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Improve your English, increase your vocabulary, learn California slang from the late 1980s, and take a trip on an exciting adventure in and around California and the West Coast of the USA. 2nd Edition
January 2024
West Coasting in 1987
By Sam Fields
Copyright © 2024 by Sam Fields
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without prior written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.
Table of Contents
West Coasting in 1987 Introduction 2
How to Use This Book as an Educational Tool 2
Chapter 1: Milwaukee to San Diego 2
Chapter 2: San Diego, Tijuana, and Los Angeles 2
Chapter 3: Greater Area of LA and Second Visit to Tijuana 2
Chapter 4: Berkeley and the Bay Area 2
Chapter 5: Grizzly Peak and San Francisco 2
Chapter 6: Lake Tahoe and Sun Valley 2
Chapter 7: Virginia City and Lake Washoe 2
Chapter 8 Sun Valley and Reno 2
Chapter 9: Bay Area, Guerneville, and Berkeley 2
Chapter 10 Richmond and Richmond Hills 2
Chapter 11 Santa Cruz and San Francisco 2
Chapter 12: Berkeley, Portland, and Glacier 2
Chapter 13: Glacier to Milwaukee 2
And in The End 2
About the Author 2
Answer Key for the Comprehension Questions 2
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Disclaimer
The following is a true account loosely based on real-life events from my journal. The names have been changed to protect the identity of those in the story.
West Coasting in 1987
Introduction
In the summer of 1986, I flew to San Francisco, California, in June. Then, I drove to Berkeley, California, where I worked at Berkeley Tire for six weeks, living with a friend of our family. After saving enough money, I bought an airplane ticket to San Diego and stayed there for a week with my friend, on his military base, sleeping in the barracks and eating in the mess hall. I had short blond hair and looked like any other young twenty-something-looking kid, wearing jeans and a T-shirt. After visiting my friend, I took the train back to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from San Diego, California. That was the summer of 1986. I worked all winter and longed to be in California again. So, in the summer of 1987, the following story happened. I kept a detailed account of my travels in my journal. Enjoy!
How to Use This Book as an Educational Tool
This book is written based on my summer travels when I was a young man. I have always believed that you can increase your ability to read by reading. Read! Read! Read! And read more; it is the best way for you to learn English. The vocabulary is very basic in this book, and there should be no difficult words. When I think that there is a word that is important for you to know, I will make those words bold and provide a definition. There will be a list of bold words at the end of each chapter, where I will further define the words to help you become familiar with them. I may even provide a similar word or synonym next to the bold words to make them easier to understand. The more bold words you learn at the beginning of the book, the easier the reading will become, as I might use the bold words multiple times in later chapters. This is a great way to increase your vocabulary in English.
In addition to the bold words, I will have seven comprehension questions at the end of each of the 13 chapters for you to answer. Some of these questions may be easy, and others may be difficult. Most of the questions will be very easy to answer if you have read the chapter. It is best to write the answers in complete sentences.
This is a great book to read out loud. These were the thoughts that were going through my mind many years ago when I wrote this, so it would be like you entering my mind when you read this book, either to yourself or out loud.
Studying the English language will help you in many parts of your life. In fact, I would recommend making flashcards of the vocabulary at the end of each chapter. Then have someone test you on your knowledge of those new bold words. Have your friends test you on the new words learned in this book.
It has been my pleasure to have you purchase this book, and now go ahead and start reading.
Sam Fields
Chapter 1: Milwaukee to San Diego
West Coasting in 1987
I want to start with some interesting financial facts about life in 1987: yearly income was $24,426, a new home cost $104,500, a new car cost $11,305, gas per gallon was $0.86, a movie ticket was $3.91, U.S. postal stamps were $0.22, and a dozen eggs cost $0.78.
The world population in 1987 was 5.03 billion, and the USA's population was 242.3 million. The US president was Ronald Reagan (Republican), the UK Prime Minister was Margaret Thatcher (Conservative), and Pope John Paul II was leading the Catholic Church.
Tuesday, June 30, 1987
My friend, Peter, who lived in Butler, Wisconsin, dropped me off in Milwaukee at the Amtrak train station at 6:20 a.m. He had to be at work by 7 a.m. I had some time to kill. How should I spend it? I tossed out a pair of pants and socks, which would lighten my load a little. By now, it was 7:30 a.m., and I was still looking for things to do until my 12:15 p.m. train arrived. Let me paint you a picture of the surroundings: I was located near the Milwaukee River in the hot June morning sun, sitting just outside the huge Amtrak train station. The birds were flying in the sky. I tried sleeping, but that did not work because if you sleep, you might get ripped off or robbed. So, I ended up reading my travel guide. I was reading about how you should keep your wallet in the front pocket rather than in the back pocket of your pants. And you should not make eye contact, keep your money close to your body, and not be out after dark or travel alone. Despite all of these warnings, have a good time. After I read and watched the wind carry the birds, time passed. I looked at the clock, and it was 10:30 a.m. I was still drinking coffee and was on my second cup that I purchased at the Amtrak station. It was really amazing what coffee can do to you, especially after you only get four hours of sleep. People watching burned up much of my time. I saw many types of travelers, including families all together, mothers attending to small children, single travelers with suitcases, businessmen dressed in black, and many more people. Soon it was noon, and I got in line because they were calling the number on my train ticket in my hand. I was the fourth person in line to board the train.
On board the Amtrak train, I was looking out the window of the observation car as we traveled south to Chicago. All I could see were the cornfields on the ride down to Chicago. I was entertained by listening to Q93 FM on my Walkman radio. We started approaching Chicago, and the train ran straight through the slum areas. I looked out my window and saw a couple of chairs and paper bags underneath, which I knew all about because some time back we had that experience on a trip from Minneapolis to Milwaukee. The train traveled through some of the richest backyards of America as well as some of the poorest neighborhoods.
I arrived in Chicago, the Windy City they say, and the wind just about knocked me over as I walked just outside of the Union Station. My layover at the Union Station in downtown Chicago was three and a half hours. Sometimes waiting for the next train was seemingly more difficult than working full time; at least when you know what to do at your job, then the time flies, but waiting for the next train can be slow and boring, just like watching the clock.
I recall last year's Amtrak train ride when I returned from California to Wisconsin. The food was very expensive and tasted horrible, so as soon as I got off the train, I started asking people in the immediate area where I was: "Where is there a grocery store?" A man at the corner said, "Across the street and down the next block." I started my hunt for the store, and fifteen minutes later, I found myself in a high-class store in the middle of downtown Chicago. Everyone and their brother seemed to look at me like I was some kind of a weirdo. Did I care? Nope. I went about my business. I placed apples, oranges, cherries, grapes, plums, pop-tarts, and pudding in my cart while wearing my full Kelty dark blue backpack. I decided to go on a fruit diet - cheap, good, and nourishing - for the next three days on the train while crossing the United States of America on board the Amtrak train.
I found my way back to the Grand Union Station of Chicago, and the time was only 3:30 p.m. I glanced at my ticket, and it said that train #3 was going to leave at 5 p.m. Train #3 was going to California. Once again, people-watching consumed much of my time. Now it was 4:30 p.m. I said to myself that I had to get to track S26, so I started walking in that direction. I was pushing my way through the crowd of people, not even realizing that I was butting in front of everyone. I stopped and said, "There were a lot of people going my way." Finally, I was headed for the train on track #3, and there were 50 people in front of me and 100 people behind me. I had the feeling that there was a fire somewhere, but indeed there was no fire; it was just that everyone was anxious as usual.
Yes, I got on the train and I thought to myself, "Yeah." I found a seat and looked at everyone coming onto the train. Someone was going to sit down next to me, and here he was coming. He sat down in the seat next to me. On the train, the seats were first come, first served. He looked about 28 years old with John Lennon-style glasses. He looked interesting. After a few minutes, he introduced himself to me. He told me that he was from New York City, NY had five years of college, graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and majored in English. He had the summer off just like me. Yes, I was smiling. I started reading my Travel Book, but I got bored. I dug my Walkman out of my backpack and turned it on to listen to the radio when suddenly the conductor narrated the ride through some of the richest cornfields in North America. I learned that Rich had the same destination as me - he was going to LA, California. Then he would be headed to Oakland, California, and finally, he would return to New York City.
Soon, I became bored speaking with Rich, so I took a stroll to the observation car, which was one car behind me. What a sight - look in every direction you want. I decided to go down to the lower level of the observation car. Some people were watching “Ruthless People,” a 1986 film. I ordered a can of Coke at the snack bar, and it cost 60 cents. I asked for a glass of ice and sat down next to a couple of girls. One of them was from France, as I overheard in the conversation. I tried some small talk, but it did not last long. Then a beautiful young lady came down the stairs and stood in the corner of the observation car for a little while before finally sitting down. I was watching the Illinois clouds roll past in the sky while the Midwestern sun sank slowly into the green cornfields. "Where are you going?" she responded. "Kansas City, Missouri." She boarded in Galveston, Illinois. She was visiting her mother last night. Later, I learned her name was Lisa. She was 18 years old, and I got a picture of her. We exchanged addresses, and she departed in Kansas City, Missouri. The conductor on the lower level struck up a conversation with me, asking where I was going. I told him that I was headed to the West Coast. He asked if I had worked out there, and I responded with no, telling him that I had so much fun last summer that I wanted to return and do it all over again. He said to me that I should stay out on the West Coast because the weather was very nasty in central Illinois, and out in California, the weather is always nice. I left the lower part of the car and returned to my seat with a smile, thinking about the conductor’s suggestion.
I went back to sit in the passenger car next to Rich. He had fallen asleep and taken both seats. I rummaged through my backpack to get my jacket out and returned to the observation car to lay down and fall asleep. I was dreaming about something really good, only I couldn’t recall what the dream was about. At about 4:30 a.m., someone kicked me and said that they were cleaning the observation car. I said OK and went back to find an unoccupied double seat where I could fall asleep.
Wednesday, July 1, 1987
At the crack of dawn, we were in Kansas. I was awakened by the super bright sky. I was on the Amtrak Train, somewhere in the middle of Kansas, and we were barreling down the tracks. The Kansas wheatfields stretched for as long as the naked eye can see. I snapped three pictures of the most perfect sunrise. Then I fell back to sleep, only to be jolted awake, thinking that I was hungry. I ate a pop tart and had a piping hot cup of coffee. As I glanced out the window, I noticed the breathtaking scenery that surrounded the train tracks of North America. I started a conversation with a woman who said she was from Minnesota. She was a teacher and had the summers off. She had three grandchildren along with her and had gotten all messed up and delayed in Chicago. As a nice gesture, Amtrak bought all of her meals for her and the grandkids and provided a hotel for her in Chicago. During the conversation, she mentioned that one summer of travel is equal to one semester of education at the university level.
Meanwhile, the states whipped by. The conversation faded, so I moved on. I spent most of my time staring out the window through Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico. The roads were built for automobiles, and the train tracks were built before the roads. The train tracks passed through places that have been around for many more years than the automobile, which is why the path that the trains follow was much more beautiful than the roads that the cars drive on. During this time, I met people from all walks of life. I met a guy from Indiana; he was completely broke, heading to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to teach at a high school hoping to make a career out of it. He pointed to several cacti that were blooming, which was rather interesting as I had never seen flowers on cacti before.
The train finally arrived in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I had been sleeping for the last hour and did not know that we had arrived in Albuquerque. I woke up and stepped off the train, only to find that the temperature outside was 104 degrees Fahrenheit. This was not the Midwest weather that I was accustomed to; it was a super dry heat. Then I heard the all-aboard call from the conductor and jumped back on the train. What a relief it was, as the temperature in the train was a cool 65 degrees Fahrenheit. I went back to my seat and glanced out the window, and to my surprise, there were Mexican women selling jewelry. They had all types of items for sale.
I returned to my seat, got my little Walkman radio out, and started to listen to it. All the music that I wanted to listen to was playing on the radio station. Pink Floyd, Yes, Phil Collins, U2, and Crowded House were all on the radio station 95 FM the Hot Rocker of Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is amazing how fast the station fades away when you get into a song. Why do some songs stick in your mind more than others? Anyway, we were leaving New Mexico and entering Arizona. I saw a Santa Fe freight train, four engines pulling a two-mile or so long train. I grabbed my camera and snapped several pictures of the train. May I add something else? Arizona sunsets are very unique.
Later that evening, I was watching “Top Gun” with a seemingly rich man and his two daughters. They told me that they enjoyed the movie so much that they bought the actual tape. The movie ended, and this family of two daughters and the father continued to sit near me, and they started to play the card game of Gin Rummy. I learned that they were from Long Beach, California, with a population of 700,000. I did not mind the company as Donna and Morea were affable, and Dad was drinking a fine wine. I could tell they were from California because of the accent. I can usually pick up on the different accents of North American English dialects and accents. They were coming from the Grand Canyon, staying in hotels all the way. Soon the time was getting too late at night, and they departed to their sleeper car on the train. During the time that I was having a conversation with the California Long Beach girls, Rich came down from the coach car where we first met.
The time was 1 a.m. in the morning, and I was super tired. I decided to go to the observation car to sleep because you can stretch all the way out and sleep well. Amtrak is a very neat way to travel because the train takes the back way - it goes where the train went 100 years ago.
Thursday, July 2, 1987
After traveling all night on the train, we arrived in California. Sunrise was at 5:30 a.m. I know Los Angeles is not far away, so I was preparing to depart the train. We would be arriving at 8:30 a.m. Rich and I went down to the snack bar. As we got closer to our destination, I saw five or six different freight trains. Most of the freight train’s Engines were named Santa Fe. It was interesting to note that there were up to five engines pulling over two miles of freight cars. Someone was mentioning how Amtrak loans the rails from Santa Fe. Now it is 7:30 a.m., and after some morning coffee, I found my way back to my seat while watching cities after cities pass by, and in those cities were freeways and run-down businesses and smog and fog. The Amtrak station in Los Angeles was the biggest I have ever seen so far. I recall being there last summer, but every time was different. I said my goodbyes to Rich and others.
The next train from Los Angeles to San Diego departs at 10:45 a.m. I was constantly meeting people and learning about the new geography that I would encounter. I boarded the train, and it was the most beautiful ride ever. As I recall last summer, I boarded the train at 4:30 a.m., so I could make my connection in Los Angeles. This meant that it was dark at the time, so I did not see anything on my way from San Diego last year.
I boarded the train and found that it was very crowded. I found a less cramped passenger coach. I sat down and started a conversation with the guy across from me. "How long have you been on the train?" I asked. He told me 33 hours as he was coming from Seattle, Washington. So, it took 33 hours to travel from Seattle, Washington to San Diego, California. He further explained that the train ride down the West Coast of the USA was very beautiful. I replied by telling him that I was headed up that way in a few weeks myself. I dozed off and woke up and stared at the wild west coast Pacific Ocean as the train was hugging the shoreline. I snapped a few pictures of the beaches along the way south. Soon we were in San Diego. I was the last one off the train. I went into the San Diego Amtrak station and made a phone call to my friend who is now living in Imperial Beach. He was on his way to pick me up, according to his girlfriend. By the way, the girl that I saw on the Los Angeles to San Diego train ride smiled at me as I was deboarding the train. "Where are you headed?" I asked. She replied by telling me that she was heading to San Clemente, California. She was originally from Seattle, Washington, and moved to California because she got bored with the state of Washington. We started talking about the state of Oregon and how gorgeous that state is. She soon departed, and I was looking for my friend Allen.
Vocabulary - Definitions and Synonyms
President - leader, the person who is in charge of a nation-state
Prime Minister - head of state, the person who is the leader of the government of a country that is a constitutional monarchy
Pope - Priest, the head of the Catholic Church
Lighten - to make light
Surroundings - the area near you
Ripped off - to get robbed
Despite - although
Purchased - to buy
Observation - to see around
Entertained - to pass the time doing something
Walkman - a small radio that you can listen to music and cassette tapes on
Approaching - getting near, getting closer to
Backyards - the back area of a residence
Layover - time spent waiting for the next departure of the airplane, train, or bus
Expensive - marked by considerably more money
Immediate area - the space that is directly in front of you
Weirdo - Someone who is out of the ordinary - someone different than the rest
Backpack - something that is worn on your back and you can carry all of your belongings, clothes, and other items
Consumed - to take up, use up
Butting - to move to the front of a line rudely
Anxious - nervous about something
Narrated - to tell someone about something
Stroll - to walk slowly
Snack bar - concession stand on board a moving train
Exchanged - to trade with someone else
Rummaged - to look inside at a fast pace
Awakened - to be woken up from sleep
Barreling down - To go very fast
Jolted - startled suddenly
Piping hot - extremely hot liquid, especially coffee, and tea
Breathtaking - spectacularly beautiful
Gesture - something done to another person to show appreciation
Faded - to change from bright colors to dull colors, but in this case, the conversation ended
Broke - to be without money
Stepped off - to detrain, to get off the train
Accustomed to - to get used to
Grabbed - to clutch with your hand
Affable – the ability to talk in an engaging conversation
Accent - the way in which someone speaks
Run-down - to be worn out over time
Connection - to unite with
Dozed off - to fall asleep
Deboarding - to get off the train
Chapter 1 Comprehension Questions
What city did I start in on this Amtrak train ride?
What city and state was Rich from?
How much did a can of Coke cost in 1987?
What was the temperature in Albuquerque, New Mexico?
What was the population of Long Beach, California in 1987?
How many hours did it take to travel from Seattle, Washington to San Diego, California?
What city did I arrive in on July 2, 1987?
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