From Great Lake to Shining Sea: The Mini-Liz Warren Whistle-stop Tour of the Western States

My traveling companion on my recent trip to the state of Washington was an Elizabeth Warren action figure, whom I've affectionately dubbed Mini-Liz. Although she stands just 6 inches tall, Mini-Liz made a very big impression everywhere we went. I was very pleasantly surprised to see how quickly people recognized her and how warmly they responded to her. A good example is the reaction we got when our train made a stop in Havre, MT. As I was posing Mini-Liz in front of an old locomotive for her picture, one of my fellow passengers walked past, initially looking at me with a puzzled expression (as one might on seeing a woman of grandmotherly age taking pictures of what appeared to be a little doll); then suddenly he called out: "Oh, it's ELIZABETH! I love her!" 

My primary purpose in this project was to attract a little extra attention to the Warren campaign and to have some fun and make some people smile along the way. I think that Mini-Liz and I have achieved that goal. I proudly, openly, and persistently support Elizabeth Warren for the Democratic nomination and the Presidency, and it was reassuring to see the positive impact her campaign is having throughout the parts of the country we traveled. However, none of the pictures posted here should be taken as political endorsements of Warren by the people or places that appear in them. 

Part 1: Amtrak's Empire Builder from Chicago to Seattle

It was raining when we left Chicago, but within minutes the sun was out

LaCrosse, Wisconsin

Winona & St. Paul, Minnesota

Minot, North Dakota

Wolf Point, Montana

Havre, Montana

Shelby, Montana

Whitefish, Montana

King Street Station, Seattle

Goodbye, Seattle!

Riding Amtrak's Cascades on our way to Bellingham 

Mini-Liz and I both enjoyed the food on Amtrak's Empire Builder

In fact, judging from the sheer volume of pictures, we spent most of our time eating 

In between meals, snacks, ice cream, and coffee breaks, Mini-Liz enjoyed sampling Washington State's delicious wild blackberries!

After our long train trip, Mini-Liz really appreciated relaxing in this nice hotel room before getting back on the campaign trail.

She met some wonderful people along the way!

She stopped to thank her campaign workers at the Bellingham farmers market and thought these bumper stickers were hilarious.

We also took time to do a little sightseeing at some of the area's shops, museums, and tourist attractions

Throughout our trip, both Mini-Liz and I were overwhelmed by the beauty of this wonderful, fragile earth. 

It was a long and memorable journey through this vast country. We saw many wonderful sights and met many wonderful people. But eventually it was time to head back to our midwestern HQ in the Windy City.

In case you are curious about the logistics of traveling with a six-inch political powerhouse, it helps to have a bag with a side pocket that, while slightly too small to accommodate my water bottle, was just the right size for Mini-Liz. She never left my side. I confess that sometimes I would even forget that she was with me. One afternoon in a Bellingham coffeeshop (an excellent coffeeshop by the way), I was placing my order when the barista suddenly interrupted me: "Ooh, it's a tiny Elizabeth Warren!!!!" and then, as happened so many times on our journey, he said how much he liked her. 

Coda: Back at HQ

My politically enlightened dog Maisie was happy to see us after our long absence. Like me, she believes that Elizabeth Warren is the candidate with the best vision for our future and the best plans to implement it. We hope that you agree.