Happy 4th of July weekend! You might be purchasing fireworks for the 4th or grilling out today. Eating watermelon and drinking lemonade also go well with many activities. Have a bonfire!

Let this celebration of independence be a safe, relaxing, and fun time for you and yours.

As you could probably tell by the title, this post is not about July 4th, freedom, or even the sweet corn that should be “knee high by 4th of July”.

In May and June of this year, I had the privilege of experiencing Rails and Sails.

The train trip was on Amtrak.

The sailboat voyage was with friends from our church who owned a sailboat. This picture is not their boat but it is similar.

Both of these modes of transportation are very uncommon for me. My wife and I took an Amtrak trip 18 years ago. I don’t even remember if I had been on a sailboat before.

I like doing new and different things. These two trips were both well worth the time and cost associated with each.

Over the rest of the summer, I want to share my experiences with you through this blog.

Perhaps a preview…

Touring Alcatraz Prison

Eating seafood on Fisherman’s Wharf

Looking up at the Space Needle

Seeing the Rocky Mountains

Being lashed to the mast of a sailboat

Being at the geographical center of North America

Playing Cribbage with my mother-in-law

Putting a puzzle together with my kids

Taking another selfie with my wife with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background

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These, and many more, are the substance of my combined experiences with Rails and Sails.

I look forward to taking you along these journeys with me. It will be fun to revisit these memories.

So, as you wait in eager anticipation, recall your own journeys.

I hope they have also been filled with many great people and places.

Thanks for reading!