The GeekHiker

Under normal circumstances, I’d have wrapped up the Olympics travel posts with “on day 13, I got on a plane and flew home.”

I’m cooler (or at least geekier) than that, though.  Since I scored a pretty good deal on the flight up, I decided to spend a little extra time and money on the way home:

I fulfilled a long-time dream and took the Amtrak Coast Starlight.

In terms of expense, it wasn’t too bad.  Coach for the trip runs $98.  I added a room for around $200, but that includes meals.  I figured I’d easily eat $75-$100 worth of meals over the 36 hour trip, so in the end the price wasn’t outrageous.

The day started early, early in the morning.  JaG graciously drove me down to Seattle, bypassing the longer bus ride out of Vancouver (no direct train service, sadly).  There was, of course, the interesting trip through the border (one Canadian passport and one U.S. passport makes the officer look at you funny), but once we convinced him that JaG would, in fact, be returning home to go to work the next day and had no intention of invading the States, we were allowed to pass.

After a quick drive down I-5 and a stop at a gluten free bakery (darn good gluten free cinnamon roll, by the way), we worked our way through downtown Seattle to the train station.  The station itself is currently undergoing restoration, so hopefully the grand room will have its 70’s drop ceiling removed soon and be restored to its former grandeur.

Tickets in hand and bags checked, JaG and I said our good-byes (*sigh*) and I boarded the train.

There’s not much I can say about the trip itself.  It is, after all, a thirty-six hour run, and pictures tend to communicate things better.

Passing Mt. Rainier just south of Seattle

Crossing the Wilamette in Portland. JaG, does that bridge look familiar?

The train trip is relaxing, for one thing: you spend your time staring out the window at the scenery going by, reading, writing, whatever. Outside, rain fell for pretty much the whole trip, but inside one stayed warm and comfortable, rocked by the train.  The staff on board is very friendly and attentive.

(The oddest moment of the whole trip, actually, came at the end: following 36 hours on the train, a bus and taxi ride, I arrived at home and felt a little motion sickness (something I rarely get).  It took me a few minutes to realize that my body was still used to the motion of the train, and standing on an unmoving floor was throwing me out of whack!)

Green hills descending the Cuesta Grade into San Luis Obispo

Looking towards the engines as the train rounds a curve in the Cuesta Grade

The morros near San Luis Obispo

The sun emerges from the storm just as the train arrives at the coast

Steaming along the coast

A rainbow emerges from the clouds

Storm waves hit the coast as the sun starts to set

I think the drawback, for me at least, was doing the journey alone.  Maybe it’s because I’d always thought it would be a fun trip to take with friends or a significant other.  Maybe it’s because most of the people my age were traveling coach, whereas I was in a sleeping car, on a weekday, so it was mostly seniors.  This was okay, but dining was railroad style (you’re always seated with strangers to keep the tables full) and, while I have nothing against those who are 50 years older than I am, conversation was often difficult and a bit stilted.

On the plus side, I wasn’t driving or going through airport security.  I ate well, read, worked on a couple of posts I’ve been thinking of for a while.  I watched the rain fall outside while staying warm in my little sleeping compartment.  I got to be rocked to sleep by the train that night, except when I woke up around midnight, looked out the window as the train passed through Northern California, and saw a moonlit pine forest and bright snow passing by.

The Coast Starlight is worth the trip.  Hopefully I’ll one day get to share it with someone, but it was still a great way to end my two week vacation.  Certainly better than boarding a plane and going back to work immediately!