50+ Lifestyles

PUBLISHER’S CORNER

By Eloise Graham

Trains, Buses and Boats… (Part 1)

The year was 1963. The month was April. The week was Easter Break. (Yes, it was called Easter Break in 1963.) Four hundred Kansas teenagers and their chaperones converged on Kansas City Union Station for a trip to Chicago, Washington D.C., Philadelphia and New York City.

As I remember, the train pulled out of K.C. about 9 p.m. headed for Chicago. The idea was to sleep during the night and arrive at Chicago rested and ready for adventure. We are talking teenagers! There WAS no sleep. We were too excited, giggling, combing each other’s hair and changing hair-dos. Remember, it was 1963. I am sure the train car had a strong aroma of Aquanet hairspray!

Arriving in Chicago, we were herded onto busses for our tour of the city. One of the stops was McCormick Place. Our bus drivers and guides were all excited about this new attraction to Chicago. It was only two or three years old, a convention showplace and a big boon to the commerce of the city, but it did little to impress sleepy 16 and 17 year-olds! Then back on the busses for a quick catnap before touring The Art Institute of Chicago, Field Museum of Natural History, Museum of Science and Industry, and Shedd Aquarium. Now that is one impressive field trip!

After our day of learning, we boarded the trains again headed for Washington D.C. Some of the girls tried to give each other manicures, but soon found that the wobbling, jostling, clickity-clack across the terrain of Indiana and Ohio was not conducive to a glamorous paint job. Eventually, we settled down and figured out how to get a little sleep in the seats of the train – but probably not before the edge of Pennsylvania, then into Maryland.

We arrived in the Capital City about breakfast time. This stop, we got to take our luggage with us as we headed to our hotel – walking distance, of course! Our leaders checked us in, we left our bags in the lobby, then went to a restaurant for breakfast.  Walking distance, of course! From there, we walked to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. We had to watch for traffic when we crossed the streets because this was 1963 and traffic was allowed on Pennsylvania Avenue We toured the White House, the Capitol Building, met our Kansas Representatives on the steps, visited Washington Monument – climbing to the top, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, the Tidal Basin and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Quite a lot packed into the day. We definitely welcomed the beds in our rooms that night. After a good nights sleep, we enjoyed another breakfast before boarding busses to take us to the City of Brotherly Love.