Coast Starlight northbound - views from the train?

Thanks everyone, all clear now and a big help.

Jennifer, I thought we were more or less on the EB in opposite directions at the same time, but will give you a wave at Chemult anyway.

Know this isn't the right place or even forum, but if there are any personal recommendations on eating Thai or Vietnamese in the Chinatown area would appreciate that.

For my part I can recommend the Thai vegetarian restaurant on the edge of the Tenderloin (interesting area but not as threatening as we were told), called the Thai Idea Vegetarian opposite the Red Coach Motor Lodge. It's on Polk St between Eddy and Willow. We wont be very energetic that day and prefer to stay close-ish to the Trans Bay

I actually hid a geocache at the edge of the 2008 landslide about 70 feet below the tracks.

About 15-20 miles after you leave Chemult, you will pass Odell Lake before you reach Cascade Summit. Odell is one of 2 places that I have seen a Bald Eagle from

The Coast Starlight. The other was over Upper Klamath Lake north of Klamath Falls.

v v said:

chakk, what sort of cost is an Uber ride on this journey, don't have an account with either at the moment but may need a couple of cabs at different points of the journey. Trouble is with any cab you don't get to meet many people in the back of a cab compared to a train or bus, we travel to see how the world works and mainly that's down to local people.

Thanks

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If you have an iPhone, pick up the free Google Maps app, which provides lots of options for travel between any two points in the USA. That app shows Uber and Lyft charge between $6 and $25 for rides one-way between SFO airport and the Temporary Transbay Terminal in downtown San Francisco. Both companies use “demand pricing” with higher rates during peak travel periods. I think both companies quote you the price before you get in the vehicle depending on the time of day and traffic situation. My wife is a big fan of Lyft and always meets very friendly and considerate drivers when ahe uses their services.

You can get both the Uber app and the Lyft app free for your Apple or Android smart phone or tablets. Payment for the rides is always made with a credit card thru the app. Even the tip, which is typically 15-20% of the total fare, is done via the credit card. No cash transactions with the driver needed or encouraged.

Enjoy your visit to the SF Bay Area. Rain can be expected 2-3 days per week between November and April, but typically dry all other months. However, this autumn has been exceptionally dry and no more rain expected before mid-January.

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Furthermore, chinatown is a 30 minute walk from the Temporary TrAnsbay Terminal, but 9 minutes via Uber or Lyft with a one-way fare of $5-$7. Much better deal than even city buses or trams.

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tomfuller, thanks for that. Think we saw Bald Eagles in Louisiana? are they found right across the US?

Last week in inland Portugal we were driving through the hills and saw Red Kites for the first time, never seen such a purposeful and graceful bird, they are far larger (at least there?) than we had imagined. We are not bird watchers but you can but be impressed by these big birds of prey.

Chakk, having come off of an 11 1/2 hour flight we thought the least we should do was to walk the 25-30 minutes into Chinatown and back, if for our own health sake even if it's not enjoyable which of course it will be.

Have to admit that when it comes to phones I'm a bit of a reactionary, still own a fully functioning BlackBerry which makes phone calls and does text. For anything else we travel with a notebook computer . Sorry to disappoint.

Have just checked if the CS schedule has changed due to the accident last week, in fact since the ticket was bought the arrival in Seattle in a few minutes earlier at 7:51pm (due to a re-route?). Will the dining car serve 3 meals that day including dinner? or will dinner not be offered or even brought forward into the afternoon?

Thanks

v v said:

Have just checked if the CS schedule has changed due to the accident last week, in fact since the ticket was bought the arrival in Seattle in a few minutes earlier at 7:51pm (due to a re-route?). Will the dining car serve 3 meals that day including dinner? or will dinner not be offered or even brought forward into the afternoon?

Thanks

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Even though the advertised hours for dinner are 1700hrs to 2130hrs (5:00pm to 9:30pm) I wouldn't dare predict whether or not you'll actually be offered dinner. And if you are offered dinner, whether or not it will be from the full menu. Based on my limited experience I think your best chance of being offered dinner from the full menu is if the train is running 2 or 3 hours late.

Other folks may know better, as usual.

Joyeaux Noël

I think they usually have dinner... I know last time I rode I asked for dinner in the Parlour car and the attendant was out of most parlour car dinners but I said that didn't matter (I'll take any chance I get to dine at a private table in a Santa Fe hi-level.) I Rember we were running a little bit late, but nothing too crazy.

In winter, you may see bald eagles along any wild lakes or rivers in the western US. They are usually found in large trees, waiting for the chance to swoop down on a fish in the water. I've seen them along the CZ route between Grand Junction and Granby, and also along Klamath Lake, and the river above the lake. Hmm, I believe I've seen them in Montana as well, along the Flathead River between the Izaak Walton and Cutbank. YMMV.

I believe the reroute through Tacoma has been re-routed back to the original track for now. They said they will not put the train back on the new trackage till the PTC is activated. Has anyone seen a guess as to when that will be?

I have seen bald eagles from the southbound Coast Starlight along the Columbia River in February. It would be waning daylight along this stretch in February on the northbound train, if it is on time.

The largest bald eagle nest is in the National Cemetery at Bay Pines, St Petersburg Florida.

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If you want to see Bald Eagles from an Amtrak train.. the Eastbound Empire Builder is the way to go. Departing St. Paul in the morning you will travel along the Mississippi River as the Eagles are fishing for their breakfast. I usually see at least 2 dozen along that stretch. I've often said "what's more American than eating scrambled eggs and potatoes in an Amtrak Dining car while watching Bald Eagles fish in the Mississippi River" when telling people about my train journeys.

I've also seen them frequently on the Zephyr.

Don’t expect PTC to go active on Amtrak trains before mid-2018, if not later.

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Seniors, youth and disabled persons do not have to pay for a Clipper Card.

https://www.clippercard.com/ClipperWeb/discounts/index.do

GiantsFan said:

You can just buy single tickets, theres a fare chart on the ticket vending machine that shows how much the fare is to a particular stop.

The high value/senior/etc tickets arent available from a ticket machine... you have to buy them at a customer service center or online, and have to be loaded onto a clipper card (And you have to buy them at a high value, so way more than what youre going to use for one trip)

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I got one about a week ago after having emailed my application and a scan of my Iowa drivers license.

It took about 10 days to get here from California.

I'll be in the Bay area in March so I need to load some $$s onto my Clipper Card before I want to use it.

I've already registered my card so I can add $$s online.

You can also add funds to your Clipper Card at any Walgreens drug store in the SF Bay Area. They are an excellent deal, especially for seniors.

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We're in Seattle for only 2 full days before moving on to the Empire Builder, so we're going for the Orca card in Seattle. In SF the only we will use is the BART into Downtown and then later the Thruway bus.

crescent-zephyr we have just got it wrong this time, we de-train from the EB at St Paul... Your description of riding Amtrak and all your Americanisms is exactly why we return to the US so frequently.

Excellent info again

Well St. Paul is a nice place to Detrain... The Union Station is amazing, so glad they could restore it. Right outside is green line light rail that runs into downtown Minneapolis, with connections to the Star Commuter train, and the blue line to the airport and mall of america.

Much of St. Paul and Minneapolis have glass-enclosed walkways so you don’t have to navigate city sidewalks in -20 temperatures. (C or F makes no difference — it’s cold by either measure.)

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I was in Minneapolis in February 2002 and it was almost Spring like, although expected it to be colder. Only had a couple of hours there and thought then would like to go back, so 16 years on... Had just come down from Duluth where it was very cold with a biting wind, people there were friendly though.

Only experienced - 20° C once and the cold went through clothes like a knife. Guess it's ok for a short while and quite an experience to remember, we'll see. Just a thought. If we wanted to buy cheapish winter coats in a hurry where in MSP would we go, anywhere near Union Depot or should it be the Mall?

It was -24.3°F / -31.3°C at my house this morning. As the late great Robin Williams once quipped, "Colder'n a well diggers brass monkey!"

If you're not too fussy about style, you might be able to save by getting used winter coats at the nearest St. Vincent DePaul store located at 461 7th St. West, about 1.5 miles from Union Depot.

Sears store is 6 minutes by Uber from the St Paul Depot, 17 minutes by Green Line tram. Target store is 11 minutes away by #70 bus, about 5 minutes by Uber. Target will likely have lower prices.

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Great, thanks

niemi24s, are those temperatures at your house the normal temperatures for this time of year or are they the exception?

Re: Dinner on the Coast Starlight

We were on the Starlight December 23rd. Even though we ran about two hours late, there were only two (possibly three) dinner times beginning at 4:30.

Tony

v v said:

niemi24s, are those temperatures at your house the normal temperatures for this time of year or are they the exception?

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They were about 10 Fahrenheit degrees or 6 Celsius degrees below the average low temperature. But your St. Paul MN destination is usually colder, not having Lake Superior and Lake Michigan nearby to keep things warmer in the Winter (and cooler in the Summer). Minot's even colder yet.