We woke in Portland eager to begin our journey further north in the magnificent Northwest.  My husband is a train buff.  He’s taken trains all over the world.  Europe, India, Thailand and much more.  So, instead of renting a car and driving to Seattle – we decided it would be fun to take the train.

What made it an easier decision is that Portland and Vancouver have great mass transit systems. Portland has the MAX light rail system and Vancouver has the Sky Train.  We figured if we stayed in spots close to downtown, or at least close to mass transit access, we could take the trains for travel in between cities.

So, after breakfast at our Portland hotel Friday morning (More about THAT hotel later. Sigh…) we boarded a shuttle to the PDX Airport a five minute drive away.  From there we got on the MAX line which took us to Portland’s Union Station.  We got to the station with an hour to spare.

You don’t have to go through a TSA security checkpoint.   Checking  bags is free. An Amtrak clerk tears your ticket and gives you a seat assignment.  You walk outdoors and there’s the train waiting.

Ernie and I each checked our larger bags.  I pulled a small wheelie bag with water bottles, snacks, my laptop (the train has wifi) and a couple books.  At 12:15 pm on the dot our train, Amtrak Cascades 506, pulled out of the station. I took the picture below left as we boarded. The train was almost full when we left.

Quickly we crossed the Willamette and Columbia rivers taking us across the border into Washington state.  We were close to the water and traveling through what felt like forests, but we couldn’t see the coast.  It was green and lush compared to Las Vegas, but not remarkable.

Traveling by train is pleasant and relaxing. The seats are larger and more comfortable than airplane seats.  There’s more legroom. It’s almost like First Class on a plane.  I got engrossed in a book.  Ernie watched what was going on outside the window as you can see in the picture below.  After a half hour we went to the “Bistro” to get lunch.  I got the Market Salad with spiced walnuts, bleu cheese and dried cranberries on a bed of arugula with an organic raspberry vinaigrette and apple wedges ($6.75).  Surprisingly good for train food. Ernie got a Chicken Caesar Salad for the same price. I felt I got the better of the two choices.  You pay for your food and then take it to one of the dining cars to eat.

In the dining cars you sit anywhere there’s a space, so you may be joining a total stranger at the table. At first the two other women were engrossed in their smartphones.  But after a few minutes we started talking.  One woman was an executive with a major hotel chain.  The other was a clinical psychologist.  We shared a lively conversation, getting to know each other.  Finally, we went back to our seats.

At 2:30 pm we reached the Olympia WA station.  The conductor got on the loudspeaker and announced the engine on our train had mechanical problems.  In fact, the engine stopped a few miles ago and we coasted in to the station. Coasted!  That’s when things got interesting.  For the first half hour I stayed seated and kept reading my book.

Finally we were told we could go outside and stand on the platform. Below is a picture I took of our hobbled train.  The platform is a long strip of concrete running along side the train, ten feet wide.  That’s it.  The weather was lovely – but we were stuck.  If we left the platform area we couldn’t get back on the train.

We kept getting conflicting reports. There was talk about sending buses, but those were another couple hours away from arrival. Everything was up in the air.

Try as I might, I couldn’t get clear information from any of the crew members.  They seemed to want to help – they just didn’t know.  The crowd on the platform started thinning.  Some people called friends and family to pick them at the station.

After two and a half hours, we learned another train,  the 516, was traveling northbound from Portland headed for Seattle. However, the conductor told us the 516 is always full on a Friday.  I asked him to call just to double check.  He called and miracle of miracles, Ernie and I got a reservation number.

I ran into the station with the reservation number to get tickets from the ATM-style machine. Then, ran back to the train to retrieve our bags. All while being told the 516 was arriving “any minute.” We got on the new train and left the rest of the people from the 506 standing on the platform.  I have no idea how many hours they stood there until finally getting alternate transportation.

Another 20 minutes up the tracks we were traveling along Puget Sound.  The views are breathtaking.  Deep blue waters, green pine-y forests, the silhouette of mountains and the sun hanging low in the summer sky.  I could breathe again and we were excited about arriving in Seattle and enjoying The Emerald City.

If you’ve gotten to know me a bit through this blog and my facebook page – you know this time of year I’m all about getting out of the oppressive Las Vegas summertime heat.  It’s actually been a moderate summer for us – but its still too hot for me.  If the heat outdoors wasn’t bad enough, getting into an even hotter car several times a day is worse.  The temps inside the car are 130 to 140 degrees Farenheit.  By the time my car cools, I’ve reached my destination ten to fifteen minutes away.  When I get out of the car to go to a meeting – my car quickly starts heating up again.

Since moving to Las Vegas almost ten years ago I’ve wanted to do a Pacific Northwest Tour, enjoy the beauty of that part of the world and get out of the blistering heat.  Finally – we’re going!!

This evening (today!) we’re flying to Portland Oregon.  We visited Portland in August eight years ago and loved it.  We were even considering the possibility of moving there.  We wanted to visit again to see how we felt about the city during the rainy winter season. It rains a lot which is why it’s so gorgeous and green.  Ernie was crazy about the light rail system.  I was crazy about Powell’s books and the sense of history you feel in this city

What stopped us? Ernie’s daughter-in-law was pregnant with his first grandchild.  He didn’t talk a lot about being a grandfather. But before making a big move from Las Vegas to Portland, I wanted to

see how he was as a Grandpa.  Believe me, the minute his son Dave put hours-old Angelica Rose in his arms at the hospital the day she was born, I knew we wouldn’t be moving anywhere for awhile.  We’re still living in the same home in Las Vegas.

The morning after we get to Portland, we’ll head from our hotel to Portland’s Union Station.  We’ll board a train for a four hour journey to Seattle, Washington.  I haven’t been to Seattle for 20 years and I’m sure things have changed.

We don’t have a lot on our list of places to visit beyond the Space Needle and Pikes Place Market.  We’re just going to see what attracts us once we arrive.  We’re open to suggestions and ideas.  On Saturday August 20th we plan on stopping in at Uptown Espresso and we’re having a little get-together with our Seattle Facebook friends.  It’ll be interesting to see who shows up for our meet and greet.

Here’s what I don’t quite get about Pike Place Market.  Every tourist visits the market – but I’m not sure why.  To see big ol’ fish flying through the air?  I don’t quite get the appeal.  After all, if you’re staying in a nice hotel room, you can’t exactly clean and gut a fish and grill it and top it with a Buerre Blanc sauce, y’know?

But I WANT to get it.  So we’re going.  Sure, we can buy some fresh fruit and enjoy it while we’re strolling around the city after lunch perhaps.  Nice to have a healthy option.  We’ll see – part of an excellent adventure is coming to understand what different sights are about.

After three days in Seattle we’re heading back to the train station and boarding again.  This time we’ll be taking another four-hour journey and crossing the border into Canada (Yes – our passports are ready!) and going to Vanccouver, British Columbia for three days.

I haven’t been to Vancouver for a few years and both times I visited previously was for business trips. Sure, I tried to squeeze in a little time at the end of my trip to see a few sights – but business beckoned.  This time it’s for fun.

Honestly, there are only two items on our agenda to do while in Vancouver:  Stanley Park and we’re having another meet and greet event.  I’ve invited all my facebook friends who are in Vancouver.  I’m pretty excited, I think we’ll have about a half-dozen or so who’ll be showing up.  We’ll be doing that one on Wednesday August 25th at Aroma Cafe & Bistro not far from the Elizabeth Park area.  

I’m sure there are lots of amazing things we’ll find to do while in Vancouver.  Maybe we’ll visit the Olympic Village.  My husband is looking forward to riding the Sky Train around town to get from place to place.  You have to understand the man I married.  He’s a big train buff.  He’s traveled on trains all over the world including Europe, India and Southeast Asia.  To me, it’s just an efficient way to get around.  To him getting to the destination IS the destination.

I remember when he got back from his Southeast Asia trip which included visiting sights and riding trains in Taipei, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos he spent one night at home and then flew to New York where I was at a big conference.  What did he want to do? Ride the subways, of course.  This trip is light on trains for him – but it’s a good balance for both of us. When I got back from my recent trip to San Francisco with my sister Cherie, the first question he asked was, “Did you ride the trolleys?”

After three days in Vancouver, we’ll board another train.  This time for an eight hour journey all the way down the coast and back to Portland again.  We’ll spend three more days in Portland and then we’ll finally fly back home to Las Vegas again.

Travel is about what you see and savor along the way.  For us, it’s not about extreme travel hacking our way through the depths of a rain forest or hang-gliding off the top of a mountain.  An excellent adventure is about visiting a city or a country and pretending – even if it’s for a few days – like you’re a local. It’s also about sharing time together without the hustle-bustle of our lives at home.

I plan to write on my laptop at cafes – because that’s what I love to do.  I’m sure I’ll write several restaurant reviews and write about what we see and experience along the way. At home it’s hard to squeeze in time.  We’re looking forward to the adventure and hope you’ll hang out here and see what we’re up to along the way.