Listen Intently

Here’s the Murphy’s Law of traveling Amtrak.  Whenever some of the best scenery goes by, you will be in the dining car.  Which, I guess isn’t really all that surprising because it seems like you’re in the dining car most of the trip.  Train travel, especially with sleeper reservations (and the included meals) doesn’t mix well with the lose-weight-now diet.  Lots of food, lots of sitting around.

I’ve been trying to figure out how to describe the trip up the northern Cascades out of Seattle.  I still can’t.  It compares with the trip into the Rockies out of Denver as the most scenic and inspiring experiences of my Amtrak travels.  And I, as you can guess from the above paragraph, saw it all from the Dining Car.  So, no pictures.  Not that the pictures would do it any justice.

I used to say “one” in the next sentence; here’s the updated version:  If you don’t do any other train travel in your lifetime, you should (must?) do at least one of these two:  1) the westbound California Zephyr out of Denver through to Sacramento (the Rockies and Sierra Nevadas); or 2) the eastbound Empire Builder from Seattle to East Glacier Park.  On the Builder, be sure to be viewing the north side of the train from Whitefish to Essex, and the south side from Essex to East Glacier Park.

Did you know it was a small world?  I’ve hiked and dined and talked with multiple people throughout this trip, and somewhere along the way there always seems to be an uncanny connection.  On the Builder, I ate breakfast with a couple from St. Paul, Indiana.  St. Paul, Indiana, is a town of less than 500 southeast of Indianapolis.  It is also the home of the Flat Rock YMCA Camp, which, for a while, my friend Arthur directed, and I spent much time at when I worked for the Indy YMCA.  They were absolutely flabbergasted to have met someone on the train, in the middle of Idaho, with a connection to St. Paul, Indiana.  Then, while hiking trails in Glacier Park, I got advice from one group of experienced park visitors, finding out during the conversation that one grew up in Toledo, OH.  She recognized my Maumee Valley t-shirt.  The park offers guided group hikes.  I joined in one the other day and hiked to Iceberg Lake with a fellow Ohioan and a family from Jackson, Michigan.  It’s a small world, after all.  It’s a small, small world (got that song stuck in your head, yet?).

As Glacier National Park is my “destination”, if I had any, on this trip, I was eager to get to the park.  After all, the glaciers are melting.  Many years ago, there were hundreds of glaciers in GNP.  The last time a study was done with a count, there were 25.  Now, they suspect that when they count this year there will be many less.  Climate change.  No matter what the cause, it is happening.  And Glacier National Park will likely soon be a park with an inappropriate name.

Now, let’s take a moment to discuss driving in Montana.  On curvy, two-lane mountain roads.  Where the speed limit is 70 MPH.  Oh yeah, at night it’s only 65.  And don’t veer right, that’s a sheer cliff over there, buddy.  It’s scary enough doing it by yourself, but then add other cars and motorcycles coming at you and from behind going multiple MPH faster that you.  It’s dangerous at times-just two days ago two motorcyclists instantly killed themselves (in two different accidents, within 15 miles and 4 hours of each other) by crossing the double yellow line and ramming into a car going the other way.

Did I mention the obstacles?  There are those, too.  I had to use the sudden breaking maneuver to dodge a herd of cattle and, then, around the next bend, a herd of horses, who had decided to use the road for passage and grazing that morning.  Yes, horses.  While driving into the park the other night, the obstacle-of-the-day was big horn sheep.  You see, they (apparently) don’t use fences here in Montana.

I’m trying to catch up with some writing and posting here.  Next time, some tales of exploring Glacier National Park.  I’m getting a few pictures posted while I am waiting on Amtrak.  There will likely be more uploaded after I am home.

The trip north from LA has been a blur.  I am closing in on Portland, OR, and it feels like I just left LA.  I slept much of yesterday, trying to get my body back up to par from the previous night’s escapade.   I was delighted to find that my cubicle, er, roomette, was on the ocean side of the train.  For a period of time in the Southern California, the train runs right next to the beach.  I mean, right next to the beach.  You could often step right off the train and into the Pacific Ocean.  Also, we saw several dolphins swimming along the coastline, and lots of people enjoying the sand and surf.

This train has a sleeping car only lounge called the “Pacific Parlour.”  I have really enjoyed having this car along for this journey.  The Parlour car, an original ATSF Hi-Level car built in the 60’s or so, has been delightfully restored and has some excellent cushioned chairs as well as meal service.  It’s been nice to have a calm relaxing meal in the Parlour rather than in the hustle and bustle of the normal dining car.

Before I knew it, we were passing through San Jose in the late evening, and I don’t remember anything past Oakland.  I awoke with the sun at 5:30ish right near Mt. Shasta in northern California.  I’m now in “familiar” territory.  I’ve ridden this part of the journey on the Amtrekkin’ trip in November, 2006.  Back then, the Coast Starlight was running about 3 hours late, and at dawn we were traveling around Lake Shasta.  Not to be seen this time, we were long past this lake this morning.

Before too long, we started climbing the Cascades, passing an area where a massive mud-slide closed the UP railroad for nearly 4 months back in January.  I had read much about it, as I was sure hoping that the repairs would be done before I left on my trip.  I didn’t appreciate the steepness of the terrain until passing through.  The train passes up and back down some significant mountain valleys and then into Eugene, OR, along Lookout Point Lake and a branch of the Willamette River.

The Sunset Limited and the Coast Starlight have been full-in fact, this Coast Starlight is completely sold out.  I think that it is great for Amtrak, but I have to admit that I really enjoyed the space available back in November, 2006, as it was a lot easier to move around and spread out.  The full coaches, I am sure, don’t allow for much R&R.  Thank goodness for sleeping cars!

On the Sunset, I had the wonderful chance to meet a professional photographer who was traveling with her son to LA and then onto Japan.  They live in rural Texas, away from most things, but were traveling to LA to meet up with family and then travel to Japan to be with their grandmother, who was performing over there.  While she was in LA, she was going to meet up with Diane Keaton, as she had just finished a coffee-table book on Southwestern architecture for her.  She did most of the photography for the work.  It was fascinating!  Her son discovered my GPS and laptop, and we spent a lot of time watching the maps go by and looking at how far we had to go.

I have also enjoyed the people of Amtrak on this trip.  I can say that I have met some wonderfully hard-working and dedicated employees that have really made it easier and much more fun to be on board.  On the Sunset, the lead service attendant (dining car manager), Keisha, did a fabulous job working dinner out of New Orleans all by herself, and handled a full train and other delays with a no-nonsense smile.  This is probably the hardest job to do on an Amtrak train, and she was doing it to the best level.  And I even found out that it was her first trip!  Way to go, Keisha!  On the Starlight, my car attendant Louie has kept everyone laughing, and the Parlour car attendant, Nanette, has made the experience delightful.  Thanks to all!

I am in Seattle now.  Two more days and I will be in Glacier National Park!