Westbound Empire Builder Attractions

[AC4400]

My wife and I booked a roomette on a westbound empire builder from Chicago to Seattle during Christmas. It's our first time traveling on this route.

Is there any attractions along the route?

 

[Rail Freak]

My wife and I booked a roomette on a westbound empire builder from Chicago to Seattle during Christmas. It's our first time traveling on this route.

Is there any attractions along the route?

Yep, the whole trip is a great attraction for me. The ride thru Glacier & then thru the Cascade Mtn.s is awesome!!!

Have Fun

 

[saxman]

It is going to be dark for some of the good stuff. As long as your on time you'll hit Glacier National Park right before sundown. However, the next morning before you reach Seattle, you'll be crossing the Cascades which is very nice. Eastern Montana is very vast and open but I find it very interesting.

 

[abcnews]

On the Westbound trip - you may miss Glacier in daylight - if it gets dark at 4 or 4:30 PM. But if you ride the same train East (return) you will pass through there in the morning with plenty of nice, winter light. It should be beautiful in late December.

 

[AC4400]

It is going to be dark for some of the good stuff. As long as your on time you'll hit Glacier National Park right before sundown. However, the next morning before you reach Seattle, you'll be crossing the Cascades which is very nice. Eastern Montana is very vast and open but I find it very interesting.

Schedule says the arrival time to East Glacier is around 6:30pm. Hope it is earlier than the sunset time on Christmas Day ......

 

[abcnews]

Actually I would think it gets dark very early - like 4 PM or 4:30, since you are so far north, and the days are so short in late December. So you loose the light early around Glacier, but look forward to good views on the last morning - as you arrive into Portland. That should be spectacular. Not that I have been there on the train, but I have approached the airport along that same route. Nice...

We are ridding the Empire Builder for the first time on December 12th. Eastbound - out of PDX.

 

[AC4400]

Actually I would think it gets dark very early - like 4 PM or 4:30, since you are so far north, and the days are so short in late December. So you loose the light early around Glacier, but look forward to good views on the last morning - as you arrive into Portland. That should be spectacular. Not that I have been there on the train, but I have approached the airport along that same route. Nice...

We are ridding the Empire Builder for the first time on December 12th. Eastbound - out of PDX.

Thanks. But I'm heading to SEA instead of PDX. So probably I'll expect the Cascades Range.

 

[the_traveler]

The 1st portion from CHI to MSP os interesting, especially where follows the Mississippi River. The next 1 1/2 days will be flat plains. Some find it interesting, I find it boring. An interesting thing is the steam locomotive on display at the Havre, MT station (which is an extended stop)!

The western portion is interesting. Going west, Glacier Part will be in darkness, but the Cascade Crossing will be in daylight. Going eastbound, the opposite is true.

Oh, and be aware of some rough track in ND each way during the night!

 

[AC4400]

The 1st portion from CHI to MSP os interesting, especially where follows the Mississippi River.

Unfortunately, the sunset time is around 4:30pm at Mississippi River, and the earliest stop along the river for westbound train is after 5:30pm.....

The only thing I can expect is piles of snow on the flat plain, I think. By the way, is there any famous ghost towns in North Dakota?

 

[PerRock]

last time I took the EB from CHI to PDX there were some fliers kicking around that listed things to look for out the windows in particular ghost towns. They were bright colored paper with plain text on them. There is also the official route guide that you can probably obtain onboard which will list some of the attractions, in less detail. But should provide some interesting insight.

peter

 

[jimhudson]

The 1st portion from CHI to MSP os interesting, especially where follows the Mississippi River.

Unfortunately, the sunset time is around 4:30pm at Mississippi River, and the earliest stop along the river for westbound train is after 5:30pm.....

The only thing I can expect is piles of snow on the flat plain, I think. By the way, is there any famous ghost towns in North Dakota?

Arent they all Ghost Towns up there in the middle of nowhere? :giggle:

 

[mwmnp]

The only thing I can expect is piles of snow on the flat plain, I think. By the way, is there any famous ghost towns in North Dakota?

The most prominent ghost town in North Dakota (or Montana, for that matter) that you'll go through is probably "Temple," about 30 miles west of the stop at Stanley. There are numerous abandoned buildings of what used to be an ordinary small town still standing on the south side of the track. You'll know you're getting close if you can ascertain that you're going through Tioga (pronounced TIE-oga), since that's the closest town to the east. Here are a few pictures I took the last time I traveled the area by car:

http://www.flickr.co...ten/3709157349/

http://www.flickr.co...ten/3709157457/

http://www.flickr.co...ten/3709158615/

And a video from the EB - you pass through Temple within the first 45 seconds:

http://www.flickr.co...ten/4630811525/

There aren't really any other ghost towns of that size that you'll see easily from the train, but there are many dying/nearly dead towns and abandoned structures that you'll likely be able to pick out. Here are a couple of examples:

Church in what was "Lonetree," about 18 miles west of Minot (north side of tracks):

http://www.flickr.co...ten/2917685610/

Old schoolhouse, now private residence, in Denbigh, 27 miles west of Rugby (north side of tracks):

http://www.flickr.co...ten/2917684072/

 

[AC4400]

The only thing I can expect is piles of snow on the flat plain, I think. By the way, is there any famous ghost towns in North Dakota?

The most prominent ghost town in North Dakota (or Montana, for that matter) that you'll go through is probably "Temple," about 30 miles west of the stop at Stanley. There are numerous abandoned buildings of what used to be an ordinary small town still standing on the south side of the track. You'll know you're getting close if you can ascertain that you're going through Tioga (pronounced TIE-oga), since that's the closest town to the east. Here are a few pictures I took the last time I traveled the area by car:

http://www.flickr.co...ten/3709157349/

http://www.flickr.co...ten/3709157457/

http://www.flickr.co...ten/3709158615/

And a video from the EB - you pass through Temple within the first 45 seconds:

http://www.flickr.co...ten/4630811525/

There aren't really any other ghost towns of that size that you'll see easily from the train, but there are many dying/nearly dead towns and abandoned structures that you'll likely be able to pick out. Here are a couple of examples:

Church in what was "Lonetree," about 18 miles west of Minot (north side of tracks):

http://www.flickr.co...ten/2917685610/

Old schoolhouse, now private residence, in Denbigh, 27 miles west of Rugby (north side of tracks):

http://www.flickr.co...ten/2917684072/

Thanks! That's really amazing!

 

[PRR 60]

...Arent they all Ghost Towns up there in the middle of nowhere? :giggle:

I hope not. My daughter lives "up there in the middle of nowhere."

 

[Shawn Ryu]

I personally found the plains between Montana and North Dakota to be majestic.

 

[JayPea]

Part of the journey through Washington's Cascades will be in darkness, too, though you should see daylight for part of it. I traveled to Seattle once in mid-October a few years back, and the trip through the Cascades was in darkness until emerging from the Cascade Tunnel. (And to head off the smart-alecks amongst you , it was still dark before entering the tunnel, and during the trip through the tunnel, the sun had fully risen. So that it was indeed light after emerging from the tunnel ).

 

[the_traveler]

...Arent they all Ghost Towns up there in the middle of nowhere? :giggle:

I hope not. My daughter lives "up there in the middle of nowhere."

Do you see her much?

Maybe she's a "Ghost" also!

 

[the_traveler]

was in darkness until emerging from the Cascade Tunnel. (And to head off the smart-alecks amongst you , it was still dark before entering the tunnel

Take off your eye shades BEFORE entering the tunnel!

 

[PRR 60]

...Arent they all Ghost Towns up there in the middle of nowhere? :giggle:

I hope not. My daughter lives "up there in the middle of nowhere."

Do you see her much?

Maybe she's a "Ghost" also!

You have a good point. :lol:

Our daughter lives in Sidney Montana, about 40 miles southwest of Williston ND (Empire Builder stop). Williston is the big town in the area, if that gives you an idea of the size of Sidney. It is a different lifestyle out there from that in the urban east. It has its charms, but also has "challenging" winters, and lacks certain creature comforts us spoiled easterns think are essential. For example, the nearest Olive Garden is 270 miles away in Billings. That alone would be a deal-breaker for my wife. She loves the Olive Garden.

In contrast, our son lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn. He thinks southern NJ (where we live) is the sticks. In fact, he thinks everywhere other then New York City is the sticks. Two kids, same parents, totally different - except that both are great kids (unbiased dad opinion, of course).