"The country's on the 'wrong' track"?

This blog is rarely political, but sometimes delves into education, media and social issues that can't help but overlap with government and politics. That's because most people are tired of all the political claptrap, don't read it, and none of it seems to change anyone's minds.

Forest Park Railroad, Fort Worth

I prefer to write about traveling, photography, watercolor, books, education and more, as the past seven and a half years illustrate.
But the phrase about the country being on the "wrong track" has caught my attention more and more recently, especially in election year with such a polarized country fed by hatred, fear, and politics and media gone wild. 
Polls show a majority of Americans think the country is on the "wrong" track. What does that mean? 
Plus, given my love for anything to do with trains, and words, it just seems natural to write about it. 
Besides, I too think the country is sometimes on the wrong tracks, but you'll have to wait till the concluding article in these postings to guess why, though I won't tell you.
So I thought I'd do a little research into the phrase, using basic journalism questions.

• First question--Where did the phrase come from?
• Second question--Why? or (What is the "right" track?) or (Who gets to determine what is "right" or "wrong"?)
• Third question--What are the facts?
• Fourth question--unanswerable except by opinion perhaps--Is there only one "right" or "wrong" track?

"All a'boaaard!" (Next--first question, background)

 (Forest Park Railroad--Make sure your sound is on)

All aboard to stress freedom, Part 3

Forest Park Railroad

A week ago, we'd just boarded the Amtrak Heartland Flyer in Fort Worth and settled in for a five and a half hour trip back to Oklahoma City...no hassle, no traffic, no heat, and no hurry.

Two story sculpture for Booker T. Washington

We left behind Fort Worth's great museums--including the Modern Art Museum , which has an entrance fee, and the downtown Sid Richardson museum of Russells and Remingtons, and no fee. Amon Carter and Kimbell out near the Modern Art Museum, don't have fees either, but we didn't visit them. There are other museums, but you could make an entire trip just out of them, and we weren't in a hurry or on a schedule. We enjoyed the flights of fancy and imagination in the Modern museum, and had a great lunch there as well.

Trying to get the ladder in the picture

To me, Fort Worth's architecture is also art, including the Bass Performance Hall downtown, a two story Barnes and Noble with a two story statue of a bronc rider in it, the historic Hilton hotel (the former Texas Hotel), lots of art deco buildings, the front of the Fort Worth Star Telegram, and even the Forest Park Railroad. If we'd had time and it wasn't so hot, we'd have probably visited the scenic and refreshing Botanic Gardens, just across the road from the train.

The last evening was spent after dinner at the cool basement Skat jazz lab, right on Sundance Square, with some great live music.
Riding the little train was a highlight of fun and no hurry, about 30 minutes for $3.00, acting and feeling like kids.

Bass Performance Hall

By the time we pulled into Oklahoma City, refreshed by Roy Kelsey's liquid refreshment, we got to see the lighted scissor tail sculpture spanning the new crosstown Interstate for the first time at night.

"All aboard!" in Fort Worth

Us kids always want to be the engineer.

I rode a big train (Amtrak) and a little train, Forest Park Railroad in Fort Worth this weekend, with Susan and friends Roy and Jill Kelsey. So much fun. This was my second trip ton the Forest Park train, about a 30 minute ride, cost $3,00. It was close to 100 degrees out there, but so what? Here's a video and a couple of views of what it's like to be a kid (still). More info and photos to come of the entire trip. Previous post is at http://clarkcoffee.blogspot.com/2010/08/all-aboard.html