Saxman's Amtrak USA Tour 2009!

[saxman]

Well here I am sitting at the Cleburne, Texas Intermodal Depot awaiting my departure of the Texas Eagle. They happen to have wireless internet here, so why not get started with my daily trip report. This trip is going to take me across the country by train nearly 4 times, and take over a month to complete. Of course many stops and sightseeing will be done along the way. I should have an entry for each day on this website and will post them as I get internet connections. Slowly I'll gather pictures, maps, and other things and put them on my travel log website. So I hope you enjoy!

Day 1 February 11, 2009

Here is sit in Cleburne, Texas, waiting for my southbound Texas Eagle. The train is ontime and is due to arrive at 3:22 PM. This first day is short. I'm only riding to Austin to visit my grandparents. I was originally scheduled to depart from Fort Worth which is near where I live. However due to logicalities, I had to drive down to Glen Rose, TX, to leave my car. My other grandparents live there and it happens to be about 20 miles from Cleburne, so I'm getting on here.

I was up early this morning to get some last minute things done and to finish my packing. Being how I usually live out of a suitcase anyway, you'd think it wouldn't be a big deal. However, trying to pack for a month long trip, without much access to laundry, takes a little more planning. I packed a larger bag with some extra clean clothes. This bag would be checked and I would carry my smaller bag with some other clothes. At each major stop, I can exchange dirty clothes with cleans ones. After finishing things I up packed up the car and headed to Fort Worth. Here I was able to pick up my tickets and check my bag. I asked the agent if it would be ok to board in Cleburne, and he said that would be fine. No need to change your ticket. After about another 50 miles of driving to Glen Rose, I left my car and my grandparents drove me to Cleburne. We said our goodbyes and here I am waiting for the train...

To be continued....

 

[GG-1]

To be continued....

The Serial trip report.

Mahalo, and Aloha

Eric

 

[the_traveler]

After finishing things I up packed up the car and headed to Fort Worth. Here I was able to pick up my tickets and check my bag. I asked the agent if it would be ok to board in Cleburne, and he said that would be fine. No need to change your ticket.

Just wondering about this, because I'll be in the same boat next month. Were you ticketed from Ft Worth or Cleburne? :huh: I am ticketed from KIN (where I can't check bags) but want to check them in PVD - which is 1 stop and 20 miles further. Should I change my tickets to leave from and arrive back into PVD, so I can check my bags? :huh:

 

[AlanB]

After finishing things I up packed up the car and headed to Fort Worth. Here I was able to pick up my tickets and check my bag. I asked the agent if it would be ok to board in Cleburne, and he said that would be fine. No need to change your ticket.

Just wondering about this, because I'll be in the same boat next month. Were you ticketed from Ft Worth or Cleburne? :huh: I am ticketed from KIN (where I can't check bags) but want to check them in PVD - which is 1 stop and 20 miles further. Should I change my tickets to leave from and arrive back into PVD, so I can check my bags? :huh:

He was ticketed from Fort Worth according to what he said.

As for your issue, if you want to make life easy, change your tickets if you can. But otherwise you should still be able to do what you want. But if you meet the wrong sort, they might say no or give you a hard time if you're not ticketed to/from PVD.

 

[saxman]

After finishing things I up packed up the car and headed to Fort Worth. Here I was able to pick up my tickets and check my bag. I asked the agent if it would be ok to board in Cleburne, and he said that would be fine. No need to change your ticket.

Just wondering about this, because I'll be in the same boat next month. Were you ticketed from Ft Worth or Cleburne? :huh: I am ticketed from KIN (where I can't check bags) but want to check them in PVD - which is 1 stop and 20 miles further. Should I change my tickets to leave from and arrive back into PVD, so I can check my bags? :huh:

He was ticketed from Fort Worth according to what he said.

As for your issue, if you want to make life easy, change your tickets if you can. But otherwise you should still be able to do what you want. But if you meet the wrong sort, they might say no or give you a hard time if you're not ticketed to/from PVD.

Yeah I was ticketed from Ft Worth. Changing it probably would have raised my fare. I guess it depends on who you get.

 

[saxman]

Day 1 Continued

As I waited for the train to arrive, I watched several freights pass by the station. It was a couple of these trains that caused my train to be about 25 minutes late. But no worries. That's pretty much on time in Amtrak's books. We shortly after I boarded and I found a seat. My car was farely empty, but it was the middle of February. Other coaches had quite a few people in them though, yet I happy to have a quiet car to ride in.

After making my nest, I was thinking to myself, this is a great start to my train trip. (Almost) on time! Yet my thoughts were short lived. Nearly an hour after departing Cleburne, the train came to an abrupt stop out in the middle of nowhere and all power went out. Other passengers talked about another passing freight. But I knew better, with the loss of head end power. I didn't think it would be a good thing, and as it turned out, I was right. After our stop, the conductor made an announcement saying we had lost all electrical power from the engine, and they weren't having good luck fixing things. The conductor walked by as he was talking on the radio about "getting a new engine down here." Well that wasn't good. I knew the closest engine might be as far as Fort Worth, a good 60 miles away. After more chatter, it turns out that was what needed to be done. No luck getting our engine fixed. So their first plan was to get a BNSF engine to attach to the back of our train and tow us all the way back to Fort Worth where we could pick up a good Amtrak locomotive. I didn't really like that idea. Keep in mind we were a good 2 hours outside of Fort Worth. Their next plan would be to bring an Amtrak loco down from Fort Worth to meet us enroute. Well that was better than going all the way back to Fort Worth.

While we waited for our new power I was able to get some good shots outside the back of the train. I watched as 4 BNSF locomotives pulled up beside us and they detached the rear most one, which I assumed would be our new power. Meanwhile, this lady standing next to me was trying make conversation. However intoxicated conversation is not something I enjoy. She went on about how the mechanics on our engine should all be fired for the bad job they did. Plus the conductors should be fired for doing such a horrible job in this situation. She even asked me to email my pictures I was taking so she could "write them up" and have them fired. She wanted me to take a picture of the BNSF locomotive number to add to her "write up." I'm sure that would really add evidence to the scene. She thanked me for taking the pictures. She never did give me an email.

As we waited for the BNSF to hook up, I over heard on the scanner, "we found the problem!" A few moments later, all power was restored. Great! Now we could move along. Too bad all that switching was done for nothing. After a good two hours of sitting we were on our way to Austin, with our orginal broken loco. I never find out what went wrong. My scanner does seem to work. We finally arrived into Austin at 10:35 PM, 3.5 hours late. I was glad to see my lady friend was being kicked off the train by Austin's finest.

 

[amtrakwolverine]

those p-42s are breaking down almost has often as those p30ch's amtrak had.

 

[GG-1]

those p-42s are breaking down almost has often as those p30ch's amtrak had.

Well we all know that Murphy sais Can and will at the most Inoperative time. :huh: :lol:

Aloha

 

[saxman]

Day 2- February 12, 2009

After arriving in Austin the night before, my grandparents took me to their house for the night. It was pretty late so we went to bed. The following day was just spent visiting and hanging out at the house. I drove my grandparents around for some errands and we also went to see two Imax films at the Texas History Museum. It’s a great museum, and I recommend it to anyone. After we got back home, we had dinner, and I packed my things back up. I had been checking the train status all day, and was happy that my bad luck had gone and today’s train would be on time into Austin. After all, you can’t have bad luck two days in a row.

We left for the station around 6:30 for my 7:00 departure. It’s only about a 10 minute drive. Even though its right in the center of town, the station is hard to get to if you don’t know exactly where to go. However, we got there with time to spare and a few minutes later the Texas Eagle pulled, about 10 minutes early. I said my goodbyes and found my seat for the short trip to San Antonio. I watched the Austin city lights go by and soon we made a stop in San Marcos. San Marcos is another big college town, home to Texas State University. I’ve never even spent much time in the city, but I knew several old classmates that attended school there. (Or use to at least) Soon the skyline of San Antonio came into sight. It takes a long time to pull into the station though. The route of the train actually comes from the northwest of downtown and makes a big loop around the south side and pulls into the station to the north. With all this we were still over an hour early into San Antonio. This is of course due to all the extra time they allot for the last part of the trip. I had about 3 hours to kill for my layover. So I stowed by bags with the station attendant (for free) and walked out to see the Alamo. Both the Riverwalk and the Alamo are with in walking distance of the station. Many bars and restaurants were still open, as I walked around. I had forgotten how neat the area of the Riverwalk is. It had been years since I had been there.

I walked back to the station at about 11:30 and found that my connecting train, the Sunset Limited had arrived. I retrieved my luggage and boarded into my sleeping car. I was in room 3. I fell asleep pretty quickly, and next thing I knew, we were traveling through the night, toward New Orleans.

 

[saxman]

Day 3- February 13, 2009

I slept in my small bed pretty well throughout the night. Sometimes I can’t fall asleep due to the rocking and bumpiness. Next thing I knew we were stopped in Houston early in the morning. I kept sleeping and got up shortly after. I like waking up when it’s still dark and looking out the window. Being able to have the light off and shut the inside curtains helps to see out really well. Weather had moved in over southeast Texas, as it was wet and foggy, making it hard to take good pictures. After I was more awake, I decided to have breakfast in the diner, my first real meal on the train. I had quiche, with grits and a biscuit. It was pretty good. The lady across from me didn’t say much. Later we arrived into the non-existent station of Beaumont. Apparently the little hut that served as the station was knocked down during Rita, and never rebuilt. So all there is, is a slab of concrete for a platform in a bad part of town, and not within walking distance to anything.

We crossed the Sabine River in Louisiana and soon made a stop in Lake Charles. The Border Patrol was there at the station to do random checks of and people. Not sure why they come in at Lake Charles but they did. One of them came by and asked if I was a US citizen. I told him yes, and he moved on. I guess I have a pretty innocent look. ☺

TBC....

 

[saxman]

Day 3 Continued...

Around 12:30 I went to have lunch in the dining car. I wasn’t too hungry so I had a cold turkey sandwich. I think I’m really going to get tired of Amtrak food by the end of this trip. I’m hoping some routes will have some variety. I know the Coast Starlight will, from LAX to Seattle. We sped along nicely and made more station stops at Lafayette, New Iberia, and Schriever. There are lots of swamp lands and bayous along this part of the trip, which is of course what characterizes Southern Louisiana. The train travels right near Avery Island. Any hot sauce lover will know this is home to Tabasco Sauce. For a train that has been known in the past for its extreme tardiness in recent years, has made a big come back. The Sunset Limited was on time into all the stops, during my journey and arrived ten minutes early into New Orleans. The approach into the Crescent City is pretty scenic as the train crosses the Mississippi over the famous Huey P. Long Bridge. This 4.2 mile long bridge was built in 1947 to allow the railroads access into the city. Before the trains were brought on ferries. You can easily see downtown from the bridge and I snapped some shots of ships coming into port.

After my arrival, my friend Chris came to pick my up. Chris is an old buddy from my high school band days as well as my old scouting days. He now lives in New Orleans writing for the Times-Picayune. I had not seen Chris in several years, so we had a nice time catching up. We and a few other friends went out to see the Mardi Gras parades and I also explored some of the French Quarter. I never planned on visiting New Orleans during Mardi Gras, but I’m glad it worked out that way. I now wish I had planned to stay two nights with Chris instead of one. After a late night I had to get up pretty early for my next train. Tomorrow I begin my journey to Seattle, via Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles!

 

[saxman]

Day 4- February 14, 2009

From the Crescent City on the Crescent

Happy Valentines Day! This morning I was up at about 5:30 to pack my things and head off to the station. My friend, Chris lives only about 10 minutes away so we left at about 6:15 AM for my 7:10 AM departure. I would be boarding the Crescent and going to Washington DC. I arrived at the station and picked up my tickets and I checked my larger bag all the way to Seattle. The agent told me he would just route the bag direct to Seattle via Chicago, so it would get there a few days before I would. I told him that would be fine and he told me I could go sit in the Magnolia Room to wait for departure. This room is just for sleeping car passengers and provides coffee, some nicer chairs and a TV. However right when I sat down, the conductor came right away and had us board. I guess I didn’t look so innocent this time, because I was pulled aside by the Amtrak Police and he asked to search my bags. He also pulled another guy over, who was about my age. Maybe he thought our young, scruffy appearance looked suspicious. We let him search our bags and a couple minutes later I was on my way. I walked down the platform toward the front of the train and found my Viewliner sleeping car, just in front of the diner. My room would be room number 5. I chatted with my sleeping car attendant some before our departure while we talked about the similarities of our respective jobs.

Soon we were on our way to Washington DC. After a quick breakfast in the diner, I headed back to my sleeper to take a nap. One of the great things about a sleeper is being able to just lay down flat whenever you please. During the day, I had some lunch, which was a tuna salad. It was very good and not too heavy either. I spent most of the afternoon just looking out the window in my roomette. The Crescent kept right on time throughout the day and arrived early into Atlanta. In Atlanta, I met one of my friends, Bill. I had met Bill about two years ago during some of our Amtrak Unlmited Gatherings in Chicago and L.A. Since he lives only a few blocks from the station, I told him he could come meet me. We chatted briefly about my trip and he got me oriented with the station and surrounding areas. I thanked him for coming out and we were moving on our way toward the northeast. I soon went to sleep after leaving Atlanta.

 

[saxman]

Day 5- February 15, 2009

Washington DC Layover

This day was an early day for me. A flight attendant I knew, Melissa from Delta came to meet me in Charlotte to ride the train with me. We use to live in a crashpad in New York, and somehow one day we started talking about Amtrak, and that she had been wanting to take a trip. After some coordination, she was able to meet me by flying into Charlotte. We spoke the day prior, while I was on the train, trying to decide which city would be best. She would be in Atlanta, yet would be too late for her to meet the train. Greenville: also a tight connection. So we decided on Charlotte as the best meeting point. I got up at about 1:30 AM to meet her and give her, her ticket. Melissa was very excited as this was her very first “real” train ride.

After getting a somewhat decent sleep and having breakfast, we had another on time arrival into Washington DC, just before 10 AM. During our layover in Washington, we checked into the ClubAcela lounge and then went to explore some of DC. We decided to check out the Air and Space Museum. It was only about a twenty minute walk from the station and it is also free. Melissa and I spent about 2 hours walking through some of the exhibits and seeing all the old planes from back in the glory days of aviation. I had been there about 10 years prior during a previous trip. Although it was very interesting I already knew how airplanes were controlled and how wings produce lift. In fact I know how that works a little too well. ☺ After leaving the museum and getting a hot dog, we walked back to the station to spend some more time in the lounge area and walk around the very historic Union Station.

Soon it was time to board our train, the Capital Limited. We began boarding at about 3:30 pm for our 4:05 departure. This train would take us to Chicago through the hills of West Virginia and Pennsylvania. We departed on time, if not a few minutes early, and we sped through the suburbs of Washington DC. About an hour or so afterwards the train crosses a large trestle over the Potomac River and enters Harpers Ferry, WV. This is probably the best photo spot on the Capital Limited route and I made sure to get several shots. The town of Harpers Ferry sits right on the banks of the river and backs up to large hills behind it. After departing Harpers Ferry, darkness soon fell and we had some dinner in the dining car. I chose to have the steak with a baked potato. For dessert I had the lemon cake with cranberries. It was really good and very filling. Melissa and I stayed up for awhile longer in our room while we played hangman on her iPhone. Around 10:00 pm we had our car attendant take down our beds and we were off to sleep.

 

[AlanB]

I would be boarding the Crescent and going to Washington DC. I arrived at the station and picked up my tickets and I checked my larger bag all the way to Seattle. The agent told me he would just route the bag direct to Seattle via Chicago, so it would get there a few days before I would.

Hmm, I hope that you don't get to Seattle too much later than your bag. After three days of free storage, Amtrak starts charging to store bags that haven't been picked up.

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

I would be boarding the Crescent and going to Washington DC. I arrived at the station and picked up my tickets and I checked my larger bag all the way to Seattle. The agent told me he would just route the bag direct to Seattle via Chicago, so it would get there a few days before I would.

Hmm, I hope that you don't get to Seattle too much later than your bag. After three days of free storage, Amtrak starts charging to store bags that haven't been picked up.

I would hope they'd measure that by when your ticket said you arrived, especially if you had your ticket stub with you.

 

[AlanB]

I would be boarding the Crescent and going to Washington DC. I arrived at the station and picked up my tickets and I checked my larger bag all the way to Seattle. The agent told me he would just route the bag direct to Seattle via Chicago, so it would get there a few days before I would.

Hmm, I hope that you don't get to Seattle too much later than your bag. After three days of free storage, Amtrak starts charging to store bags that haven't been picked up.

I would hope they'd measure that by when your ticket said you arrived, especially if you had your ticket stub with you.

It's not a matter of measuring time from when he got to Seattle, the issue is that his bag is taking a shortcut to Seattle. It's already one day ahead of him right now. Now I don't recall Saxman's plans, but if he stops to overnight say in Chicago for one or two nights, and then makes yet another overnight stop on the EB, then his bag will get to Seattle more than three days before him. And in that case, he'll get charged.

When he's scheduled to arrive in Seattle is irrelevant. It only matters when the bag arrives, that starts the clock ticking.

 

[saxman]

I would be boarding the Crescent and going to Washington DC. I arrived at the station and picked up my tickets and I checked my larger bag all the way to Seattle. The agent told me he would just route the bag direct to Seattle via Chicago, so it would get there a few days before I would.

Hmm, I hope that you don't get to Seattle too much later than your bag. After three days of free storage, Amtrak starts charging to store bags that haven't been picked up.

I would hope they'd measure that by when your ticket said you arrived, especially if you had your ticket stub with you.

It's not a matter of measuring time from when he got to Seattle, the issue is that his bag is taking a shortcut to Seattle. It's already one day ahead of him right now. Now I don't recall Saxman's plans, but if he stops to overnight say in Chicago for one or two nights, and then makes yet another overnight stop on the EB, then his bag will get to Seattle more than three days before him. And in that case, he'll get charged.

When he's scheduled to arrive in Seattle is irrelevant. It only matters when the bag arrives, that starts the clock ticking.

I just arrived into Seattle last night. My bag arrived on Tuesday, so it was there the max amount of time. It was a non-issue when I picked it up. If he was going to charge, I would have argued though. The NOL should of known that I might get charged and maybe should have told me, or routed it with me.

 

[saxman]

Day 6- February 16, 2009

Arrival into Chicago and onto LAX

2,760 miles down

We both slept pretty well and awoke going through Indiana. The train was still miraculously right on time and even arrived into Chicago at about 8:20 AM, twenty minutes early. Upon arrival, we made our way to the Metropolitan Lounge. This is another nice lounge just made for sleeping car passengers and it provides nice chairs and couches as well as refreshments. They also store our luggage and board us early into our sleeping cars. We relaxed for a while until about lunch, when another friend of mine, Robert, came to have lunch. Just like Bill, I had met Robert on the Amtrak Unlimited gatherings over the two previous years. He works just a few blocks away in downtown Chicago. So he and I had a sandwich in the food court while we talked about trains, Amtrak and other modes of transportation. After a brief meal and chatting, Robert went back to work, and I showed Melissa around Union Station. It sits right in the heart of Chicago along the Chicago River and is only a few blocks from Sears Tower. We thought about the idea of going up the tower but decided we should save the money instead. I, of course, have been up there several times in the past, so it would be nothing new to me. We decided to go relax some more in the lounge and wait for our departure of the Southwest Chief to Los Angeles. It would be a 3:15 PM departure this time.

After boarding we left right on time. While watching the suburbs of Chicago go by, I decided to go sit in the lounge car to get some pictures. Soon we were rolling by farmlands and I was able to get some great sunset pictures (hopefully). The only problem with doing this trip in the middle of February is the shorter days. It gets dark around 6 PM so it’s easy to miss some good scenery. Darkness fell just a few minutes before crossing the Mississippi River going into Fort Madison, Iowa. This would be my second of four crossings of the river on this trip.

Right as we crossed the Mississippi, it was time for another dinner. We sat with a couple from Australia whom had been in the US for their daughters wedding and then taking a cross country train trip before going back home. We made the usual talk about train travel, air travel, and well just travel in general. This seems to be a common theme among dinner conversations, especially when they find out what I do (did) for a living. For the meal I chose to have the special which was chicken enchiladas. It was quite good and then I enjoyed a coffee for dessert. I passed this time on the actual dessert. I know I’ll have plenty of chances to have it on this trip, so figure I better sit out sometimes. After dinner, I headed back to our room to write more trip reports. Soon we arrived into Kansas City after which we headed to bed. I want to be up early to see the sunrise over the plains of Kansas.

 

[saxman]

Day 7- February 17, 2009

All Day on the Chief

After leaving Kansas City, we were off to bed. We’d be crossing the plains of Kansas, so I suppose we wouldn’t miss too much to see. During the middle of the night I awoke as always to make a bathroom break. This time we happened to be stopped in Dodge City, KS. I stepped off the train to snap a few photos. Then I went back to bed to sleep some more before breakfast. I could finally say the words, “We’re getting outa Dodge!”….literally. Soon, Melissa and I were both awake while still dark. We wanted to get up to see the sunrise, so we did just that and sat in the lounge car. There’s just something about seeing the sunrise out on the open plains that is amazing. At the same time I wonder how people live out there in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but a few trees in your yard. Sure must be quiet. That can be said for much of America’s Heartland. Just wait until I cross Montana and Nebraska. Later that morning we had breakfast. I had the omelet again and during then we crossed into the state of Colorado. In La Junta, CO we were able to step off the train for about 45 minutes. This was of course due to our early arrival and a crew change point. La Junta is a small town in Southeastern Colorado. A lady meets the train everyday at the platform to sell jewelry, books and other goodies to the train passengers. I bought couple small items from her while I also took several pictures of the train and the station.

Soon we were back on The Chief heading west. I was getting my camera ready for lots of pictures to take while crossing Raton Pass. Raton Pass sits on the border between Colorado and New Mexico. It was built in the late 19th Century by the Santa Fe Railroad. As you make the climb, the train reaches an elevation of over 7500 feet while going through a tunnel right on the border. Coming out of the tunnel the train enters the state of New Mexico and soon enters the Pass’s namesake town of Raton, NM. Here we come close to Philmont Scout Ranch, a Boy Scout high adventure camp in the New Mexico mountains. I got to travel to this camp over ten years ago when I was in scouting. We backpacked over 50 miles through this park. Hopefully one day I can travel back there. Leaving Raton, the Chief roughly parallels Interstate 25. It continues down the mountain pass and finally enters the city of Albuquerque later in the afternoon This would be where Melissa would disembark and I would continue onto Los Angeles. The train stopped in Albuquerque for about an hour, so I helped her get a cab to the airport for her to fly home. We said our goodbyes and I was on my own again.

The train departed Albuquerque on time again and it was soon dark over the New Mexican desert. Here the train picks up some real speed, as it travels at about 90 miles per hour here. The tracks were very smooth too. This is how it should be everywhere, I think. I had another dinner in the diner with several people who were traveling to a conference in LA. They seemed to be jealous about my long trip, but wished me well. After dinner I headed back to my room for relaxing. The train continued to make good time until we got to Winslow, AZ. I guess someone decided they wanted to bring their private car along, so it took about 45 minutes to couple that to the back of the train. Ever since leaving Austin, my train had been on time until then. But then again, for Amtrak, I think we did pretty well. Later it turned out to be not an issue. I fell asleep again and don’t remember much of Arizona. The next thing I knew, we were in California.

 

[saxman]

Day 8- February 18, 2009

From Southwest to Starlight, 5,016 miles down

Today, the Southwest Chief arrived into Los Angeles Union Station. Despite our little hiccup in Winslow, AZ the night prior, the train was still thirty minutes early. It would be plenty of time for my next connection, the Coast Starlight toward Seattle. I arose early around 5 am so I could have breakfast in the diner. I went light and just had oatmeal with fruit and yogurt. I went back to my room while I watched the suburbs of the LA area go by, making stops in San Bernardino, Riverside, Fullerton, and finally Los Angeles. I tipped my sleeping car attendant, Lisa, and made my way into the station. Union Station is a very nice station right in downtown LA. Built in the 1930’s it has a very Art Deco style of architecture and looks very southwestern. You’ve probably seen it in several movies. I perused through the newsstand and made my way to the Traxx Club. This is just for sleeping car passengers whom are boarding the Coast Starlight. It’s just a small area in the station and offers some coffee and juices before departure. I waited in there for a few minutes before they announced boarding of our train.

The Coast Starlight is one of my favorite trains in the Amtrak system. Not only does it have spectacular scenery, but provides a 1950’s era “Pacific Parlour Car” for real first class service during the trip. Of course, its use is exclusive to sleeping car passengers.

Soon again, we were departing LA right on time. Leaving Los Angeles, the train travels along one of the cities concrete rivers aligned with local “art work” This of course stands in sharp contrast to other parts of the trip along the coastline and into the mountains. It doesn’t take long though for the train to start climbing out of the LA Basin and start running right up next to the Pacific Ocean. Finally I had made it from the Atlantic to the Pacific by train! This is probably the most spectacular parts of the trip, having mountains on one side and ocean on the other. I made sure to take lots of pictures from the Parlour Car.

As soon as we left San Luis Obispo, it was time for the wine tasting ceremony. I, of course, like to take part while I enjoy fine California wines and cheeses and chatting with my fellow passengers. Also, just after leaving San Luis Obispo, the train around one of only three horseshoe curves in the United States. It was perfect for some photographs and was able to get both ends of the train at the same time. From here the route crosses over a small mountain range and gets further inland from the coast. So no more Pacific Ocean for a while. Yet that doesn’t mean the scenery stops. The train continues up the valley and finally enters the Bay Area of California by nightfall. We made several stops in San Jose, Oakland and Emeryville, both of which have shuttle bus connections over to San Francisco. Oakland has a very unique station, because as you leave going north, the trains actually run in the street. This is known as Jack London Square and any train buff knows this is a great place to watch both freight and passenger trains while sitting in a café drinking coffee. I’ll have more on that later though. I’ll be back later in the trip.

After leaving Emeryville, I decided to call it a night and headed to bed. I slept very well, and I awoke just before crossing into the state of Oregon. Sometimes I wish the train would be late because I always seem to miss the mountain ranges in Northern California. It’s usually dark in both directions when traveling on the Coast Starlight.

 

[RailFanLNK]

Saxman, great trip report! Can't figure out why they searched your luggage, your the most innocent lookin' guy I've been around and just plain nice as well! Enjoy the trip!

Al

 

[amtrakwolverine]

the cop must of figured young punks up to no good.sense he pulled over another person around the same age has you.

 

[saxman]

Day 9- February 19, 2009

Cascades and Seattle Arrival, 6,393 miles down

We must have kept good time through out the night. I awoke just as we were crossing the California/Oregon border. This part of California sure is much different from Southern California. Hopefully soon, I can come back here to do more exploring. Our first stop in Oregon was Klamath Falls. It’s a crew change point so we’re allowed to step off the train for some fresh air and some pictures. We also arrived nearly 30 minutes early so we had a nice long break. I use to have a roommate who lived in Klamath Falls. His name was also Chris, and I would be seeing him later in the trip. He now lives in Vancouver, WA. After leaving Klamath Falls, I went to have breakfast in the Parlour Car. It was a frittata with potatoes and a dcroissant. It was a pretty good meal while I chatted with the passengers across from me. Everyone always asks me my itinerary once they find out that I’m traveling the entire country by train. I should just print it out so I can hand it to the people. I get tired of explaining it all. Most of them seem to be jealous though.

After breakfast I returned to my room to relax for a bit. I didn’t stay long because I wanted to be in the Parlour Car for the crossing of the Cascade Range. This is an even better part of the trip, I think. I took quite a few photos and some video of the train weaving through the mountains at a slow pace. There’s even the famous landslide to see. This landslide happened just over a year ago, when mud and rock came lose above the tracks. Debris came crashing down the mountain, taking trees and train tracks all along with it. Not only did the slide take out one section of track, but since the line makes a big switchback later down the mountain, the slide took out two sections of track. Needless to say, train service, freight and passenger traffic was ceased for several months while Union Pacific rebuilt the line. It was no small feat either. A few months later the line was reopened and the Coast Starlight could once again travel the entire route.

After enjoying the Cascade Range it was time for lunch. This time, I had my meal in the dining car. I watched the train make it’s way down the mountain and eventually you start seeing civilization again. We made stops in Eugene, Albany, and Salem before pulling into Portland, Oregon. Portland is a beautiful city right on the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. Although I’ve never spent much time there, I hear it’s a great place to live. It also has a really nice station. I would be back in Portland in a few days though to depart on the Empire Builder, which takes me back east.

Just a few hours later we finally arrived into Seattle, Washington. The train pulled in right at 8:25 pm, twenty minutes early. There, I claimed my bag and my friend Nate was there waiting for me. Nate was an old roommate from college. I had not seen him in over seven years, but somehow managed to stay in touch. He moved to Seattle a few years ago, and we’ve been trying to meet up ever since. He drove me to his house in Bellevue, Washington, which was not far from the station. He had an extra bedroom and I happy to have a place to rest with a real bed and my own room. I like riding trains but after being on the rails for 9 days in a row kind of wore me out.

Day 10- February 20, 2009

Day of Rest

Today was a very lazy day for me. Nate had to work so I just stayed at his house for the day. I walked around the block to check out the neighborhood. Then I came back to the house only to find I had locked myself out. Nate said there was a key under a rock, but turns out his wife gave it to someone else. Luckily he works less than ten minutes away, so he able to step out for a bit to let me in. Later that evening, Nate and his roommate and myself, all went out to dinner in Seattle. We ate at Chinook’s Seafood out on the water. It was very good. We also walked around downtown Seattle a bit before heading back to home.

Day 11- February 21, 2009

The Olympic Peninsula and Olympic National Park

This was a very fun day. Nate, his roommate Eric, and I gathered in the car to took a drive to the Olympic Mountains in Western Washington. We took a ferry from Edmonds across Puget Sound and drove into Olympic National Park. Since there was lots of snow still on the mountains, we couldn’t do much hiking, but did make it up to the top of Hurricane Ridge by driving. This was a great place to see lots of the park from very high. I could also see all the way to Victoria, British Columbia, a city just over the bay in Canada. It was a pretty spectacular view. Later we had pizza in the city of Port Angeles, just at the bottom of the mountains. Nate suggested we take drive to Crescent Lake just another few miles down the road. This glacial lake sits right on the middle of several peaks and is crystal clear making for some great photos. We also took a short hike from there to Marymere Falls. This was a big waterfall up in the hills and we climbed all over it. Nate even took a dip in the frigid water, although that was not intentional. Soon it was about to get dark so we figure we’d call it a day and head back home for the night.

 

[saxman]

Day 12- February 22, 2009

Back on the Rails, Day trip in Portland

I arose about 6:00 am for my next departure to Vancouver, Washington. Nate took me to the train station and I boarded the 7:30 am Amtrak Cascades. These train run with Spanish made Talgo train sets. They are unique in that they are single level and sit very low to the ground. Unlike conventional train sets, you cannot just add or take away cars. There are about eight or nine pivot points along the set to allow for curves. I really like the way they look. They are much different from any other train in the Amtrak system.

After getting my ticket I was able to receive an upgrade to business class with one of my Select Rewards Member coupons. This is gave me a little extra leg room as well as a $3 off coupon for the café car. I found my seat and soon we were off from Seattle. I headed to the café car where I had some oatmeal for breakfast along with coffee. It was only about a 3 hour journey so I spent most of the time looking out at Puget Sound and reading the paper. Riding the Coast Starlight northbound, I had already been on this portion of the route, yet it was dark, so I didn’t get to see much. The train arrived into Vancouver just about 5 minutes late where my friend, Chris was there to pick me up. Chris is another roommate from college. He had gotten hired as a pilot for Horizon Air, based in Portland, Oregon, only to get furloughed also. So we were both living the life of unemployment. Chris is a pretty smart kid, so he decided to go back to school and get a degree in mechanical engineering.

Chris and I headed in his car over to downtown Portland. We thought we would walk around and get a bite to eat. In order to get free parking, we parked at a mall outside the city and then hopped on the MAX Lightrail line into downtown, just a few stops away. Chris thought it would be cool to see Powell’s Books. This is apparently a very famous new and used bookstore located in Portland. It was quite large as it took up several stories and each story had room after room of books. We spent some time browsing through the aisles and thumbing through various books. I didn’t buy anything as I really did not want to carry any more stuff. Plus I already brought some books that I haven’t even cracked open. After the bookstore, Chris and I were getting hungry. So we walked around downtown in search of food. Finally we came across Biscuits Café, a local diner, and had a late brunch. By this time I thought it would be a good idea to go back to the car and get my things for the next train departure.

We made it to the car, and made our way back into downtown by way of a gas station. Chris told me that Oregon is the only state in the union that prohibits people from pumping their own gas! I had never heard this and I still wonder why this is. Sure enough we pulled up to the gas pump and the attendant pumped the gas for us. I suppose that’s a nice thing to have if its cold out. Afterwards we headed to the station and found a free parking space right in front. Chris helped me with my large bag and I checked it all the way to Miami. I showed Chris around the station and we went into the Metropolitan Lounge, again just for sleeping car passengers. Portland’s lounge is a lot smaller but it is really nice. Of course it’s not quite as busy as Chicago or Washington DC. Chris had never taken a train before and seemed a little interested in how it worked. I told him he could take it to Klamath Falls, his hometown. He thought it would be a great idea because he usually drove the 6 or 7 hours, much of it on two lane roads, and it wasn’t usually fun, especially in winter. You have to cross a mountain range to get there too.

After chatting for awhile in the lounge, Chris decided to head back home. I said goodbye, and was on my own again. Soon it was time for boarding on the Empire Builder. I found my room which was number 9 this time on the last car of the train. This would be another two day trip across Northern Montana and North Dakota where I would make a stop in Wisconsin. The train departed promptly at 4:45 pm and again made a stop in Vancouver, WA. After Vancouver, the train turns eastbound and follows the Columbia River Gorge for a couple hundred miles before going north to Spokane. Here, another part of the Empire Builder from Seattle meets and the train is put together for the rest of the journey to Chicago.

Soon after entering the Gorge, my car attendant came around offering dinner. Since the dining car was on the Seattle section of the train, we were stuck with cold meals for dinner. I chose to have salmon, with some fruit, salad and a roll. Although it was cold, it was still pretty good. Plus I wasn’t that hungry to begin with. Just about an hour or so into the trip, it was dark again. Even though it gets dark earlier this time of year, having sleeper makes it little better. I like to shut the curtains and turn out all the lights in my room so I can get the full effect of traveling through the night. At least that way, you can get the moonlight or outside streetlights to see things outside. It seems very peaceful out there.

As soon as we left Pasco, Washington, I was off to sleep for the night.

 

[saxman]

Day 13- February 23, 2009

Across Montana

I awoke around 7 AM just before we pulled into Whitefish, Montana. I was pretty tired still so I didn’t really want to get up, but I also don’t like to miss anything either. After Whitefish is, of course, Glacier National Park. The train arrived early into Whitefish. I stepped off for a few minutes for the normal photo shoots of the station and the mountains. Whitefish looks like a really neat small town. I’ve only driven around it once in the past, so I need to come back. After leaving Whitefish, I had a quick breakfast and then made my way to the lounge car to get ready to see Glacier National Park.

The rail line skirts the southern border of the park for about 60 miles and crosses the famous Marias Pass. After the Transcontinental Railroad was finished in 1869, several other transcon routes were completed. Marias Pass was the northern route built by the Great Northern Railway. If you visit Glacier Park, you can stay in the Glacier Park Lodge, which was also built by the Great Northern in the early 1900’s. It sits right up the hill from the East Glacier Park station and is a great photo opportunity if you catch it. Although the lodge is closed in winter, you can also stay at the Izaak Walton Inn at Essex, Montana. This hotel is also right along the tracks and is open year round for skiers and rail fans. It was also built for railroaders to stay at while working trains in the pass. The Empire Builder was originally run by the Great Northern Railway and its still great to see that it continues to run today.

From the lounge car I took quite a few pictures going through the park. Too bad it wasn’t very sunny. Blue sky would have helped the pictures come out great. Blue skies finally came out after leaving Glacier Park, and entering the vast open flats of Eastern Montana. About as quickly as you can say Amtrak, the train leaves the Rocky Mountains. All the way to Minnesota, its virtually nothing but old barns and vast open land for miles. No trees either. Again, I wonder how anyone lives out here. Then out of nowhere a town pops up. Many are stops for the train, yet some are not. Maybe I’ll come visit one of these towns one day. I’d probably sleep really well because of the quietness, but I’d probably get bored quickly. Either way, the openness still fascinates me.

We rolled through Montana at a brisk pace. I attended another wine and cheese tasting in the dining car. Maybe I’m becoming more of a wine conesuer because I actually didn’t like a couple of the wines. Yet the cheese is always good. Since there is always leftover wine, the attendant asked some trivia. I, of course, won the first bottle because the first question was which US State is the furthest east. Everyone should know its Alaska! So I took the Chardonnay with me back to my room. I would enjoy it for dinner.

Soon it was time for another fine dinner. It had been awhile since I had steak, so I had just that. It was quite good and tender, and didn’t even need A1 Sauce. I shared my wine with the other folks at my table. Two were a couple from Canada making a vacation toward Chicago. They seemed to enjoy their first ride on the train. Afterwards I headed back to my sleeping quarters and to walk around the station at Minot, North Dakota. I called my friend, Melanie to come out to meet me. She said she would bake me some cookies. Melanie went to UND with me where we had a few classes together. I told her I’d be coming on the train and she said she would meet me. But after her getting off work late and having to drive out of town and then back to town to meet the train would take too long. I gave her a hard time for not getting any homemade cookies. But, I was already full and probably didn’t really need them anyway.

After leaving Minot, I had my bed down and crawled in. I set my alarm for about 12:45 am so I could wake up going through Grand Forks. I use to live in Grand Forks for about 5 years when I was going to school there at University of North Dakota. Of course, I had used the Grand Forks station quite frequently to take rides down to Minneapolis or Chicago to fly home. The station sits about a mile or so outside of town, so I didn’t really see much. Though, I could make out the tops of the Aerospace buildings on the UND campus. Those buildings are all too familiar, which is where I had most of my aviation classes during my college days. I miss the fun there, but probably could do without the cold. After Grand Forks, I figured I’d better get some sleep.