Last Morning on the Train

I am writing this on the train as it pulls into Staples, Minnesota, at about 8:20 a.m., over four hours late. We should have been home at 7:05, and were dismayed to wake up at 5:00 a.m. near Fargo. The train had been running a couple of hours late when we went to bed last night, but we’d optimistically hoped to make up time overnight.

Sunday was a long day. We left Grouse Mountain Lodge at 6:30 and checked our bags through to MSP shortly before seven. Per Alamo’s instructions, Bob left the car in the parking lot with the keys under the mat. I was already dreading the long ride but a beautiful sunrise in Whitefish perked me up a little, as did  a pretty good continental breakfast on the train. Australians Allan and Rod, on a 7-week train trip across the country, were our companions.  We listened to a long travelogue about their train travel across Russia, where I will not be tempted by the romance of the Trans Siberian railroad.

Lunch with Simon and Joan, on their way home to Zurich, was quiet. I guessed them to be ex-patriates, him British, her American. The long afternoon was broken up by an hour in the dining car for wine tasting with Duane and Connie from Paynesville. I inquired about the Bertram brothers who were both at the Minnesota Legislature when I worked there. Apparently one of them (forget which one) is now involved in local politics and is at the center of some Paynesville controversy. I won a bottle of Chardonnay, correctly guessing that “Michelle” was the only Beatles a capella song. The wine is sitting upright (I hope) in our narrow locker.

Day slipped away over eastern Montana, very slowly as we found ourselves delayed by freight trains several times. We had our most pleasant meal yet with Bob and Sue from Cleveland, who had been hiking in Glacier Park. For the first time, I didn’t have my camera and I missed a sunset photo op. The sun – a perfect coral circle – blazed above the prairie and disappeared gracefully behind the horizon.

We lost an hour as the train clunked its way into the Central time zone, and Louis King (“King Louis” the sleeping car attendant) made up our beds shortly after 10. I sat on Bob’s bed for 30 minutes or so before climbing up onto the shelf for the night, where I “slept” in my clothes.

We had breakfast with Jim from Oakland, formerly of St. Louis Park. We’re close to St. Cloud right now, and the Mississippi River never looked so good. Home in a couple of hours!

End of the Road

We checked into Grouse Mountain Lodge at about 3:00 p.m. and rested a little before going to Mass at St. Charles Borromeo. The priest stood at the door 20 minutes before five, greeting parishioners and visitors. It seemd as though we were recognized, and this is only our second visit to this lovely church. We felt at home, as we have everywhere we've visited in the last week.

Edge of the Golf Course

We had dinner at the hotel. While not particularly remarkable (steak, baked potato, broccoli, delicious bread with garlic butter), the ambience was perfect. We sat on the patio a few feet from the golf course and watched the early evening golfers finish their round. The wine was good. Conversation was even better.

Sorry to leave the west, but happy to be going home.

Whitefish City Beach

I was tempted to change into my suit and swim at the city beach, a very peaceful area on Whitefish Lake. It seemed very serene to both of us, despite the constant activity: kids fishing, kayakers, children playing in the water. The mountains are ever changing and seductive; I couldn't help but think of how they would look in winter -- "their" season.

The day was hot but not sweltering. We enjoyed a quiet hour watching people at play on a leisurely Saturday afternoon.

Whitefish City Beach

Junket to Bigfork

Flathead Lake

We enjoyed a great swim and first rate hot buffet breakfast at the Red Lion and then headed south on Hwy 93 to Bigfork. Traffic was little backed up because of the Dragonboat Festival. We soon realized that it would be crazy to drive around the Flathead Lake, because little water is visible form the road. We took an unpromising single lane road to a boat ramp close to town and were pleasantlysurprised by a good dock and several boaters lauching their boats. Bob restrained himself and didn't offer (much) advice.

Frayed Tempers

Bob got the idea of staying in Kalispell for our second to last night in Montana, so that we'd have easy access to Flathead lake for a day trip tomorrow. I, on the other hand, thought I'd rather see if we could add a night to our already booked reservation for tomorrow night. We'd been unable to book last week's Pine Lodge this weekend, and there'd been no cancellations when we stopped by to check. On to Best Western Rocky Mountain Lodge, where I'd booked a room for Saturday night. I was NOT impressed, and had no interest in staying one night, let alone two.

After a couple of phone calls (no luck finding a room), we booked Red Lion Inn, located in a shopping mall in Kalispell. It's central, but that's all you can say for it. I swear I smell old smoke in this place but no matter. It's a place to rest up but we were sniping at each other a little as we lugged our stuff into the room.

I immediately go on the Internet, determined to find a better place than the Best Western for tomorrow. No time to shop around, because I had to cancel BW by 6:00 p.m., so I took the first "good" reservation I could find at Grouse Mountain Lodge. An Expedia booking. Looks good to me.

Bob is resting and I'm dealing with my pictures, not many today. I think we're both a little tired and ready to go home.

--> Eureka, Montana

Cafe Jax: a good place to eat in Eureka.

I would happily have settled in for another day at last night's Prestige Inn, even though the pool was only fair. But we pressed onward toward Eureka. The scenery was pleasant enough, but traffic was heavy and the drive was not amenable to the use of "cruise". Bob is doing all the driving, and today was not what I'd call a good road day.

Stipped at the Duty Free (one cigar, a bottle of Johnny Walker Red, maple leaf earrings) and crossed the US border shortly after noon and made the short hop to Eureka for lunch. The Café Jax is unassuming from the outside but it has a good menu and very personable wait staff. Summer students have returned to school so the servers worked hard to keep up with a steady stream of customers. The restaurant was still full at about 2:30 when we slid behind the counter for our meal.

Heather, our server, told me quietly that she is "not a very good waitress", but I thought she was delightful. The former owner of the restaurant sat down beside us and we dissuaded him from his plan to take Amtrak to New York City -- maybe one way, we said, but not round trip. I felt energized for the last leg of the trip.

The Road to Radium Hot Springs

Young Grizzly on Icefields Parkway.

Although we have seen very little wildlife, we were thrilled to see a young grizzly shortly after we left the Icefields Visitor Centre. He was ambling lazily along the highway, oblivious to the tourists stopped to admire this resident of the Rockies. I am still marvelling at our good fortune.

We drove through Kootenay National Park to Radium Hot Springs. The late afternoon was warm and quiet; we saw only a few other cars in this isolated part of British Columbia. Ninety minutes or so out of Lake Louise, we descended into the lovely community of  Radium Hot Springs. We were both tired but spotted a hotel in the center of the valley.

Prestige Inn is our best hotel so far. Our room -- large, newly redecorated and very comfortable -- overlooks the valley. The desk receptionist practcally promised mountain goats on the hotel grounds (!) so I'm looking forward to tomorrow. We had a light supper in the restaurant and watched the President's speech on TV - big, high def.

Looking forward to a 7:00 a.m. swim tomorrow morning.

Icefields Revisited

Athabaska Glacier

We decided to drive back to Lake Louise via the Icefield Parkway, in the sun this time. What a difference sunlight makes! We took our time at the Athabaska Glacier and got some good photos, so much more pleasant without rain, snow and sleet. Busloads of Japanese and German tourists outnumbered other visitors, but we heard many European and Asian languages spoken around us.

We had pricey coffee and muffins in the visitor center cafeteria and then got back on the road. The parkway was busy but not crowded. The snow shone on the glaciers and mountain streams and lakes glimmered in the September sunshine. Yesterday's chilly visit faded into memory.

Jasper Tramway

Jasper Tramway

I felt a little deflated this morning, seeing that Jasper was enveloped in fog. We had breakfast at the dump and, wonderfully, the sun was beginning to break through the mist. We decided to take the Jasper Tramway, as planned.

View from the Summit - Jasper Tramway

Waited in line for 15 minutes or so, and we got boarding passes for the 10:54 "flight", a 7-minute ride with 25 other passengers squished into the tram. Taking photos on the way up was impossible, but fortunately the sky was relative clear when we got to the top of the hill. A rather primitive, icy boardwalk surrounds the tram landing. The glacial lakes below seemed far away, as did the city of Jasper. A highlight of our Jasper visit.

Maligne Lake Lodge

OMG. My heart sank when we walked in to rent a room at Maligne Lake Lodge and I could imagine the room from the size and dated décor in the lobby. I should have refused to go any farther but did not. Instead, I threw a hissy fit. I was a very unhappy camper until we got a call from "Room Service" (Chris Hennessey), wanting to set up delivery of a bottle of my favorite cheap bourbon (Old Crow). He actually had me fooled; Chris was afraid I'd hang up on him so he added a bottle of scotch to the order and mentioned Minnesota so that I'd catch on. I needed a good laugh.

! I did not reconcile myself to staying in a dump overnight until we went out to dinner.We had a wonderful Greek meal at L & W Restaurant and, to my surprise, the Greek food was wonderful. Greek cabbage rolls and Greek salad for me, rainbow trout for Bob. I felt much happier about the evening ahead after a glass of Chilean wine!

We're watching the DNC, listening to President Clinton's speech. It's good so far ... hoping for the best!

Icefields Parkway

Lake on Icefields Parkway

Cold morning -- more like late October than early September. Glad we decided to do the gondola trip yesterday in the bright, warm sunshine. The rain began shortly after we left Lake Louise, but it was very light  and the mountains were beautiful with a backdrop of clouds and fog. Much like Alaska, we thought, with pine fragrance from the tall, skinny trees filling the air.

Seeing caribou crossing signs and warnings about sheep gathering on the highway made my heart race a little in anticipation. Alas, no wildlife at all except the crows. The white dots on the mountains were patches of snow, not mountain goats.

The rain got a little heavier as temperatures dropped. I was beginning to get a little hungry as noon approached but the cooler with our sandwiches was in the trunk, so we moved on to the Icefields where we foolishly left our umbrellas in the car and went in to warm up, have a cup of coffee and see the exhibits.

Athabaska Glacier

I was stunned to see that the Athabasca glacier had receded so much since I was here in the early 70s. The bottom of the glacier looks like a ski hill in the spring, mixed with mud and rocks. We decided against the bus trip along the glacier. The weather was cold; rain was pelting down; felt like moving on rather than staying to enjoy the visit.

The idea of venturing out simply to get sopping wet on our way to the car just wasn't appealing, so I bought a couple of $3.98 and out we went. We stopped at Tangle Falls for our lunch (sandwiches bought for last night's supper, packed in the cooler this morning), topped off by a couple of pieces of Canadian fudge.

Tangle Falls near the Athabaska Glacier

The sun finally came out as we approached Jasper, tired (both of us) and cranky (me). Time for the day to wind down.

Banff and Lake Louise

Rocky Mountain Landscape near Banff

Woke up to a glorious day in Canmore after my usual fitful night’s sleep in a Sleepnumber bed.  I wonder how other people figure out their sleep number: I’ve never been able to make that simple decision.  I selected “50”, tossed and turned and finally – gratefully – got up at 6:30, feeling pretty good. We had breakfast in the excellent restaurant at the Canmore Radisson, and were on the road shortly before ten.

The drive between Canmore and Banff was as spectacular as we expected, but I was a little surprised to see so many tourists in Banff the day after Labor Day. We found beautiful Bow Falls soon after our arrival and enjoyed the people watching as much as we did the natural beauty surrounding us.  We decided to take the Banff gondola up Sulphur Mountain, even though I felt like “holding out” for the Lake Louise gondola.

What a wonderful experience! The gondola moved quite quickly up the steep slope, and we were soon at the summit where we delighted in the panoramic view of the mountain scenery. It was cold up there, more for Bob, in his summer shorts, than for me.  I smelled the pines and imagined how the lovely vistas would be transformed in the winter.

We had lunch at Tony Roma’s, where the best course was the beer: Coors for Bob, a mountain red with some unfamiliar name for me.  The booth was so tight that I wondered if I had gained weight in the last few days.  Bob enjoyed his chicken Caesar wrap (shared with me) and chicken noodle soup. I wasn’t so enthusiastic about the baked potato soup.

We rode to Lake Louise along the “scenic route” rather than on the TransCanada Highway. It was beautiful and not too full of traffic. We had frequent stops for photos until we arrived in Lake Louise at the end of the afternoon.  We walked down to the lake and I found that I remembered little  of my visit forty years ago, though the lake seemed less impressive and beautiful that it had then. I didn’t remember a boardwalk or canoes. No matter. It was a great way to end the afternoon.

I had the bright idea of staying at a hotel  “10 minutes west of Lake Louise”, with mountain views. That bright idea led us through road construction all the way to the border of British Columbia, where we turned around and returned to Lake Louise.

We checked into the Rocky Mountaineer, a hotel that has seen better days, very long ago. The desk clerks were very welcoming, though – one from Germany, the other from Japan – and we were too tired to look elsewhere. I walked to the little shopping center for some food and we settled down to watch the Democratic National Convention and the Quebec election results. The night is quiet and the mountain air is fresh and clean. Life is pretty good.

Journée en Famille

Al, Laurel, Steve, Bob at the Ryans in Calgary

We left the Ramada at about ten and took a detour to a "wildlife sanctuary" 8 km east of town. A long detour since we drove beyond it and had to turn back, and would have missed it if Bob hadn't seen a small sign inviting us to view wildlife. A dirt road beckoned all the way to wetlands on either side of the dusty path. No wildlife, just a man in a truck and his dog, and a birder couple who left as soon as we arrived.

On to Calgary on Hwy 2. My brother Al had given us directions that were different from the Google map I had consulted, and everything went pretty well until the last mile or so when we found ourselves lost, without a working GPS (no Canadian map loaded, I guess). Our nephew Steve guided us tantalizingly close. We stopped for directions and met a delightful couple with Minnesota connections, who would have led us directly to the Ryan door.

No need. Allan and Steve jumped in the van and came to picked us up, piloting us into port. Turns out every neighborhood in Calgary must have streetnames that begin with the same syllable. In their neighborhood, that first syllable is "Strath" -- Strathmore, Strathcona, Strathcairn, Strathclair ...". Better not to get drunk and lose your bearings in that town.

We visited for a couple of hours, reminiscing and laughing. Steve suggested that we go out to eat in Canmore, giving us the opportunity to push a little farther west before stopping for the night. We had a delicious meal (fish & chips for Bob and me, burgers for all the Ryans, microbeer for most) at the Grizzly Paw. It was a thrill for us to reconnect with Al, Laurel and Steve. We missed Chrissie, though! Our adventure loving niece is in Melbourne, Australia.

Spending the night at the Radisson (Minnesota Carlson Companies hotel) in Canmore, a town that looks much like an Alpine village. We're surrounded by mountains; I fully expect to run into Christopher Plummer in liederhosen.

Good Morning, Alberta!

High River at Sunrise

I always feel proud when I see the Canadian flag, wherever I am. I feel compelled to tell the people around me, "That's my flag. I'm a Canadian". Yesterday I was a little teary as we crossed the border at Carway and were welcomed by bilingual notices and a large "Welcome to Alberta" sign.

Although I've lived in the US for nearly thirty years, I still follow Canadian news and, especially, politics. Last night I watched the CBC report on tomorrow's Québec election. Looking watching Canadian election returns Tuesday evening. Happy to be in Canada, though I kind of wish I were in  in Montréal on election night.

Today we woke to a another sparkling day, wondering about the thousands of birds we saw in the sky at dawn. I hope I can twist Bob's arm to visit the bird sanctuary in High River.

Going to the Sun Road

Going to the Sun Road, Glacier National Park.

 

The morning was already warming when we checked out of Pine Lodge at about ten this morning. There was very little traffic on the highway until we arrived at the entrance to Glacier National Park. Bob had remembered his senior National Parks membership card, so we got into the park for free, not a bad way to start our magical day in the park.

The road is lovely and serene, despite the large number of people in Glacier on this holiday weekend. We stopped regularly along the route to enjoy the majestic peaks, the contrasting textures, the colors. Because much of the beauty is simply along the road, where there's no place to pull over, I took a lot of pictures from the moving car.

We spent about an hour at Logan's Pass Visitors' Center, where two or three bighorn sheep were resting on the side of the mountain. Bob has such good eyesight that he could see them without binoculars. I had trouble even with the binocs, but good a few pictures anyway. I like my 18X zoom!

I had wanted to stay in St. Mary's but Bob had correctly surmised that it would be too early in the day to stop. Instead we had a poor lunch in the foothills (rather reminiscent of Toby's at Hinckley, midway between St. Paul and Duluth) and got back in the car. After one wrong turn, we progammed the GPS to a new destination, Calgary.

We somehow missed the single rest stop on our journey and were glad to stop at High River, the hometown of Canada's 19th Prime Minister, Joe Clark.  We checked into the Ramada (nice hotel, awful area full of neon signs) and had a light supper at Subway. Enjoyed a swim in a great new pool.

Early Evening in Whitefish

Dinner at the Craggy Range

Saturday, September 1. The hotel shuttle driver from this morning's airpot run recommended the Craggy Range so we stopped in after church. We sat on the sunny patio, nicely shaded with umbrellas, and enjoyed a couple of drinks. Bob's prime rib seemed pretty good, served with crispy fried onions and root vegetables, including parsnips. My burger and salad were just great, my best meal since my fresh tomato and cheese sandwich on Thursday.

Montana Music Festival

Saturday, September 1. We heard the band as we walked out of the Craggy Range and followed the music to a fenced in venue near the train depot. The Montana Music Festival was just ending for the day, but we did get to see and hear The Outlaws' last song, an excellent performance of Ghost Riders in the Sky.

St. Charles Borromeo Church

Saturday, September 1. In the bad old days before the Internet, we relied on the hotel front desk or the Yellow Pages for information on Sunday mass times. Sometimes we just drove around looking for a church. I knew weeks ago where the Catholic church in Whitefish was located, and we'd already decided to go to 5:00 o'clock mass, our usual time at home.

St. Charles Borromeo is a lively parish right downtown, conveniently located across from the Whitefish Liquor Store. The pastor as a good voice and he obviously likes to preach. And sing. The music group of three women was pretty good and they kept the hymns from dragging. All very uplifting and enjoyable as well.

R & R

We weren't feeling too sharp this morning but we managed to take the shuttle to pick up our car at the airport. I got a cheaper rate and unlimited mileage (hard to come by in Whitefish) by booking through Hotwire: Malibu with a sunroof, Sirius radio, leather seats and a few other features for $29.95/day, more expensive than we pay in Florida and $7.00.day more than it would have cost if I'd waited a week longer to book the car. Oh well, it's still better than limited miles and $42/day, the rate quoted for the same car at the Amtrak location.

Bob likes his Impala

The beautiful Glacier International Airport reminded me of the airport in London, Ontario, except that it seems very new. We can drop off the car at Amtrak when we leave for home (Bob's idea) so I think we're in good shape.

Spent the warmest part of the afternoon in the pool, where I'd be quite happy to spend the next week. It must have been built in the golden age of hotel pools when they were long and wide and 8 feet deep. My kind of fun.

Pine Lodge Hotel

Friday, August 31. We dozed a little as the train pushed through the park, very dark shortly after sunset. Eric, our attendant, announced that the East Glacier Park and Whitefish stations would not be announced, so as not to disturb sleeping passengers, or at least that's what we surmised. Finally, our stop. We got up wearily and hauled our carryon bags -- mysterously heavier than they had been 24 hours earlier -- and down the stairs onto the platform in the chilly night air.

Whitefish Depot, the day after our arrival

Our bags were delivered to the ramp and the hotel sent the shuttle to pick us up right away. We checked in at Pine Lodge Hotel, took a shower and went to bed. I still had a queasy stomach from the rocking of the train, but it disappeared overnight and we awoke reasonably bright at 7:30, very late for both of us.

A Day > 24 hours

Waiting for the Train

Thursday, August 30. Judgment may not be my strong suit. I worked in my characteristic, driven way all day yesterday and arrived home after five – hot, tired and grumpy. I made supper for Bob, washed a load of dishes, cleaned the bathrooms and the kitchen. By the time I took my shower, I was sweating profusely. Barely coherent after packing, I couldn’t even find a pair of earrings to wear for my 10 days away from home. No matter. The Romney acceptance speech put me in a thoroughly foul mood, just in time to leave the house shortly before 10. The train station is only a mile from home so we were soon parked an in the station. The gruff Amtrak employee who had sold us our tickets to Whitefish in June was on duty, and she had shed a little of her correctional officer demeanor as we checked our baggage.  We soon entered the “sleeping car passenger” waiting room, accessible only by keypad. Coach passengers looked enviously through the glass door, where we sat in frigid discomfort waiting for the train, running about an hour late.

All Aboard

Thursday, August 20. The train finally arrived at about 11:10. A stretcher flanked by St. Paul Fire Department EMTs stood outside, waiting for a passenger arriving on the train from Chicago – a sobering sight on the steamy platform. Finally, an Amtrak rep looking more like a Polar Express staffer sat down at a makeshift table and scanned our tickets, only to issue a paper boarding pass with the numbers of our car (731) and roomette (8). Our car attendant escorted us directly to our quarters, in a car near the front of the train.

Dismay! The beds were made up and we had to stand in the narrow passage while we scrambled with our carry-on luggage. By this time, Bob’s shirt was soaked with sweat. I looked up at the shelf that would soon be my berth and wondered how I would get up there. No ladder, just the arm of the seat to climb on.

Across the passageway, fellow passengers were sound asleep, even though I was laughing loudly at the present and presumed future predicament. It was nearly midnight and we walked back a few  cars to the “lounge”. The train moved slowly out of the station, through Dinkytown and the University of Minnesota. We recognized little of Minneapolis, since we don’t know the neighborhoods near the tracks.

We packed our jackets before we checked our bags, knowing that 90-degree heat would last for at least the next 24 hours. It was a bad idea. We were freezing and felt we had to go to bed to warm up.

A Night on the Train

Thursday, August 30 – Friday, August 31. An online review I read last week warned that the upper bunk was for the young, light and nimble. Because I have none of those attributes, I figured Bob would have to push and stuff me up on that bed, but it was an easy climb and I was soon sprawled on the bunk, with a foot or so of clearance above my head. Time to undress. I` started with my socks and worked my way north. Decided that nightie was too damn difficult to put on, so I wriggled under the covers, a little worried that some kind of emergency might force me out of the train stark naked in the dead of night. Bob hooked up the safety harness that would keep the bottom half of my body restrained, at least for a time, if I fell out of bed headfirst.

I attempted to stifle my laughter as the train finally began to gain speed and I gripped the side of my 20” bed to prevent a fall. I periodically heaved myself from one side to the other and slept a little. Very little. Bob woke at 5 and we both went to the lavatory at the east end of the car. I had to put my nightie on to venture out, but the view from behind was not pretty as I climbed down less than gracefully, shielded from public view by a pleated blue curtain.

I was ready to get up but Bob wanted to sleep some more, so I stayed in the rolling coffin of my berth until 7, when our attendant put our compartment back together for the long day ahead. This is not a return to the golden age of rail travel, whenever (and whatever) that was.

Breakfast at Devil’s Lake

Friday, August 31. My old motor home legs have come back quickly, and I’ve regained the serving skills acquired in those long ago days, when Bob and Chris sat in the cab of the Coachmen while I walked back and forth with snacks, beverages and trash. Navigated the passageway to get the very hot coffee and gracefully returned to the little box, where Bob had claimed the seat moving forward and I got the other, directly facing the light on the hot eastern sun.

Had breakfast in a tight booth with Hugh and Darlene, a retired couple from Pennsylvania. The omelet and scrambled eggs were mediocre at best, but the juice and company were good. The North Dakota landscape rolls peacefully by, past fields and cattle, wetlands and prairie lakes. The train is running 90 minutes late as we approach Minot at about 10 a.m. The train has already switched over to Mountain Time, although we don’t officially hit that time zone until the Montana border.

I will sign us up for the “wine and cheese event” this afternoon. Limit of 20 passengers per sleeping car. Bob is not too enthusiastic but he said he’ll join me if I manage to get on the sign-up sheet.

Minot

Friday, August 31. Pulling out of Minot at 10:41 a.m. We “detrained” (a new word for me) and noted that the day will be very hot.  The train whistle blows incessantly as we pass fields of sunflowers, rolled hay, and other acres of nothing. Cornfields are brown from drought, and some of the cattle watering holes re dry. I’m waiting for the promised trestle bridge but no sign of it yet. Half an hour out of Minot, oil wells – the source of the new prosperity in North Dakota – begin to appear.

I asked Bob if he knows of a famous monastery in Minot, but he doesn’t, and I miss wifi! Google will have to wait for Whitefish.

Restrooms on the Train

Friday, August 31. We’re on the second level of the car, where there is one restroom, an old, somewhat disgusting one. It’s not really dirty, but the floor was covered with what I hoped was water earlier this morning. I gagged, praying that I wouldn’t throw up and make matters worse. Fortunately, I’m good, for now at least.

At least two of the restrooms on the lower level are fine. One of these has a newer looking shower in a very confined space, the kind with a semi-circular Plexiglas  shower door. Lots of bath towels and face cloths, but I’m not about to take a shower in a train going 80 mph. I can just hear myself: “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!”

I am somewhat fanatic about brushing and flossing, but I seem to have packed my teeth accessories. I hope to God that checked baggage makes it.

5 O’clock Somewhere

Like in England. At about noon Central time Bob poured us a drink and I must admit that our two cocktails have made this journey more pleasant. Or less unpleasant.  An hour later we’re travelling through the Badlands, not so pretty as the South Dakota Badlands but nice enough in a rugged, depressing way.

We get free meals with our sleeping accommodations, and we do plan to head to the dining car for lunch. However, the dining car attendant just announced that there’s a waiting list for lunch so we may, or may not, get there. I’m going to walk down there now (the 5 cars) and put our name in.

The landscape reminds me our trip to Yellowstone when Chris was a little guy. Fun times, then and now. Bob and I have laughed so much in the last 18 hours!

Hennessey – Party of Two

Friday, August 31. Our name was called shortly after the promised 20-minute wait and we bounced our way down to the dining car, balancing ourselves between the walls. Meals are “community seating”, and we found ourselves with a pleasant couple from Massachusetts, Ray and Esther, on their way to Seattle for Ray’s Navy reunion and then to Los Angeles to visit their sons. Most passengers are “d’un certain age” and seem to have plenty of money, enough to travel “First Class”. Doesn’t seem like first class travel to me but that’s what Amtrak calls it.

Bob and I both had the Angus Burger, a dry hunk of salty meat served on a bun with cheddar cheese, tomatoes and onion. Chips on the side. I ate only the meat and declined the dulce de leche ice cream. I did taste Bob’s, and it was delicious.

Bob is sitting with his extra polo shirt wrapped around him, reminding me of Clark Griswold locked in the attic in Christmas Vacation. I’m not cold right now, and the laptop is warm on my knees.

Wine & Cheese

Friday, August 31. The vin fromage event was called out over the PA promptly at 3. This time, Pat & Jim from Bigfork were our table companions. They’re a career military couple retired in Montana. The four wines served were all from Washington State, two white (Chardonnay and a Gewur-something), two red (a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Gamay). The cheeses: a cheddar, bleu cheese and something white. All good but not spectacular.

We answered trivia questions to win bottles of the wines served. I didn’t know one of the answers and, in fact, can barely remember the questions. 95 degrees in Malta, according to the bank sign. Since I drank most of Bob’s wine, I expected to be thoroughly tipsy walking back to our car, but no; I walked as steadily as the rest of my AARP peeps. I’m astounded that these people, many of them easily 80+, can walk through the train, let alone climb up on the bunks.

Here we are at 4:00 p.m., near Hwy 396, on our way to Havre. Another opportunity to step out of the train and warm up.

Warmed up TV Dinners

Friday, August 31. The ten minutes we spent outside in Havre warmed us up pretty well, for awhile, at least. We started to look forward to our 6:45 p.m. dinner seating, even though neither of us was hungry. We were seated with Ray and Esther once again, and we all had equally disgusting meals. Chicken for them, tilapia for us. I did like the spicy lentils with chili. Bob commented that the meals on the train are like “warmed up TV dinners” – the ones that were popular back in the 50s.

The landscape is marred by abandoned properties and old trailers converted into quasi permanent homes. Night is falling and we’re going to miss seeing the mountains in daylight. Shelby is the next stop, and we won’t be in Whitefish till well after 11, several hours late.

Amtrak Vacation

Bob has been wistfully hoping for a train vacation for as long as I've known him. This summer, I capitulated and we booked the Empire Builder to Whitefish, Montana at the end of August. We've been reading about Montana and Alberta all summer, preparing for our mountain adventure.

On Thursday morning, two full weeks before departure time, an offensive, insistent ring jarred me awake at dawn, and I bolted out of bed to answer the phone. The Amtrak recording announced that trains had been running 2-5 hours late all summer, because of extreme heat and problems (I guess) with the rails. We decided that it was time to check out the Empire Builder's ontime record.

We headed over to the station at about 10:30 p.m., when the train should have been pulling in from Chicago. Turns out it was about 20  minutes late, but it lost several hours on the way to Whitefish before arriving in Whitefish half an hour before midnight the next night. We'll be checking the Empire Builder's status between now and departure time.