6/28/26
Hello all, and happy summer to those here in the northern hemisphere! (Not sure if I’ve got any readers currently in the southern hemisphere, but if so, happy winter to you!)
Portland is overcast and rainy today; our consistent sunny and dry summer weather “officially” begins on July 4th each year, and it looks like we’re on track for that.
I want to share some photos at the end of the post of the next cat I sat for—the illustrious Princess Savannah Kumquat—as well as some beautiful photos of my trip with my friend Viv to the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden.
But first! I’m excited to share the tentative itinerary I’ve been dreaming up to escape our next chilly and rainy season.
I’d love to find paid cat sits (anywhere from about a week to a month) in many of these areas, as well as just cool people to meet up with. So, if you know of anyone in these areas who might be interested in either of those possibilities, please feel free to put me in touch! (For cat sits, feel free to share my page with the person: www.dreamintochange.com/cat-sitting )
As most of you know, I have a dream to travel every mile of track in Amtrak’s network. I estimate that I am about 80% of the way there, especially after checking off four more segments this past fall, winter, and spring, in Illinois, Virginia, and the Carolinas.
The next big segment I want to cross off my list is the section on the Texas Eagle train between Chicago and Fort Worth. I have previously traveled the segment of that line from Los Angeles to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, but not north of Dallas. Along this line, southbound from Chicago, are two more rail sections I’ve never done: St. Louis to Kansas City (never visited either of those cities) and Fort Worth to Oklahoma City. I’ve never been to Oklahoma, and sadly, that Heartland Flyer route seems to be on the chopping block at the end of this year due to a funding shortfall. So, I want to make sure to experience it while it’s there!
My general plan is to stay here in Portland through September (and if you know of anyone looking for a cat sitter in the Portland area during August or September, again, feel free to put us in touch! Those two months are totally open at this point.) Then I would travel to the following cities at least, and possibly also others along the way (see the lavender outline of my route on the map):
Chicago
St. Louis
Kansas City (day trip only, since that train doesn’t have a baggage car)
Fort Worth
Oklahoma City (day trip for the same reason)
Austin
San Antonio
Tucson
Tempe/Phoenix area (I’m still dreaming of a cat sit in the Culdesac Tempe development!)
Palm Springs
San Diego
Los Angeles
San Jose
Roseville (where I plan to reprise last fall’s monthlong 6-cat sit!)
And then! Around mid-May, I may depart from my standard rail mode of transportation, because I’d like to find a way to either find a carpool or make bus transit work to see the Avenue of the Giants! This has been on my list for many years, and I’d really like to make it happen this time. I’d also really like to see some other redwoods in California and/or southern Oregon.
I would arrive back in Portland probably in late May.
I’m so excited!! I love dreaming up these journeys, and I’m looking forward to visiting many of you, meeting cool new people, and connecting with cats and beautiful natural spots in many different states.
With that, I’ll leave you these photos of the kitty princess and the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden (in early May, which was peak bloom!)
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