Sunday, August 31, 2014

Our Huntington Excursion

Lynn and I thoroughly enjoyed a fabulous Labor Day weekend excursion aboard the private railcar Silver Lariat and exploring the Huntington Library and Gardens in Pasadena. It was a business excursion for the Santa Maria Valley Railroad, which also explains why the Huntington was the destination - as in Henry Huntington, railroad baron. It's the sort of place where you could spend a week and still not do it justice. Below are a smattering of pics from the trip. We stayed at the the Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena; this place is a story on its own. If you're interested in seeing the entire gallery of photos, just let me know.

The service aboard the Silver Lariat was impeccable,
and the food was fabulous!

We caught our guys in action as we passed Guadalupe.

At the Tea Room on the grounds of the Huntington Library.

One of my better shots of Betteravia from the UPRR mainline.

Winding our way up the Cuesta Grade.

Crossing the bridge over Highway 101 in Ventura.


One of the many gorgeous settings in the gardens at the Huntington.

In the "foyer" of the bathroom on the Silver Lariat.

The Silver Lariat beneath the pedestrian bridge
at the San Luis Obispo Amtrak station.

Crossing the Stenner Creek trestle (just north of Cal Poly).

Handwritten letter by Albert Einstein.
One of many fascinating documents at the Huntington Library.

This room initially looked the most boring,
but turned out to be the most fascinating.
We caught glimpses into the minds of some
great writers and thinkers.

Blue Boy. Probably the most famous painting
in the Huntington collection.
With our new friend Jami (no e), wife of SMVRR's new Chief Mechanical Officer, Brian. This incredible wine room was at The Royce steakhouse in the Langham Huntington Hotel. Oh my! You may have heard of Kobe beef; how about Moyer beef, or Brandt beef? The menu includes a "flight" of beef if you'd like to try all three! BTW, we're pictured in the white wine room. There was another equally gigantic red wine room. We chose a Carr Cab Franc.

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