Every summer, our family tries to take one big road trip. This year, we let Amtrak do the driving from St. Paul, Minn. to Portland, Ore.
Read the rest of my review of Amtrak’s Empire Builder in The Washington Post.
Copyright © 2024 Jennifer Jeanne Patterson — Escapade WordPress theme by GoDaddy
The Amtrak article was fabulous. It was so enjoyable to read. Taking a trip on Amtrak is on the bucket list and you have absolutely reinforced that desire. Thanks so much for sharing your trip across the country!
HELLO: I loved the article in the Washington Post. We live in Silver Spring, Md just North of the city. We have twice taken the Capitol Limited from D.C. to Chicago. It’s an overnight run with arrival at 10:00am in Union Station. Very similar to your described trip. AND, the best of all: The Auto-Train. It leaves at 4:00pm from Virginia and arrives at Fl. in the morning. Approximately 600 + people, 300 + cars, two dinning room cars, one lounge car, and one “Crew” car. It is Non-Stop. We always get a Sleeper car room. There is a crew of 25 people. Most also go to sleep during the night. So instead of driving 1200 miles to Palm Beach County for the winter; We are there the next morning. Perfect. And we return home to Maryland in the Spring the same way.
I literally sobbed with nostalgia and joy as I read about your train trip to the west coast. I’m sure it brought back memories of my trip in 1970 with my wife and four children on a round trip; from Missouri to California. OIt was the last summer that the passenger trains were still in private hands. Almost all the rail employees had 25 years of experience and were delightful. We couldn’t afford sleepers so tried various ways to sleep comfortably. The younger son even managed to sleep in the luggage rack overhead. My sons begged cookies from the young Mormon Missionaries as they embarked on their missions. (Mothers sent cookies to traveling sons) I’ve been a train buff since I was three years old. That was 86 years ago.