A favorite winter get a-way-trip has been an Amtrak excursion to Seattle. Two nights on the train, two nights in Seattle and two nights return on the train makes for a great break from a long Minnesota winter. The Empire Builder is a wonderful adventure. This year we booked two cross aisle roomettes. This allowed relaxing by day on the most scenic side and two comfortable low level sleeping berths at night. We priced it out and for 2 senior rates round trip, two roomettes was $632 cheeper than one bedroom. Pricing on Amtrak is similar to airline pricing where availability, timing and seasonal rates rise and fall depending on demand. Never ride the train to a wedding, funeral, graduation, etc. Go when you can live with delays. Our outbound leg was delayed because of a ground fault problem with one of the engines. A BNSF freight engine helped us from Minneapolis to Seattle. Freight engines are governed to 65 mph so we continued to loose time for the rest of the trip and arrived 5 hours late. The good news is that Amtrak treated everyone on board to an extra lunch and we were able to get into our hotel room at time of arrival. All in All it was a great relaxing trip.
Started the trip in LaCrosse, WI and caught a few run byes before our train arrived.
BNSF helper added in Minneapolis.
The bad boy #345 gets checked out in Minot, ND
In Haver, Montana yard we noticed this: Anyone know what this device does?
Seattle is a great place to walk off a "sea food fix"!
Our return leg arrived back home right on schedule. Well done Amtrak!
