JUDITH DARLENE HAMMER

MAY 31, 1938 – AUGUST 8, 2023

Part 13 was published November 20, 2023, and can be found here.

Train Trip to Oregon

On this train trip, Kim and Jerry went with us. We boarded the train at the Denver station and were headed to Oregon. The view from the train as it went up the mountain was great.

Then on to Sacramento.  This train station was in a bad part of town. It was late when we arrived at the station. We had a short layover and were advised not to leave the station. When we got to Eugene, Oregon, Mike and Caley joined us.

Our train stopped at Portland, Oregon for a long delay. North in Washington state, there had been some kind of freight train altercation, and it took a long time to get the tracks cleared.

We got off the train at Kelso, which is barely in Washington. Here we rented a car and drove to Astoria. This was our destination. From here we toured the Lewis and Clark National Historic site. It was very historical. One day we went north of Astoria and spent time riding ocean waves.

Lauren and Jeremy spent a couple of days with us. We rented a boat and checked out some caves along the Columbia River.

Our trip home started on time. However, just before we got to the Sacramento station, our train ran into a pickup and killed the driver. We were sitting in the last car. By the time the train was able to stop, we were close to the wrecked pickup.

There was also a guy on board whom the train conductors had in custody. He got loose and jumped off the train and ran across an open area and got into the cab of a pickup. Then he got out and got into the back of the pickup. He was soon apprehended.

Needless to say, our train was late getting into Sacramento. The train we were supposed to board for Colorado was pulling out of the station. They put us on a bus and sent us to Reno to board the train there. We weren’t out of Sacramento very far when we passed the train.

The remaining part of our trip back to Denver was uneventful.

Our Last Train Trip

The last train trip was the shortest one, but very colorful and scenic. Those on this trip were Judy, Ernie, Andy, Teri, Sharon (Teri’s mother), Josh, Chevaun, and Ellie Mae.

We boarded the train at Fort Morgan because that is where Josh, Chevaun, and Ellie Mae lived. The ride from Denver up and over the mountain was very scenic.  It was switch back curves from Denver to the top, with great scenic views of the eastern plains.

We went through six tunnels. Some of them were quite long. We spent the night in Glenwood Springs. While there, we took some scenic walking tours that were enjoyed by all.

The second day it was back though the tunnels and down the mountain and out on the plains to Fort Morgan.

Next: Our Only Plane Trip