# Three trains, three cities--the journey west



## Mystic River Dragon (Oct 16, 2017)

Part 1--Wandering West.

September 23--Took 91 Trenton to Alexandria, VA--in a roomette, which was the same price as business class on the regional, so no contest. Was going to start the trip with a leisurely tourist visit in Alexandria, but it was too hot to do anything.

September 24--Sunday: Cardinal ALX to CHI. Started from ALX about an hour late because a certain freight railroad (can we spell "CSX"?) hadn't gotten the proper paperwork ready for the train to go all of the 15 minutes between WAS and ALX. After that, things were fine, and the Cardinal made up most of the time. The Cardinal is quirky, but in a nice way--OBS would appear, then disappear--the dining car steward announced, after the meals were over in the morning, to let him know if anyone needed their beds put up (huh? :unsure: )--my SCA was a very nice man, but I had to track him down when I needed something). Once you get used to a sort of Alice in Wonderland atmosphere, the Cardinal is just fine. It was dark much of the way the first day, so I didn't see much scenery. I had no idea of the beauty that I would see on the way back.

Chicago (and from now on, I've forgotten dates) overnight. Still too hot to do anything. Went out and looked at the Tribune Tower, found Fannie May chocolates, went and stared at the Tribune Tower, found Ghirardelli chocolates, drawn like a moth to a flame to the Tribune Tower. Next morning, walked a little bit along the river and sat and watched the boat traffic.

Empire Builder: Chicago to Portland. Checked into the Metropolitan Lounge--much nicer than I expected--I especially like the upstairs and "mezzanine" areas, which not as many people have found. Some other AUers there, which I didn't know til the day of traveling, so it was nice to have company. First time on a Superliner, and I liked it very much. Our SCA was a nice young man, but he had been in the Marine Reserves and away for a while, so he wasn't familiar with the routine. He had several AUers to help him  . I found the scenery on the EB challenging. Out of Chicago was fine--farms with animals, a bit of the Mississippi River--but when we got to North Dakota and Montana, there was nothing there but some really bored-looking cows. Being from NJ, it was a bit odd to look out and see nothing for miles. I was rescued by two delightful farmers from Wisconsin who explained what the crops were, when and how they should be harvested, why what was planted where, etc. I had a nice minicourse in agriculture and it made things much clearer. The people in general on the trains were very nice, but some of the nicest were on the EB going west. And then we got to Glacier National Park, which I found very frightening because I am afraid of mountains and did not look.

Next morning, the reward was having a delicious boxed breakfast in the Sightseer Lounge watching the sun come up over the Columbia River--beautiful river into Portland!

One of the highlights of the entire trip, however, was not scenery--it was the coffee truck in Minot, ND!  I had a delicious hot chocolate with whipped cream. The lady served the train passengers, then every once in a while would go to the window on the other side, which was a drive-up! 

Portland: Nice dinner the first evening with two AUers, then the Gathering activities, and a nice meal toward the end with some more AUers. I stayed an extra day and went to the Portland Zoo, which was very nice--especially the sea otter, who put on a little show of his own for us!  Enjoyed the Gathering very much. 

Coast Starlight Portland to Sacramento: Took a side trip to visit my cousin in California--we met in Sacramento and had a lovely visit. I went to the Rail Museum the day before she arrived and truly enjoyed that. She and I had lunch on the Delta King boat, and of course talked and talked and talked and caught up! My SCA on the way down was Miriam, who was wonderful.

Part 2: The Journey Home and General Impressions

Same trains back--Coast Starlight Sacramento to Portland. Spent a lot of time in the Pacific Parlor Car and had a lunch there. My SCA was Robin--she was terrific. Mountains there, too, but not as bad because there were so many trees on them, all changing color. Stayed overnight in Portland.

Empire Builder Portland to Chicago: I knew what to expect this time. Watched the Columbia River as far as I could before it got dark. Next morning, we got to Glacier National Park and I made myself look the whole way through. I'm glad I did, because it was beautiful. Through MT and ND, read a book I got at the Rail Museum. Then we got to ride along the Mississippi in daylight for a couple of hours, which was very nice. Our SCA was Stephanie, who was wonderful--she had games and books and magazines and had a trivia contest on train songs and in general made the trip very enjoyable.

Three fantastic SCAs: Miriam, Robin, and Stephanie. All longtime Amtrak employees.

Chicago for several nights. I had switched to the hotel I stayed at on the way out, because I really liked it and it was convenient to everything I wanted to see. Went to the Art Institute, looked at the river and the Wrigley building and the Tribune Tower lit up at night while eating chocolate ice cream from Ghirardellis, just walked and looked at all the different buildings, had breakfast at Yolk one day and lunch at Wildberries the next. Tried to go to lunch at the Walnut Room in Macys but spent an hour getting lost in there and then there was a crowd behind me, so will do that the next visit. Saw the bean, which I didn't think I'd like, but did. Missed the lake because the park had a ton of bees in there, so will have to see that on another trip.

Last day in Chicago, it rained heavily, so I gave up the idea of going to the American Writers Museum. Went to the station early, because the Cardinal said service disruption, so I thought I would switch to the Cap. Ltd. (having vouchers to make up the difference if it was more) but when I got there, they told me everything with my train was fine.

Well, it sort of was--we left late because our OBS crew was the same one coming in on the late train. They jumped off that train and onto ours, with no break. And they were wonderful. My SCA was Jay--he helped out in the dining car, while the SCA next door took care of the sleeping cars. Then they switched off, and he helped in the sleepers while she went and helped elsewhere. I think they must have spelled each other for a few hours of sleep each.

I was not ready for the incredible beauty that met us in West Virginia. Mountains, but nurturing, calming mountains and the beautiful New River Gorge and people fishing and waving at us and houses nestling between the river and the mountains. And the courtesy and wonderful, gentle accents of the conductors in West Virginia.

General impressions:

Trains: I liked them all: the Cardinal for its quirkiness and small-town feel, the EB for the Columbia River Gorge and the nice people I met, the CS for the varied scenery and the PPC.

Cities: Portland has wonderful coffee, excellent meals from food trucks, an excellent commuter rail system, and a lovely zoo. And, of course, the city was fun because of visiting with my AU friends, old and new.

But it has a bad homeless problem that it refuses to address (no point in helping them, because of course they aren't there--this is Portand, and we are just too cool to have any problems). And on the other end, the trendiness is just too wacky--they may want to be weird, but they are driving regular tourists away.

Sacramento: Tower Bridge is one of the loveliest bridges I have ever seen, especially with the sun on it in the morning. I loved the Rail Museum and the river and even the weather, because although it was hot in the afternoons, the mornings were beautifully cool. I like boats and trains and rivers, and Sacramento has all three. The biggest surprise was walking down a street around the corner from the Rail Museum--there was a boardwalk, with salt water taffy and ice cream and funnel cake  . I looked to the left, half expecting to be down the Shore and see the Atlantic Ocean, but there was just a freeway. Very strange but cool feeling to see those types of stores--made me feel at home, even all the way across the country.

Chicago. Remember when I started planning this trip and I was afraid to go to Chicago and some of you persuaded me to stay there a couple of days and give it a chance?

I found Portland somewhat annoying. I liked Sacramento.

And I fell head over heels in love with Chicago.  The people are polite and friendly, there are so many styles of buildings to look at, and it is just a lovely city. I am glad it is just an overnight trip on the Cap Ltd., because I most certainly want to go back.

Favorite state that I went through: I went all across the country looking for wonderful scenery, and enjoyed the variety and the adventure. But I know now the very best is close to home: West Virginia on the eastbound Cardinal.

One last note--on the Cardinal, just before Manassas, I saw three VRE trainsets, so now I know where they go to rest for the weekend. Some of you know I love VRE, so it was the perfect nice touch to end the trip.


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## Bob Dylan (Oct 16, 2017)

Very nice report, and it was great to see you again in Portland!

Now that you have seen Paris, so to speak, it'll be hard to keep you on the East Coast!


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## NETrainfan (Oct 17, 2017)

This was an interesting and fun report. It could be subtitled -chocolate!


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## Maglev (Oct 17, 2017)

Great trip report! And I am glad most of your journey was enjoyable.

I mentioned the homeless situation to my brother-in-law, who grew up in Portland and lives there now. He said there was a court ruling that allowed camping in public places. This may not apply to other jurisdictions, but it is why in Portland there is the appearance that the locals ignore the homeless situation. Meanwhile, there has been decline in then downtown area (for example, the giant downtown Macy*s closed).

In the hotel reviews for the downtown Embassy Suites (where I and several other AUer's stayed), the General Manager comments that the homeless situation is more sad than scary. I tried to keep this perspective.


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## AmtrakBlue (Oct 17, 2017)

NETrainfan said:


> This was an interesting and fun report. It could be subtitled -chocolate!


It was amazing that she did not attack me for my chocolate stash which I carried with me during the gathering.  

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum


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## AmtrakBlue (Oct 17, 2017)

Maglev said:


> Great trip report! And I am glad most of your journey was enjoyable.
> 
> I mentioned the homeless situation to my brother-in-law, who grew up in Portland and lives there now. He said there was a court ruling that allowed camping in public places. This may not apply to other jurisdictions, but it is why in Portland there is the appearance that the locals ignore the homeless situation. Meanwhile, there has been decline in then downtown area (for example, the giant downtown Macy*s closed).
> 
> In the hotel reviews for the downtown Embassy Suites (where I and several other AUer's stayed), the General Manager comments that the homeless situation is more sad than scary. I tried to keep this perspective.


In some of my walks I saw the homeless. It did not bother me. Like you I think it’s more sad than scary.

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## Mystic River Dragon (Oct 17, 2017)

Bob Dylan said:


> Very nice report, and it was great to see you again in Portland!


Great to see you again, too! 



AmtrakBlue said:


> NETrainfan said:
> 
> 
> > This was an interesting and fun report. It could be subtitled -chocolate!
> ...


Gosh--I didn't realize I'd consumed so much chocolate! AmtrakBlue, I didn't go after your chocolate stash because I could not figure out where you had hidden it. 



AmtrakBlue said:


> Maglev said:
> 
> 
> > Great trip report! And I am glad most of your journey was enjoyable.
> ...


I agree with both of you. I wasn't scared, and I found it very sad. I just think they should be helped more--for example, we had a group of churches in my area that housed people, got them job training, and fed them, with the understanding that they would look for work. The program eventually ended because it was so successful that everyone who had been helped was on their feet again. I didn't see any caring like that (religious or secular) in Portland, and that's what bothered me most.


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## Bob Dylan (Oct 17, 2017)

I too saw all the homeless in Portland, but the drug deals,gangs and runaway street kids were more of a concern for me.

And the downtown streets away from the trendy tourist areas are very dirty,it reminds me of LA,Detroit,Washington and New York in the 70s! Sad!


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## oregon pioneer (Oct 17, 2017)

Thanks very much for the fine report. Yes, it is distressing to walk in certain areas of Portland, but I do go there every few years, and find it to be a fine city in general.


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## Rail Freak (Oct 17, 2017)

Since starting my Amtrak travelling, I've adopted Portland as my favorite city to overnight! Looking forward to visiting in the not too distant future!!! I'm hoping that I can, one day, be there when Mt. Hood is visible!!!


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## SarahZ (Oct 17, 2017)

Portland is definitely high on my list. I passed through a couple of years ago on my way from Seattle to San Francisco but didn't have time to overnight.


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## SarahZ (Oct 17, 2017)

Mystic River Dragon said:


> And I fell head over heels in love with Chicago.  The people are polite and friendly, there are so many styles of buildings to look at, and it is just a lovely city.


YAY

Another convert!


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## v v (Oct 17, 2017)

Lovely trip report MRD, thank you


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## Maglev (Oct 17, 2017)

Mystic River Dragon said:


> I didn't see any caring like that (religious or secular) in Portland, and that's what bothered me most.


When I was in Portland in January, I walked from Union Station to the Embassy Suites. At one area where there was a large encampment of homeless, there was a person at a desk providing aid and information. There were also port-a-potties.

After the Gathering dinner, Saxman and I rode the Max light rail back to the hotel. We had a nice walk a couple blocks to the hotel, including one block where the street was closed off and there were restaurants and bars seating customers at tables in the street. But the next night, coming from my sister's place, I got off at a different stop, and there was not any business activity and a lot of homeless people.

So there is some aid and caring, and not all areas are afflicted.


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## greatcats (Oct 19, 2017)

Thanks for the report. I witnessed a scary guy screaming at a woman pedestrian while walking to Union Station from my Hotel. It was a fun dinner with you. [emoji16]

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## Mystic River Dragon (Oct 19, 2017)

greatcats said:


> Thanks for the report. I witnessed a scary guy screaming at a woman pedestrian while walking to Union Station from my Hotel. It was a fun dinner with you. [emoji16]
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum


As I recall, there was a scary guy screaming at you and me and Bob D. as we walked back from dinner--I wonder if the same scary guy was following you around town? :unsure:


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## v v (Oct 20, 2017)

Why was he screaming?


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## Bob Dylan (Oct 20, 2017)

v v said:


> Why was he screaming?


He was mentally unbalanced Jamie. America's streets are full of these poor souls thanks to uncaring Governments at every level.


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## v v (Oct 20, 2017)

Thanks Bob, didn't think any of you would just walk by if someone was hurt.

Edit: I didn't mean that to sound callous. I meant physically hurt although mental pain can also be unbearable.

Rosie and I have volunteered working with homeless people. It massively broadened our understanding as to how and why it happens to some people and changed our perspective a whole lot. We've noticed the amount of homeless in particular on the US west coast, apparently it's because the authorities are a little easier going and it's warmer in winter?

Didn't mean to go on like this, but spending a while with homeless people taught us some things and sprang many surprises, we always try to say at least hello now as (in London anyway) they call themselves the invisible ones.


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## greatcats (Oct 20, 2017)

The one I observed screaming “ What is wrong with you people? “ was scary and I almost called the cops. Probably high on something ugly.

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## v v (Oct 20, 2017)

Yes drugs, alcohol and mental illness are the 3 conditions most common. I'm no expert but they try to blot out whatever has caused their situation.


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## Mystic River Dragon (Oct 21, 2017)

I haven't meant to sound callous, either--I say hello and acknowledge homeless people, and although I won't give money, I will get someone breakfast or lunch from a food cart or convenience store.

It was just the impersonal tolerance without any visible help for these people that bothered me in Portland, although from some of the comments above, I have learned more about the situation there and hopefully understand it a bit better now.


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