Possible trip on the Amtrak Cascades

[Northwestern]

I have very much enjoyed previous trips on the Cascade trains, in business class. One of these summers, I thought it might be fun to take a Cascade train all the way, northbound, from Eugene, OR to Vancouver, BC (#500). Then spend a day or two in Vancouver before taking the train (#507) southbound back to Eugene.
Here is the Cascade schedule back when the Cascades were running from Seattle to Vancouver, BC:
I am hoping that run will return before too long.

https://is.gd/v09s5T

It would be business class all the way. Although I really have enjoyed business class on the Cascades, it represents kind of a long train trip (about 9 hours). I was thinking of breaking up the journey by a stopover somewhere south of Seattle and before Portland. The possibilities are:

Tukwila, Tacoma, Olympia, Centralia, and Kelso-Longview. What would be your recommendation for restaurants, lodging, and things to do in those towns (something exciting to do in Tukwila?) Centralia used to be where you could catch the Chehalis-Centralia tourist train, but it's no longer running

Thanks for your input.

 

[niemi24s]

Why not see what Trip Advisor shows for things to do, etc., in those places? Tripadvisor: Over a billion reviews & contributions for Hotels, Attractions, Restaurants, and more

 

[GAT]

I was in Seattle on the May day in 1980 that Mt. St. Helens blew, and we watched the ascending ash plume from Queen Anne Hill. I’ve always wanted to see the Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. Kelso-Longview is the closest Amtrak stop. According to Google Maps, it’s about a 90 minute drive from there. You’ll see lots of accommodation and other options if you Google “Kelso-Longview to Mt. St. Helens.”

If that interests you, you’d have to determine if the Cascades’ schedule is such that you can have lots of daylight time for a 24-hour layover in Kelso-Washington. And there’s also Coast Starlight business class as a possible alternative for part of your journey.

 

[Trogdor]

I have very much enjoyed previous trips on the Cascade trains, in business class. One of these summers, I thought it might be fun to take a Cascade train all the way, northbound, from Eugene, OR to Vancouver, BC (#500). Then spend a day or two in Vancouver before taking the train (#507) southbound back to Eugene.
Here is the Cascade schedule back when the Cascades were running from Seattle to Vancouver, BC:
I am hoping that run will return before too long.

https://is.gd/v09s5T

It would be business class all the way. Although I really have enjoyed business class on the Cascades, it represents kind of a long train trip (about 9 hours). I was thinking of breaking up the journey by a stopover somewhere south of Seattle and before Portland. The possibilities are:

Tukwila, Tacoma, Olympia, Centralia, and Kelso-Longview. What would be your recommendation for restaurants, lodging, and things to do in those towns (something exciting to do in Tukwila?) Centralia used to be where you could catch the Chehalis-Centralia tourist train, but it's no longer running

Thanks for your input.

It should be noted that there are no (and, at least in the past couple of decades or so of Cascades service, never have been) any through trains from Eugene, OR, to Vancouver, BC. Pre-COVID, there were two trains to Vancouver, BC. One was a morning departure from Seattle that turned for the evening southbound from Vancouver back to Seattle. The other was an afternoon departure from Portland that ran through Seattle and got to Vancouver at night, turning for a morning departure back to Portland.

Once the COVID situation and equipment availability are settled, that will almost certainly be the schedule again for the foreseeable future. So, if you want a train ride all the way, you would have to stop over somewhere between Portland and Seattle anyway.

 

[Northwestern]

Yes, Trogdor, thanks for mentioning. I am aware that there wasn't a through Cascade train from Seattle to Vancouver and back. Maybe someday. Looking at my 2015 hard copy booklet of Amtrak timetables, Cascade train 510 left Seattle at 7:45 AM and arrived in Vancouver at 11:45 AM. Train 513 left Vancouver at 6:30 AM and arrived in Seattle at 10:55 AM. I assume, when the Seattle-Vancouver run resumes, it would be a similar schedule. Quite a number of years ago, I took the northbound Coast Starlight all the way to Vancouver, BC.. In Seattle, you had to get off the Starlight and take what was sort of a Starlight shuttle train to Vancouver. It arrived quite late at night.

Things to do in Amtrak stops between Portland and Seattle (?) I dug up a few things:

Tukwila: The American Casino

Tacoma: Le May car museum, the old Tacoma Union train station, which is now a courthouse and the former western terminus of the Northern Pacific RR

Olympia : Farmers Market and Tumwater Falls. I wish the Olympia Brewery was still there. Olympia beer was a favorite.

Centralia: Not much there. Possibly a stay a the Great Wolf Lodge

Kelso-Longview: A drive to the Mt. Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument as mentioned by George.
The Cowlitz River for steelhead fishing. The world's first bridge for squirrels in Longview.

 

[flitcraft]

In Tacoma, I would recommend the Museum of Glass and its stunning Glass Bridge. Lots of Dale Chihuly's work, as you might expect, but lots of other, less well-known, glass artists represented, too. Also there is a large 'hot shop' with comfortable amphitheater seating where you can watch glass artists at work. It's very close to the old Union Station, which is now a federal courthouse. Last time I was there, anyone could enter during business hours, after clearing the metal detector. I still mourn its loss as Tacoma's train station--it is a beautiful building--but at least it's been well-preserved. Southbound you can see it on your right from the Cascades train.

You can also see the pastel blue Tacoma Dome from the train--it is said to be the largest wood-frame dome in the world. Maybe not the most impressive of sights, and definitely not worth hoofing it to see it up close, but, hey, it used to be in the Guinness Book of Records, before they pruned out a lot of categories!

 

[Northwestern]

I can remember seeing the blue Tacoma Dome from the Starlight. My sister visited the Museum of Glass, a few years ago, and she said it was a worthwhlle visit and interesting.

I was hoping that Amtrak would renovate the old Tacoma Union Station and continue to use it as their Tacoma station. Such a beautiful structure. Amtrak's new station at Freighthouse Square, to me, looks like a Safeway supermarket. I would really like to visit the Le May car museum, which has the largest collection of privately owned automobiles in the world.

Old Tacoma Union Station:

 

[Bob Dylan]

I can remember seeing the blue Tacoma Dome from the Starlight. My sister visited the Museum of Glass, a few years ago, and she said it was a worthwhlle visit and interesting.

I was hoping that Amtrak would renovate the old Tacoma Union Station and continue to use it as their Tacoma station. Such a beautiful structure. Amtrak's new station at Freighthouse Square, to me, looks like a Safeway supermarket. I would really like to visit the Le May car museum, which has the largest collection of privately owned automobiles in the world.

Old Tacoma Union Station:

It's not happening, it's now a Federal Courthouse!

 

[Yumacool]

Across the street from the train depot in Centralia is the McMenamin's Olympic Club hotel/bar/restaurant which is a nice place to linger for a meal, have a cool beer or stay overnight. It's a historic building that has been renovated and is a nice place. I stayed there twice. McMenamin's owns and operates a number of historic properties in the Pacific Northwest and this is one. It's just a short walk from trainside.

 

[Willbridge]

The Coast Starlight connecting train for Vancouver, BC was the Pacific International. It started out as a good idea but was hurt by schedule adjustments and delays on the Starlight, by speed restrictions adopted in the period when service had been discontinued, and 15 extra minutes to wye the train in one direction to save paying for a switch engine to do that.

On one trip we enjoyed ice cream soup for dessert because the freezer in former SP&S diner 'Columbia' was not working well. The train arrived after the official closing time for the station, so CN police hustled us out into the rain and locked the doors behind us. A taxi arrived for the crew and left, the driver claiming that more cabs were coming. We finally went through the rain out to Main Street and flagged a cab.

Things were much better with the Cascades. What was missing was midday trips in each direction, which would allow for a through Eugene<>Vancouver, BC train.

Taking advantage of the run-through that does exist, a friend and I enjoyed the glass museum in Tacoma. It has broad appeal and I recommend it.