In December 2007 the 3 of us went to South Bend, IN to attend the wedding of one of my many cousins. Since he was an alumnus of Notre Dame University, the wedding was held at a basilica on the University’s campus. It was too expensive to fly, and there would be security checkpoints and 10 hour layovers. Since it was almost winter, and snow had already fallen in the Midwest where we were going, driving was not a good choice either. By elimination, it was the train that won out. So on December 6, 2007 we took the Long Island Railroad to Penn Station and boarded Amtrak’s Lake Shore Limited for South Bend. By 12:30 PM the next day we finally arrived in South Bend, 3 hours late. After a shower and lunch with some aunts, uncles, and other cousins we each decided to take a nap. In the evening was the rehearsal dinner, at the College Football of Fame, located across the street from our hotel. The Hall had numerous exhibits dedicated to college level football, including the history of the sport and the uniform, plaques dedicated to the inductees, the history of trophies, and a room showing Hollywood films about football. There were also batting like cages where we were able to practice passing a football or practice tacking another player. The dinner itself was in a room with paintings of all of the Heisman Trophy recipients. We shared the dinner table with my 3 aunts. After that it was back to the hotel for TV and sleep. On Saturday the 8th we all went on a tour of the Notre Dame campus. I had been here in 1973, and remembered some of the particular buildings. However, it was great to see them again, and to be able to have a guide point out the history of the university, as well as some of the artwork on the grounds. Among the buildings that we went through were the Basilica, the Administration Building (with art dedicated to Christopher Columbus), a hall dedicated to well know alumnus Regis Philbin, the Hesburgh Library with the out door mural nicknamed the “Touchdown Jesus”, and the football stadium. We also stopped at the bookstore and treated ourselves to a coffee table book about Notre Dame. In the evening we went back to the campus for the wedding itself, held in the Basilica. It was quite an impressive church, and any parish would love to have it. After the ceremony we went to the reception, held at the Palais Royale, an historic building in downtown South Bend. We enjoyed ourselves, and shred the table with my 3 aunts, as well as the groom’s parents. Since the next day was Sunday, I went to church at St. Joseph’s Parish, across the river from the hotel and it seemed longer since the ground was icy. However, I made it there and back with no incident. In the afternoon we went to a residence hotel to take care of laundry, and while back at our own hotel relaxed by hitting the Internet in the lobby and watching NFL games on TV. We were able to stay at the hotel until around 10 PM, as our train did not stop at South Bend until 12:30 AM on Monday morning. Once at the Amtrak station, the train was on time and we were on our way back to New York. We got to see several of the Upstate New York cities like Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica and Albany close up. The train arrived in Penn Station on time at 7:30 PM. After claiming our luggage we went downstairs to the Long Island Railroad platform to get the 8:30 train home. Since we were there mainly for a wedding, and did not have our car, we were not able to go to the Studebaker Museum nor the Studebaker Mansion. Hopefully, we can do it next time.



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Eileen and I are in the College Football Hall of Fame's West Point exhibit

Eileen, my 3 aunts and I at the rehearsal dinner
My 3 aunts, Eileen and me at the rehearsal dinner


Ellen, Eileen and I on the Notre Dame campus
The 3 of us on the Notre Dame Campus


Ellen, Eileen and the campus guide
Ellen, EIleen and the campus guide after the tour


The 3 of us at the reception
Ellen, Eileen and I at the wedding reception


click to add titleAunt Helen and I dancing at the reception
My aunt and I at the wedding reception


Since South Bend is famous for Studebaker automobiles, a good football team, a monor league baseball team, and an interurban train line, here are some pictures:

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Notre Dame's football stadium, mascot, and Administration Building


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1950 Studebaker


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1941 Studebaker


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1950 Studebaker pickup

South Shore Railroad freight train
Chicago, South Shore & South Bend frieght train. I had hoped to get to ride the passenger trains, but did not have the time


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Minor league baseball's South Bend Silver Hawks, named after one of Studebaker's 1950's models

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