Friday, May 29th, The Amtrak Empire Builder
Well, at long last, I’m back on the road again. Or at least the rails. For a number of reasons, travel has been sparse. But this year I’m back at it! In the US for this trip, and then Europe again later in the year. It’s been fun getting everything together again. I’m amazed at the new travel goodies. I bought a new suitcase for the first time in nearly 10 years. The last one was purchased in the Munich train station on the 2017 Christmas Market Trip because I bought to much stuff in our very first stop – Venice. It’s been the best purchase I ever made, and I’ve used it and used it, but I think the wheels are about ready to fall off. However I still hadn’t planned to buy one until I saw the compression panels in the new suitcases. Sold!
The other thing is the vacuum sealed packing cubes that are out now. These were recommended to me, and I thought I’d give them a shot for this trip before heading back to Europe. Total game changer!!! Between these cubes and the new suitcase, I’m in a 20″ suitcase, at just over 20 pounds. This gives new meaning to Rick Steves’ ‘Packing Light and Right’!
This trip came about because I wanted to get away, wanted to visit my cousin in Wichita, KS, and I really didn’t want to fly. I don’t care for flying. Not for any particular reason – I’m just not a good flier. I’m better on a long haul flight when the shades are down, and it’s a wide body plane. But I really didn’t want to fly this time, and I’ve always harbored a dream of a cross country train trip in a sleeping car. I decided this would be the time to finally do it!
I chose the Amtrak Empire Builder from Seattle to Chicago for a couple of reasons. I could have gone other Amtrak routes, namely the Coast Starlight from Seattle to LA, then the SW Chief from LA to Kansas, but I’ve always wanted to see the miniature Thorne Rooms at the Chicago Art Institute, and my cousin had told me Chicago was really fun. We’d always talked about going when she lived in Columbia, Missouri, but never did. So Chicago it was. In addition, the trip a longer trip through country I’d never seen before. I had planned to go alone, but a friend heard about it, wanted to get out of town as well, so I now have company! Besides, it’s a lot more fun to explore a city with somebody else.
The Amtrak Empire Builder train is a 46 hour train ride beginning in Seattle, and finishing in Chicago. We’ll leave at 4:55pm Friday night, and will travel along the Puget Sound for about an hour, the turn east through the Cascade Mountains, up through Glacier National Park, and through the plains states. In Grand Forks, ND, the train turns south east, then eventually follows along the Mississippi River to Chicago. We should arrive in Chicago at 4:45pm Sunday Night. However, unlike Europe, where passenger trains have the right of way, in the US, Freight trains have priority and Amtrak has to give way. So we could be late, but it doesn’t matter. We aren’t on a time table.
We chose to get a bedroom – two berths and a bathroom with a shower. The room comes with all meals provided in the dining car. The food is supposed to be excellent. I’ve watched the youtube videos from people who have done this, and I’m really looking forward to it. Years ago, my parents took the Coast Starlight with a sleeping room, and really enjoyed it. I’ve always wanted to do this – a true bucket list item. I’m looking forward to the quiet. 46 hours with nothing to do but watch the world go by. The journey from Point A to Point B is part of the trip.
In Chicago, we’ll stay for 5 nights at the south end of the Loop. On Friday June 5th, my friend will head home, and at 1:30pm I’ll board Amtrak’s SW Chief for a 12 hour train ride to Kansas to visit my cousin. I’ll head home on June 10th. This should be a quiet trip, and I’m looking forward to it – it’s been a stressful last couple of months between work and other activites.
Saturday morning, 8:20 am CST, Glacier National Park, Montana
I’m sitting in the observation car as we head into Whitefish, MT – Glacier National Park is stunning! I haven’t had a chance to write before now so I am catching up, and I have lots to say, as always.
So more about yesterday. As always, the best laid plans don’t always come to fruition. We were early to the train station. King Street Station in Seattle is very old, but has been refurbished in the last 15 years, and is absolutely stunning. The clock spire is iconic, and I’ve seen it for years, but I never knew that it was modelled on the spire in ST Mark’s Square, Venice, Italy. Now knowing that, I can certainly see the resemblance. The plasterwork in the main passenger areas is absolutely exquisite. I’ve gone in and out of that train station while I was growing up, and it NEVER looked like this!
Since we were so early, we went ahead and had lunch at the 13 Coins which was right across the street. Wonderful food as always (huge portions!), and they clearly cater to train passengers as there was lots of space to stack luggage. Then we headed back to wait until boarding time, which was about 45 minutes. As I said, the best laid plans. The train was delayed. And delayed. Apparently the ‘North East Corridor” was closed for some time. I’m not sure how that trickled down to a late train in the Pacific Northwest, but I’d guess it has something to do with Burlington Northern owning the tracks, and the freight trains having right of way.
During the time we were waiting, the seating area in the station was packed. They had 3 trains departing within the same window of time. The loud speaker was hard to hear as everything echoed with the high ceilings. By the time we finally headed out to board, it was about 6:35 – only an hour and 40 minutes late. Then we were underway. We followed the Puget Sound to Everett, WA, as the sun began to set, then turned East, following Hwy 2.
Dinner was announced almost immediately, and had 2 seatings – 7pm and 8pm. We were glad we had eaten earlier!! We chose the 8pm, and had the Flatiron Steak. It was as amazing as we were led to believe. And the chocolate cake was wonderful but so dense I could only eat half.
Seating is communal in the dining room, and you are seated with people you don’t know. The dining car manager is a woman who was with the army, and runs her car like a drill sergeant! As such, dining was a pleasure, and ran like a well-oiled machine. We had dinner with a lovely couple, Alex and Lindsay, from Minnesota. They had taken the train out, and spent a week in Seattle and were heading back home. It was really fun to hear what they did and what they thought of Seattle – all good things!
We went through Gold Bar, off Hwy 2 on the way up Stevens Pass as we were eating. Every year I go to the NW Sampler Guild retreat on this weekend at Gold Bar. It was fun to see the town from the train side rather than the highway, and think of my friends having fun as they stitched. I’ll be back next year! The train followed the Skykomish River and Hwy 2 as we wound through the Cascade Mountains, and it was stunningly beautiful as the sun was setting.
We went to bed last night soon after dinner. I was incredibly full from 2 big meals, and was ready to crash. We have a full bedroom, which includes a bathroom and shower. The room is ¾ the width of the train car, and is pretty comfortable. It makes up into an upper berth, and a lower berth that is the size of a generous twin/small double. Although it would sure be tight for 2 people, but I guess you could do it. Thank goodness they provide a ladder to get up in the upper berth, or I’m not sure how I would have gotten up there! But once up there it wasn’t bad at all. There was even what looked exactly like a web ‘stall guard’ that hooked into the ceiling to keep you where you up where you were supposed to be, and not on the floor!
I didn’t sleep that well at first, as I’d eaten way too much. I did wake up in Spokane at about 3am in the morning. That is where the Portland leg of the Empire Builder Train was supposed to meet up with the Seattle leg. The Empire Builder train begins in both cities, and each leg meets up in Spokane for the full trip. I’ve been told it meets with a huge crash and jerk as the cars are connected, but that didn’t happen. I was curious, but didn’t think much of it.
I slept hard the second half of the night. So hard that I had nightmares about snakes. Glad to wake up from that! I got up at about 8am, and skipped breakfast (still too full) and just headed to the observation car. I had to pass through the coach car to get to my destination, and I was surprised at how big and comfortable the seats looked. Lots of leg room and space to recline. Still, I was much more comfortable in a real bed. The Sleeping Room is definitely the way to travel!
A couple of pictures of King Street Station interior:
