American Freedom Train

I remember the thrill of getting to tour, on a Beaumont Grade School field trip, (after much begging and pleading with my parents) the American Freedom Train.

I found a schedule on line that said it stopped in Portland Oregon on November 11, 1975 - one day only. That is when I saw it.

There was a really long wait to get into the train (lines longer than I had ever seen.) I am pretty sure the wait to get in was substantially longer than the actual tour. Visitors were not allowed to linger - there was a moving walkway in the train (the first time I'd ever seen one) that kept everyone moving forward - like it or not.

Once inside, there was so much to look at - including things that were on loan from the Smithsonian Institute. It was a thrill, for me, a young west coast girl who had never been to Washington DC, to get a glimpse of things that were displayed in the famous museum.

It all went by so fast it was difficult to remember any of the details But there was one thing I'd never forget...