Saturday, January 2, 2010, 8:30am; We catch a $10 taxi ride from The Gaslight Inn back to the King Street Amtrak Station. Plenty of time to check baggage, and grab a seat in the badly remuddled train room what must have been a magnificent building at one time has been
reduced to a drop-ceiling, Fluorescent lit holding pen. It's too bad since this is the beginning of the Coastal Starlight which is one of the most magnificent trains we had the pleasure to enjoy.
Maybe they understate the station so the trip will appear even more impressive.
But few train trips in this country can equal the Amtrak Coastal Starlight for scenery, service, food or comfort.
For information from Amtrak about the Coast Starlight click here: Amtrak's Coast Starlight
For information from Wikipedia about the Coastal Starlight's history and make-up click here: about Amtrak's Coast Starlight.
Our economy roomette was located at the end of the car and next to the 'Parlor Car' a space we would soon claim as our own for the duration of our first day heading South along the spectacular coast of the Pacific Northwest. The train left the station at 9:55am on the button and in moments we are twisting our way along Washington State's coves and inlets. Views of the islands fill the better part of the morning as we head further south, then before we cross the border into Oregon, we are treated to a bald eagle who gives us a show as if he's on the Amtrak payroll! Wow, just like something out of the Amtrak brochure. It just doesn't get any better than this!
The train continues South, moving inland from the coast into the part of Washington where your house came from. The imprint of the timber industry is obvious all around with huge mustering yards for assembling trains of building material for markets around the world.
Equally obvious is the effect of the global downturn in building. Houses along the tracks reflect better days of bygone times but now cars rust in lonely yards, businesses sit abandoned on empty streets. Hard times have come to this region of the country and seems to have been the only thing to have taken up residence in the last few years. Soon we are crossing the Willamette river separating Vancouver, Washington from Portland, Oregon . Portland was a dazzling city with lots of new, contemporary architecture on the skyline. It has been a few years since I visited Portland and it was wonderful then and appears to have only gotten better... plus, it wasn't raining...
After Portland we continue along the coast for a while longer then turn in-land for the run to Sacramento down California's central valley. Along the way as the sun sets, we get into snow country as our reservation is called for dinner. We are seated with a couple who boarded in Vancouver Washington. They are such a sketch, he is in construction and she slips me her card and puts her fingers to her lips... I discreetly read Amtrak Station Agent Looking around she whispers 37 years with Amtrak. We tell her what we are doing and she shares LOTS of good ideas and tips about riding the rails... They were on their way to visit their son who works at Berkley and slips us a CD he has just recorded (if you get the chance go to his web site and listen to Jacob Wolkenhauer's work .http://www.jacobwolkenhauer.com/ it was the perfect music to spend sitting by the window, reading and watching the scenery go by. You can even buy Jacob's work on ITunes at: ITunes Jacob's new CD Flux ).
The dinner was the best we had had on any route thus far. All the meals were freshly prepared and served piping hot. The conversation ran long and we promised to share the CD with a friend in Provincetown who owns a music store. Several times over the last few days we have enjoyed this very special gift and intend to stay in touch with these new, wonderful friends... and if we ever have a problem with Amtrak now know who to call!
Breakfast call was early and by 6:30am we are enjoying fresh hot pancakes, steaming coffee and tea, and home-made corned beef hash. Breakfast finished we headed back to pack and reclaim seats in the Parlor Car for the final approach to Oakland along the East Bay,
passing the 'Moth Ball' fleet and continuing all the way to Emeryville. We arrive in Oakland about 30 minutes late, grab our luggage and meet our friend, Dirk.
The Coastal Starlight deserves a 9 out of 10. Great service, good food, well maintained equipment, beautiful scenery, but the track bed needs attention.
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