The final leg

It's been great following the Columbia River and enjoying the scenery but I am starting to anticipate our final destination, reuniting with Susan, and touring the city of Portland.
The last stop before Portland is Vancouver, WA, a nice looking town with a station located in a wye track arrangement. I see another train at the station but can't identify it. There is an Amtrak locomotive but the passenger cars have a maroon stripe and the word Cascades on them. I'll see if some online research will reveal the answer.

We leave Vancouver but are almost immediately delayed at a lift bridge that has risen to allow a tug boat to pass under. Forty minutes later we are in Portland! We pass through a yard and I can see the tower for the Portland station coming up. Bill is asking passengers if they need assistance with any luggage. He's provided us with terrific service over the two days and, like me, most passengers tip him as we disembark. Farewell Empire Builder! It was a great ride!

Portland station is busy as a freight rolls through on another track. The station's cavernous interior is nicely maintained and reminds me of the glamor of rail travel from an earlier time.
It's easy to find the baggage department (there are neon signs that say "Baggage"!) and my suitcase is one of the first placed on the counter. For all of the signs and information on my baggage claim tag about needing my ID to claim my bag the department is very casual and I simply take my suitcase and go.

Now that the journey is completed I'm feeling a bit tired from lack of sleep that first night but otherwise feel I've had a wonderful time. I would definitely do it again!!

Washington and the Columbia River Gorge

I woke up Saturday morning around 7 AM and looked out the window expecting to see classic lush Pacific Northwest fir tree scenery . Instead I saw a dessert landscape! Bill said we were near Pasco. Last night one of my dinner companions said he was from Pasco and commented that the Cascade Mountain Range blocked a lot of rain to his area and created a much different climate than in other parts of Washington. He wasn't kidding! According to the Amtrak guide Pasco is the last town on the navigable part of the Columbia river.

Between Pasco and Wishram taller buttes rise up in front of lakes and ponds. Its getting beautiful!

The scenery gradually became more green. I notice through the roomette window across from me that we are following the Columbia River. The left side of the Empire Builder definitely has the best view for this part of the trip.

I took my camera and headed downstairs to the window in the entry door.

That's Oregon on the other side of the river. The farther we went the more verdant the hills became until they were covered by the evergreens I'd expected.

I didn't want to leave the window but I was getting hungry. I had been told that the dining car would no longer with us after Spokane because it would become part of the Seattle bound train. I'm surprised that I slept through the the separation of the Empire Builder in Spokane. I figured the uncoupling and reassembling would stir me with the noise and motion. Actually I was kind of looking forward to it even though it would occur at about 2:30 AM!

Sleeper car passengers on the Portland section are entitled to a free packaged meal from the observation car's snack bar downstairs.
We were supposed to show the snack bar attendant our roomette number card that was given to us when we had our tickets checked. When I talked to the snack car lady she simply asked who sent me. I replied "Bill sent me" and she laughed and said that was the right answer. Ours was the only sleeper on the Portland segment of the train so Bill was the only one who would have told passengers to see the snack bar lady.

Breakfast consisted of a ham and cheese croissant sandwich, some yogurt, a sweet pastry/bread of some sort, and some fruit. I also hit Bill's coffee urn a couple of times.

The scenery became more and more spectacular. We passed through several short tunnels to make it even more interesting.

One of the photos shows a rock outcropping that is part of one of the upcoming tunnels. Now I wish I'd thought to stand at the back of the sleeper to get a photo of a tunnel from the rear door window.

Once in a while I caught a glimpse of the peak of Mt. Hood, Oregon's highest mountain. I was determined to get a photo of it from the train but was frustrated several times by a passing tree obscuring the view, or a curve in our route or higher hill across the river making the mountain less visible. Then ...there it was! I took the lucky shot...my favorite of the trip!

Montana Part 3

After Havre the land becomes flat again and stays that way for some time. Then, in the distance, an oddly isolated small set of significant looking mountains pops up on the horizon. Bill walks by and tells me I'm looking at the Sweetgrass Hills on the Canadian Border twenty five miles away.

During dinner, sometime after 7 PM we reach Cutbank where we first see the Rockies. By 8:30 we are in Browning, MT which according to the Amtrak guide is the site of the largest Native American pow wow in North America and home of the Blackfeet Nation. There is an enormous conical saw dust burner there but I have trouble getting a good picture of this unusual structure.

Since the train is about three hours behind schedule it will be dark soon and I'll miss a lot of the scenery of Glacier Park. I take a few pictures of the approaching mountains through my window but miss the more dramatic photo ops later.

The last picture is Glacier Park Inn.

After that the sun hid behind the mountains and I figured photos wouldn't turn out well. There was enough light for me to appreciate the beauty of tall fir covered slopes and rocky peaks with snow caps.

The ride was thrilling at times when rock walls and outcroppings seemed very close to the tracks as we zipped by.

The train follows the so called "Mystery route" passage through the Rockies sought by Lewis and Clark and later established by John Stevens for the Great Northern. We cross the Continental Divide at the lowest point between Mexico and Canada.

At 9:40 we pass on the outside of a former tunnel. The tracks were rerouted around the outer edge of it. As we go by I can see into the portals that have been partially filled. Even though its getting dark Glacier Park is still beautiful as clusters of black silhouette trees and a silver ribbon river illuminated by a half moon.

At least three trains rip by us in the other direction as we travel through Glacier Park. They are on the opposite side of the train so I don't see them coming. One catches my attention because of repeated high pitched whistles that sound much like bottle rockets that shoot in the air but fail to explode. I look out a window on the left side of the Empire Builder and see the dark shapes of a container train. Our combined speeds must make the cars pass each other at well over a 100 miles an hour. I'm not sure what about the container cars create that whistle but its beautifully eerie at night.

Eventually I can no longer see anything outside so I try to sleep but leave the window curtain open. I doze but wake up to a different sound. We have entered Flathead Tunnel which, at some seven miles long, is the third longest tunnel in North America. I can make out the tunnel wall and every 20 seconds or so a light flashes by. Then, suddenly, we are out and seem to be racing faster then we have anytime before. I feel a little nervous about this speed, perhaps because of my fatigue, but it seems the car is rocking more and feeling every bump of track switches than anytime on the trip. Its unsettling. Looking out the glass while lying down I notice the stars of the Big Dipper perfectly framed in my window. I find this comforting, renew my trust in the train, and fall asleep.

How do you pronounce Havre?

Havre is a service stop (and smoke stop) for the Empire Builder.
A note regarding timing here:
We rolled into town during the early reserved dinner times. The guy in charge of the dining car warned people over the intercom that if they had a reservation at this time but went out to smoke instead of showing up to be seated they would lose their reservation. He ran a tight ship!

Those of us having later reservations and not needing to respond to the dining car Sargent were able to step out to stretch our legs for about 20 minutes. The must-see item at Havre's station is a Great Northern S-2 steam locomotive on display near the platform. I took the obligatory shot above partly because my friend Jim told me about seeing it earlier this year when he took the Empire Builder part of the way. His story prompted me to look for it when we arrived in Havre.

By the way Havre is pronounced "Have-er" and supposedly got its name from a local love triangle involving early residents of the area. According to a plaque at the station one of two men competing for the affections of the same woman decide to quit and told his opponent that he could "have her". It's a good story. :)

Montana Part 2

Between Malta and Havre, MT the landscape changes again. Some stretches are very attractive with neat cattle ranches or untouched rolling hills of green. Some of these hills have scattered deteriorating houses with junk littered all around them. Everything sticks out...shacks, barrels, tires, broken farm machinery, rusting tanks...you can see the clutter a mile away because nothing hides it. Rusted cars are common but some junk piles even include a helicopter and a small plane body along with that old Chevy.

Fortunately the closer we get to Havre the more natural beauty predominates as we follow the Milk River. The Bear Paw Mountains are in the distance. It was in these mountains, the Amtrak guide reminds me, that Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce tribe surrendered to the army and uttered the famous line, "From where the sun now stands I will fight now more forever".

It was also near this area in 1901 that Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid, and Kid Curry robbed the Great Northern Oriental Limited and blew up an express car to steal $68, 000!

Oh! Almost forgot! The Eastbound Empire Builder whips past on my side of the train!

Entering the yard at Havre I see large locomotive and industrial facilities but can't seem to get a good shot. I do take photos of a Blue and Yellow BNSF locomotive and a caboose in BN green.

Montana , Part 1

I forgot to mention that Amtrak provides a magazine in its sleeper car rooms that includes a description of the various station stops and other points of interest along the route. I was intrigued to learn that the last part of North Dakota between Williston ND and Wolf Point, Montana was an area noted by Lewis and Clark and known to Sitting Bull. That, at least, provided some flavor to otherwise boring landscape. It was also around this area that I first saw some small buttes and hills, desert like and wild westy.


This was more like it! I put down my book and started paying attention to my window again. Some of these hills grew larger but eventually the plains became flat again for a while.

I also enjoy a little railroad excitement as the Empire Builder stops at a siding and waits for a hot grain train to pass in the opposite direction. My room was on the right side of the train so other tracks and train movements tended to be on the opposite side. Sometimes I'd leave my room and go downstairs to look out the entry door window if it was likely I'd see other trains or railroad facilities.

The grain train was fast and a bit of a thrill as my window was only a few feet away from the
racing train. I'd hoped to capture a photo of the lead locomotive but it came out as a blur. In my roomette I was at just the right height to be able to (very briefly) see into the locomotive cab as it roared by. Railroad fans may wish to remember to spend time on the left side of the train to see more action like this.

The observation car with its domed windows would be an ideal location for viewing trains and scenery but I found the seats there were always taken and seemed to be permanently commandeered by the same people. I had a couple of meals on the left side of the train and had good views during those times so that's an opportunity to get a different perspective.

North Dakota

I didn't take any photos of North Dakota scenery through my window. Let's face it....its not all that interesting. For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of touring the State it is mostly flat plains that never seem to end. The family from Kentucky I joined for breakfast were headed to Glacier Park, the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. They looked at North Dakota's boring landscape with dismay. Low hanging rolling thunderclouds helped break up the monotony for a while but it cleared up later and became brightly sunny. I have to say though it was very green country after a lot of rain this season.

Highlights of the passage through North Dakota:

1. The train stops at Rugby, ND, the geographic epicenter of North America. No kidding. Apparently there is a plaque somewhere in town noting this remarkable distinction.

2. The train stopped after passing a detector that reported we were dragging something. I overheard some talk about a deer carcass being found behind the second unit (locomotive) and the baggage car. This stop took some time and contributed to our now being three hours behind schedule. I saw live deer in the fields and wished them safe passage over the tracks and hoped they'd avoid the fate of their comrade.

3. Approaching Minot, ND we pass a town that reminds me of a model railroad with all kinds of industries right next to each other by the tracks. It had stock yard pens, oil tanks, a lumber company, and a grain elevator, all in close proximity; a switching railroad dream plan in real life.

4. Minot. This is a service stop where we are permitted to get off the train for about 20 minutes. I learn that these stops are "smoking breaks" since no smoking is allowed on the train. Amtrak recognizes some passengers will want to take such breaks and arranged the schedule to allow at least a few along the way. Some of my fellow passengers express obvious relief when these stops are announced. :)

5. I observe small communities that may make great Witness Relocation Program options. :)

6. I feel very comfortable taking time to read the book I brought with me and also take a little nap without fear of missing much outside.

7. We start seeing oil rigs right near the tracks. Apparently a a big oil discovery was made in this region in the 1950s.

Next: We enter Montana and I start taking more photos.

A social occasion

Riding a train is like camping, it relaxes social barriers and makes everyone more friendly. Even a natural introvert like me becomes chatty with complete strangers. I think its because we are in a small space together and share a common experience. Moving through the train you encounter several people and must exchange excuse me's and thankyou's along the way. The train's rocking and occasional lurching sometimes causes us to bump into each other making us laugh.

Unless you board as a party of four you are going to be seated with other strangers at the four person tables in the dining car. Everyone I sat with was friendly and easy to talk to. It isn't hard to start conversations about train travel, destinations, etc.

I was seated with a family of three from Kentucky at breakfast Friday. Mom and Dad talked about their travel plans while their son (a third grader) asked some very direct questions in an interview style. :)

I met educators from Virginia (I think) and a Montana farmer at lunch, and at dinner two women traveling 10 days by train in a circle route across the country as a 50th birthday adventure for one of them.

All of these encounters made for pleasurable dining.

The food onboard is pretty good! I had French toast and sausage patties for breakfast, a delicious chicken salad for lunch with a decadent chocolate raspberry torte for dessert, and the flat iron steak with wine for dinner.

One side note about the dining car. The staff there work very hard, but as I learned from the Amtrak discussion forum (link provided below) not everyone thinks to tip them. I agree with the recommendations of some of the posters on that forum that dining car staff should be tipped 15-20% just as if you were eating in a restaurant. They earn it!

It's 5AM...Where are we?

I slept soundly for three hours and then at 5:01 (according to my travel clock) I woke up to the sound of a muffled voice calling out, "Sleeper for Portland!". Looking out the window I saw a couple of passengers pulling wheeled luggage toward the car. I thought about taking a photo of every stop but didn't due to sleeping through some and being on the wrong side of the train for others. I eventually took a station shot at Devil's Lake.

The train moves forward a little and then stops with my window directly in the middle of of what must be the town's main street. I see people in a truck waiting for the crossing guard to raise, looking right at me. I wave but they might not see me through the tinted windows.

I must have nodded off again because I wake up and find myself in the large Dilworth freight yard near Moorehead MN. There is a lot of rail action here and a good look at locomotive facilities.
I try to take pictures of railroad points of interest. Some come out but others are blurry because of the train's speed or my inability to stabilize the camera as the car rocks.
I stay awake long enough to see us through Moorehead and across the river into Fargo and then apparently nod off again. I awake to the sounds of Bill making coffee. It's about 6:30 and I'm ready to get up.

The shower is busy so I do a "camper's bath' in the very small utilitarian bathroom (think: Phone booth) and come out feeling more alive.
When I return to my room I see Bill has efficiently converted my bedroom into a sitting room again.

He has also made provided everything needed for coffee. The urn is just to the left of my roomette so I see and hear a lot of my fellow passengers going by to get a morning pick-me-up. The coffee isn't Starbucks but it was very welcome.

While I was sipping a cup in my roomette I overheard a woman talking to some one else about how much she needed that first cup of "joe". I leaned out of my door and pretended to derisively call out, "hopeless addicts!" and then saluted her with my cup, making her laugh.

All Aboard! Shhhhhhhh.....

After the train arrived our car attendants from the sleepers came into the waiting room to guide us to our cars. They called out things like, "Are there any 730's?" Most of us looked at each other not knowing what this meant but four guys who were veteran Amtrak travelers explained that they were referring to the car number printed on our tickets.

The attendant for my car was Bill, a great guy with a sense of humor. Those of us in Bill's car had to walk a long way along the platform because our car was at the very end of the train. The Empire Builder divides into two trains in Spokane with one section going to Seattle and the other to Portland. Our car was the last one on the train as the only sleeper going to Portland.

When we reached the doorway Bill called out rapid fire directions to our roomettes. Despite the late hour I was able to follow his, "take a left, take a right up the stairs, take a right, take a right to roomette 2" directions. The only thing that made it difficult was the car was completely powered down and in the dark. I was only able to see the #2 on the outside of my roomette because of the glow of the platform lights. Those of us boarding and groping for light switches commented to each other about the power outage when Bill came upstairs and explained that the power would be on soon. His whispered comments reminded us that other passengers who boarded earlier might be sleeping. We stood outside of our roomettes in the hallway because it was so dark. I remember wishing I had followed the advice on that Amtrak discussion forum and brought along a flashlight.

Bill visited each of us separately to talk about the amenities of the room, the location of the bathrooms and showers, the times the dining car operated, events onboard, and most importantly for me, the location of the coffee urn that he would have ready first thing in the morning! I would be very grateful for the handy coffee the next two mornings. It was a center of activity and socializing as most of us started the day at Bill's coffee urn. Some of the comments I'd read on that Amtrak discussion forum I mentioned earlier mentioned that not all car attendants were as reliable in making coffee and supplying cream and sugar. Bill was always on top of it for us.

After Bill left to talk to other passengers I fumbled around in the roomette finally smart enough to feel for the window curtains so I could pull them open. This, of course, allowed plenty of platform light into the roomette so I could now see the space that would be my home for the next two days. The bed had been prepared so I crawled onto it and sat with my legs stretched out. Even though we were still at the station I already felt lots of anticipatory excitement about the journey.

St. Paul is a maintenance stop for the Empire Builder so we sat for some time. Eventually the power surged and my roomette's lights came on along with the air conditioning. I quickly acclimated myself to the light switches and set them to a pleasing low light. I set up my camera to take a photo of myself in the roomette (above). After stowing my back pack and acquainting myself with the rest of the roomette's features I turned of the light so I could enjoy the night time scenery.

I was surprised by how gently and silently we got underway. There was a slight nudge and the train freely rolled out of the station. As we moved slowly through St. Paul toward Minneapolis I enjoyed getting a rail view of familiar sites such as the container yard in the Midway area, the bridge over I-35, Northtown yard, the back of the Home Depot I shop at...

Eventually we crossed over a highway I recognized as I-694 and I had to laugh because, at 1:10 AM, I was now only three miles away from my house...that I left at 7:00! We continue to move through town and I recognize Coon Rapids and the junction where the line branches toward Duluth and Superior WI. We pick up speed and I enjoy hearing the soft sound of the lead unit's horn blowing warnings for crossings.

This photo was taken much later in the trip but it represents the innumerable times I found myself on the more fun side of a railroad crossing! It's much better to be rolling through a crossing while cars wait than to be in the car wistfully wishing to be on the train. At night the red flashing lights were bright and festive. I loved the classic Doppler effect sound of the bells at crossings
(Ding Ding Ding Diinng Diiinnnng Diiiinnnnng).


The train continued north of the Twin Cities until we left clusters of industries and homes behind for longer stretches of darkness. A thunderstorm created frequent flashes of lighting that made a great show out my large window. Each flash gave me a view of miles of open space. I was keyed up and have trouble getting to sleep but eventually after 2:30 AM I nodded off to the patter of rain on my window.

Next: It's 5 AM....Where are we?

Waaaiiiting for the train/ Membership has it's privileges!

The Amtrak agent told me I should be at the station by 10:00 PM to check a bag for the 10:30 arrival of the Empire Builder. Some cities have far more inconvenient arrival times in the wee hours of the morning so an 11:15 PM departure from St. Paul didn't seem so bad.

My friend Dave helped me spend time prior to arriving at the station by taking me out for a light dinner. It was a good time and I found that I wasn't as anxious about getting to the station as I usually am about getting to airports for flights. My friends joke about my need to be ready for air travel way too early. I guess I had confidence in Amtrak being more relaxed in their schedule.

In any case Dave drove me to the station by 9:45 and waited with me for a while. As a sleeper car passenger I was entitled to wait in the lounge designated just for those if us who reserved rooms on the train, so I took Dave on a tour of the room.

The St. Paul station is not glamorous by any means. It's a 1960's-70's modern styled brick and glass structure with all the charm of most bus stations. The waiting area for coach passengers is brightly lit (a bit too brightly for that time of night) and furnished with rows of hard plastic seats. It was full of people waiting for the train, many of them young adults or teens (some acting rambunctious), young families with unhappy small children crying, elderly people who looked like they were on a fixed income, and some folks who looked like life was hard on them. I was pleased to see that the train attracted so many riders but I have to admit I was happy to not be competing for a seat among them.

The lounge for sleeper car passengers by contrast is a quiet, comfortable area with subdued lighting, soft sofas, large windows overlooking the station platform, free bottled water and coffee, and populated by a much smaller number of people waiting. These are the comforts provided to those of us that paid almost twice as much as the coach passenger.

Dave bid me farewell and left about 10:15 so I hunkered down for what I thought would be a short wait. It wasn't long before I heard a woman comment to her husband that the train was delayed until 11:50. Apparently a severe thunderstorm that blew through Minnesota in the early afternoon had traveled southeast and disrupted electricity to the signal system along the line the Empire Builder followed from Chicago.

I read, I watched some freight train action through the large windows, I walked around. At one point nature called so I used the station's Men's room. Amtrak may wish to spend some money on this facility. It was clean but the stall walls were covered in graffiti. Worse, they had some structural problem that caused them to move slightly out of square when the door was closed. This was a problem because the door had to be forced into the door jam to keep it closed. There was no door lock hardware in my stall. After a moment, the door began to slowly open on its own! Feeling vulnerable sitting there I gave the door a good shove to force it closed again. This action had the effect of moving the stall wall enough to make the large round toilet paper dispenser cover drop down on its hinge. That was a little startling but I pushed it back into position...which caused the stall door to open again! Shoving the door once again caused the toilet paper dispenser to drop its cover and a comical cycle of action ensued until I was ready to leave. :) I was happy to return to the Sleeper car lounge and wished it had its own bathroom!

Oh well. I read a little more and talked to a couple of my fellow passengers when all of a sudden we heard an announcement that the train was arriving. I was surprised that it made virtually no noise when it glided in. What a beautiful train, all sleek and silver! The double level Superliner cars seemed huge!

Next: All Aboard! Shhhhhhhhh!

Preparing to ride....

Since I knew the dates of Susan's conference a year in advance I was able to make able to make Amtrak reservations early enough to secure a roomette. I knew that I certainly did not want to ride coach for a two night trip (observations of the discomfort of coach riders later validated my decision!) and that I'd appreciate having my own space. The roomette is a small room designed for two people although I really think it's best suited for one. The seats fold down to convert into a bed and there is a fold down berth for the second person that has them sleeping very close to the ceiling. Couples I encountered who shared a roomette complained that the person on the top bunk felt pretty claustrophobic.

As I said though, the roomette seemed perfect for one person. I had plenty of space and could put my feet up on the seat in front of me. The bed was reasonably comfortable. I was impressed with the clever use of space, including the narrow closet just to the side of the entry door that could accommodate two suits, or maybe a heavy coat. A small fold out table can be set up between the seats for meals, writing, or even a game of checkers since the table top has a board grid on it. There were plenty of lights and options to set some brighter or softer.

Here is a link to Amtrak's page with pictures and descriptions of a roomette.:
http://www.amtrak.com/server/contentserver?c=am2Copy&pagename=Amtrak%2Fam2Copy
Hmmmm. OK it seems when you click on this you get a message from Amtrak that it can't find the page but you can click on "Traveling with Amtrak" above on that page to get to "Sleeping accommodations. That'll get you to the roomette pictures and description.

My roomette was in a Superliner car. The Viewliner cars have similar roomettes but they include a personal sink and toilet in the room. I'm a little dubious about having a toilet in one's roomette but it would save you the experience of using the shared bathrooms which sometimes may not be left in the best condition by previous users. Fortunately most of the time my fellow passengers did heed the signs in the bathrooms asking people to be considerate of each other.

I did some online searching to learn as much as I could about Amtrak travel and found this great forum that welcomes posts with tips and shared experiences. http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?showforum=78

It includes a lengthy thread for first time riders with plenty of advice. Among the more interesting suggestions was creating a survival kit that includes duct tape, a pen light, safety pins, etc. to deal with rattling objects, occasional power outages, and curtains that don't completely close. I actually did take along some duct tape wrapped around a pen as one poster recommended but neglected to bring a small flashlight which really would have come in handy.
More on that later...

I'm not sure what the fare for a roomette from St. Paul to Portland is in today's world of high fuel prices but last August I secured mine for $313 one way. This entitles you to a private sleeping space, meals comped in the dining car, the services of the car attendant, and even access to events like a wine and cheese tasting.

Making the reservation was easy on Amtrak's website.

A good reason to take the train!

A life long interest in trains has made me want to ride Amtrak's Empire Builder which originates in
Chicago and ends in either Seattle or Portland Oregon after splitting into two trains in Spokane. A few years ago there was some talk about Congress reducing funding for Amtrak to the point that the Builder might be phased out so I decided to take a day trip from St. Paul MN to the Wisconsin Dells. That journey started well but a Chicago Metro accident at Union Station forced Amtrak to reroute the Empire Builder through Wisconsin in order to approach Chicago's station from another direction. This meant that all the scheduled intermediate stops, including the Dells, would be
by-passed. All passengers not going all the way to Chicago had to get off the train at LaCrosse, WI and take a bus the rest of the way. Grrrrr! Not exactly the journey I was hoping for!

Fortunately the Empire Builder continues to run and I hoped to ride it for a longer distance sometime. My opportunity arrived when my wife planned to attend a conference in Portland Oregon this summer. It occurred to me that I could take the train a couple of days in advance of the start of her conference and meet her there and then fly back later. Susan has little interest in train travel, prefers the speed of airplanes, and told people that her gift to me was to NOT accompany me on the train! :)

So, this blog will relate my experience riding the Empire Builder from St. Paul, MN to Portland July 10th to 12th, 2008.