The Return Begins

Our last day in Seattle began, as had several others, with Al’s Famous Yeast Waffles topped with strawberries and whipped cream and complemented by humanely raised (though not humanely slaughtered) turkey bacon. After breakfast, all of us – Al, Judy, Lloyd, Alga, Banchong, Elijah, Liam, Beth and me (Elyssa and Matt had gone to pick up a crib for the new baby) – went for one last stroll along Alki Beach. Our little parade celebrated the warmth of family togetherness with Al pushing Lloyd in the lead followed by Judy holding Elijah’s hand (and sometimes Lloyd’s and Liam’s as well) and Alga corralling Liam to keep him from letting his curiosity lead him into the path of oncoming skateboards and bicycles. Banchong, Beth and I intermingled where needed or desired. It was lovely! Later we joined Elyssa and Matt for more food and hugs and kisses before Judy, Al and Lloyd took Beth and me to the train station. The memories of that send-off will make me smile for a long time!

It has been fun introducing Beth to train travel, roomette-style. She had traveled as a commoner on a train, but not in a sleeping car. The Empire Builder out of Seattle follows a route through Washington and Glacier National Park and along the northern borders of Idaho, Montana and North Dakota, before descending into Chicago. We had an upper level roomette for the first leg of our trip that was great for viewing the magnificent Cascade Mountains in Washington. I have already described sleeping car travel and it was much the same on this train. One difference is that we were greeted with chilled bottles of champagne, a definite plus!

Beth and I had decided to spice up our trip by spending a day in random towns along the route, including Whitefish, MT; Minot, ND; Chicago and DC – the first two were chosen simply because the train arrival and departure times were at reasonable hours! Beth arranged for B&Bs in both towns and so far we’re 1 for 1 (Minot is still tbd)!

Our Whitefish B&B

Beth in front of our room

The Good Medicine Lodge in Whitefish is about 5 blocks from the train station, but its owners, Woody and Betsy Cox, insisted on picking us up at the train when we arrived at 7:30 am and bringing us back for a hot breakfast. This was just the first example of their hospitality. After loading us into his car, Woody took us on a tour of Whitefish (which took less than 10 minutes), pointing out shops to visit and restaurants to consider, including one called “Pescado Blanco” for some reason. On arrival at the lodge we were treated to a delicious baked artichoke and salsa omelet, baked pears, and a breakfast bar of cereals, juices, breads, coffee, and so much more. Betsy, a published cook, had chosen the omelet because Beth had told her I was vegetarian and made Beth’s pear without nuts because Beth is allergic to nuts. So we ate with humble appreciation; true enjoyment; and as much gusto as we could muster having eaten a full breakfast on the train not more than 90 minutes earlier. The rest of the day we spent walking around town, resting and walking some more in the hopes of making room for the cocktails and hors d’oeuvres they prepared just for us that evening! On our second trip into town we did find the time and the room in our stomachs to sample all of the beers at the local brewpub, hard as that was.

Whitefish, MT

Whitefish is a small, western-style, tourist-dependent town, whose tourist season has not quite started. Our visit was also on Sunday, making for a quiet, relaxing 24 hours. The walk to town was on a bike trail that skirted along the beautiful Whitefish Lake and river and ended up in the shopping district. A town of only 8000 people, the shopping district was only about three blocks, but the shops were local and interesting, even if way over-priced ($65 ceramic mugs, for instance). The Great Northern Brewing Company was definitely the highlight!

Walking along Whitefish Lake

This morning, we got back on the Empire Builder – this time as commoners since we wouldn’t be spending the night. The Viewliner Lounge was still available, we just had to pay for food and missed out on the wine and cheese social offered to the sleeping car passengers! Thanks to the train, we saw more of Glacier National Park than we could have from a car since snow blocked most of the roads and trails – at least from the west side. We climbed almost as high as the tree line and were privy to the steep peaks and deep valleys of the park. More proof that Teddy Roosevelt did the right thing way back when. Just gorgeous.

Glacier National Park from Train

The rest of Montana was mostly flat farmlands dotted with cows, horses, ranches, and windmills. Pretty but also pretty monotonous. Next stop: the magic city of Minot (pronounced my’-not), North Dakota.