From 2005

I make the trip from Missouri to Washington state quite frequently, usually a couple times each year. With my StudentAdvantage discount, Amtrak ended up being cheaper than flying or driving.

Its been a while since then, so I’ll recall what I can. I know it was winter or late fall. It was cool outside but warm enough to walk around outdoors without a jacket. I booked a route from St Louis to Chicago in business class ($14 extra) and then transferred to the Empire Builder from Chicago to Spokane, Washington.

When I boarded in St Louis at “Amshack” (a crude little station underneath highway 40) I arrived an hour early. The station had me board on the earlier train, but the conductor checking tickets was displeased. I shrugged and told him they made me do it.

Seated in business class, which included larger seats, free beverages, power outlets, and less annoying children.

Brought a clip-style antenna for my satellite radio, the grey thing hanging on the side of the seat.

I made sure to get a seat facing XM’s satellites located southwest.

Not much to see in Illinois. At least I could doze off.

South of Chicago

Approaching Chicago

Chicago’s union station combines Amtrak and local mass transit.

Deboarded the train at Union Station and had five hours to kill, so I did a walking tour of Chicago.

Sears Tower was nice and quiet. I was traveling during the work week.

With my backpack and suitcase, I walked several miles around town.

Sears Tower up close.

A video on the Sears Tower being played in the lobby.

Got to the top.

A dreary day but the view was wide enough. If I recall correctly, the trip to the top was about $12.

Union Station

Got hungry and wandered around looking for food.

I wanted to try something uniquely Chicago, so I walked into a place selling Italian beef. At the time, I had no idea what I was ordering, but I loved it.

Slices of beef are placed on a dense roll which soaks up all the juices. Its really quite amazing.

After several miles of walking, I sat down on my suitcase to rest my feet.

I managed to kill over four hours just wandering around, looking at people, staring at buildings. I headed back to Union Station to catch my train to Washington.

Its amazing how busy and active Union Station is compared to the glorified shed used for rail service in St Louis.

On the platform approaching the Empire Builder.

My seat. Seating on Amtrak isn’t assigned unless a tag overhead with the destination written on it designates that someone has claimed the seat. The black knob to the left allows a foot rest to pop up and the silver button reclines. Its surprisingly comfortable for sleeping. I feel badly for anyone who had to tolerate my snoring.

Made sure to pick a seat on the left to get a southern XM signal as the train headed west.

Souvenirs from the Sears Tower

Well, the bathrooms were functional. Empire Builder has been updated since 2005 with power outlets at every seat and newer facilities.

The snack bar was well stocked, though beer selection was limited.

Sitting in the observation deck.

Somewhere in North Dakota

North Dakota

Evening lighting. I slept well. At night, some people choose to bring a sleeping bag and sleep on the floor in the observation car.
I don’t recall how much more a sleeping room cost, but I remember it being not worth the expense — its priced to be a luxury, and it is.

Lots of small towns along the route are served by Amtrak.

Several mennonites boarded the train.

Beer, a hot dog, and XM radio.

Stanley ND
The train broke down quite a few times, leaving us stuck for 30 minutes to an hour while they worked on the problem. Fortunately, heating and plumbing worked fine during the breakdown.

Watching some TV shows saved to the computer.

The power situation was a bit of a pain. At this time, the Empire Builder didn’t yet have outlets at every seat, so people shared an outlet and surge protector located in the observation car. Lots of cell phones were piled up in one place.

I didn’t get any pictures of the dining car, but Empire Builder is the only Amtrak train in the country with a full kitchen staffed with chefs. They asked me what time I preferred to eat, and I went in and was seated across from two guys covered from top to bottom in tattoos. They were great company, clearly quite drunk. At one point the server asked them to tone down the language. I chuckled a bit.

I told them I was a student and asked them what they did for a living. They looked at each other for a moment and said “We’re in… production.” I said “Cool” and left it at that. One of them pulled out a wad of cash the size of a toilet paper roll and generously offered to pay for my meal.

Great conversation, excellent food. I ordered an omelette that was cooked perfectly and recall prices being quite reasonable, but the details escape me.

The Empire Builder passes through Glacier National Park, but this time it was during the evening. In the daylight, you get a spectacular view and a park volunteer announces the sights in the observation lounge.

Eventually I made it to Spokane where Bo and Tyler picked me up. I hadn’t bathed in 36 hours and felt a bit greasy.