I just returned (a few hours ago, in fact) from a three-day Northwest Loop run (Spokane-Seattle-Portland-Spokane).
I left early on the morning of the 23rd. I spent the 22nd nervously checking the status for #7, which started out from Chicago 1 1/2 hrs down, and quickly became 3 hours down in Wisconsin. Gradually, however, I noticed it gradually making up time, and the last time I checked, at Whitefish, it was just over an hour late. I knew it had plenty of padding between Sandpoint and Spokane so knew I was good to go. I live an hour from Spokane, and left my home at 9:45 to catch a 2:15 train that was late! I do hate sitting around at home, besides, my car has a nasty habit of breaking down at most inopportune times. Thus I left that early. After a late leisurely dinner at Chez Denny's
I got to the station right after midnight. I found out from Duane, the very friendly and personable ticket agent, that the #7 was now only going to be 1/2 hour late. And right after that, another ticket agent said it would be in at 1:50, only 10 minutes late. And it indeed get in at that time. So it had made up almost all of that 3 hrs. Not bad at all. The eastbound #8 from Seattle was very late (in fact it didn't get to Spokane until after we'd boarded #7, making #8 2 hrs late or so. My understanding was there was some sort of minor derailment involved with it leaving Seattle.
At any rate, we left Spokane only 10 minutes down, which they made up and in fact we were early into Seattle. I tried to doze some, but that didn't work, as it never does in coach. Misty, our car attendant, and Mike, the conductor, were very efficient, very pleasant, and are a great advertisement for Amtrak. About 5:30, at Wenatchee, I wandered to the diner for breakfast. I was seated with a man from Bellingham, going home after a visit with his folks in Whitefish, a woman from Australia who had boarded in Chicago and was on her way to Seattle, and a woman who had boarded in Milwaukee (and rode coach that far) and who was eventually headed to San Francisco to her son and daughter-in-law. It was interesting to hear the Australian woman's reaction to her first Amtrak trip: she was very impressed by it all. I found out that #7 was late out of Chicago due to problems with the SSL; it was eventually taken off altogether, and also because #7 got caught in Metra commuter traffic. For breakfast I had the cheese, veggie, and mushroom omelette (very good) with potatoes, biscuit, sausage, and coffee. All were very good. I noticed the portion size of the potatoes was smaller, which is good for me. I wondered if the diner was beginning to run short of food. Seid was our server, and he and the dining car steward, whose name I didn't catch, were efficient at their jobs if not overly friendly. Unlike most of my forays into the Cascades, it was a beautiful day for sightseeing in the mountains.
After losing some more time in the mountains, we eventually gained that back and then some: we got into Seattle early. I must say again how efficient and friendly Misty, the car attendant, and Mike, the conductor were. At one point, when Misty was cleaning the car near the end of the run, she spilled water on my shoes and was so apologetic about it. Those shoes have stepped in more dog crap than I care to think about; a little water wasn't going to hurt!
The consist was:
2 engines
baggage car
3 sleepers (one may have been a trans-dorm; I didn't get a good look)
diner
2 coaches
After detraining, I walked to my hotel, the Moore Hotel, which is a couple blocks north of the west edge of Pike Place Market.*
(*Disclaimer: I did a lot of walking even though I know I could ride the bus for free everywhere I wanted to go. I chose to walk because I'm diabetic and need the excercise).
As it was before 11 AM and check-in wasn't until 3PM, I left my bag there and went to the waterfront, where I would take one of the Argosy boat cruises, this one going from the waterfront at Elliot Bay through the locks at Lake Union and then back to the waterfront via a bus. I had lunch at Steamer's, then enjoyed a beautiful day on the waterfront until it was time for the boat ride.
The boat tour was very interesting, though it was my luck to sit on the side where there was little of scenic interest. Those on the opposite side got all the good sights, and all I got was an occasional glimpse of a tugboat or garbage scow. Ah, well. It was a very informative and interesting tour, especially when our boat was in the locks, waiting for the water to rise so we could continue on the lake.
After returning to the waterfront, I went back to the hotel to check in and clean up, then headed to catch the monorail to the Seattle Center and the Space Needle. I'd never been in the Space Needle before and the views were everything I'd hoped for and then some. I was tired by this point so after thoroughly enjoying the views, I got back on the monorail, and went back to Westlake Center (the south terminus of the monorail) and had a healthy dinner at Mickey D's. :lol: After that, I went back to the hotel and turned in. It was only 6PM, and though I'm not usually that much of a wet blanket (OK, maybe I am! )but at that point I'd been up 37 straight hours and was done in.
Speaking of done in, I'm done in now and will finish tomorrow.
I left early on the morning of the 23rd. I spent the 22nd nervously checking the status for #7, which started out from Chicago 1 1/2 hrs down, and quickly became 3 hours down in Wisconsin. Gradually, however, I noticed it gradually making up time, and the last time I checked, at Whitefish, it was just over an hour late. I knew it had plenty of padding between Sandpoint and Spokane so knew I was good to go. I live an hour from Spokane, and left my home at 9:45 to catch a 2:15 train that was late! I do hate sitting around at home, besides, my car has a nasty habit of breaking down at most inopportune times. Thus I left that early. After a late leisurely dinner at Chez Denny's
I got to the station right after midnight. I found out from Duane, the very friendly and personable ticket agent, that the #7 was now only going to be 1/2 hour late. And right after that, another ticket agent said it would be in at 1:50, only 10 minutes late. And it indeed get in at that time. So it had made up almost all of that 3 hrs. Not bad at all. The eastbound #8 from Seattle was very late (in fact it didn't get to Spokane until after we'd boarded #7, making #8 2 hrs late or so. My understanding was there was some sort of minor derailment involved with it leaving Seattle.At any rate, we left Spokane only 10 minutes down, which they made up and in fact we were early into Seattle. I tried to doze some, but that didn't work, as it never does in coach. Misty, our car attendant, and Mike, the conductor, were very efficient, very pleasant, and are a great advertisement for Amtrak. About 5:30, at Wenatchee, I wandered to the diner for breakfast. I was seated with a man from Bellingham, going home after a visit with his folks in Whitefish, a woman from Australia who had boarded in Chicago and was on her way to Seattle, and a woman who had boarded in Milwaukee (and rode coach that far) and who was eventually headed to San Francisco to her son and daughter-in-law. It was interesting to hear the Australian woman's reaction to her first Amtrak trip: she was very impressed by it all. I found out that #7 was late out of Chicago due to problems with the SSL; it was eventually taken off altogether, and also because #7 got caught in Metra commuter traffic. For breakfast I had the cheese, veggie, and mushroom omelette (very good) with potatoes, biscuit, sausage, and coffee. All were very good. I noticed the portion size of the potatoes was smaller, which is good for me. I wondered if the diner was beginning to run short of food. Seid was our server, and he and the dining car steward, whose name I didn't catch, were efficient at their jobs if not overly friendly. Unlike most of my forays into the Cascades, it was a beautiful day for sightseeing in the mountains.
After losing some more time in the mountains, we eventually gained that back and then some: we got into Seattle early. I must say again how efficient and friendly Misty, the car attendant, and Mike, the conductor were. At one point, when Misty was cleaning the car near the end of the run, she spilled water on my shoes and was so apologetic about it. Those shoes have stepped in more dog crap than I care to think about; a little water wasn't going to hurt!
The consist was:
2 engines
baggage car
3 sleepers (one may have been a trans-dorm; I didn't get a good look)
diner
2 coaches
After detraining, I walked to my hotel, the Moore Hotel, which is a couple blocks north of the west edge of Pike Place Market.*
(*Disclaimer: I did a lot of walking even though I know I could ride the bus for free everywhere I wanted to go. I chose to walk because I'm diabetic and need the excercise).
As it was before 11 AM and check-in wasn't until 3PM, I left my bag there and went to the waterfront, where I would take one of the Argosy boat cruises, this one going from the waterfront at Elliot Bay through the locks at Lake Union and then back to the waterfront via a bus. I had lunch at Steamer's, then enjoyed a beautiful day on the waterfront until it was time for the boat ride.
The boat tour was very interesting, though it was my luck to sit on the side where there was little of scenic interest. Those on the opposite side got all the good sights, and all I got was an occasional glimpse of a tugboat or garbage scow.
Ah, well. It was a very informative and interesting tour, especially when our boat was in the locks, waiting for the water to rise so we could continue on the lake.After returning to the waterfront, I went back to the hotel to check in and clean up, then headed to catch the monorail to the Seattle Center and the Space Needle. I'd never been in the Space Needle before and the views were everything I'd hoped for and then some. I was tired by this point so after thoroughly enjoying the views, I got back on the monorail, and went back to Westlake Center (the south terminus of the monorail) and had a healthy dinner at Mickey D's. :lol: After that, I went back to the hotel and turned in. It was only 6PM, and though I'm not usually that much of a wet blanket (OK, maybe I am!
)but at that point I'd been up 37 straight hours and was done in.Speaking of done in, I'm done in now and will finish tomorrow.
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