I have to agree with your love for train travel. My initial visit out to see the lovely Mrs. Vaxhacker, in fact, was via train... woulda been even nicer with wi-fi.
Waving hello as you fly past from our Lake Chelan retreat :)
I'm headed south now, nearly to Tacoma and will be waving as I clickity-clack past. Lake Chelan sounds so ... peaceful. And ... charged with positive and negative ions.
A couple of years ago, when I had a client in New York whose offices were a couple of blocks from Penn Station, I got hooked on taking the Northeast Regional and/or Acela down from Boston to New York. It is such a pleasant way to travel. None of the stress of navigating highway traffic; and none of the anxiety over passing successive security gates in the airport. Just enter the station, buy your ticket, walk onto your carriage, sit down and read a book. Travelling the way it should be.
Now, if only the trains actually ran consistently on time ...
For some reason the "commuter" called the Cascades that runs between Seattle and Eugene (I think) runs in a very timely, almost European, manner.
I agree. You have the essence of the pleasure of the travel there in a nutshell. Add electrical outlets and business class and I'm one happy egret-watcher.
Both the Northeast Regional, which leaves from Boston and travels to DC, and the LakeShore Limited, which goes from Boston to Chicago, have no problem with leaving on time.
It's the return leg, where the trains start from Chicago or DC and are incrementally held up by cargo trains on the same routes that can bring in delays. The impression that I got is that you don't have as much rail traffic along the Cascades line because so much of the commercial cargo travels on I-5. But yeah, I've had multi-hour delays on return trips with Amtrak. It's the one smudge on an otherwise rosy picture.
I love train travel. While attending Purdue, I discovered "The Empire Builder" from Chicago to Seattle/Portland stops within 20 miles of my house in "middle of nowhere, MN" (aka Detroit Lakes). And, a train left from downtown West Lafayette to Chicago. So for my longer breaks I took the train home, and addition to the relaxing, rocking, steady rhythm of the train, I also met some amazing people, including a boxer named "The Young Joe Lewis" (I taught him card tricks), and "The Queen of the Hobos" - a train museum curator who was the reigning Queen of the Hobos. Her Hobo name was "Gypsy Moon" sp?), and yes - she had to hop a train to earn it! Other warm memories include the guys in the lounge car who would buy me drinks.
Them: Hey - why aren't you drinking? Me: Not old enough to buy. *sad face* Them: Whaddya want? I'll buy for ya!
I rode the Empire Builder as well. My high school graduation gift was a trip around the country on Amtrak. I started in Chicago, traveled west and south on ... the California Zephyr? ... and ended up in LA for time with relatives. Then I traveled north to San Francisco. More relatives. Then north to Oregon. Relatives. Then up through Seattle and home via the Empire Builder, herself.
Amazing trip. I, too, met fascinating folks. I can't top Queen of the Hobos, though. Nor did I charm alcohol. But what a great memory to have in common.
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Madame Wheeker,
I am making this same journey by train next week ! We have such the parallel of lives. I love the train!
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Someday we really ought to meet. Or perhaps we are one anothers' doppelgangers. We could bring the universe to its knees!
TPQ
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Waving hello as you fly past from our Lake Chelan retreat :)
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I'm headed south now, nearly to Tacoma and will be waving as I clickity-clack past. Lake Chelan sounds so ... peaceful. And ... charged with positive and negative ions.
TPQ
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Now, if only the trains actually ran consistently on time ...
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I agree. You have the essence of the pleasure of the travel there in a nutshell. Add electrical outlets and business class and I'm one happy egret-watcher.
TPQ
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It's the return leg, where the trains start from Chicago or DC and are incrementally held up by cargo trains on the same routes that can bring in delays. The impression that I got is that you don't have as much rail traffic along the Cascades line because so much of the commercial cargo travels on I-5. But yeah, I've had multi-hour delays on return trips with Amtrak. It's the one smudge on an otherwise rosy picture.
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1) Thank you for that. It's making the people sitting around me wonder what's causing this slow smile on my face as I type.
2) Right. Back. At. You, VT.
TPQ
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Them: Hey - why aren't you drinking?
Me: Not old enough to buy. *sad face*
Them: Whaddya want? I'll buy for ya!
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Amazing trip. I, too, met fascinating folks. I can't top Queen of the Hobos, though. Nor did I charm alcohol. But what a great memory to have in common.
Hope the packing is going smoothly.
TPQ
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Have you had a chance to ride the Yukon White Pass Railroad in Skagway, AK? That's still on my list of things to do.
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