The 10:50 to Mesa

 I went for a trip yesterday. One I would normally say was to a place I had been many, many times, but how I got there was new.

Valley Metro has the regular city bus business here in the Valley. They also have the Light Rail - an over-priced train system that is costly to maintain, let alone extend it to areas that would provide better transportation service. So costly, S. Phoenix actually voted against the extension to their area due to cost, disruption of community, etc. Either way, for somethings it is viable transportation, and myself with out a vehicle for now has limited choices.

Luckily, the current "final station of the line" is just a couple miles from my house. I looked up the station map, and determined I could be dropped off near where I used to work, after only about an hour and half ride. At $4 for an all day ride pass, I figured I could take the train out to there, and then back hone after a couple hours or so. One of my co-workers is leaving to Florida, and we were celebrating it. 

The Middle Son gave me a ride up there, and I was able to make the 10:50 train. I had ridden before to the downtown area (about 30 minute ride) so the start was pretty uneventful. Once past the downtown area though, you could tell the train was built to go through areas the city had reclaimed. Closed down businesses, empty lots, no convenience stores or much else at a good third of the stops from downtown until we hit Tempe (college town). Made it to Mesa Dr/Main in Mesa in the appropriate amount of time. I actually walked the half mile from the station to the old job - my legs were quite sore Thursday, but it felt good to have walked. 

We did our little party thing, and I got an Uber back to a station and took the train home. It was a good time, and I go to take the train almost from the end of the line both ways. Two more stops were all on there past the Mesa one. I got out of the house, too.

PeacE