Day Five
Amtrak First Class ~ Enroute through Oregon & Washington ~ Arr. 800p

I’d left my curtains partly open through the night – all the better to appreciate the starlight as we sped through the night - and so by contrast the light of the new day may well have roused me from my slumber. A quick glance at my watch indicated it was just after 7:30am. Well dang – I guess I missed a view of Mt. Shasta. Then again, maybe not. The terrain didn’t look right. I’ve made over 30 trips aboard the Coast Starlight and more than most I’m pretty familiar with the landscapes along the way. It didn’t look like southern Oregon out my window.

Upstairs at the service area, I asked a fellow rider if she knew where we were – or if she’d seen Mt. Shasta. She had no idea on either account but said she’d heard we were running about an hour late. Aha! Well that makes sense then – it’s certainly not unheard of that issues related to freight traffic occasionally affect Amtrak trains. It used to be really bad years ago as the host railroads routinely pushed Amtrak trains off on to sidings in favor of their more profitable freight traffic but congress finally put the word out to the host railroads that this bullying of Amtrak would no longer be tolerated. That said, there are still legitimate situations that arise that can result in delays, so looking at our situation in a more positive light meant that we’d be able to see California’s Mt. Shasta, towering 14,179 feet above sea level and probably 10 or 11 thousand feet above the level of our tracks. Had we been on time, we’d have been rolling past America’s second highest volcano at about 6:30am – a time when most of us would have been comfortably slumbering through the last hour or two of a good night’s sleep. This morning however, thanks to our delay, we still got to enjoy the always breathtaking visage of this beautiful volcano.



Mt. Shasta towers above the Coast Starlight


As I savored my coffee and a granola bar which I’d purchased at a corner market in San Francisco I couldn’t help but muse on the fact that this was my fifth straight day riding the rails and honestly, per my standards at least life couldn’t be better. I mean, I’d just spent the past four nights aboard Amtrak Superliners and now here I was rolling through some of the prettiest landscape on the continent. I’ve had a comfortable bed to sleep in each night, a hot shower most mornings, coffee and orange juice conveniently located nearby and three square meals each day. As travel experiences go, for guys like me who are into the journey it just doesn’t get much better.

It was just after 9:00am when we rolled into the southern Oregon community of Klamath Falls. This is a service stop for the Starlight where garbage is disposed of and necessities like water and ice are restocked. This translates into about a fifteen minute stop, more than enough time to step off the train, enjoy a few lungful’s of crisp morning air (or for some a cigarette), and maybe purchase a copy of the local paper. I managed to accomplish all of these things (except the cigarette) before re-boarding and heading back to the dining car where hot coffee, a good veggie omelet with cheese, black beans, corn, chicken sausage and a biscuit gave me a good start for the day.

Out of Klamath we rolled north along the shores of Klamath Lake where a very pretty view was had of 9,495’ Mt. McLoughlin, a classic steep sided conical volcano that last erupted about 30000 years ago. I think it’s about due! Of course, translated into the context of a geologic timeline, “about due” could be any time in the next two or three thousand years.



Oregon’s 9,495’ Mt. McLoughlin


At Chemult the Starlight begins a long, gradual climb up into the Cascade Mountains. Along the way the train traverses 22 tunnels, many of them snow sheds designed to protect passing trains from avalanches.



Climbing through one of the many snow sheds in the Cascades


As we descended down the western side of Willamette Pass., the forest transitioned from predominantly coniferous pine, fir and hemlock to an increasing mix of deciduous species such as aspen, maple, birch and larch. The warmer temperatures on the western slope contributed to the exciting glow of spring amidst the newly green leaves compared to the cooler conditions on the eastern slope.

Last call for lunch was made as we entered the Willamette Valley above Eugene. I was sat with Jack, Elizabeth and Grady – a family of three who had boarded in San Luis Obispo the day before and was returning home to Corvallis, Oregon. They’d been visiting Elizabeth’s parents who lived in Pismo Beach, just south of SLO. For their travel between Corvallis and San Luis Obispo, the Coast Starlight was perfect – much better than flying which would have been much more expensive were they to fly into San Luis Obispo. The Coast Starlight had great departure and arrival times in both directions and with the use of Amtrak’s companion coupon and the half price kids sale it all added up to a deal that was simply too good to pass up.

We all ordered hamburgers for lunch – the black bean and corn veggie burger for me and Elizabeth and the all-beef angus burger for Jack and Grady. I asked for and received a side salad, cheese and bacon with my burger – added at no additional cost as part of my sleeper fare.



Lunch time ambiance in the Willamette Valley


Luncheon Salad


Black Bean and Corn Veggie Burger


By the time we’d eased into Eugene we’d managed to make up about fifteen minutes off our delay. A conductor passing by while we were in the dining car assured the couple next to us that we’d likely make up another 15-10 minutes on our arrival into Portland, so they’d still be okay for their connection to the eastbound Empire Builder.

Travel from Eugene up to Corvallis and beyond to Portland is up the broad Willamette River Valley. The scenery is pretty though not particularly inspiring. As such, I bid adieu to my luncheon companions and retired to my roomette to lie down and stretch out for a bit. Earlier in the day I’d asked Steve to leave my roomette in its sleeping configuration as it was more comfortable for me to lie down and read as opposed to sitting up. It does my back good to get horizontal now and then – something I rarely get a chance to do in my day to day life.

By the time we pulled into Portland we were just twenty minutes off schedule. Steve said there was so much extra time built into the schedule between Portland and Seattle that our arrival into Seattle was al but guaranteed. In the meantime, we spent a good half hour at Portland, allowing plenty of time for through passengers to go inside the historic brick station and have a look around. Opened in 1896, this is one of my all-time favorite train stations with its distinctive clock tower and polished Italian marble waiting room. Like Denver’s Union Station, there’s a 1940s era neon sign encouraging passengers to “Go By Train”. In Portland this sign is mounted up high on the clock tower. Unlike Denver’s Union Station, Portland’s Union Station also has a Metropolitan Lounge for sleeping car passengers. I stopped in for a quick coffee before re-boarding.



Arrival into Portland over the Steele St. Bridge


Portland’s Union Station


Portland’s Union Station


The four hour ride from Portland up to Seattle is fairly nondescript. It’s essentially 170 miles of tree lined tracks with the occasional river and highway crossing. It becomes a lot more interesting north of Tacoma as the tracks run along or near the Puget Sound. One of the benefits of traveling in the late spring and early summer is that with the longer days the sun sat low in the sky as we passed under the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. The view was spectacular!



Tacoma Narrows Bridge at sunset


Puget Sound at sunset


During my layover in San Francisco I’d taken advantage of a free Wi-Fi connection at the Griffon Hotel to explore my options for getting from Seattle out to the airport after the arrival of this train. I knew about the light rail option from the International District Station, conveniently located right next door to Seattle’s King Street Station. However, I was curious about the possibility of getting off at Tacoma and catching a bus from there. The Starlight was scheduled to arrive at Tacoma an hour and ten minutes before its arrival into Seattle and it was possible to catch a bus from Tacoma directly to the airport. Even factoring in our delayed arrival (we were only ten minutes late) there’d still be enough time to walk four blocks up to the Tacoma Dome Transit Center and catch the 574 bus direct to the airport. Doing so would get me to SeaTac a good hour earlier than if I’d detrained in Seattle, and into my hotel that much earlier as well.

So it was that I detrained early at Tacoma. My timing couldn’t have been better in that after walking the four blocks up Puyallup Avenue to the Tacoma Dome Transit Center, the airport bus was just getting ready to depart. By 8:30pm I was checking into my room at the Ramada SeaTac – about an hour and a half earlier than if I’d detrained at the end of the line in Seattle. I’ve always liked Ramada SeaTac for its convenient location, clean rooms and the excellent Ginger Palace Restaurant located just off the lobby.

All told, this trip is off to a great start so far! My trans-continental rail journey was everything one could hope for on a long train ride - a pleasant and relaxing experience highlighted by comfortable accommodations, decent food and drink, interesting traveling companions and some of the finest scenery accessible by rail anywhere on the continent.

Tomorrow I’d be off to Colorado for a couple of appointments and then on to LA and beyond to the Orient via Cathay Pacific’s First Class. Let’s get it on!


Day Six
Alaska Airlines First Class ~ 737-800 ~ Seattle, WA to Denver, CO ~ 330p – 708p

Although my favorite Alaska Lounge at SeaTac is the original facility at the junction of the C and D concourses, I am partial to the North Satellite lounge for one thing: Manny’s Pale Ale. Per my tastes at least, this beer is about as close as it gets to the perfect quaff. Dry hopped with a crisp, slightly bitter finish, I find it absolutely delicious. Unfortunately, it is not yet available to the public in bottles so I’ll have to limit my indulgence to SeaTac visits where it is served in Alaska’s main lounge as well as American Express’ Centurion Lounge over on the B concourse.

Flight 682 to Denver was conveniently parked at N2, right next door to Alaska’s North Satellite lounge. I took my time, enjoying a plate of cheese and crackers with my pint of Manny’s before eventually heading across to the gate about twenty minutes before departure. I am rarely one to arrive early at the gate in an effort to be amongst the first to board. As a result, the overhead storage space – especially above row 1 in First Class where I was sat this afternoon – is often taken. So be it. That is the price I am willing to pay to avoid the stress and crowding that accompany the rat race to be amongst the first to board. It’s just not worth it to me.

Rather surprisingly, I arrived onboard to find that despite the First Class cabin being mostly full, there was still plenty of space available above row 2 on both sides of the aisle. Well right on, then. I took my seat, gave a little wave to seatmate who was totally wired in to his I-Pad, and awaited our departure.

Taking off to the south, we made a wide sweeping turn to the southeast that afforded those with window seats on the F side a nice view of Mt. Rainier. I miss sitting in window seats but overall it’s more important to me to have the ease of movement afforded me in an aisle seat so that I can get up and stretch out once in a while. Given my spinal condition, it’s important not to sit too long.

Following its merger with Virgin America, Alaska has made an effort to improve its catering in both substance and presentation. To that end, all appropriately timed flights over 675 miles will now be offered menus and a choice of two entrees. I can’t imagine this will last too long, but hey, let’s enjoy it while it does! Here are today’s meal offerings:


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First Class Menu Seattle to Denver


Is it only me or does a “protein plate” sound more like something you’d order from a cafe in some Southern California body builder's gym? I’ve been stuck with this option once before and found it unappealing. For an airline attempting to offer improved First Class catering to its best customers, I think it’s a poor choice.

By comparison, the Za’atar Chicken Salad was pretty good. I was especially thankful to see that it was based around a foundation of mesclun greens as opposed to arugula, which seems to have been the green of choice for Alaska over the past year or so.



Za’atar Chicken Salad


As always, the descent into Denver was a bit bumpy. It felt at times like the pilots were working hard to line us up for our final, but they kept us generally straight and true, ultimately landing smoothly from the south. Thirty minutes later I was speeding north up Tower Blvd. in a new Chevy Malibu with just 1800 miles on it.


Day Eight
American Airlines Economy Class ~ A319-100 ~ Denver, CO to Los Angeles, CA ~ 809p – 952p

I booked this flight on the alaskaair.com site as a codeshare and perhaps because of that I was able to snag a Main Cabin Extra seat at no extra cost despite having zero status in American’s AAdvantage program. That lack of status came back to haunt me in the boarding process though, as I was assigned Group 6.

Back in the 1970s, I used to fly between Denver and Los Angeles six or seven times a year. More often than not, those flights were aboard Continental DC-10s, complete with distinctive themed cabins with names like the California Room or the Micronesia Room. Also available were lounges in both first and coach classes.



Continental’s DC-10 – The Good Old Days of Flying


These days, I count myself lucky that American’s chosen to upgrade most of its DEN-LAX flights to mainline equipment. For quite a few years there, American shuffled this route off to its American Eagle subsidiary which translated into flights aboard CRJ-700s and, if you were lucky, maybe an Embraer E-75.

Tonight, we could have used one of those DC-10s of old. This flight was completely sold out with several unhappy standbys left standing at the gate.

A sign in the boarding area indicated that American has as many as 9 different boarding groups. By the time they finally got around to calling group 6 though, it seemed as if 80% of the passengers had already boarded. Unfortunately, 90% of the available overhead storage space had already been taken. Especially annoying was that more than a bit of that space was taken with day packs and purses, placed there by inattentive and/or uncaring types who couldn’t be bothered to heed the entreaties of both the gate agents and the flight attendants to place these items under their seats.

Although I was seated at row 10, I ended up having to go all the way back to row 19 before I was able to find space for my roll-a-bord. I then continued to the back of the plane where I spent the next 15 minutes waiting as more and more passengers and their bags began to assemble until enough people got seated so that they could take their bags back up to the front to be gate checked.

As for the flight itself – what can I say? For an 8:00pm departure with no real service other than the beverage cart, it went about as well as such flights can go. I appreciated the extra leg room as well as the plus-sized Biscoff cookies that American doled out. I saved mine to have with coffee tomorrow morning.


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In years past, given my late arrival, I might have considered crashing in the airport. I know of a couple of good quiet spots over in the Tom Bradley International Terminal that would have worked quite nicely in this regard. Still, I’m flying out of here tomorrow in First Class aboard one of the world’s best airlines. Since the flight isn’t scheduled to depart until 12:30pm, it seemed appropriate to get a hotel for the night.

Over the years I’ve stayed in most of the big name brands out on Century Boulevard. We’re talking Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton, Sheraton, Holiday Inn, etc. They’ve all been very nice in a pleasant, functional sort of way. And yet, I find many of these big corporate brands to be a bit sterile. Much like a new pair of jeans, the rooms all look nice enough but they don’t feel particularly welcoming in a down home comfortable kind of way.

Now I’m not saying a Motel 6 does, either, but I’ve stayed in some pretty nice motels that are well looked after and in terms of furnishings and ambiance have the look and feel of a nice home rather than a nice hotel room. The best example of this that I’ve found amongst the many hotels surrounding LAX is the Travelodge on Century Blvd.

As any of you who’ve stayed in second tier hotels like Ramada Inn or Travelodge know, the quality of such properties can vary greatly despite the corporate name. Take the Ramada at LAX as an example. What a dive! Noisy and frayed at the edges with clientele to match, it’s a place best avoided if you want a good night’s sleep. By comparison, the Ramada at Spokane International has a wonderful Scandinavian ambiance to it with wood and stone and bright, spacious rooms and a wonderful bar and restaurant. The rate includes a full cooked buffet breakfast in the dining room.

The Travelodge at LAX appears to have been built in the 1960s. With its lushly landscaped grounds, palm lined swimming pool, spacious rooms (including poolside rooms with veranda) and affordable down home dining via the attached Denny’s Restaurant, it is absolutely my kind of hotel.



LAX Travelodge


Tonight I had booked a Deluxe King Poolside Room. I slept well on the big, comfortable bed and by 9:00am the next morning was on my way back to LAX.