Pacific NW locations reached by train

[Matthew H Fish]

Adventures off of the Amtrak Cascades

This is a quick guide to what towns and cities of interest can be reached from the train stops on the Amtrak Cascades line (which are also, for the most part, the Pacific NW stops of the Coast Starlight). This guide is intended for “adventure travellers” who are travelling with backpacks and using public transportation. Of course, many of these places can also be visited by renting a car and hauling luggage and staying in a hotel---but this is intended for the lighter traveller, especially those who wish to explore through transit.
Because schedules change constantly, the exact times and hours that buses leave might vary after this is published, and some routes might be gone. Be sure to double check. I will try to at least suggest whether these cities can be visited in a day trip, before returning and getting on a continuing train. I will also mention whether the trip is a “city bus”, or a bus that needs reservations.


Starting from the South:

Eugene, Oregon:

Eastward: McKenzie Bridge

McKenzie Bridge is located 50 miles east of Eugene, but it is still accessible by “city bus”, and costs the same fare as to take a bus across town in Eugene. LTD Route 91 goes eastward up the McKenzie River Valley into the Willamette National Forest, stopping at small towns along the way. It currently runs 4 times a day M-F, less on Saturday and Sunday.
It is currently possible to do this as an out-and-back, and to continue northward.

Westward: Florence
Florence is located about 50 miles west of Eugene, on the Oregon Coast, and has some great natural areas and beach access. There is currently a bus that doesn’t require reservations, but is not a normal “city bus”, with a listed fare of $5. It is currently 2 trips a day, both ways, and it is not currently possible to do this as an out-and-back trip with a northward continuance.

Note that in Eugene, the local transit center is located about 10 blocks from the Amtrak Station.


Albany, Oregon:

Eastward: Lebanon and Sweet Home

These two towns are not as far into the Cascades as McKenzie Bridge is, but they still have views of the Cascades and access to the Santiam River. They can be accessed by a city bus from the Amtrak station for a few dollars. There are currently 10 trips a day. It is possible, and even easy, to continue north or south after taking a trip to these places.

Westward: Newport, Oregon.

Newport is one of the main scenic towns on the Oregon Coast. There is a bus that offers both hop-on/hop-off service, as well as being cross-ticketed to Amtrak, that has several trips per day. It costs $5 and also leaves from the Amtrak station. It is theoretically possible to travel to Newport and back and resume a train journey.

Salem, Oregon:

Eastward: Silverton, Mount Angel and Stayton: Are all small towns east of Salem that are reachable on regional city buses. The transit center for these buses is located several blocks away from the Amtrak stations, and these buses cost a few dollars. Depending on the town, it is possible to visit these towns and then continue north or south.

Westward: Lincoln City is another important tourist town on the Oregon Coast, and it is reachable from a bus that, like the Newport bus, is both a local bus and a reservation bus. It costs a few dollars, and is possible, if not easy, to continue north and south.

Portland, Oregon:
Eastward: Cascades Locks, Hood River and The Dalles

From the Gateway Transit Center, it is possible to take a county bus 50 miles eastward to Cascade Locks and Hood River, and from there, to continue to The Dalles. The bus costs $10 each way and is a touring bus with luggage racks and USB outlets. It travels through the scenic Columbia River Gorge. It runs around 10 times a day, so it is possible to take a day trip and return and continue northward on the Amtrak Cascades, especially Northward

Southeastward: Mount Hood Express goes from Sandy to Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood, and has room for bicycles and skis. To get to Sandy, a traveller has to first go to the end of the MAX line in Gresham, then take a bus to Sandy, then ride the Mount Hood Express. This can take some time! However, the chance to get to close to the top of Mount Hood via public transit is a great opportunity. This bus costs a few dollars, and runs a few times a day.

Westward: Tillamook and Astoria both have transit connections. The Astoria bus is a reserved long distance bus that is cross-ticketed with Amtrak. The Tillamook bus is through a county agency, and can be ridden with a reservation. These buses take a bit longer, so I am not currently sure that they could be ridden out and back with a continuing trip.

Vancouver, Washington:

Eastward to Stevenson and White Salmon, along the Columbia River Gorge: local buses leave from the Fisher’s Landing Transit Center in the east side of Vancouver, and travel to Skamania County on the north side of the Columbia River Gorge. It is also possible (and maybe easier) to get to the Fisher’s Landing Transit Center from Portland.

Kelso-Longview, Washington
Westward: It is possible to go from Cathlamet, on the north side of the Columbia River, and then connect to buses that go to Long Beach, Washington. Looking at the connections, it seems that it might require very careful planning.

Centralia-Chehalis, Washington:


Eastward: The local “Twin Cities Transit” Brown Route goes 30 miles east, to the mountain towns of Mossyrock and Morton. It seems like this is fared like any other city bus, despite going further. The Centralia TC is located about a half a mile from the Amtrak Station. There are 6 trips a day, which means it is likely this could be done as a day trip.
Westward: There are trips between Centralia and Aberdeen, on the Washington Coast. These are city buses, run by Grays Harbor Transit. They run frequently enough that it should be possible to take a day trip on them. These buses also stop at Centralia Amtrak, as well as the transit center.


Olympia, Washington:

Westward: There are a dozen trips on Grays Harbors buses between Olympia and Grays Harbor, so it should be possible, and even easy, to visit Grays Harbor and then return to Olympia, and to continue north. This is especially so, since once we have reached Olympia, there are other, non-Amtrak transit methods possible.
One thing that does make Olympia more difficult is that the Olympia Amtrak station is located several miles outside of the city, so getting from Olympia to the Olympia Amtrak station is in itself a challenge. The buses from Aberdeen currently stop at the Olympia Transit Center, and do not continue to the Amtrak Station.

 

[Matthew H Fish]

(Continued because I went over the character count):


Tacoma, Seattle, Edmonds and Everett:
Pierce, King and Snohomish County have so many transit options, including ferries to the other side of the Puget Sound, and buses to the eastern suburbs, that it seems difficult to even start to try to list them. If anyone knows of any that go particularly far, or to particularly rural locations, let me know!
Remember that Washington has a very active ferry system, and there are major WSF terminals in Seattle, Edmonds and Everett, and they are easily accessible from the Amtrak stations in those cities.

Stanwood, Washington:

Westward: Island Transit, the transit agency for Island County, has a dozen buses a day going to Camano Island from Stanwood, and on Camano Island, there are other buses to transfer to. All Island Transit County buses are free. Because buses are so frequent, it should be easy to take a trip and then return to Stanwood to go north or south---although, since north of Seattle, there are only two Cascades trains a day, the trip may be on a Cascades bus.

Mount Vernon, Washington:

Eastward: There is a local bus, the 70x from the Skagit Transit Center, that goes 30 miles east up the Skagit River valley to the town of Concrete, located in the foothills of the Cascades. There are only 4 round trips a day, meaning that while it might be possible to continue, it would not necessarily be convenient---especially since, as mentioned, in Mount Vernon there are only two trains/buses a day.

Westward: One of the most interesting places in Washington State is the San Juan Islands, an archipelago of hundreds of islands (dozens of which are inhabited) between the mainland of Washington and Vancouver Island. There is regular ferry service to the four main islands through the Washington State Ferry system. The bad news, for the Amtrak traveller, is that it takes a two bus connection from the Amtrak station to reach the ferry terminal in Anacortes (Anacortes itself is an interesting place to see). The ferries, which are gigantic, are a fun thing to see in themselves---but their schedules are also changeable, and the ferries can run late. For this reason, while it might be possible for an Amtrak traveller to make a round trip from Seattle, to Mount Vernon, through two bus connections, onto a ferry, out to the islands, and back...I wouldn’t exactly plan on it.

Bellingham, Washington

Eastward: A local bus, Whatcom Transit Route 72X, goes about 25 miles northeast of Bellingham to the city of Kendall, in the foothills of the Cascades. This bus takes a regular fare, currently $1. It currently runs about a half dozen times a day, meaning it should be easy to visit Kendall and then get back to Bellingham to continue south. Since this is the last stop in the United States, continuing northward might not be possible.
The main Bellingham Transit center is several miles north of the Amtrak station, in Fairhaven. This might also make a trip more difficult.

Westward: Whatcom Bus 50 runs to the Lummi Island Ferry Terminal. The Lummi Island Ferry is a county (not state) ferry, and is much smaller than the Washington State Ferries. However, it runs much more often, with around 3 dozen trips a day. This makes it easy to visit Lummi Island. There are no buses on Lummi Island, but it is small enough that most of the island can be seen on foot. Since the bus runs around 9 times a day, and the ferry runs dozens of times, a visit to and from Lummi Island should be easy.



The Amtrak Cascades also allows bicycles, so it is possible to mix and match many adventures for those who really want to push limits. Is it possible to wake up at 4:30 AM in Eugene, take the first Amtrak Cascades to Union Station, then take the MAX, and two buses to Timberline Lodge, with bicycles, and then to bicycle down from Timberline Lodge to either Sandy or Gresham, go back to Union Station, load bikes onto the last Amtrak Cascades and reach Seattle at 10 PM? It is! Maybe not for me, because I don’t get up before 10 AM, but I bet someone can do it!

And is it possible to start in Vancouver, reach Bellingham by 8:30 in the morning, take your bikes on a ferry, circle around Lummi Island, then get back on a bus or train and get to Seattle or Portland! It probably is---I don’t know the current rules about bikes on the Cascades buses, but these are all things that might be possible. Of course, all these routes are subject to change, but with a little bit of planning, there are many things that can be seen on the Amtrak Cascades!

 

[caravanman]

Wow! Thank you so much for this great resource! I often find that "the last few miles", once I leave a train, are hard to negotiate by public transit, so it's very encouraging to see this post. Well done!

 

[Matthew H Fish]

Wow! Thank you so much for this great resource! I often find that "the last few miles", once I leave a train, are hard to negotiate by public transit, so it's very encouraging to see this post. Well done!

Yep! Some of these are things I've done myself, although often, I used a combination of Flixbus and Greyhound to get to some of them. From where I am (Corvallis), that is often my best way to get places. For example, earlier this month, I went to Hood River---but took Flixbus to and from Portland to get there. For someone living in a city where Amtrak stops directly, it would be an easier trip for me to take.

 

[BCL]

I've been thinking of visiting Portland, and wondered what might be possible without a car. It was a long time ago, but once we visited McMenamin's Edgefield in Troutdale, which I understand is accessible by bus.

 

[Matthew H Fish]

I've been thinking of visiting Portland, and wondered what might be possible without a car. It was a long time ago, but once we visited McMenamin's Edgefield in Troutdale, which I understand is accessible by bus.

Oh yeah, that is easy, Troutdale is in the Portland metro area, and served by bus, probably where there are 2-4 buses an hour from 6 AM to midnight. I didn't include destinations like that in my post because I thought they would be too easy to be noteworthy.
In Portland, you have basically a 10-15 mile radius where you have 20 hour a day bus service, and its usually pretty self-explanatory to find schedules. It is when you get on the rural transportation routes that you have to do some planning.

 

[Northwestern]

A couple of years ago, I was thinking of at trip to Sunriver, Oregon. I would take the Starlight from Calif. to Klamath Falls, then a bus to Sunriver. I couldn't find the old forum thread, but there was a discussion about the unreliability of the bus from Klamath Falls to Sunriver/Bend/Redmond. Is that still true? Was it a Pacific Crest bus that didn't have a reliable schedule? I wound up flying to Seattle then to Bend. I wanted to rent a car in Bend for a drive to Sunriver but realized, early on, that the cost of lodging in Sunriver is very steep.

The top-tier lodge in Sunriver, during the peak summer months, is around $400/night with a minimum stay of 3 nights. A little too much for my pocketbook. I wonder if the 3 day minimum is in force during the off-season months? I have run into "3 day stay requirements" for hotels and high scale lodges quite frequently. I find it irksome. Not only is it expensive, but the minimum stay requirement can play havoc with an itinerary if you have several destinations planned.

 

[Matthew H Fish]

A couple of years ago, I was thinking of at trip to Sunriver, Oregon. I would take the Starlight from Calif. to Klamath Falls, then a bus to Sunriver. I couldn't find the old forum thread, but there was a discussion about the unreliability of the bus from Klamath Falls to Sunriver/Bend/Redmond. Is that still true? Was it a Pacific Crest bus that didn't have a reliable schedule? I wound up flying to Seattle then to Bend. I wanted to rent a car in Bend for a drive to Sunriver but realized, early on, that the cost of lodging in Sunriver is very steep.

The top-tier lodge in Sunriver, during the peak summer months, is around $400/night with a minimum stay of 3 nights. A little too much for my pocketbook. I wonder if the 3 day minimum is in force during the off-season months? I have run into "3 day stay requirements" for hotels and high scale lodges quite frequently. I find it irksome. Not only is it expensive, but the minimum stay requirement can play havoc with an itinerary if you have several destinations planned.

Last December, while riding the Coast Starlight, I met a fellow Train YouTuber, and I was explaining to her about Bend...and she invented the witticism "Bend Your Wallet!". The Pacific Northwest is pretty expensive in general right now, and Bend, as the premier resort city is...out of reach for most people. To quote the great Yogi Berra... "No one goes there anymore, it is too crowded". I am sure that for people who really know how to play the reservation system, there might be a way to get a reasonably priced hotel room in the Bend area...but it would be a challenge. And some of that is deserved---Bend is a great place, with lots of natural beauty.
One alternative to look at is the Cascade Locks/Hood River/The Dalles area (on the Oregon Side) and the Stevenson/White Salmon area (on the Washington side) of the Columbia River Gorge. These areas are accessible from local transit (from Portland/Vancouver) and also there is a stop on the Empire Builder in White Salmon. Just from doing a cursory search, there seems to be hotels from $200, and motels from $100 (or less). The Columbia River Gorge is a very beautiful area, with some interesting cultural history, so there is a lot to see there. There is also at least some public transit between cities, which saves money and might be less stressful (this is also one of those things where of course one person taking a car makes sense---but if everyone rents a car, then you get scenic spots turned into parking lots). And while the area is a tourist area, it still has a bit more authenticity than Sun River, which is purely a resort. It might not be the exact same thing, but it might literally be $1000 cheaper for a weekend there.

 

[Northwestern]

I always thought Bingen-White Salmon would be an interesting EB stop and a fun place to explore. Plus, as you mentioned earlier, close to Hood River. I almost booked an overnight at the Timberline Lodge, Government Camp, Oregon a few years ago. I may still do that. The Timberline lodge rates seem to not be excessive. I know what you mean about "bending your wallet" in Bend. When I went to Bend, I stayed at an expensive hotel in downtown Bend. A big disappointment. They should have charged half-the price that I had to pay. I did spend 2 nights at a great lodge in Sisters, Oregon. The nightly rate was in the $200 range, but I thought it was worth it. Plus the fun of exploring in and around Sisters. Another possibility for another Oregon excursion, taking the Starlight to Klamath Falls and then a trip on the Crater Lake Trolley for a visit to Crater Lake.

https://is.gd/JAP9OT

 

[Matthew H Fish]

I always thought Bingen-White Salmon would be an interesting EB stop and a fun place to explore. Plus, as you mentioned earlier, close to Hood River. I almost booked an overnight at the Timberline Lodge, Government Camp, Oregon a few years ago. I may still do that. The Timberline lodge rates seem to not be excessive. I know what you mean about "bending your wallet" in Bend. When I went to Bend, I stayed at an expensive hotel in downtown Bend. A big disappointment. They should have charged half-the price that I had to pay. I did spend 2 nights at a great lodge in Sisters, Oregon. The nightly rate was in the $200 range, but I thought it was worth it. Plus the fun of exploring in and around Sisters. Another possibility for another Oregon excursion, taking the Starlight to Klamath Falls and then a trip on the Crater Lake Trolley for a visit to Crater Lake.

https://is.gd/JAP9OT

All of that area is very interesting! I am biased, but the Pacific Northwest is basically interesting everywhere...but of course, some train stops are closer to the interesting part than others.
Another interesting place to consider staying is the Oregon Garden Resort, which is a boutique hotel in Silverton.
https://www.oregongardenresort.com/And I am looking at prices, and for weekdays, they can be around $120---a boutique hotel at motel prices. That is also only an hour bus ride from Salem. So it would be possible for some travellers to get off the Cascades or Coast Starlight, take a city bus to Silverton, spend the night there for 120 dollars, see the garden and Silverton, and then continue on their way the next day.
A lot of it has to do with our philosophical view of travel---I believe, as the Rolling Stones say "You can't always get what you want, but you will get what you need". Having a "perfect" vacation to me is less fun than having to work with what I have. Sometimes a place being more accessible through transit will let us see something we wouldn't see if we were trying to see the "ideal" destination.

 

[tgstubbs1]

Another possibility for another Oregon excursion, taking the Starlight to Klamath Falls and then a trip on the Crater Lake Trolley for a visit to Crater Lake.

I've always wanted to visit Crater Lake via the CS, but I was thinking of stopping at Chemult, which is a bit closer. Of course, if the Trolley can take you from Klamath that would be better, but the web site directs people to a spot near the Crater Lake Park visitor center.

I visited Crater Lake once when I was a kid, via station wagon with my parents. Unfortunately several million mosquitoes had taken over the entire area and it was impossible for us to picnic there.
We drove all the way around it. It has some of the bluest waters and is one of the deeper lakes because of its volcanic origin.

The Coast Starlight gets you very close, I wonder if there is a shuttle that connects.

 

[Matthew H Fish]

We drove all the way around it. It has some of the bluest waters and is one of the deeper lakes because of its volcanic origin.

The Coast Starlight gets you very close, I wonder if there is a shuttle that connects.

This is one of those things where I think the answer is different for everyone. In July, I had a disappointing experience visiting Glacier National Park. The scenery was spectacular, but it was crowded and some parts of it were quite stressful. But obviously, a place like Crater Lake is a unique place of natural beauty, and for some people, it might be a lifetime goal to see it, in which case, the expense and difficulty of getting there is worth it. But in other cases, it is really expensive, and also every tourist contributes to a natural wonder getting polluted/crowded.
There is a phrase among younger people---"FOMO", "Fear of Missing Out", and a lot of the national parks seem to attract people for that reason, that it is a "place you just gotta see". And I am not denying that I would like to see it, but a lot of the attraction is just that it has a name. There are lots of other places through the Pacific Northwest that would probably be just as enjoyable. For example, the McKenzie River canyon east of Eugene, while it might not be quite as spectacular, is a lot easier and cheaper to access.

 

[Northwestern]

I've always wanted to visit Crater Lake via the CS, but I was thinking of stopping at Chemult, which is a bit closer. Of course, if the Trolley can take you from Klamath that would be better, but the web site directs people to a spot near the Crater Lake Park visitor center.

I visited Crater Lake once when I was a kid, via station wagon with my parents. Unfortunately several million mosquitoes had taken over the entire area and it was impossible for us to picnic there.
We drove all the way around it. It has some of the bluest waters and is one of the deeper lakes because of its volcanic origin.

The Coast Starlight gets you very close, I wonder if there is a shuttle that connects.

The

I've always wanted to visit Crater Lake via the CS, but I was thinking of stopping at Chemult, which is a bit closer. Of course, if the Trolley can take you from Klamath that would be better, but the web site directs people to a spot near the Crater Lake Park visitor center.

I visited Crater Lake once when I was a kid, via station wagon with my parents. Unfortunately several million mosquitoes had taken over the entire area and it was impossible for us to picnic there.
We drove all the way around it. It has some of the bluest waters and is one of the deeper lakes because of its volcanic origin.

The Coast Starlight gets you very close, I wonder if there is a shuttle that connects.

The Crater Lake Trolley used to provide a shuttle from Klamath Falls to Crater Lake, however I think they no longer do so. I also tried to see if there is a regular bus between Klamath and Crater Lake. I could not find any good info. I guess the only reasonable solution would be to rent a car in Klamath. It's about a 1.5 hr. drive to Crater Lake.

 

[Willbridge]

This is one of those things where I think the answer is different for everyone. In July, I had a disappointing experience visiting Glacier National Park. The scenery was spectacular, but it was crowded and some parts of it were quite stressful. But obviously, a place like Crater Lake is a unique place of natural beauty, and for some people, it might be a lifetime goal to see it, in which case, the expense and difficulty of getting there is worth it. But in other cases, it is really expensive, and also every tourist contributes to a natural wonder getting polluted/crowded.
There is a phrase among younger people---"FOMO", "Fear of Missing Out", and a lot of the national parks seem to attract people for that reason, that it is a "place you just gotta see". And I am not denying that I would like to see it, but a lot of the attraction is just that it has a name. There are lots of other places through the Pacific Northwest that would probably be just as enjoyable. For example, the McKenzie River canyon east of Eugene, while it might not be quite as spectacular, is a lot easier and cheaper to access.

The McKenzie tourism seems to mostly be Eugene-Springfield and University people. I enjoyed a visit in 2008. Lots of spots to enjoy the river.

 

[Reay]

I moved to Eugene a couple of years ago, and have to concur, that Oregon has a lot to offer folks that relish travelling the slow “Lane" so to speak. A few weeks back, I took my oldest grandson on a weekend road trip to the Redwoods both in the Jed Smith Park outside Crescent City, CA, and one of the rarer Redwood sites in Oregon. We did not feel rushed, and on the way down had a lovely drive on the Lorane Hwy, ending up in Drain before heading down the Umqua toward the coast and then down the 101. My grandson did a lot of the driving, and am confident he made a lot of memories there that he will cherish after I turn silent. I was impressed with his confidence of youth, as he declined my offer to drive the car over that tall bridge to North Bend and through Coos Bay. Always marvel at just how spectacular the Southern Oregon coast is.

 

[Willbridge]

Yep! Some of these are things I've done myself, although often, I used a combination of Flixbus and Greyhound to get to some of them. From where I am (Corvallis), that is often my best way to get places. For example, earlier this month, I went to Hood River---but took Flixbus to and from Portland to get there. For someone living in a city where Amtrak stops directly, it would be an easier trip for me to take.

For a longer side-trip, Greyhound stops at King Street Station twice a day to Port Angeles
11 stops - includes a trip on the Edmonds<>Kingston ferry. This is an Amtrak Thruway service.

From King Street Station it climbs the hill to pick up at the regional hospitals, then heads to the ferry.

Seattle Harborview Medical Center
0 minsBreak duration: 0 mins

Seattle Arnold Med
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Seattle Swedish First Hill
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Seattle Poly Clinic
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Seattle Virgina Mason Hospital
0 minsBreak duration: 0 mins

Edmonds Ferry Terminal
20 minsBreak duration: 20 mins

Kingston Ferry
0 minsBreak duration: 0 mins

Kingston (Henery Hardware)
0 minsBreak duration: 0 mins

Port Townsend (4 Corners Park & Ride)
0 minsBreak duration: 0 mins

Discovery Bay
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Sequim (Jcpennys @ 7Th Ave)
0 minsBreak duration: 0 mins

Port Angeles (Clallam Transit Gateway)
Operated by Greyhound Lines

On the way to Kingston...

 

[Matthew H Fish]

For a longer side-trip, Greyhound stops at King Street Station twice a day to Port Angeles
11 stops - includes a trip on the Edmonds<>Kingston ferry. This is an Amtrak Thruway service.

It is also possible to get "local" service to Port Angeles---I went as far as Port Townsend by taking a ferry, a local bus to Indianola, and then a local bus to Port Townsend. It was a long trip, though! I don't know why I did it that way, at the time I might not have known there was a single trip, or maybe it didn't work with my schedule.
It is possible to also go from Port Townsend to Whidbey Island and then back to the mainland at Mount Vernon---although I don't know how realistic it is.

 

[Willbridge]

Computers are so clever -- I was reading Matthew's comment and had looked above to see if I had missed something, Just saw the Edmonds-Kingston ferry photo, and then as if by magic, a Cunard Lines ad appeared.

 

[MARC Rider]

Computers are so clever -- I was reading Matthew's comment and had looked above to see if I had missed something, Just saw the Edmonds-Kingston ferry photo, and then as if by magic, a Cunard Lines ad appeared.

Wow, does that mean they're offering rides across Puget Sound on the Queen Mary 2?

 

[Matthew H Fish]

Wow, does that mean they're offering rides across Puget Sound on the Queen Mary 2?

One thing I didn't mention is that the Alaska Ferry Terminal is located in Bellingham, right next to the Amtrak station. So it is not exactly the Queen Mary, but you can take a "cruise" of a sort out of Bellingham.

 

[BCL]

One thing I didn't mention is that the Alaska Ferry Terminal is located in Bellingham, right next to the Amtrak station. So it is not exactly the Queen Mary, but you can take a "cruise" of a sort out of Bellingham.

The original Queen Mary is still in Long Beach. Disney owned it (was formerly owned by the former owner of the Disneyland Hotel among other properties) for a time, along with the Spruce Goose, although Disney got out of those two decades ago. I think the Spruce Goose is in Oregon now, and the RMS Queen Mary had maintenance issues before it was restored recently. But it's possible to get there from the Coast Starlight using public transportation.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Los...2m2!1d-118.1903235!2d33.7526356!3e3?entry=ttu

 

[Matthew H Fish]

The original Queen Mary is still in Long Beach. Disney owned it (was formerly owned by the former owner of the Disneyland Hotel among other properties) for a time, along with the Spruce Goose, although Disney got out of those two decades ago. I think the Spruce Goose is in Oregon now, and the RMS Queen Mary had maintenance issues before it was restored recently. But it's possible to get there from the Coast Starlight using public transportation.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Los...2m2!1d-118.1903235!2d33.7526356!3e3?entry=ttu

The Spruce Goose was in McMinnville---which is another place that is transit accessible off of the Amtrak Cascades! Although, once again, not a place that is easily accessible, right now.

 

[BCL]

The Spruce Goose was in McMinnville---which is another place that is transit accessible off of the Amtrak Cascades! Although, once again, not a place that is easily accessible, right now.

Yeah - I wasn't quite sure where it was. And the original topic mentions the Coast Starlight where I guess it's implied that it's about the same route from Seattle to Portland.

The only time I've taken the Coast Starlight from Seattle, I was in the dining car having lunch at a table with a couple of people who were getting off in Portland. One said he was delivering a car and that was his way home. But I was thinking he could have done that on the Cascades.

 

[Matthew H Fish]

Yeah - I wasn't quite sure where it was. And the original topic mentions the Coast Starlight where I guess it's implied that it's about the same route from Seattle to Portland.

The only time I've taken the Coast Starlight from Seattle, I was in the dining car having lunch at a table with a couple of people who were getting off in Portland. One said he was delivering a car and that was his way home. But I was thinking he could have done that on the Cascades.

The Coast Starlight and the Cascades have the same route from Seattle to Eugene, but slightly different stops---the Amtrak Cascades stops in Tukwila, near Seattle, and Oregon City, near Portland. The Amtrak Cascades also continues north of Seattle.
A lot of times I will use the Coast Starlight just like the Amtrak Cascades. There are a few differences, though. In Oregon, the Amtrak Cascades used fixed pricing, so it is always the same cost between Portland and Eugene. The Coast Starlight varies based on demand---sometimes by quite a bit. After all, if someone wants to go from Portland to Los Angeles on an almost full train, and someone buys a ticket from Portland to Salem in that last seat, that precludes someone taking a longer trip. (For example, for a trip this Friday, from Portland to Salem, it is $12 on the Cascades, and $31 on the Coast Starlight). I also think there is some differences in how people can use bicycles.

 

[BCL]

The Coast Starlight and the Cascades have the same route from Seattle to Eugene, but slightly different stops---the Amtrak Cascades stops in Tukwila, near Seattle, and Oregon City, near Portland. The Amtrak Cascades also continues north of Seattle.
A lot of times I will use the Coast Starlight just like the Amtrak Cascades. There are a few differences, though. In Oregon, the Amtrak Cascades used fixed pricing, so it is always the same cost between Portland and Eugene. The Coast Starlight varies based on demand---sometimes by quite a bit. After all, if someone wants to go from Portland to Los Angeles on an almost full train, and someone buys a ticket from Portland to Salem in that last seat, that precludes someone taking a longer trip. (For example, for a trip this Friday, from Portland to Salem, it is $12 on the Cascades, and $31 on the Coast Starlight. I also think there is some differences in how people can use bicycles.

The thing I'm thinking of regarding pricing is what I rode the most often, which was Capitol Corridor. And it could get really odd too with the pricing. I remember when I booked a Coast Starlight trip from Richmond (since discontinued as a CS stop) or Emeryville to San Jose with my kid, and adult fare was maybe $12. Capitol Corridor was a fixed $20 fare, although sometimes with discounts. But nothing that low unless it was a 50% off special.

The other odd thing was the California Rail Pass. I never bought it, but I remember sitting next to someone who commuted to the GAC station (worked in food prep at Levi's Stadium) and was looking to save money on transportation. It included a bunch of restrictions that tried to keep it from being used by commuters, including how many bookings for the same exact route. And it required live tickets that couldn't be replaced if lost, even as Amtrak moved to primarily eTickets other than multi-ride. She figured it could be cheaper than 10-rides, which she was using at the time. It did include the Coast Starlight within California. However, I'm thinking that there might be limitations on reservations.

Apparently that's still being used and possibly one of the last categories of "hard tickets" issued by Amtrak.

https://www.amtrak.com/california-rail-pass