Pictures!

Many of you have asked me for more pictures.

Here is a link to my picasa album with over 300 of them. Cross Country Train Trip Pictures. 

Enjoy!

And this is why I hate flying

After an amazing time in Seattle with my sister, I arrived at SEA-TAC today at about 11:30 AM for my 1:15 pm flight to Detroit, where I would connect to a flight to Providence with about a 90 minute layover. After waiting in line for half an hour in the bag-drop line (hey, maybe that was my mistake since I should have checked on my flight status), I was told I had to go to the "special services" line because my flight to Detroit was delayed and I would miss my connection. Oh, and I was flying Delta.

I get to the special services line, and there is a woman there who is sort of directing the folks in line. She asks if anyone has a flight at 1 pm, and I mention to her that it appears the only way I can get to Providence today is to be switched to the 12:45 PM flight to Minneapolis-St. Paul. She rudely told me that there was no way I would ever be able to make that flight (it was in an HOUR!), and told me to wait in line.  Well, they kept pulling people out of the line that needed to check into a flight to amsterdam and another one to Tokyo, so after waiting in line until 12:15, there was definitely no way I would be able to make the flight to MSP.

The Delta attendant told me that I could get on the flight to Detroit but that I would be stuck there until tomorrow afternoon. I could also take the same flights I had scheduled for today but take them tomorrow. I asked if there was anyway I could get to Providence today, but it wasn't happening. Luckily Tim had let me know that there was a way for me to get to Boston and he offered to pick me up there, so I got rebooked on the 1:25 PM departure to Atlanta, connecting to a 10:55 PM flight to Boston.

I ran off to security, and then sprinted through the terminal to my gate - where I arrived at 1:00 PM after having to take a train. I was sweating buckets, and I was the LAST person on the plane before the door got closed. There was a woman behind me in line at the "special services" desk who was also trying to get to Boston - but I didn't see her on my flgiht to Atlanta and I don't see her while I am sitting here in the ATL airport. I guess I can be thankful that I at least was as close to the front of the line as I was, because even another five minutes would have left me in Seattle and on some sort of red-eye.

The flight to Atlanta was uneventful. I was in seat 32C, and I was lucky in that I think I was one of 3 or 4 rows that didn't have anyone in the middle seat.  We actually arrived about 20 minutes early into Atlanta, and I rushed off to the monitors to see if there was a flight I could catch to Providence. DRAT! It just left. If only it hadn't taken me 30 minutes to get off the plane.

Now I am sitting at my gate, and I have finally obtained a boarding pass with a seat for the Boston flight. Fingers crossed that I make it home today - estimated arrival at my house, probably 2:30 or 3:30 AM. Work should be fun tomorrow!

Washington - my final state on the train!

I arrived back in the PPC at 3 PM for the wine tasting.  Mel, the PPC attendant, was setting out cheese and glasses. He said that this time he was going to do the wine tasting throughout the entire car. I sat in the middle section, which was comprised of sofa level seating with high top tables for two. There was enough room for four people to sit on the “sofa” on each side of the car, with a table at an appropriate level for drinks for pairs.

Today we tasted Oregon wines, and after each wine Mel gave us the tasting notes and noted that we could purchase entire bottles of the wine. He was also encouraging purchase of a $5 Coast Starlight souvenir wine glass, so I went ahead and purchased one to help me remember my trip. Embossed on the glass is the symbol used in the advertisements/posters for this train, which is also found on the seatback covers on this train.

During the tasting, I spoke to a young couple who had gotten on the night before in Emeryville and who lived in Portland. They were having a great time on the train. I also met an older couple who also had boarded last night in Emeryville and were visiting their college aged daughter at school in Portland. Mel made the wine tasting fun and got everyone involved in it.

After the wine tasting, I retreated back to my bedroom. The scenery at this point had turned into mostly farmland and rolling hills. I noticed as we pulled into Salem, OR that there were flowering fruit trees and daffodils and crocuses in the planters.  How nice to see some flowers! As we proceeded north up to Portland, the grass looked green and we passed several swollen rivers. I also noticed a very interesting paper plant that seemed to get much of its power from water.

We arrived in Portland about 2 minutes late, which was pretty amazing considering that we had been running a few hours late earlier today.  We left Portland exactly on time, and I got some nice pictures of the Portland skyline.  As we arrived into the city, we went over this very big bridge and there was a bike path right next to us. I saw many people jogging and biking – even in the rain! It struck me as a very west coast thing.

We pulled out of Portland, and I made my way to the PPC for my 6:30 PM dinner reservation. For this meal, I decided to eat in the PPC because I was tired of the dining car, even though I wasn’t too thrilled about the two choices (lamb or lobster bisque).  I chose the lamb, since of course everyone knows that I am allergic to lobster, which I tragically discovered while attending college in Maine, the lobster capital of the country.

After I sat down, we briefly stopped in front of a large drawbridge so that a very large tanker ship could pass through. I took a couple of pictures but only had my iPhone down in the PPC so I don’t think they came out that great. In any case, after about 10 minutes we continued our way up north, and I continued to eat my delicious dinner. As always, Mel was a pleasure in the PPC. I had salad with blue cheese dressing, Amtrak roll, and the lamb shank with mint and rosemary sauce. The lamb was very, very good, but not quite as good as the ancho-chile beef from the previous evening. The lamb was accompanied by rice pilaf and a vegetable medley comprised of broccoli and carrots. I ate all of the veggies, ¼ of the rice, and about ½ of the lamb which was served on the bone. As with previous meals in the PPC, I was able to dine at a table all by myself. However, I made a little conversation with the young family traveling with their 10 month old son in the table kitty-corner from me, as well as with the couple across from me. I would estimate both of their ages as around mine.

Mel of course offered me dessert, and I opted for the cheesecake. This cheesecake was much better than the cheesecake I had on the Lake Shore Limited, and Mel told me that the desserts in the PPC are not the same as those in the dining car. In any case, I ate about half and was completely stuffed. I sat in the PPC savoring the last of my cheesecake and pinot gris until the sun set, and then headed back to my room to finish up this trip report.  I am not back in my bedroom, where I am sitting with the curtain closed but the door open because of the heat. It is not completely unbearable, but I am afraid to close the door because the heat is still pumping.

I also have the “nightlight” on in my bedroom. It is now dark outside, and the nightlight function in the renovated Superliner I cars are like a blue/black light. It provides some light without providing a complete glare so that one is still able to look out of the window. However I am not seeing much out there right now. I think I might put the bed back down and take a little nap in anticipation of our arrival into SEA in less than three hours.

In any case, I have thoroughly enjoyed my 100+ hours on Amtrak this week. I definitely miss Tim, and of course my little dog Corky, this trip has been an amazing opportunity and a great way to see some amazing landscapes. The highlights in terms of scenery have all been on the Coast Starlight, so I am thrilled that I took an extra day and included this train. Additionally, the service was better on the CS than on the other trains and it really added just a little something for me to end my trip on a positive note.  Lastly, the age of the passengers in sleepers on the CS was much more diverse and seemed to include more folks that were under 50, which just made it easier for me to talk with them.

Thank you to everyone for following along, and I will definitely add pictures tomorrow when I am at my sister’s house in Seattle and can use the real internet and not my traveling MIFI.

Oregon

My Chair in the PPC for most of the morning

I sat in the PPC to enjoy the view for most of the morning. The weather outside had turned into a pretty fierce snowstorm, and we seemed to be winding our way up into the mountains. I could see beautiful pine trees and what looked like a very alpine scene. We went through many tunnels and around many turns that were big and round so that I could see the front half of the train going around the curve or the back half of the train coming around behind us.  I saw many little waterfalls gurgling water down the mountain.

Trust me, it is snowing out there!

Unfortunately, I don’t think many pictures from this section will come out very well because it was hard to take them without the rain on the windows messing up the view. But trust me when I say that it was breathtakingly beautiful. We passed Mount Shasta and continued on into Oregon. I chatted with a few people in the Pacific Parlor Car and enjoyed the view. I enjoyed a mimosa at 11 am, and then headed back to my room to take a little nap and get some down time.  One of my fellow passengers informed me that Oregon is the “Christmas tree capital of the world.”

I also noted that one of the other sleeping car passengers had a service dog with him on the trip. The dog looked to be some sort of yellow lab mix, as he was smaller than a lab but with the same type of body type. He was wearing a vest that said medical alert. Not wanting to be a jerk, I didn’t ask the gentleman about the dog, but I was curious. The dog was clearly a working dog that followed commands and lay at his feet quietly, but it did make me miss my dog.

Winding through the Mountains

Oregon as seen from Coast Starlight

I returned to the PPC at 12:30 PM for lunch. Mel had set up all of the tables for lunch service. I had pre-ordered my lunch with him the day before, and he let me choose my seat.  As I sat for lunch, we continued to pass through a mountainous area with snow and pines. We also went through many tunnels that seem to have been cut through the mountains. I am curious as to which railroad built these tracks and when, as the sheer engineering feat of it must have been enormous. I didn’t really see any roads, either. 

Eggplant Parmesan in the Pacific Parlor Car, Coast Starlight

Strawberry Rhubarb Tart in the Pacific Parlor Car, Coast Starlight

For lunch I had the Eggplant Parmesan, which was accompanied by….you guessed it, Amtrak roll and salad! I switched it up and went with some blue cheese dressing this afternoon. I also decided to have some water and diet Pepsi to drink. For dessert, Mel gave me a strawberry tart with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. This dessert was very good, and the eggplant parmesan that I had for lunch was also one of the better dishes I have had on the train. I decided to also make a reservation with Mel in the PPC for dinner, since I have eaten several meals already in the regular dining car. Additionally, Mel doesn’t make me sit with strangers, which is definitely a fun aspect of the train but it is getting a little tedious after 5 days :)

After lunch I went back to my room to relax. I discovered that if I leave the door open and put on a tank top, that I could sit comfortably in my room. Also, if I sit on the sofa facing backwards there does appear to be some cool air coming out of the top vent, which helps deal with the torrent of hot air pouring out from the bottom vent near the chair. If there is one thing that I would ask Amtrak to work on, it is the heating/cooling system of the train. There must be a way to let each guest control the temperature in their compartment better, or at least a way to turn off the heat vents blasting hot air onto me.

The conductor just came on to announce that we would be running about 20-30 minutes late at some of our stops this afternoon, but he seemed to think that we would arrive in Portland, OR on time. That bodes well for my 10:45 PM scheduled arrival into Seattle.

I also plan on heading back to the PPC in about half an hour for the Day 2 wine tasting. Hope everyone is having just as much fun as I am this week!

On the Coast Starlight

After the wine tasting in the dining car, I went back to my room to relax. The room was unbearably warm, so I found the SCA and asked if there was any way to turn the heat down. He said he made a slight adjustment, and it cooled down slightly. The heat was pouring out from a bottom vent underneath the windows, which made it hard to sit next to the window because of the stifling heat. It wasn’t so bad if I sat near the door, but I wanted to look out the window. The scenery continued to be breathtaking.  The tracks are right along the water here, and I watched the waves of the Pacific crashing against the beach and rocks.  I was able to see dolphins jumping up out of the water and into the air.  It was just glorious.  We also headed into some pretty farmland, and I saw many black cattle grazing on lush green hills.  At 5:30 PM, I headed down to the PPC to have dinner. I talked with a family who had overheard me mention that I had taken the train all the way from Rhode Island.

Mel brought over the standard Amtrak salad and roll, and then he also told me that he had several other dressings in the fridge if I was interested. I declined and went with the Newman’s Own organic Balsamic Vinagrette, which has been my standby on this trip. And the Amtrak roll continued to be delicious. I had pre-placed my dinner order with Mel, the PPC attendant, and he brought that out in a few minutes. I had the ancho chile beef. It was a tougher piece of meat that had been slow cooked so that it was falling apart. I am might not sure if it had maybe been braised at some point before brining it on the train. In any case, it was delicious and was accompanied by rice pilaf and some mixed vegetables of broccoli & carrots. This was by far the best meal that I had on the train to date. I also had another glass of the Rabbit Ridge Zinfandel. This was also the only meal where I was able to dine by myself, and it was a little refreshing to not have to make conversation with people. I love people, and talking to people, but after four straight days it is getting to be a bit much. The other nice thing about this meal, compared to the others, is that the food was served on real plates and with real glasses, versus the cheap plastic stuff on the LSL and the SWC.

After dinner I headed back to my room, which continued to be sweltering. The only able that I was able to stand the heat was to just put the bed back down and lay directly underneath the air vent that was trickling out some cool air by the door. By this point it had also gotten dark, so I decided to just succumb to sleep. As I was drifting off, the SCA came by knocking. I struggled up and unlatched the door, and he wanted to know if I wanted my bed put down. I told him that I knew the secret and that it was down already.

I woke up at about 6 AM as we pulled into Redding, CA. A quick check of the timetable showed that we were now running 3 hours behind schedule.  It was still dark out and I felt grimy, so I hopped into the attached shower in my room. This shower was definitely bigger. It had a curved door and the sides were curved, which gave me just a little more room so it didn’t feel like my butt was rubbing the wall. I took advantage of the “amenity kit” which included some shampoo and condition for showering. The water pressure did not feel as strong on this train as on the SWC, so it took what felt like forever to get all of the shampoo and conditioner out of my hair.

At about 6:45 AM, I headed into the dining car for breakfast. I was seated by myself at a table and Donald came over to greet me and tell me about the specials. The special was cheese blintzes. I wasn’t sure about that, so I ordered the standby French Toast with sausage.  I was also pleased to see that this dining car included a real cloth tablecloth as well as ceramic mugs & plates. My French Toast came out shortly, along with some artificial syrup, and then a woman from Vancouver joined me for the remainder of my breakfast. The sun was starting to sie, but it was so cloudy out that we didn’t really get to see any sort of sunrise. As I was able to see outside, I noticed that there were snow on the ground and we were passing through the mountains. Large pine trees dominated the landscape, and swollen rivers came down from the mountain.  It was also alternating between snow and rain.  The big negative about this is that the windows are all wet and it is making picture taking very, very difficult right now.  We also keep stopping to let freight trains roll past us – I can see how this route ends up delayed!

I am now sitting in the PPC writing up my report. I can’t seem to get the Amtrak wifi in the PPC to work, and the mifi is having some trouble as well. Hopefully I can get this posted soon!

I have already made a reservation to eat lunch in the PPC, and the car seems to be filling up now that it is 8 AM. I will sit here for a while since it is so unbearably hot in my bedroom – AND the views are better since I can see out of both sides of the car. Mel is also offering everyone what appears to be unlimited juice and coffee, which is a nice bonus.  So far the amenities on the CS make this train even more enjoyable than my first two trains.

California & the Pacific Ocean

After our lunch at the TRAXX restaurant in LA Union Station, we were boarded onto our train #14 the Coast Starlight just after 1 pm. I boarded at the 1432 car and settled in bedroom E, which is just at the top of the stairs. I noticed that this was an unrenovated car, and when I walked next door and saw that the 1431 car had been renovated, I decided to ask the conductor when he came by if I could switch cars if there was space available. The showers are slightly larger with the curved door in the renovated cars.

It was just my luck, and I got moved into bedroom B in the 1431 car. Now, some might say that I was better off in 1432 in the E bedroom, as the sofa was facing forward and it doesn't share a wall with another room, but I think I will be happier in the renovated car myself.

I headed down to the Pacific Parlor Car to grab a glass of wine and enjoy the view as we traveled past the ocean. For those of you that aren't familiar with the train, the PPC is a car that is ONLY found on the Coast Starlight train, and one of the reasons that I traveled all the way to LA via the SWC when I could have taken the Empire Builder straight to Seattle from Chicago.  I was pleased as punch when I saw the PPC in the consist today, and I was even more thrilled when I sat in the car and drank a glass of wine.

The wine tasting started around 3 PM, and Mel and Francis, the PPC attendants, poured generous servings of wine accompanied by cheese. Mel told us that we were in luck, as the wine tasting used to cost $5 until last week. He also noted that they had just changed all of the wines offered during the tasting. We tasted four different wines and had three different cheese, and it was all included with the price of the ticket.  At the wine tasting I met Rick, a business man who boarded in Simi and was headed to Salinas. He pointed out some sights as we moved up the coast. The scenery was OFF THE HOOK - the train was practically on a cliff with the Pacific Ocean to the west of us. I also met Debbi, who was traveling with her husband all way the up to Washington and has also taken many trains.

I am scheduled to have dinner at 5:30 in the PPC. It is 4:30 now and I figured it would be the perfect time to relax in my room before dinner. Even though we started late today, so far this train has proven to be the most exciting and most fun of them all, and I am so thrilled that I was able to include the Coast Starlight in my trip. Now I will just have to keep my fingers crossed that we don't end up 10 hours late, like the train before us!

The consist of this train is engine - engine - trans/dorm - sleeper - sleeper - sleeper - PPC - dining car - SSL - coach - coach - coach.

Lunch at TRAXX

Well, this delay is quite fortuitous, because it gave me an opportunity to have some non Amtrak cuisine! I was very excited about having a salad, but for some unknown reason we were only allowed to order off the "large plates" section of the menu. Which really made no sense as that was the more expensive section, but I wasn't about to get into an argument over it. I ordered a jack & coke ($7) and the chicken with roasted farrow and goat cheese salad. I also ended up sitting with a friendly German man.  We both decided that the food was much better than on the dining car, and then returned to the TRAXX lounge/bar area to continue to wait. We found the train manager, who said that we might be boarding around 1:30 pm. Considering it is 1 pm now, that would be great! I will keep everyone posted with our progress :)

Coast Starlight aka Coast Star"late"

Union Station, Los Angeles

Union Station entrance

Union Station Clock

Union Station old ticket counter (not used)

So normally we would be boarding the Coast Starlight right now for our 12:15 PM departure, bound for Seattle. However, there is a "delay" and is not clear yet when (or if) we will get to board. Apparently part of the issue IS that mudslide that happened on Monday.

In any case, we have drinks and they were giving out free snackpacks to coach passengers. Right now, the train manager has come by to tell us that the train that is going to be departing late.  The issue is that the train that would be turning, the Coast Starlight #11 that left Seattle on Monday morning, was supposed to arrive in LA on Tuesday night at 9 pm. However, it didn't arrive until this morning at 7:15 AM, right before my train did. They now need to clean it and turn it over to get it ready for us. We (sleeping car passengers) are going to be given free lunch in the TRAXX restaurant on the other side of the station. We will be allowed to order an entree and a non-alcoholic beverage. .

In any case, he is "guessing" that we might leave around 2 pm. Who knows, it is the train? This sort of occurrence is pretty common on Amtrak, and luckily I don't necessarily need to be on Seattle at a particular time. Additionally, if there was going to be a delay, this is probably the best time for it to happen since I won't miss a connecting train (like I would have if I had this delay in Chicago or New York).

So now off to lunch for me! I am definitely having a cocktail (or two!).

ABQ, Arizona & into California

After relaxing in my bedroom for a while and watching the scenery, we arrived in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This is a long station stop known as a service stop. Here they refill the water tanks, refuel the engines, etc. Since we would be here for about 45 minutes, I detrained and headed into the station in search of a New York Times. Well, my search for the NYT continued to be futile as there were no purveyors of news or books in the station. I also wanted some ginger ale, but all of the soda machines had the standard coke/pepsi and not any ginger ale. 

I headed back out to the platform, which was surprisingly cool, to peruse the tables set up with items for sale. Like at our earlier long stop, there were several entrepreneurial folks who had tables set up with a variety of items, but this time it was mostly jewelry and other Native American type goods. Much of the jewelry was turquoise or beads. I bought a pair of earrings for $5 that I think will match the necklace I bought in Santa Fe two years ago. The man I bought them from claimed that they were handmade and that he also cut the stone, but I don’t really believe that. In any case, I thought they were a great deal.

I got back on the train and made a quick call to Tim (while I had cell phone access), and then sat back to enjoy the scenery. I started to get a little antsy, so I pulled up the internet on my laptop, which luckily was working pretty well, and posted on a few message boards and twitter until my dinner reservation was called.

At 6:30 PM I headed to the dining car for dinner. To be honest, I wasn’t even that hungry, but it would give me something to do and some human interaction J.  I was seated with the two people who were in the bedroom next to me, although they didn’t tell me their names. They had boarded in Colorado that morning and were on their way to Los Angeles for a business conference. I think they perhaps had a few cocktails in their room before dinner – and maybe something else – because we had some crazy conversations. The woman said she was my age (30), and also said she really liked my engagement ring. Thank you, Tim! Always nice to have a conversation piece of jewelry. The couple was also left-leaning, which was nice, and they take the train all the time so they recounted some of their favorite journeys to me.

For dinner I had the steak, which some folks on my train message board have claimed is pretty good. When asked how I wanted it cooked, I said, “As rare as possible.”  It came back well-done. AWESOME. At least they gave me some A1 to douse it in. The meat was tough and fatty, and it was probably the worst steak I have had in recent memory. It was also accompanied by the very salty mashed potatoes, which I am still convinced started out the day in powder form. The beans and the salad were the highlight of the meal – and of course that delicious Amtrak bread. For dessert, I got a turtle brownie packaged up “to go.”

After dinner I headed back to my bedroom for a nightcap. When it was time to go to sleep, I couldn’t find my car attendant so I made the bed myself. I actually didn’t sleep very well at all – the ride was pretty rough and the mattresses aren’t that thick. My back and shoulders are starting to feel a little sore and tired and are craving a real bed. I also haven’t really made the adjustment to Pacific Time – which I am technically on right now – so I woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed and ready to go at 4:30 AM this morning.

When I woke up, I pulled back the curtains and looked out into the darkness. I could see lots of lights, and I pulled up the GPS which said we were in California. Woohoo! I have made it to the west coast! As we are supposed to arrive in Los Angeles at around 8:15 AM, the dining car came through the sleeper announcing breakfast at 5:30 AM. Since I was already up and dressed, I headed down for some more food. This time I sat at a table all by myself, which was great because then I could read the New York Times on my iPhone in peace J. It was still dark out, but we pulled into several commuter type stations with Metrolink trains sitting at them. I also saw full commuter lots and people running to the trains.

For breakfast, I ordered the French Toast and then Tom told me that all that was left was the continental breakfast or the scrambled eggs. I went with the scrambled eggs – which possibly started out the day in powdered form as well. The eggs came with a biscuit, two sausage patties & home fries, so I made a little biscuit sandwich which I covered in ketchup. It actually was better than a McDonald’s breakfast sandwich. I also had some coffee, which was brewed pretty strongly for the first time.

While I was eating they began to clean up all of the tables by removing the tablecloths, flowers, etc. The crew told me that they had to get everything cleaned up before the train stopped in Los Angeles. They also told me that they are based in LA, so they board the #4 heading East, then spend the night in Chicago, then board the #3 heading West, and then have anywhere between 3-5 days off. It sounds like a really hard life, living on the train, and definitely one that I would not want.

After breakfast I headed back to my room, and my car attendant had taken out all of the linen and made the room back into the daytime configuration. For some reason, however, the heat now seems to be on right by the window in my room and it is stifling. I can’t figure out how to turn the heat off, so I have opened the door to my compartment with the hopes that it will cool down. Outside, I can see some palm trees lining the roads. We are just about ready to pull into Fullerton, CA, one of our last stops before Los Angeles. The sun is also just starting to rise behind me, and the sky has a beautiful orange glow while the moon is still shining bright and high above me.

While I am in Los Angeles, I hope to walk around a little, and then with all luck my next train, the Coast Starlight, will leave at 12:15 PM. Thanks for reading, and I will have more to post after I board my next train! If I can find some wifi in LA, I will also post more pictures.

New Mexico

So, let’s just say taking a shower in a little closet with your toilet behind you is tricky. But, my mission is accomplished and it’s amazing how refreshed I felt after showering. When I got out of the shower, I noticed that we had started to move into the mountains. The dessert gave way to scruffy pinon pines and bushes. This landscape reminds me of the area near Taos, New Mexico, where I went with my family a few years ago, but also reminded me of the landscape between Bozeman, Montana & Yellowstone National Park, where I worked during the summer of 2001.

After a relaxing morning watching the landscape, Pauline came by to take lunch reservations. I chose 12:30 PM. I was also able to jump out of the train briefly at Raton, New Mexico. The Raton pass is apparently a very famous way to get through the mountains. There was a lovely train station with a southwest architectural style to it, but we were warned that we didn’t have time to go into the station. Still no New York Times for me! I got some pictures, and it was actually quite cold so I hopped back on the train.

I headed down to the dining car when they called for the 12:30 PM reservation folks. I was seated with Gerry and Kay, an older married couple from California. Gerry and Kay have taken several trains and gave me some great advice on what to look for on the Coast Starlight over the next two days. They also encouraged me to take the Empire Builder and the California Zephyr at some point. Gerry was retired air force, and even spent some time living in Vineland, NJ! What a small world. Gerry and Kay were wonderful dining partners, and a very cute couple. They had been married for 45 years, and currently they live off the grid in the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. They use solar energy (with a backup generator, just in case) and a solar heater for their water. Very cool.

I ordered the angus steak burger, which Pauline, the LSA, claimed was the best burger in the west. Well, it was not bad, but definitely not the best burger in the West. That prize, in my humble opinion, still goes to Helen’s in Gardiner, MT (and its bison!). Pauline also entertained the car with several very funny jokes during my time in the dining car. After we finished eating, Pauline offered us dessert, too.  They give you so much food on the train! I got the raspberry sorbet, but I was good and only ate half of it.

Now I am back watching the landscape roll by. I saw some people riding horses out the window, and also what appeared to be a cowboy with a dog herding some cattle! The views are great, and I am continuing to thoroughly enjoy my great adventure across America on the rails.