Train Trip Across America (Part 1)

In November, I went to a karate tournament in Portland, Oregon. I decided to take the train from King Street Station in Seattle to Union Station in Portland. That left a short light rail ride on MAXX to get to the tournament venue and the hotel that was a short walk away.

In movies, I’d always seen people take train rides in a private room, so I decided to try getting a room on the Coast Starlight. I enjoyed it. Being able to watch movies or type on my Chromebook without distractions was very convenient. The onboard dining was enjoyable as I met other travelers who had interesting stories and could share their train travel experiences as well.

A couple days before my trip, I received an email that offered me a chance to upgrade my room. The process was simple, bid on an upgrade, and get that upgrade if you outbid others. I put in the minimum bid for both trips (to PDX and back). While I didn’t get an upgrade to Portland, I did get one on the trip back to Seattle (which was less in demand).

While I was riding home, I was thinking how nice it was to have the bigger room complete with a private bathroom and shower (compared to the roomette that I had on the way south). That got me thinking about whether or not I’d enjoy the room as much if I were sleeping in it. I decided that I’d like to try an overnight trip. The Christmas break would an ideal time to try it. There was no martial arts practice, and I had a bunch of vacation time to use (or lose it) by the end of the year.

I talked about this with my wife. I explained my idea: Fly somewhere like Chicago and take a train ride back to Seattle. She was very enthusiastic when she replied, “That’s a great idea. YOU should do that!”

I decided that I should do something on my list of things that I want to acomplish while taking a train ride to get there. Back in 2016, when my father passed away, my brother, my wife, my daughter, and I took his ashes to Arlington National Cemetary to have him interned there. They didn’t have a placard up on his spot in the wall yet. I had always planned to go back and visit once the stonework was completed. Then COVID hit and other travel monopolized my time. This seemed like a great time to go to Arlington.

So, here I am, zipping through the snow-covered mountains of Montana, headed to ANC on Amtrak.