When I was old enough to travel by myself, I took the new Amtrak Lakeshore Limited to Chicago, transferred to the Zephyr and would visit my Uncle Bob during spring break while in college. I went out alone or with my twin brother if our breaks matched up. Uncle Bob was my Mom's brother and he would jump at the chance to have an excuse to take off from the CRRM every day when we were out visiting. Usually, there was at least one or two guys staying at Bob's house when I was visiting, probably one of you guys. Many times, we'd be up laughing and talking until Bob would emerge from his bedroom and tell us to quiet down. Bob would take us out to the Casa De Bonita in Denver. One time, Tom (big Tom whom Bob lovingly referred to as "Babylon") (if you recall his last name...help me out!) came out to eat with us at the Casa. Bob told me to watch how much Tom could stuff away. Amazingly, big Tom went through 4 full trays of Mexican food!
Every day, Bob would check the office behind the gift shop desk, make sure things were being done and then off we'd go to chase an abandoned line, travel across the NG circle, all the while Bob would be giving me a live history lesson of each place we visited.
We'd get back to the CRRM about midnight, and then, drinking tea, we'd be talking in the small office in the museum gift shop until the wee hours. The museum would be dark except for the yellow glow of a small desk lamp Uncle Bob would have on. If other volunteer college-aged guys were staying over at the house, then we'd be up even later...swapping stories and laughing. I'd be wiped out by the end of the week. I'd crash on the couch in Bob's cramped living room...always entertained by the antics of the numerous mice that owned the house despite the various cats living at the museum. Being from Ohio, I was mesmerized by the ever-changing weather in Golden in March. One night, I went to bed under clear skies and 40 degrees. The next morning, Uncle Bob woke me up at 4 a.m. and told me we'd be heading down to Chama. That was the first time I was introduced to Raging Bull tea...man...way better than coffee. We blew through a blizzard all the way from Golden to Colorado Springs as if it were nothing...the whole time my fingernails dug into the front seat. That afternoon it was sunny and hit 60 degrees.
I couldn't get enough of those days! You guys were so cool...and taught me so much in the few days I got to watch you work various things around the museum grounds.The week went to fast and sadly, I'd be boarding the Zephyr in Denver and have to wait for another chance to visit Bob. Best days ever!
