Best place to split reservation on EB

[jdcnosse]

My girlfriend and I are thinking of moving to Portland, OR (long story) and this would be good and bad for when I travel back home to visit family.

Right now we have to board the Texas Eagle 421/420 from TUS to get to CHI and then the Pere Marquette into GRR. When/If we move, it'll only be the Empire Builder all the way from PDX to CHI, however currently doing a split AGR points and cash reservation from GRR to TUS isn't too bad, I can do a one-zone redemption to ELP and coach to TUS as it's just during the day.

Unfortunately, PDX to GRR would be two-zones, and the zone boundary is I believe Wolf Point, MT and it's right in the middle of the second day of travel...so one would have to spend a night in coach if they wanted to do a similar reservation as above.

There's probably no way around that fact though is there?

 

[oregon pioneer]

First off, you will love Portland! Even though it has a "rain city" reputation, the total amount of rain is not all that high (lots of misty-moist-y days, not too many downpours), it's almost reliably sunny in July-August-September (and even into the month of October), not too hot or cold, they have good beer, food and coffee, and -- not least -- they have GREAT public transit!

I can't think of any way around the Wolf Point problem. I hope someone can think of a creative solution, but there is no way to avoid the fact that east-west travel crosses zone lines and north-south travel tends not to. It's the way they laid it out.

 

[tomfuller]

If you find that Portland is too wet for you, check out Bend on the "dry" side of the Cascades.

Bend has daily bus service (Central Oregon Breeze) to both the airport and Amtrak station.

To go south on the Coast Starlight there is a short bus from Redmond, Bend, Sunriver and LaPine to Chemult.

Bend has over 310 sunny days per year and has some great breweries as well.

My solution to the Wolf Point problem would be to get the sleeper from PDX to Havre and ride coach to Williston ND and then transfer back to a sleeper.

 

[oregon pioneer]

My solution to the Wolf Point problem would be to get the sleeper from PDX to Havre and ride coach to Williston ND and then transfer back to a sleeper.

tomfuller, he's trying to do the NorthWest to the MidWest for ONE single-zone award, with a little bit of coach, like he does from AZ. Two one-zone awards (2 x 15,000) are way worse than a two-zone award (20,000) in terms of points cost. jdcnosse, can you confirm what your intent is?