Building Up to a Phenomenal End, the City of Roses, and Cascading to Seattle

Good evening from Amtrak Cascades train number 508, which just made an on time departure from Portland’s Union Station.  I have been seated on the wrong side of the train for the purposes of seeing scenery yet again, despite requesting a left side seat from the conductor when our tickets were collected inside the station and seats were assigned.  On the Capitol Limited and Empire Builder, this was not a significant deal, since my side of the train was on the good side yesterday, and I made use of the sightseeing car on the Capitol Limited and this morning on the Empire Builder.  The Puget Sound will be to our left (west) further up along the line, so the right side of the train offers a view of next to nothing.  I’ll provide some play-by-play of the Cascades as I recap my last evening and morning on board the Empire Builder, and my wanderings in Portland during the day today.  For the purposes of the Cascades play-by-play, all times will be Pacific and I’ll try to italicize those parts of the entry for easier reading.

(6:24 PM: We have crossed the Columbia River, crossing from Oregon into Washington State)

After signing off last night, I returned to my sleeper and prepared for bed, making sure to unplug the electronics I was charging since the train would lose power during our Spokane, WA station stop.  I took what could possibly be called the fastest shower ever, in the sense that the train was actually moving at higher speed this time than the previous two on board showers (anyone who knows me well enough knows I like long, warm showers).  However, by the time I was finished, we were stopped in Libby, MT for the station stop at that location.  After changing my watch in advance of crossing into the Pacific Time Zone overnight, I went to sleep at 11:16 PM MT. 

In the morning, I was half awake for the station stop in Pasco, WA, and then actually woke up for the day at 6:06 AM PT.  (6:31 PM: Arrived at Vancouver, WA, departed 2 minutes late at 6:33 PM.)  I then proceeded to the lounge car to pick up my complimentary cold breakfast.  The Empire Builder splits into two sections.  One goes to Seattle while the other heads to Portland.  I was on the latter.  The train’s cars are arranged in such a way that upon arrival in Spokane, WA, where the split occurs, the Portland cars are uncoupled from the rear of the train, and the Seattle section pulls away.  Then, two different engines back down on to the Portland section, and leave.  That is how it worked last night, but sometimes, engines for both sections pull the train from Chicago to Spokane, in which case the front engine(s) are uncoupled in Spokane, the other engines take the Seattle section, and then the uncoupled engines are recoupled to the Portland coaches.  No matter what happens with the engines though, the diner always goes to Seattle, and the sightseer lounge goes to Portland, and sleeper car passengers get a complimentary meal since there is no diner available, and meals are included with the ticket.  However, the prepackaged breakfast contained food that I was unable to eat, so I purchased a bagel and cream cheese, in addition to eating the complimentary food that I was able to have.

I then took a spot in the lounge car so that I could watch the scenery go by and take photos as the train traveled through the Columbia River Gorge.  This is the scenic highlight of the Empire Builder’s route from Chicago to Portland, and I don’t believe that the scenery on the Spokane-Seattle section is superior to that on the Spokane-Portland section.  For most of the two and a half hours, the train ran right next to the river, and I was able to get photos of some of the barges and dams along the river, as well as a photo of Beacon Rock, discovered by Lewis and Clark, and so large that only Gibraltar is larger.  I also continued to read the book I started the day before.  Much of this section of track is a single track, so we twice had to wait for freight trains to pass us coming in the other direction before continuing, causing us to be about 30 minutes late for our station stops at Bingen-White Salmon and Vancouver, WA.  However, there is some time built into the schedule, and we arrived in to Portland’s Union Station at 10:15 AM PT, five minutes ahead of schedule.  I then proceeded to the Metropolitan Lounge, to find out that I could not store my luggage there for the day, since the lounge closed at 5 PM but my train to Seattle did not depart until 6:15 PM.  I then proceeded to the baggage check, where bags are usually stored for 3 dollars per day per bag.  However, since I mentioned I had been in the sleeping car on the Empire Builder and was unable to use the lounge storage due to my late departure, the agent there said he would not charge me for the baggage storage.

Having completed the long distance Amtrak segments of my trip, I think it is a good time for me to comment on the Amtrak Long Distance experience.  First off, I have had a great time, and would certainly consider doing another trip like this if the opportunity presented itself again.  However, long distance Amtrak travel is not for everyone.  You will not find anyone wanting to get anywhere quickly on board these trains.  In fact, because Amtrak does not own almost all of the track its trains use throughout the country, passengers generally assume the train will be late and don’t plan anything time sensitive for several hours after the scheduled arrival time.  There are also people who are afraid of flying, older travelers, and some kids.  There are also some railfans and people who have always wanted to take an overnight train somewhere.  Since the Empire Builder has three stops in Glacier National Park, many people use the train to get to their vacations there.

The train is a great way to see the country.  All you would likely see from an airplane flight from Washington, DC to Seattle are the tops of clouds, and few distinguishable features on the ground, if any.  When taking the train, you get to see quite a number of small towns, as well as endless scenery, whether it be plains, mountains, or river gorges.  I now know why North Dakota and Montana are called Big Sky Country, and I traveled through quite a number of places in the country I will likely not travel to again, since I tend to prefer cities over national parks or isolated places when on vacation.  Unfortunately, one doesn’t get to see much of the towns that are passed through, since one can’t wander from the platform or station during a smoking or service stop, but with trains such as the Empire Builder only operating once a day, creating layovers along the way is difficult.

Train travel also offers one the chance to meet a variety of different people.  People riding the train tend to be friendly and relaxed, since they are frequently on vacation (or not concerned with the travel arrangements at this point).  The dining car has tables of four, so smaller parties are put together to maximize the table space.  With the occasional exception (such as the first dinner on the Empire Builder), the mealtime conversation is quite interesting, as people frequently talk about where they are from, where they are going, and previous travel experiences.  There are also the rare times you realize you and one of your dining companions have a common bond (such as lunch on the Empire Builder or at the wine and cheese tasting, where we were all baseball fans).  People in the sleeper car also are social, and I talked with many of the other people in my car at various points on the trip.  One couple even called out to others when the view was especially good.

However, one should keep in mind that if you are looking to find a 4 or 5 star hotel on wheels, you are bound to be disappointed.  Amtrak food, while better than what is served (or not served) on an airplane, is not gourmet.  The sleeper rooms provide enough space, but are not extremely spacious.  The bed allows you to lie flat, but it isn’t like sleeping in one’s own home.  Train travel is certainly worthwhile and quite enjoyable, but it is important to realize what NOT to expect, in addition to being excited about all that there is to look forward to while traveling by train.

(7:08 PM: Arrived at Kelso/Longview, WA, departed 7 minutes late at 7:10 PM.  I am now going to venture to the Bristo Car to see about getting something to eat before writing about how I spent my day in Portland)

(7:52 PM: Dinner has been completed, and I will now pick up where I left off.  So far, I wouldn’t classify the scenery as being super spectacular.  Additionally, the sun is in the west since it is late in the day, so even if I were sitting on the “right” side of the train as it were, my ability to see and/or take photos may still be limited.  We arrived at Centralia, WA at 7:54 PM and departed 14 minutes late at 7:56 PM.  We did pass some track workers between Kelso/Longview and Centralia and ran at a reduced speed as a result.)

I left Union Station and walked to the Old Town/Chinatown TriMet MAX Light Rail stop, the closest one to Union Station, where I bought an all day pass.  While making this walk, I was able to get photos of the locomotives attached to the Empire Builder’s Portland section.  I took the Light Rail to Washington Park, where I boarded a TriMet operated shuttle to the Rose Garden , where I took a self guided tour.  I then boarded the shuttle again (it operates in a loop around the park every 15 minutes) to return to the light rail station.  I then went for a quick joyride. taking the Blue Line out to Willow Creek TC, before taking an inbound Blue Line to Beaverton TC.  I got off there to photograph the buses waiting for passengers at that location, and then got on the next Red Line to head back to the City Center as it is called.  Since it was now almost 2 PM, I searched for a place to get lunch, ultimately found one, and read the USAToday that I had picked up while in the Metropolitan Lounge at the train station.

After lunch, I took the light rail back to Old Town/Chinatown, and then went for a walk in the Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park, which as the name suggests, is along the western side of the Willamette River.    While on this walk, I saw the southbound Coast Starlight cross the Steel Bridge, saw two drawbridges go up so a tall sailboat could pass underneath the bridges, went by the Salmon Street Springs, and saw Mill Ends Park, which is the world’s smallest city park.  The park consists of a plant in a circular planter in the median of Naito Parkway at the intersection with Taylor Street; the planter measures 24 inches in diameter.  My walk took me to the Portland Streetcar stop at 6th and Montgomery (the stop has a more specific name but it slips my mind), and I rode the (crowded) streetcar to Central Library, which is the stop at the corner of 10th and Yamhill.  I then walked over to 11th to photograph the streetcar coming the other way, then walked back to 10th to photograph the next streetcar going in that direction.  I then boarded MAX one last time to get to 3rd Avenue, where many of the city’s bus lines operate.  Walking along 3rd Avenue back towards Union Station, I got photos of the buses, and arrived back at Union Station at about 5 PM.  I bought a bottle of water since it was a clear but warm day in Portland, especially in the afternoon, went to reclaim my luggage, and awaited the boarding call for the train I am now on.

I like Portland’s small feel.  The city blocks are small, the buildings are not very tall, and some of the progressive planning methods used in the city were quite apparent to me.  Cars yielded to pedestrians, the public transit is well used, many people ride their bikes, places to lock bikes are abundant, and all sorts of traffic calming devices are in use.  While Portland did make a good impression upon me in the brief time I was there this afternoon, I think I might need a second visit before I can pass full judgement.

(8:16 PM: Arrived at Olympia/Lacey, WA, departed 14 minutes late at 8:17 PM) 

The Cascades operates with Talgo trainsets, which are unique because they are trainsets, like those on the Acela Express, that are semi permanently coupled together.  However, each car is only half the length of a standard Amtrak car.  The train also has a Bistro Car with a setup similar to that of the cafe/bristo on the Acela, but there is also a car with tables where one can take food purchased in the cafe and eat it there.  On the trains to and from Vancouver, BC, the car with tables is used as a full service dining car.  I believe the train has tilting technology, because the curves have been very smooth.  (8:30 PM: We are running right up next to the Puget Sound.).  They showed a movie, which I did not watch, and the TVs are supposedly capable of showing our location and estimated time of arrival, but right now they show nothing.  The trains have large windows, but small overhead luggage racks, so finding a place for a large bag can potentially be difficult.  I think there is a connection between the large window size and small overhead rack, and don’t believe the sizes are what they should have been.  Additionally, the at seat tray tables seem to be too low and the center armrest is in a strange position.  But all in all, I like this train very much. 

It is now 8:40 PM, and I will now do some work on trip photos (I have filled my first 1 GB card, reaching its capacity just outside Union Station upon my return there this afternoon), but will update this as the Cascades trip goes on.  And while this is the last train leg of my trip, there is still plenty more to come. 

8:55 PM: Arrived at Tacoma, departed 15 minutes late at 8:56 PM

9:22 PM: Arrived at Tukwila, WA, departed 14 minutes late at 9:24 PM.  An announcement has been made that we have 15 minutes to go until Seattle.

9:44 PM: Arrived one minute early in Seattle, essentially making my prediction that despite running late most of the way this evening, we would get in on or close to schedule.  My cousin. Aviva, was on the platform waiting for me.  After getting some photos, went to her soccer game (she and her husband, Jonah, play on a coed team together) and then returned to their house to sleep.