7:45 pm Saturday: San Jose

I got to the station early, but the train is late. San Jose station is very quaint, considering this is the third biggest city in California.
As you can see, I have not mastered the skill of packingЧитать далее
8:30 pm Saturday: All aboard!

It turns out the dining car was still open so I got two dinners: Whole Foods and Amtrak! Since the dining car was almost empty, I got a table to myself!
9:30 pm Saturday: Train Shoes!

I got my train shoes on. I got my stuff arranged so only the things I need are in my little roomette and I am settling in.
We are stopped in Oakland. We had been making up time, but evidentlyЧитать далее
10:00 pm Saturday: I have a bed

The new Amtrak blankets are very nice but I think I am going to be glad I brought my down throw.
I had a bit of a packing issue when I realized that my suitcase wouldn't really fit in the room so IЧитать далее
6:40 am Sunday: Sunrise and Moonset

Didn't have that great a night. Sleeping on a train is a skill I hope to improve on this week. I woke up just after dawn to an amazing view of a crescent moon setting next to Mt. Shasta. TrulyЧитать далее
8:00 am Sunday: Breakfast in the dining

Got a table to myself again. French toast is a great way to start the day. We crossed into Oregon while I was eating.
If you are wondering why it took me so long to get to breakfast after waking up,Читать далее
9:40 am Sunday: Exploring the train

I walked the train from one end to the other. Two engines (not that I could get inside them, but I counted when I boarded). Following them are two sleeper cars (mine is second). Then the dining car.Читать далее
10 am Sunday: Mt. Scott

It turns out you can't see Crater Lake from the train. It's blocked by this mountain.
There are still patches of snow on the ground, but snowmobile season is over at this elevation. We are climbing,Читать далее
11 am Sunday: Traversing the Cascades

I see how this mountain range got its name.
The deepest snowpack I spotted was about 4 ft, going off the markers.
This scenery is breathtaking. Some might even say "gorge-ous."
1 pm Sunday: Lunch in my Roomette

This meal I opted for dining alone in my room. I feel like I have enough close interactions with strangers for a while.
We are cruising along the bank of the mighty Willamette River.
I took theЧитать далее
1:30 pm Sunday: Eugene, OR

I took the opportunity when we stopped at Eugene to get out and go look at the private car. It turns out it is three private cars. Two with domed observation lounges and the third looks like a sleeperЧитать далее
4 pm Sunday: Heading in to Portland

We had to pull over and wait for the southbound Coast Starlight, making us a bit later than before. I think I will still get into Portland before the Empire Builder is scheduled to leave so hopefullyЧитать далее
4:45 pm Sunday: All aboard!

We had about 5 minutes to change trains, so they didn't let us dawdle or diverge. As a result, I couldn't get into the station to take pictures. Kind of a pity because as I recall it's a very niceЧитать далее
6 pm Sunday: Roll on Columbia

I'm on the right side of the train for the scenery this afternoon. Tomorrow morning I will have to find a seat on the other side to check out Glacier Park.
Good thing I brought the window cleaningЧитать далее
6:30 pm Sunday: Dinner in my Room

The Empire Builder is a weird train in that half of it starts in Seattle, and half of it starts in Portland. The two halves meet up in Spokane, Washington in the middle of the night and are thenЧитать далее
8 pm Sunday: 24 Hour Report

I've been on the train for a full day now and I think I am settling in. I have discovered things, like a boot makes a really good bottle holder to keep that whiskey bottle from tumbling over as theЧитать далее
8 am Monday: Breakfast in WY

I had a much better night's sleep. I guess train sleeping IS a learned skill. I was so zonked out I didn't even get up in the night to watch them join our train to the Seattle train at 1 am. I heardЧитать далее
9 am Monday: Freight Traffic Jam

There is a confluence of freight trains here. We are parked on a siding behind an east bound freight train waiting for a westbound train to pass us both.
Then we will back up and go around the trainЧитать далее
10 am Monday: Whitefish stop

We finally pulled into Whitefish and I got off to check out the station. It is a beautiful town nestled by a lake up against the mountains. The station had a very western mountain feel.
I justЧитать далее
11:30 am Monday: Crossing the Rockies

This is the stretch of the Empire Builder with the most spectacular scenery. I spent most of this part in the observation car, because the best scenery is to the north. Once we started gettingЧитать далее
1 pm Monday: Lunch on the Plains

No rain or stain on the train mainly on the plain as we gain time. No pain! I'm not vain but I'm kind of proud of my rhymes.
We have left the Rockies behind and are into the brown flat part of theЧитать далее
3:30 pm Monday: Havre, MT

This stop was our last chance to get off and stretch our legs until 11 tonight. If things go according to plan, I will be asleep by then. So I took some shots on the platform and stayed out thereЧитать далее
4 pm Monday: Afternoon Tea

I have been reading all these cozy British mysteries and it has made me realize that adding a fourth meal in between lunch and dinner made up of cakes and starches is a really good idea. So I amЧитать далее
7 pm Monday: Steak dinner

All the food has been wonderful. Tonight I went for the signature combo, surf and turf: lobster cake appetizer followed by steak.
The meals are all included in the fare but I really don't need toЧитать далее
11 pm Monday: Havre, MT

I was still awake reading and watching videos when we hit the last stop of the day where we were allowed to go out of the train. I figured I should take the opportunity and see what the small town ofЧитать далее
I think you pack very well. Russell looks sad. Lynn [Lynn]