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Well I finally did it. The start of our trip was on Aug.19. We departed Trenton at 11:30 a.m.. on a punctual Amtrak #95 regional(business class) to Washington D.C.. The train arrived on time giving us approximately a 3 hour layover. The Club Acela lounge was comfortable while waiting for the departure of the Capitol Ltd.. One complaint is that ID tags should be issued for the luggage we placed in the storage area. Also there was some confusion for one couple because a sleeper was supposedly taken off the train and sleeper accomodations were changed for them. After checking in we walked through Union Station to purchase a couple of needed items.
Boarding was announced about a half hour before departure. We boarded our sleeper which was next to the dining car. My friend commented that the refurbished sleeper is much nicer than our last Amtrak overnight trip many years ago. We had a double bedroom which was our accommodation for each segment of our overnight journeys. On this train it was room B. Apparently the "pulled" sleeper was never taken off and everything turned out fine for those who were to be inconvenienced. Our departure was on time. Bill was our room attandant. As requested he delivered a bucket of ice and plastic cups for us. He was courteous and professional. We made a 7:30 dinner reservation. Reservation times in the diner lounge were running a half hour late. This was my first time in the diner lounge. I liked the varied seating arrangements....shakes it up a little. We dined at the table facing the aisle. Our server was Becky. She was polite but curt which was fine. Dinner was served on real plates. Beverage glasses and cups were plastic. We both had salmon which was as dry as cardboard. Good thing it had a cream sauce. The vegetable medley was good. The chosen dessert was cheesecake which was enjoyable. Our very nice dining mate complained that her chicken was inedible. So she was charged just for the beverage. We returned to our room. A short while later we pressed the service button for Bill to turn down the beds. I slept for several hours, woke up and returned to sleep. It was a smooth but slightly rocky ride. Hey,it's a train not a cruise ship,right? After an early wake up we went to breakfast. I had railroad french toast. It tasted stale and had a rubbery texture. Service was hasty and I never was asked for a second "tiny" plastic cup of coffee. Guess it was time to go. So I picked up some coffee from the setup in the sleeper. It takes practice to use the bedroom shower. There's hardly any room to move your arms,etc.. But I did it. Arrival into Chicago town(one of our favorites) was only a few minutes late. The train did not back into the station. To my surprise there were 4 engines on the front. The taxi ride to the nearby W Hotel City Center on West Adams was quick. As requested the staff was prepared for our early arrival and our room was ready. It was a very comfortable room but not too spacious...especially the bathroom. We settled in,and freshened up. Next was our planned dining adventure. We took a taxi to Topolobampo Restaurant. We had made a reservation weeks ahead on Opentable.com.. It served Mexican cuisine inspired by chef Rick Bayless. Very nice ambience and excellent cuisine if you're into it.. After a delightful lunch we took a taxi (too hot to wait for a bus or tour trolley) to the most enjoyable Shedd Aquarium. It was a good place to be on a hot Chicago day. There were lots of people with lots of happy enthusiastic kids. Being a retired teacher it was nice to see them exploring and learning about our lakes, oceans, and rivers. The lake views of Chicago from here are breathtaking. The day passed quickly. We returned to the hotel freshened up and visited the lobby bar (the Living Room). We toasted to Chicago with some spirits (JW Red for me, and Grey Goose Martini "dirty" for Tom). I guess it was the happy hour crowd as well as hotel guests which packed the place. We had dinner at the restaurant in the hotel. I dined on pasta Bolognese. It was very good. That was it for the evening. The next morning we walked about the Loop. It was Saturday, Aug.21...the day of our departure on the Empire Builder in car 0730, room E. Arriving in the Metropolitan Lounge it was nice to experience a much more organized procedure. A baggage room attendant tagged our luggage. We strolled around Union Station to the grand waiting hall and returned. An announcement was made for passengers to check in with their tickets ready. A short while later we boarded the train. We had a prompt 2:15 p.m. departure. Our room attendant was Chris. He was very good. Prompt with service. And always visible to see how his guests were doing. We were presented with complementary half bottles of champagne (sparkling wine). It was refreshing. We were again amply supplied with soap and towels. In addition a kit of shampoo, lotion, etc. was supplied. I stretched my legs in Milwaukee. On the other side of the train shed there was a classy set of private varnish in New York Central livery. My heart skipped a beat! Off again we were traveling through the beautiful Wisconsin countryside wondering when we were going to stop at the fabled Genoa City portrayed on the soap "The Young and the Restless". Farms,and cornfields,and cornfields.....all the way to Minneapolis. It was wonderful. We're seeing our America....the farms,the cities,the towns. Dinner was enjoyed in the bedroom. I dined on steak, Tom had roasted vegetable lasagne. Both were good!...except for those unseasoned green beans. I especially enjoyed my apple pie for dessert. Chris advised us on a nice bottle of red wine to accompany our dinner. He offered it at price we couldn't refuse. It was featured by Chris at the "rushed" wine tasting the next day. We had real plates, real wine glasses, and metal dining utensils on this train. By 10:30 p.m. we arrived in St.Paul-Minneapolis. Time for bed. Again we slept some. The ride on rails continually transitioned from smooth to slightly shakey(?). The next morning Chris promptly made up the room when called. I had a better handling of the shower. By 7:10a.m. We were in Rugby, ND. Eggs over easy were enjoyed in the dining car. AND a real mug (not plastic) of coffee! It was a good breakfast. By the way the head server was wonderful Federica(Freddie). Most of the day was spent in the room where we enjoyed watching the countryside. It was mostly flat marshland and streams and lakes with some farms popping up. I strolled to the lounge observation for a short while. We enjoyed the angus burgers for lunch. The train was an hour late getting into Havre,MT where I stretched my legs. The wine tasting for sleeping car passengers was in the dining car. Due to the late stop at Havre we had a rushed version so the diner can be set up for dinner. We sampled some Pacific NW wines and cheeses. The scenery offered wheat fields and more wheat fields with some oil fields. Towards the very late afternoon there were mountains in the distance. We had dinner on the train. This time the salmon was MUCH better. After East Glacier the train began negotiating the Rockies via Marias Pass....the lowest but very scenic railroad pass through the Rockies....impressive trestle crossings and tunnels. At approximately 8 p.m. on Aug.22 late by only 20 minutes (I think) we arrived in Essex, MT (Glacier National Park) where we stayed at the Izaak Walton Inn. Which is trackside. I enjoyed watching the helper engines coming/going to help the long freights over the pass.
The Inn was comfortable not luxurious. Full of railroadiana. Just what we expected. The meals were excellent. We had the package which include breakfast and dinner and two sightseeing activities. We had a trackside view from our room. Surprisingly we did sleep with the freight traffic running through the night. The mountain climate was welcomed compared to the hot scorching humid east coast. The next day was a full day on a Red Jammer bus doing a circle tour on the magnificent Going to the Sun Highway. We entered the West Glacier entrance. Visited Lake Macdonald and its accompanying swiss style lodge with its breathing views. I said, "Now I know why they call this Big Sky country". The Red Jammer tour continued through the fantastic scenery all the way up to Logan Pass where we stopped to enjoy the view of the continental divide. Starting our descent we stopped at beautiful St.Mary's Lake. As we approached East Glacier to exit the park there was a visitors center which provided displays of the Blackfeet Indians. We passed through part of the reservation. Views of where the mountains met the plains were viewed as we returned to route 2 which took us back to the inn. It was a full day. There was time to freshen up and sit on the front porch to watch the trains before having an excellent and abundant meal. Huckleberries are common at meals in the form of delicious desserts, savory breakfasts ,and delicious lemonade. The next day was our whitewater rafting adventure. Fortunately in August the Flathead of the Middle Fork river is tame compared to June, but there were spots where the rapids remind us of what we missed. I volunteered to be up front as one of the lead oar persons. I also got very wet! It was fun. Some fishermen said we just missed seeing a bear. Our guide was terrific. He was entertaining and got to know his guests very well. Another full day. Back at the inn we relaxed a bit. Had another good meal. I strolled by the mainline of the BNSF (former Great Northern Railway)and watched some freights. Grain car and stacked cargo unit trains. Then there were mixed freights. A couple saw some hikers sneak on a stopped freight for a free ride. The next 2 days we rented a car. We visited the town of Whitefish where we stopped at the Lodge at Whitefish for a pleasant lunch. The next day we visited East Glacier which is at the start of the Great Plains and near the Blackfeet Reservation. Both car rental days were fun.
That evening, Aug.26 we boarded a slightly late Empire Builder to settle into the Portland sleeper, room A. As the train departed we waved goodbye to the guests sitting on the front porch of the Izaak Walton Inn. We were greeted by our room attendant Paul who also was very attentive. Although he had already made dinner reservations in the dining car we requested to dine in the room. He took our order. I enjoyed fried chicken, mashed potatoes, a hearty salad, and apple pie. Tom had the lasagna. Again the meals were good. It was bed time. This trip it was my turn to sleep in the upper berth. I remember my butt hitting the ceiling when I turned in bed. And negotiating the ladder in the middle of the night for "you know what" was no easy task. Also it was the roughest of the train rides. I think we were in the last car in the last bedroom of the sleeper. But I did enjoy the view of the Columbia River Gorge in the morning from the back door window as there was no other cars behind us! Because this train splits in the middle of the night in Spokane we had no dining car. The other portion journeys to Seattle. So for breakfast a nice take away meal for sleeper passengers can be picked up in the cafe of the lounge car. Coffee,juice,etc. is self serve at the buffet nook in your sleeper. This time I used the shower/dressing facility downstairs instead of in the room. It was larger and much easier. The scenery was great (Mt.Hood, Dalles Dam, Bonneville Dam). We arrived in Portland nearly on time or earlier on Aug.27 in the a.m.
In Portland we stayed at the Benson Hotel. We were upgraded to a corner suite. It was very roomy and comfortable. We headed for the Pearl District where we had a delicious lunch at the Deschutes Brewery. We strolled about and wandered into a funky store called Cargo. That evening we dined at South Park on SW Salmon St. I highly recommend it if you like seafood but not only seafood is on the menu. The concierge made our reservation which entitled us to a free dessert. The next morning we visited the Portland Outdoor Saturday Market. It definitely is one of the better outdoor markets and worth a visit. Luckily the weather was sunny. That afternoon we went to Washington Park which is known for having the most authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan and having a fantastic rose garden. The Japanese garden was very impressive with its tea house, ground covered moss, stone gardens,and scenic water gardens. the rose garden was true to form. The display in this experimental test garden is amazing. That night we dined at the hotel restaurant which was the London Grill. A $10 coupon was given to us at check in. The concierge made the reservation whereby we received a free dessert again. The service and dinner was top notch! ...and the price was surprisingly reasonable. Alas the next morning (Aug.29) we departed PDX (Portland Int'l) via US Airways for Philadelphia. $25 for each checked bag, meals for purchase, an uncomfortable seat, and no inflight entertainment. All I can think of are the wonderful adventurous cross country train rides happening down below on terra firma! I apologize for some errors I missed but my space bar has a mind of its own and drives me crazy! Hope you enjoyed. Thanks for reading my report. Regards, Fred
Posts: 498 | From: New Hope, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2003
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When regular life becomes too stressful, I fantasize about running away from home and supporting myself by driving a Red Jammer Bus at Glacier National Park!
Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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quote:Originally posted by 20th Century: The taxi ride to the nearby W Hotel City Center on West Adams was quick. As requested the staff was prepared for our early arrival and our room was ready. It was a very comfortable room but not too spacious - especially the bathroom. We settled in,and freshened up... We returned to the hotel freshened up and visited the lobby bar (the Living Room). We toasted to Chicago with some spirits (JW Red for me, and Grey Goose Martini "dirty" for Tom). I guess it was the happy hour crowd as well as hotel guests which packed the place. We had dinner at the restaurant in the hotel. I dined on pasta Bolognese. It was very good. That was it for the evening.
We should note that the "W" on Adams St was once the Midland Hotel - a hotel that definitely catered to railfans. Rooms were modest, but they offered 'railfan rates' (show credentials from any railfan organization and you were given about $10 off an already reasonable rate). Several railfan groups held monthly meetings there such as the Railroad Club of Chicago. Also, The Midland featured 'the best stocked timetable rack - railroad and airline - in town. Pre A-Day, there wasn't a railroad whose System Timetable wasn't there for the taking.
All that came to an end when Starwood came to town.
Suffice to say, I have no use for the "W" business plan. It seems to be one of buy up an older property, throw a little paint around, turn down the lights, turn every square foot of 'free' space, i.e. the lobby, into something revenue producing (the Midland's lobby was indeed impressive), take the scissors to the amount of fabric in the bar waitress' uniform, and voila you have turned a venerable old dump into a "boutique' - and trebled the room rate in the process.
Posts: 9976 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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Thanks so much for the report. Sounds like you had a lovely time. Have enjoyed the food at Frontera Grill (slightly less expensive place next door to Topolobompo) several times in Chicago, and am jotting down your Portland recommendations as well. Thanks again!
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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Gil, actually I got a very good rate at the W. Better than the Holiday Inn on Harrison. As stated the so called "wonderful" room (lol)was smaller than expected. The bathroom could have had more elbow room. It was the first time we stayed at the W. 2weeks ago we stayed at the Courtyard/Marriot/Silver Spring when we attended a wedding in D.C. It was very comfortable. The room was larger.
Posts: 498 | From: New Hope, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2003
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