All Aboard!

All Aboard!

“We’re trainees now,” I proudly whispered to Dane as we stood, legs braced, hands touching the walls of the Empire Builder, waiting for the train to stop. I’d appropriated the term to mean we’re now experienced Amtrak travelers.

After almost five full days of train travel, we feel we’ve learned the basics and know a few tricks to share.

First and foremost, never open the train door, even after a complete stop. Only the conductor may do that. This seemed like a no-brainer to us, but not to the gentleman ahead of us as we neared the Minot, North Dakota, train depot. The conductor chewed him out so thoroughly that I was about to cry, “Stop, just beat him,” thinking it may have been more humane than the public verbal thrashing he was receiving.

And don’t even think of entering the dining car unless you’re an elite passenger spending a small fortune for a sleeper car designed for people the size of hamsters with the flexibility of an octopus. Meals come with that pricey sleeper ticket, as does the privilege of booking your dining times. Coach riders need to wait by the door to be seated if there’s availability, and then only four people at a time. If you’d like a dining car meal, we’d recommend the $20 breakfast and skipping the more expensive lunch ($25) and dinner ($45 per person).

One benefit of eating in the dining car is making friends with your random tablemates. Another is the chance to load up on as many beverages as you can drink or carry away. Our no-nonsense waitress granted us each a coffee, a bottle of water, and a can of ginger ale before saying enough is enough.

An alternative to the dining car is the “café” on the lower level, with hours and rules that seemed to depend on whoever was running it. I learned on the way to Seattle not to touch anything but to point and ask; on the way home, not to point but to go and get the food I wanted to purchase; not to ask bothersome questions like “Where’s the cream”; and always to wear shoes. You can get away with being shoeless on the upper level of the train, but not in the café.

The best buys by far in the train café are the Asian noodle bowl, with its fresh and crispy red pepper and cabbage, and the Greek salad.

You can save money and get more nutritional bang for your buck by packing a small cooler and bringing it with you. We packed two and intentionally left one on a busy street in Seattle, loaded with cheese, sausage, crackers, and grapes. With many hungry people on the street, it was gone by the time we reached the corner coffee shop.

I was often scolded on the train, much to Dane’s amusement, for asking questions the personnel felt I should already know. In one of those conversations, I learned that the observation car we’d been enjoying all day would depart the train after midnight. If we’d stayed in that car, we’d have wound up in Portland with our luggage in Seattle!

To save money, we recommend skipping the sleeper car. Also, the sooner you book your tickets, the cheaper they are. Our round-trip coach tickets from La Crosse to Seattle were under $200 each, far cheaper than driving. Unlike at an airport, there’s free parking, and instead of the stress of navigating unfamiliar roads, you can do your work, play games, read a book, or even sleep...if you’re able.

Dane had no problem curling up and falling asleep in the seat. I tossed and turned until I discovered the observation car chairs were easier to get comfortable in. A neck pillow is a must, as are a light blanket and an eye mask. Earplugs might be helpful, too, but not if you want to harmonize with a group of Amish people singing, clapping, and playing the harmonica well past sunset.

I loved learning that at seven depots along the route, the passengers were allowed to get off, stretch their legs, and get some fresh air. In Minot, an enterprising woman has set up a coffee trailer called the Daily Buzz in an empty lot near the station. By the time we walked over, there was a long line, but it was worth the wait for a steaming cup of chai tea and some exercise.

We haven’t even been home for a week, and we’re already looking into tickets for Glacier Park, Montana. If we buy them now for next year, they’re $100 round-trip. Well worth it for another great train adventure.

All aboard!