It had always been a dream of mine to travel on a train.  I’ve taken day trips on trains, but never slept on a train. I thought it sounded so romantic and fun.  Watching old movies I have seen people traveling on trains, sleeping in the sleepers, eating luxurious meals on white table cloths in the dining car and singing songs on the train.    People in those movies wore suits and dresses and hats and seemed to know exactly how to deport themselves on a train.

Well, it’s the twenty-first century.   The train station in Chicago was big and there were long walks carrying our luggage to get to the ticket booth.  Thankfully, there were redcaps who put our luggage on carts and took us to the train or we would still be wandering around trying to find it!

People don’t dress up on the train anymore.  Shorts, tees and jeans were the usual wear  A lot of younger people.  I felt overdressed in a nice top and black pants.

Eating on a Train

Breakfast and lunch was on a first come, first served basis.  I only ate one breakfast while on the train.   You had to make a reservation for dinner.  They said we could pick when we wanted to eat, so when the man came around to get our reservation we asked for 5:30.  ” Oh, no, you can’t eat then,” He said.  “We have 7:30 open.”  Well, since we didn’t have a choice we chose 7:30.  When your time came they would announce it and you would go to the dining car. A walk through several other cars. You would lunge from left to right walking down the aisles of the Coaches hoping you didn’t fall into someone’s lap.  You finally get to the dining car and a very arrogant man with his nose in the air actually snaps his fingers at you and says, “Come, come,” and you run after him where you are sat at a table with complete strangers who are sitting just a few inches away from you.  Thankfully, we were sat with a very nice couple and she and I talked to each other while the men ate.  They were from south of Columbus, Ohio.   The man who waited on us was very nice, but I noticed the man  who had snapped his fingers at us(who I started calling “the Jerk”) waited on people like it was the last thing he wanted to do.  The whole time we were on the train every time I saw him I would tell David, “There goes the Jerk.”  He always seemed to have a smirk on his face.  Anyway, I ate three meals in the dining car.  One time we ate with two ladies who were from Defiance, Ohio where my older brother lives.  They didn’t know him.  They also missed their connecting train because our train sat on the tracks for several hours letting freight cars go by.  It was one’s first train ride and she said it was going to be her last.   I didn’t blame her.  But it wasn’t as glamorous eating on a train as I thought it would be. I just kept waiting for Danny Kaye, Bing Crosby, and Rosemary Clooney to come into the dining car and sing “Snow” from the movie White Christmas.

Taking a Shower on the Train

The shower on the train was just down the aisle from our sleepette.  I could not go a whole day without a shower, so I bit the bullet and decided to try it.  Our car attendant told me to be sure the door was completely locked as there had been some people startled in the shower because their door was unlocked.   I did not want that to happen.   I opened the door to the shower and gulped.  How was I to take off my clothes, shower and put clothes back on a semi-wet body?  It was smaller than any closets I have in my house.  A small seat piled with soft, fluffy, white towels, Hm, that was nice.  A little basket full of soaps which smelled very good. That was good. So, I carefully locked the door, checked it twice and proceeded to get ready for a shower.  Once undressed, I turned on the shower. Cold water.  I adjusted the handle. Cold water.  Well, I was undressed and really wanted a shower so I took a cold shower.  Very quickly.  As the train rocked and rolled, so did I in the shower, but I managed to get washed.  Then I had to get out and try to towel off as best I could.  I kept bumping into things, but finally I was ready to dress. Ever try to dress in a two by two foot space?   It’s not easy, but I did it and I did it three times while riding the train.   Thankfully my other two showers I had warm water.

Walking on a train

When we took a trip to Alaska on a ferry we learned how to walk on a boat without falling down. Most of the time the ride was pretty smooth and we could walk very easily, but at times the sea was rocking and so were we.  People would walk like drunken sailors.  Well, on the train, you pretty much walk like that all the time.  Lunging back and forth as the train rolled along.  We had to go through several cars to get to the snack car where we purchased something to eat when we didn’t want to eat in the dining car or to the lounge car, where we sat and watched the scenery go by.  We walked through the coach cars where people who didn’t have sleepettes would be laying across their seats covered up sleeping.  I really did not want to fall into one of their laps.  You learn to sway with the cars and hold on to anything you can grab to keep yourself upright.  When we got off the train, David said his legs were still walking like he was on the train.  It took him a day to get his “land legs” back.  Same thing happened to him on the ferry. It took him a couple of days to walk right on land.  It didn’t bother me at all.  I was just glad to get off the train.

Sleeping on a Train

I always thought that  sleeping on a train would be so relaxing and fun.   To get ready for bed, first we had to pull the two seats together to make a lower bunk and then pull down the upper bunk. Poor David slept in the upper bunk because he can sleep about anywhere.  You are given two very thin blankets and pillows with hardly any stuffing in them.  We didn’t know you could ask for extra blankets and pillows the first night. We got ready for bed.  I wore clothes to bed because the bathroom was down the aisle and I didn’t want strangers seeing me in my pjs.  That first night I froze all night.  I didn’t know we could turn on a heater.  I heard David snoring above me while I tossed and turned.  Thankfully, I had my Kindle with me and could read.  I watched the stars and just lay there listening to the train wheels clickety clack.   I will tell you the second night with extra blankets, the heater turned on and two pillows, I slept very well. Maybe if we had been on the train for a third night I would have slept like a baby.   It wasn’t like sleeping on the ferry, though, where I think I slept the best I have ever slept with the boat rocking gently and being in a warm cocoon in my little bunk.  It was heaven.  Anyway, sleeping on a train was an experience and I hope I haven’t made anyone not want to try it.

This is my last post about our trip.  Next, Grandchildren!  Bye.

We continued our drive up the Olympic Peninsula.  So many beautiful sights.  Not much traffic, which we love. At times we seemed to be on the road all by ourselves.  Coming in the off season made our trip much more enjoyable.  I am sure in the Summer the highway is much busier.

This is Juan De Fuca.  It is connected to the Puget Sound.  This scenery reminded me so much of Alaska, so if you cannot get up into Alaska, you might like this trip up the Olympic Peninsula. This view actually looked exactly like the view we had in Wasilla, Alaska from our motel and just two blocks down the street was Sarah Palin’s house.

Just to prove we were there together we did a selfie!  I look at this picture and think,  “Wow, is my man handsome!”

We drove out the northeast tip of Washington and found this little town  This fish character was in town also, wearing athletic shoes.  Here she is wearing skates.

A little town far from nowhere.  Of course we drove around it.  Not much there and it was hilly, but they sure do have a beautiful view from any of those houses.

Views like this.  I could live here.  It’s cool and mountainous and there’s water.  Everything I love.

On we drove. If you are a hiker, there are all kinds of trails to take in these woods.

Then we came to Port Angeles.  A beautiful town right on the water.

Views like this all over town.

But t was getting late and we had miles to go before we slept so we drove on.

Past little general stores. We stopped in and this store had everything one would need.  Since it is probably the nearest store for some people, it’s a good thing they do.

Past things like this.  People are wonderful to provide us with these things to see.

We saw a lot of these signs all over.  I was pleasantly surprised.   And that is all the politics I will talk about!

We reached our destination for the next two days, Port Townsend.  Who wouldn’t love a town that has bunting across its streets?

And gorgeous Victorian houses everywhere.

And whimsical things like this. Shoe forms used as yard art.

I couldn’t get enough of these houses.

Then I met this man on the street while we were shopping.  He had what was called a
“free speech corner,” where signs of all different political persuasions, religious beliefs and no beliefs were written on boards for all to read. I thought you could pay to write your own sign, so I was going to do it, but when I got to him, I found out he wrote them all.  I talked to him for a while.  He was really interesting.  We talked about Jesus and free speech and why do people get so angry with each other when they disagree.   He had a sign I really liked, but because I know it would probably insult people, I won’t put it here on my blog, but you can find it on my Facebook page.   We are in a time in our country where free speech is being squelched and I believe we need to guard each other’s speech, whether we agree with each other or not, because to lose our free speech would be a tragedy.

Of course I shopped and we stopped in at this perfectly darling little garden store.  It was set right in a corner and was tiny inside, but packed with lots of wonderful things.  I bought a calendar and a rooster towel.  We shopped in several other stores. There was a great bookstore and a store with outdoorsy clothes that I loved and bought some Christmas gifts.  I could have stayed in this town another day or two, but we only a few more days before we were to get back on the train, so after two days we set off for Mount Rainier.

David had reserved two nights at this lodge.

It was a typical lodge with a fire in the fireplace and big comfy chairs to sit on with antlers and deer heads on the wall.  Sorry for the deer.  David said this was the quietest place we had ever stayed in.  And it was true.  You didn’t hear many people talking. Of course that might be because there were just six rooms filled the first night.   Off season, you know.

After a good night’s sleep we drove to Mount Rainier.

They were working on the roads.

Through more tunnels.

Fall foliage in all its beauty. Up, up we went.   Out my window, it was straight down.  We have driven up Mount Rainier two times before, but always during the Summer. This was a whole different experience.  Very little traffic.

Fog in the mountains.

There’s David right by a cliff again.  He flirts with danger.

Past mountain streams.

It was getting chillier the farther up we went.

Past glacier fed rivers.

Up, up. My ears were popping.

Yes, we were down there.

Then we were high enough that there was snow!  They were expecting from one to five inches that night.  Probably a good thing we drove up when we did.  We might not have made it up another day.

It looked like a Christmas card.

Made me so glad we have snow in Indiana.  I love snow.

Always on the look out for bears, but we saw none this trip.

There’s that handsome man again.

I would love to have a house on a mountain facing the sea.  With a field of horses and five dogs and all the chickens I want.

Which reminds me we saw this Road sign.

Down the mountain once again we ate at this restaurant.

Everything had bears on it. The napkins, the walls, etc. The food was very good.  We also ate at this lodge during our stay.

There was only one other couple eating  there.  The food was good, but I think the server was new or just very nervous.   But he did a good job.

We ate  at one other place at the foot of Mount Rainer at another lodge where we had the best blackberry cobbler and ice cream.   We also had chili and chicken and rice soup.   They know how to cook in Washington.

But, vacations must come to an end and we had to drive up to Seattle to  meet the train heading east.  We stayed in the town of Snohomish.  David and I both want to come back there with our car because they had such wonderful antique stores.   We couldn’t take all we wanted to buy back on the train.

Our final day was spent in Seattle where we found a yarn shop where I bought more yarn for more socks.  Then we ate at a Cheesecake Factory before we headed to turn in our rental car and get to the train station.  My next post will be about riding and eating on the train and taking a shower on the train.  Bye.

David and I took a trip the last couple of weeks.  We decided to take the train to Seattle, Washington, rent a car and drive the Olympic Peninsula and visit Mount Rainier.  We began our journey by driving to Chicago to meet the train.  Let me tell you.  Union station needs to modernize.  Once you park your car in their garage, you have to haul all your bags that you packed(with clothes I ended up never wearing)  to the station through hallways and up stairs. The people who worked there couldn’t have been nicer. We were put in a lounge for all the other sleeper car people where they had finger foods and cold drinks and even wine if you wanted it.  We didn’t.   Then they called us and asked if we needed a redcap who would take us and our baggage to the train.  David chose at that time to head the wrong way and I was heading the right way and I had to put down my baggage and I ran shouting to him like a crazy woman, down a hall, that he was going the wrong way!    He was in the line with the people who were walking to the train and it was quite a far distance to walk.  Finally got him and we got on the little cart and the redcap took off like a bat beeping her horn sending people scurrying out of our way or get hit.  I am glad we didn’t have to walk to the train because we would never have found it.   It was a good distance from the lounge.

Chicago was foggy that day.

We rode the Empire Builder.

In the sleeping car.

This was our home for two days and two nights.  A pull out bed and a bunk bed.  Yes, we are crazy.  It was cramped, but we managed. One of the rooms down from us was just a little larger and four big men were all sleeping in there.  I don’t know how they did it.

We read, did fill-in books, and played Solitaire on our computer.  We did not have internet on the train.   There was a lounge car, but it really wasn’t as comfortable as our own little room.  So I spent a good bit of time in it with David bringing me ice, water and crackers.  I called it my “train diet.”

We ate in the dining car.  Well, David did mostly because I didn’t like their food that well.  I will write a separate blog about eating in a diner on the train.    This is my plate.

This was David’s. He really liked the steak dinner they served.  It does look like he licked his plate!

This was our car attendant going out.  Connie.  She’s getting married next April.

We rode through our beautiful country.

Through flatlands and hills.  Mountains and by lakes and rivers.

By woods where the trees’ leaves were changing color.

The weather was glorious.

Then we got into Washington state.  This is the Puget Sound.

There were egrets every few feet it seemed and lots of sea gulls, one of my favorite birds. Some people call them flying rats, but I just love them.

It got cool in our little room  so I put on my hand knitted warm socks.  You knew I couldn’t write a blog without mentioning knitted socks!

We arrived at our destination, rode a taxi to the car rental and got our car for the drive of our life.  Will tell you more about it in the next blog. Bye.

I have a zillions things to talk about, but I have been kind of busy the past several days.  So much has happened and I have seen so much that I can’t wait to tell you all about it.  Getting on a train for a long journey in a little while, so see you on the other side.  Bye.