am - an hour and half late. A different sleeper set up this time. No loo; top bunk nearer the roof, so I couldn't sit up and no windows to look out. I slept - surprisingly! Woke at 4.30am and moved over to the roomette opposite where the couple had got off the train at 2.30am! Very comfortable - the top bunk was not down and windows!!!
When we woke at 6am and looked out there was snow everywhere!!!!! It was from THE BIG STORM that went through a couple of days before. It was like this all the way to Denver & in Denver!!!!

Clare's Exchange Mum and Dad (Carol and Charly) met us off the train and we've had a lovely couple of days with them. Clare's Exchange partner, Kristin's (who is studying in a college away from home), twin sister Shannon (who lives nearby with her husband Nick) is expecting her first baby today!!!!!! No one expects baby to arrive yet, so looks like Carol will have to cook a Thanksgiving Dinner tomorrow !!! Shannon will be induced on Monday if nothing happens before then!

Chicago!

Love Chicago! Very 'open', wide streets, so quiet (no tooting horns like New York!), looks 'new' almost everywhere in city. Lots of skyscrapers, incredible skyline.
We did the hop on / hop off bus - 2 hour tour of city. Chicago is on the south end of Lake Michigan - lots of marinas, Yachting Clubs, a Navy Pier (loved the Stain Glass Window Museum - donated by Smith family who started 'collecting' them when they became 'unpopular') and even breaking waves on the beach! Lots of museums and cultural centres; Millennium Park and Grant Park follow the shoreline of the lake. There are several Loop (above and below ground) railways that run around city and out the suburbs; an enormous football stadium (Chicago Bears) and of course (Sears) now Willis Tower.
I didn't know any history of the place - settled by a Frenchman (Indians lived on the swampy land - 'good for nothing'). Three quarters of the 'city' destroyed by fire in 1871. Two giant World Fairs 1893 (to celebrate 'the new city' after the fire and 1933 to celebrate 'a new century' - 'cleaning up after the gangster and gangland decades).

Two of 'our BAXTER boys' emigrated here. We are descended from Johnston BAXTER's first marriage; from his second marriage there were 4 boys. The eldest, William James stayed on the farm in Cooneen, Ireland (Ethel descended from him). The 2nd, John Edward - never married and died in Chicago in 1930. He became very high up in one of the Railway Company's here. The 3rd, George lived on a farm 100 miles from Chicago with his wife and 3 daughters. 4th son, Thompson Preston BAXTER died in Cooneen in 1901 aged 30.
Very cold and windy here this morning - 24 degrees (minus 4 celsius). COLDER weather (storms and snow!) on the way. The weather system is predicted to move north east so we should miss the worst of it by leaving for Denver on the train this afternoon.
Here everyone is very excited (lots of families at breakfast!) as it's the 'Magical Mile Parade and Lighting the Holiday Lights at 5.30 this afternoon. All the Disney characters there. Thursday is Thanksgiving then Christmas preparations after that!

Amtrak and our roomette!

We arrived in Chicago at 12.40pm Thursday 21 November (nearly 3 hours late!) after the first leg of our train trip across America! We left New York at 3.40pm in our little Antrak roomette!! The 'sleeping car' has 4 'double rooms with shower, loo etc' then 10 roomettes opposite each other with 'hallway' down the middle. 

We sat opposite each other with loo (lid up to greet us when we first arrived!) & sink above it on one side of a seat. There was a shower at the end of the hallway, for the roometters. We didn't bother. The seats made up into the bottom bunk & our lovely carriage attendant, Maria pulled down the top bunk when you were ready to go to bed. 

Drinks in room and meals provided free in the dining car when you have a sleeper! Juice, water coffee, tea - help yourself. We both had 3 course dinner (salad followed by steak & baked potato & vegies followed by triple chocolate moose for B & sherbert/ icecream/ gelato for W). For breakfast full cooked or Continental - really nicely cooked & presented.

Each car has an attendant, checks if you want anything all the time and gives you information as you go along.

I didn't even have time to get my Kindle out! Time passed very quickly and both really enjoyed it all!

On Saturday (beautiful warm sunny day – how lucky we have been!) we set off to ‘see the fishing competitors’??? Big competiton here – number of pike caught.

We went to Round O Quay – canoeists, ferries, DUCKS – but only the odd one or two fishing from boats along the shore. We were told later, the loch is so big & they all have their favourite spots –hidden away’ from others! Still haven’t hear results. The winner last year stayed at Molly’s – he caught 28kgs of pike in 48 hrs!!!!!!

We went on to Loch Erne Golf Resort where G8 was held a few months back (Obama & Putin & like there!) BEAUTIFUL grounds, hotel & lots of groups of ‘little houses’. Lots there playing golf – 2 old cars strategically placed for effect – note the Austin – Warren’s father borrowed his brother-in-law’s one in 1949 to take the family out. Warren sat on a biscuit tin in the middle of the seats!

We visited ruined Portora Castle (built to protect Enniskillen from water - bourne attack from the west) by William Cole in early 16oo’s during Plantation of Ulster by Scottish Presbyterians.

Also visited Castle Coole – beautiful old house. Sadly it is closed (after summer!) but grounds open to walkers, cyclists, horse-riders & golfers!

Today, Sunday we went to speak to 97 year old Jack Primrose about my families. He couldn’t remember many of them but told us about his life in Cooneen area in 1920’s to now.

Had lovely roast dinner with Ethel & Roy & their daughter Amanda & grandson, James (7). He & his dad are GREAT Liverpool supporters Scott!!!!! He had his Liverpool jersey & socks on (No 8).

We went to the Harvest Festival service. It only lasted 30 mins – we didn’t understand three quarters of it (but neither did Ethel, she said later!!!!) – only that he had  Powerpoint photographs we got the gist of what he was saying!

After the service Roy kept gathering people of the family names I mentioned. In the end there were 4 men & 2 ladies standing in a circle with us – they all talking excitedly together in their lilting up & down voices about people, who married who and places (unpronounceable to us!) where they came from & lived. We were the last to leave. There was one older fellow who was a Rate Collector & has ‘lots of old papers’ who invited us back to see if he can help.

We & Ethel & Roy’s son David & his wife & 4 children went back for high tea at E&R’s. Lovely sitting around the table talking about our lives. Ethel is only BAXTER descendant of two different BAXTER families. Her mother had two sisters – one did not marry & the other married but had no children. So Ethel & Roy & son David have ended up with all their farms & everything else!

Today where setting off for the north coast (Giant’s Cuaseway & east coast) for a few days. It’s supposed to stay (MAINLY) fine but colder at night.

For Joshua and Ellie - Rose - Macy's Christmas windows

We saw some things we thought you'd like!

New York

Monday was a long day! I only slept for a couple of hours before the alarm went at 4am. Richard took us to the Heathrow, arriving at 5am. We were on the 7am flight to Frankfurt, an hour and 10 minutes. We had a quick change over for flight to New York. It left from gate 69 - the last one of course!
We flew back over where we had just come from - that is north of London, between Dublin and Belfast and right over the southern end of Lough Erne and Enniskillen - full circle - before heading for New York! Flight was just under 8 hours.

It was 66 degrees (very warm 19) in New York - everyone was in t-shirts! The zig-zag line at passport check was L-O-N-G!!! Customs was just the same after collecting our bags - but it was straight through. We got a shuttle to our hotel - Penn Hotel opposite Penn Station on 7th Ave. We went to bed at 7.30pm NY time which was 12.30am our body time.

The next day was 44 (8) degrees and a VERY cold wind! We did the hop on / hop off bus - Downtown, Midtown, Central Park and Harlem during the day and the Night Lights (Brooklyn) tour at night (FREEZING!!!)

 NY just as busy, noisy, bright as we remembered and more expensive - but LOTS of road work going on as they are putting in a new subway line. Battery Park & Times Square big messes!!! The new Peace Towers (where World Trade Centre Towers were) are quite impressive.

We hadn't seen Harlem before - it's now the 'in' place to be and live - VERY expensive. There is also the Law of Sunshine now where no enormous skyscrapers can be built and not so close together - so Harlem is more open (lots of sunshine!) and hilly. Manhattan was 'levelled' of it's hills in the early days. Central Park autumn tree colours were beautiful. The squirrels just as busy and the skating rink in operation.

Mail sorting NY style in the street, Jen!