7:45 pm Saturday: San Jose
26 mars 2022, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F
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 packingEn savoir plus
8:30 pm Saturday: All aboard!
26 mars 2022, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F
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!
26 mars 2022, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 52 °F
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 evidentlyEn savoir plus
10:00 pm Saturday: I have a bed
26 mars 2022, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 52 °F
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 IEn savoir plus
6:40 am Sunday: Sunrise and Moonset
27 mars 2022, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F
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. TrulyEn savoir plus
8:00 am Sunday: Breakfast in the dining
27 mars 2022, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 43 °F
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,En savoir plus
9:40 am Sunday: Exploring the train
27 mars 2022, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 43 °F
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.En savoir plus
10 am Sunday: Mt. Scott
27 mars 2022, États Unis ⋅ 🌧 45 °F
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,En savoir plus
11 am Sunday: Traversing the Cascades
27 mars 2022, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 48 °F
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
27 mars 2022, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F
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 theEn savoir plus
1:30 pm Sunday: Eugene, OR
27 mars 2022, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F
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 sleeperEn savoir plus
4 pm Sunday: Heading in to Portland
27 mars 2022, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F
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 hopefullyEn savoir plus
4:45 pm Sunday: All aboard!
27 mars 2022, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F
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 niceEn savoir plus
6 pm Sunday: Roll on Columbia
27 mars 2022, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F
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 cleaningEn savoir plus
6:30 pm Sunday: Dinner in my Room
27 mars 2022, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F
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 thenEn savoir plus
8 pm Sunday: 24 Hour Report
27 mars 2022, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F
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 theEn savoir plus
8 am Monday: Breakfast in WY
28 mars 2022, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 34 °F
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 heardEn savoir plus
9 am Monday: Freight Traffic Jam
28 mars 2022, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 37 °F
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 trainEn savoir plus
10 am Monday: Whitefish stop
28 mars 2022, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 45 °F
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 justEn savoir plus
11:30 am Monday: Crossing the Rockies
28 mars 2022, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 50 °F
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 gettingEn savoir plus
1 pm Monday: Lunch on the Plains
28 mars 2022, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F
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 theEn savoir plus
3:30 pm Monday: Havre, MT
28 mars 2022, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F
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 thereEn savoir plus
4 pm Monday: Afternoon Tea
28 mars 2022, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F
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 amEn savoir plus
7 pm Monday: Steak dinner
28 mars 2022, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F
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 toEn savoir plus
11 pm Monday: Havre, MT
28 mars 2022, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 39 °F
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 ofEn savoir plus















































I think you pack very well. Russell looks sad. Lynn [Lynn]