Weds Oct 19, 5:00pm: Oregon

We left Portland on time, and didn't have any delays before bedtime.

As we climbed into the mountains, I was thinking that we were in fog, until I sniffed some more and realized that the smoke was pretty dense here. They did announce that the fires were actually hundreds of miles away, but they were turning off the air system until we got high enough to avoid the smoke. That didn't happen until well after dark, when I was ready for bed.

When I went into the dining car, I realized that I had forgotten to bring my wallet to tip, which I really regretted, until I had the worst service I've had on an Amtrak train. Then I didn't feel so bad. Just to mention one thing, that glass of wine in the picture was supposed to be red. Once she had poured it out, I didn't want to want to make her waste it, so I just accepted it. But no tip for her!Read more