A visit to La Plata, MO
Back before I made the connection that I needed a van to travel in, I would watch the Virtual Railfan channel on YouTube, specifically the La Plata, MO camera. It is one of their most popular cameras, they have an east-facing camera, a west-facing camera, and a camera on the lookout that someone operates during the day to point and zoom. I would watch the east and west cameras, mostly the east, and have it playing on my second monitor at work. I would daydream about where the trains were going and twice a day the Southwest Chief Amtrak would come through, in the morning ( No 4) heading to Chicago from LA and in the evening (No 3) heading from Chicago to LA. I thought about how cool it would be to take an Amtrak train, and all the things one could see to their destination (sound like another form of travel?) In 2020 my daughter and I took the Amtrak Texas Eagle up to Chicago then changed trains and took the Capital Limited to Cleveland for her to go back to school. At this point, I was already thinking about an RV and I remember checking out the “wet bath” in our room to see if I would be okay with a “wet bath” in an RV.
Fast forward to now, and because “have van, will travel” I was able to stop at La Plata and see the station in person! I realized how it played a role in my longing for something more. That something is hitting the road and seeing the country, from kitschy roadside attractions to the natural beauty of the different terrains around the country.
My van in the parking lot, and the view the tracks facing east.
The station (it’s just been renovated and looks great!)
Screen grab from the Live cam of me heading to the station
Screen grab of me walking toward the waiting area.
