Blog 800 Days 48 and 49/74. On board The Empire Builder

21.27 hrs On board The Empire Builder.

I enjoyed my unplanned exploration of the world famous (so I’m told) Public Market around Pike and Pine Street, which really is massive and impressive. So engrossed was I that I only left just enough time to get comfortably to Seattle’s surprisingly impressive King Street Station. Just like at Vancouver, there was a substantial gathering of passengers for the train, some with “impossible” baggage. We entered at Gate 7, where the Seattle portion of The Empire Builder, around 5 vehicles and one loco was waiting at a nearby platform, not platform 7! The Empire Builder also runs from Portland Ohio, the two sections attaching after our arrival at 12.40, in time for the scheduled departure for stations to Chicago at 1.25 am.

Michael is my cabin steward. I think his shift pattern is two round trips to Chicago and four days off.

I have made two expensive but wise decisions on this trip. One was to have the big blue suitcase transferred to Queen Mary 2, and the other was to book bedrooms for the overnight train journeys, rather than the more sensible roomettes with next to no space, but a decent bed, nonetheless. I had experienced something similar on The Ghan in 2019. The Bedroom on Amtrak is spacious, particularly in day-time mode. However, I wouldn’t like to share with anybody else. 48 hours will tell whether I still enjoy very long distance rail travel. Certainly the first few hours out of Seattle were fabulous, starting with running parallel to Alaskan Way along which I walked yesterday. Then we were along the water’s edge for several miles, as people waved at us from the shoreline.

Pier 70 on Alaskan Way, from a slow running *Empire Builder.*

*Norwegian Bliss* from *The Empire Builder*

So far, I am very pleased with everything. The lakes gave way to the most dramatic of wooded, snow-capped and rainbow crowned scenery. Unfortunately, I was charging my phone at the time, but got one or two reasonable pictures on my recently acquired Lumix. The sunset was magnificent, particularly when reflected from mountain rivers and millpond lakes.

I was very pleasantly surprised by the excellent meal in the dining car. Each table is laid up with linen table cloth and badged metal cutlery, and a small vase with fresh flowers against each window. One passenger leaving the Dining Car expressed his great satisfaction with the dinner.

I tried the Amtrak Steak which was very well prepared, with baked potato, carrots and runner-beans. I shall give the delicious cheesecake a miss tomorrow. Sadly, as in most restaurants, the desserts are all sugar laden, and still I can’t get away with trying one of these desserts, as confirmed after said cheesecake with fresh strawberries and look-alike cream.

Breakfast starts at 06.30 tomorrow, i.e. 05.30 Pacific Time. I’m going to have to get used to going in and out of different time zones. Michael has sort of prepared the bed for the first night. I shall advance my watch by one hour. There’s no way I shall be first in line for breakfast!

During the journey over three days, i.e. Seattle depart Saturday at 4.40 p.m., Chicago arr. Monday at 3.55 pm, there are six (what are sometimes referred to as) “smoke stops” where passengers can step off the train, in my case, for fresh air. This was the first such stop at Wenatchee WA at 8.42 pm.

Many thanks for reading, David, in the Dining Car of the Empire Builder, 09.35 hrs Mountain Time, i.e. BST -7. We are approaching Glacier Park having come through continuous magnificent and dramatic countryside.