Cascades Connect to Empire Builder Questions

[LoneStarJeffe]

Hi All,

I am planning my 2012 trip in early March. I am looking to take the Amtrak Cascades train leaving Portland, OR at 8:30 to Seattle. It arrives at noon. I then plan to board the Empire builder the same day at 4:40 pm to travel from Seattle to Chicago. I have a few questions.

Any concerns with same day connection? I see no problems but appreciate any feedback.

Is there a dining car out of Seattle?

I was originally planning to just take Empire Builder out of Portland but it appears that for a coach price for the Cascades I can still leave same day and enjoy the extra scenary going to and from Seattle. That looks like a win/win for me.

Any suggestions for places within walking distance of the Seattle Amtrak station worth seeing during the layover assuming I have time?

Regards,

Jeff

 

[the_traveler]

Any concerns with same day connection?

Is there a dining car out of Seattle?

Not at all! In fact, the 12:15 departure out of PDX is a guaranteed connection to the EB!

Yes, ot does have a dining car, but no Sightseer Lounge until SPK!

 

[sttsxm]

there isn't much of anything within walking distance...

if you're hungry though you could walk to the Pyramid Ale House..

OR just maybe 1 block or less from the station is a little hole in the wall dive bar/restaurant...can't recall the name for the life of me...if you walk out the front...i THINK it was across the driveway on the right...or up just 1 block...and i think it was maybe a couple steps down a small flight of stairs...

the food was REALLY good...and pretty cheap. i had a pizza, but they had some other stuff, and a special that was an enormous pork chop with some sort of sauce...SMELLED divine....

there's a couple coffee shops nearby too (a starbucks and a tullys...)..other than that, not much of anything.....also there is a little mini-market/deli type thing close by.

nothing really at all in the station...

enjoy your trip...LOVE the EB~

 

[manderson]

Any suggestions for places within walking distance of the Seattle Amtrak station worth seeing during the layover assuming I have time?

There is a big asian grocery/sundry/cafe/everything store called Uwajimaya, about 1/2 mile from the station. It's a destination store, good for browsing and noshing.

 

[Trogdor]

You can walk over to the International District station and take the free downtown bus up to Westlake Mall (or pay to ride the light rail, which operates in the same tunnel, makes the same stops, takes the same amount of time, etc.). From there, you can ride the monorail (not affiliated with the transit system, so no transfer opportunities) up to Seattle Center and go up the space needle.

Or, you can walk to the baseball/football stadiums, but since it will be early March, nothing will be going on at those locations.

 

[LoneStarJeffe]

Thank you everyone! All your replies are much appreciated!

Regards,

Jeff

 

[Ispolkom]

This map shows the free fare box in downtown Seattle. All transit inside the area is free, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

I'm quite fond of Elysian Fields brewpub, located at 542 1st Ave South.

We also took the 8:30 Cascades, to transfer to Empire Builder. In our case there was no bedroom available on the Portland sleeper. We checked luggage on the Cascade, and didn't pick it up at the baggage area until we were ready to board the Empire Builder (we were going to a station without baggage service). That way we didn't have to lug our luggage all over Seattle.

 

[D T Nelson]

This map shows the free fare box in downtown Seattle. All transit inside the area is free, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Only bus transit in the Ride Free Area is free. Link light rail is not free in the Ride Free Area. Nor, for that matter, are the Monorail and the South Lake Union Streetcar, but they each have only one stop inside the Ride Free Area.

Note that the Ride Free Area will be discontinued in October 2012.

 

[Rail Freak]

The #28 EB out of Portland is also very scenic going up the Columbia River Gorge till Dark with the Sightseer Lounge! It is a toss up though!

Have Fun

 

[Ispolkom]

Only bus transit in the Ride Free Area is free. Link light rail is not free in the Ride Free Area. Nor, for that matter, are the Monorail and the South Lake Union Streetcar, but they each have only one stop inside the Ride Free Area.

Whoa! Does that mean that I'm a shameless scofflaw for riding the light rail through the tunnel from Westlake down to King Street Station last September?

First they abolished the one-day pass (a scratch-off card, IIRC), now the Fare-Free Area. If it weren't for the Ring Cycle in 2013, I'd have no reason to visit the city. Except for Elysian's pumpkin beer festival, of course.

 

[D T Nelson]

Only bus transit in the Ride Free Area is free. Link light rail is not free in the Ride Free Area. Nor, for that matter, are the Monorail and the South Lake Union Streetcar, but they each have only one stop inside the Ride Free Area.

Whoa! Does that mean that I'm a shameless scofflaw for riding the light rail through the tunnel from Westlake down to King Street Station last September?

If you rode Link and didn't pay, you risked a $124 fine, if the fare inspectors had met up with you.

 

[LoneStarJeffe]

Thank you everyone for all the suggestions helping this newbie plan his first Amtrak trip. I am visiting family in Portland over several days and will likely just bring something along with me for lunch at the Seattle station. If there is a Starbucks nearby (hey it's Seattle, right?) I will likely just take advantage of the free wifi there. That will give me some exercise before I board EB without worrying about getting stuck somewhere I cannot easily walk to/from.

As far as departing on EB from Portland or from Seattle, that is an easy choice for me since I have seen the gorge before having visited Portland many,many times but I have never experienced the Moffet tunnel. This is my first rail journey in decades. I have always thought about taking the train but opted for air since it is so much faster and I wanted to maximize limited time visiting family. I am looking to do a giant loop on my trip from Houston to Portland and back as follows:

Sunset Limited Houston to Los Angeles (stay overnight)

Coast Starlight Los Angeles to Portland (stay many days)

Amtrak Cascades Portland to Seattle

Empire Builder Seattle to Chicago (stay overnight)

Texas Eagle Chicago to Longview and then Thruway bus to Houston

I will get to experience the highest US rail bridge as well as the longest US rail tunnel with this itinerary. Not to mention some great trains and scenery!

My wife thinks I am crazy but I have really wanted to do something like this for years. Since she is not able to travel with me this time and I have extra vacation time, I think why not?

Regards,

Jeff

 

[jb64]

Maybe I'm a little confused, but I don't see California Zephyr on your itenerary, so how will you get to see the Moffat Tunnel?

 

[JayPea]

Sounds like you have a great trip planned! Not to be picky (well, maybe a little :lol: ) but the Moffat Tunnel is in Colorado, on the California Zephyr route. The loooong tunnel in the Cascades of Washington is called, coincidentally, :lol: the Cascade Tunnel. Also, on your loop trip, you will experience the second longest tunnel in the US, the Flathead Tunnel, in Western Montana. It's shorter than the Cascade Tunnel but is just over seven miles long.

Enjoy!

 

[LoneStarJeffe]

Thank you for the correction.I did mean the Cascade Tunnel!!!

 

[manderson]

If there is a Starbucks nearby

*Of course* there's a Starbucks nearby. You can't swing a cat in downtown Seattle without hitting a barista. Go left out of the station and climb up the stairs or take the elevator. Straight across the walkway then across the street. The outdoor transit hub has a Starbucks.

 

[CHamilton]

Follow Manderson's directions and you will also find a good sandwich shop called Specialty's next to the Starbuck's.

 

[D T Nelson]

Follow Manderson's directions and you will also find a good sandwich shop called Specialty's next to the Starbuck's.

Or you could walk a half-block further and go in the northwest entrance of Uwajimaya, which Manderson previously mentioned. The food court is just inside that entrance, and you can get a quick Asian lunch. They have Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese fast food all right there. Also a Hawaiian place and Herfy's hamburgers. And since Uwajimaya is a full-blown pan-Asian grocery, after lunch you could pick up exotic snacks for the trip.

 

[The Chief]

after lunch you could pick up exotic snacks for the trip.

DT, for some reason I keep LoL at this,,,HA!

 

[fairviewroad]

Not at all! In fact, the 12:15 departure out of PDX is a guaranteed connection to the EB!

I'm thinking about booking this very connection for this summer...but was curious...I know that Amtrak allows this connection on

their webpage (and presumably will allow me to book it as an AGR award) but the connection is only 55 minutes. Amtrak says it

does not guarantee connections of under 60 minutes. Is there an exception in this particular case?

(The Cascades train is due into SEA at 3:45, and the EB leaves at 4:40.)

 

[AlanB]

Not at all! In fact, the 12:15 departure out of PDX is a guaranteed connection to the EB!

I'm thinking about booking this very connection for this summer...but was curious...I know that Amtrak allows this connection on

their webpage (and presumably will allow me to book it as an AGR award) but the connection is only 55 minutes. Amtrak says it

does not guarantee connections of under 60 minutes. Is there an exception in this particular case?

(The Cascades train is due into SEA at 3:45, and the EB leaves at 4:40.)

Yes, this train is an exception to the normal rule. And oddly enough, AGR can only book this connection. I wanted to go earlier several years ago when I did a trip like this and they could not book me on the earlier train, at least on the same award.

And on my trip I was sweating bullets, as a bridge got stuck open and we barely made the connection. They actually held the EB for about 10 minutes to allow for the connection. It was my first time in Seattle, by train that is, and I never even saw the inside of the station. We pulled in, got off, walked across the platform and onto the EB. A minute later the door was closed and we were on our way.