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If one went west on the Zephyr, then headed N and then came back on the Empire Builder, which leg of the EB is nicer and more scenic, the one from Portland to Spokane or the one from Seattle? Also, is either any good in the other direction, or is it too dark? Also, I know some good hotels in Portland, but what do you recommend in Seattle? Looking for something less than luxury prices & a good location for travelers w/o a car. Thanks
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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Which branch of the eastbound EB is better may depend on the time of year you take the trip. The Columbia gorge is beautiful & shouldn't be missed in the daylight, but in the fall & winter it will be dark when the train is in that area. Also don't try to connect the same day from the CS to the EB at Portland unless you like bus rides from Klamath Falls to Pasco. When I did this trip in June/July 2001, I went to Seattle & spent 2 nights. I took a Gray Line day trip to Mount Rainier on the "free" day in town. On the day of train departure, I took what I call the "poor man's harbor cruise" (the ferry to Bainbridge Island & back), had lunch at Ivars (next door to the ferry terminal) & had plenty of time to get to the train station. The hotel I stayed at was arranged by the now defunct Amtrak vacations & was a little pricey, but it had a free shuttle to/from the train station. They also took me to the ferry terminal, picked me up & took me back to the hotel where they had stored my bags, and then took me to the train station. My room had a nice view of the Space Needle. I think it was the Warrick Hotel - but as I said, a little pricey. It's also worth remembering that the diner goes to/from Seattle, so leaving from Portland you will get a box lunch in first class.
Posts: 122 | From: Milwaukee, WI USA | Registered: Jun 2004
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Sojourner - both legs of the EB are equally scenic, but as Grandma Judy said, it depends what time of year you are traveling. In the summer it will be light for most of the scenic areas on either leg going either direction (remember the further north you go, the longer are the days in the summer!). SPK-PDX section of course has the beautiful Columbia River Gorge, which the tracks follow for virtually the entire leg; but the SPK-SEA segment has the Cascades, which are equally beautiful, and of course the 6- or 7-mile long Cascade Tunnel.
Places to stay in Seattle -- I have stayed at the Pioneer Square Hotel on most of my trips -- reasonably-priced and it's close to King Street Station (as well as the city bus lines, which you can take to the Seattle Center, zoo, etc.), plus they have a breakfast place adjacent to the main lobby of the hotel.
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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Also, the Thrifty car rental place down on the Seattle docks will give you a free ride to the train station. It's only a few blocks but a haul with bags and such.
Posts: 70 | Registered: Feb 2004
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Thank you all for the info. It sounds like maybe I should consider going out AND back on the Empire Builder and save the Zephyr for another trip. It also sounds like the best time to go is May-July. But this spring I am doing the SW so I probably couldn't afford another trip so soon. I was thinking of fall, but maybe I should think of spring of 2006. I only hope Amtrak is still running its long distance trains by then!
Panama Clipper, I would not be renting a car. But I AM interested in the Seattle docks you mention. What are some places tourists go to by boat from there, other than the island Grandma Judy mentioned? Are there any ferry-type boats to Vancouver (that one can use without a car)? What about cruises to Alaska, which some people mentioned here before? Does anyone know the names of the ships/companies that do it, so I can check prices? Is it possible to do any of this out of Portland, or better to do it out of Seattle?
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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I'll be taking the trip you originally mentioned in a week, though from PDX. I will let you know how it goes! -Mike
Posts: 50 | From: New Hyde Park, nY | Registered: Dec 2004
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Ferries do not operate out of Portland as far as I know. You can contact the Washington State Ferry System and the Alaska Marine Highway on the internet (just google around a little). Many Alaska trips leave out of Vancouver, BC (which is nowhere near Vancouver, WA - a note for the grographically challenged).
As part of a longer trip, I took a ferry from Port Hardy (on the tip of Vancouver Island) to Prince Rupert, BC 2 years ago - a great 15-hour ride through some very deserted country. You can connect at Prince Rupert with the Skeena (operated by Via Rail) and work your way back to Vancouver, BC or wherever you desire. None of this is really cheap - but very scenic. I met people on the ferry who were thinking about going on to Alaska on the Alaska Ferries, but I don't know the details.
The Bainbridge Island trip I mentioned previously is just a short, inexpensive ride out of Seattle with good views of the skyline & Mt Rainier (if it's "out"). It is a commuter ferry & runs frequently all day. I suggested it as a quick day trip while waiting for a train.
I'm not sure I'd go out & back on the Empire Builder. It's a great trip (either leg from Spokane west), but the California Zephyr goes thru some magnificent scenery. I'd save up a little more $$$ & make the circle trip. And make those reservations as far ahead as possible if you are looking for sleeping accommodations as the price only goes up and up! To see what I mean, price a trip for July & a trip for next October & you'll see a BIG price difference.
Posts: 122 | From: Milwaukee, WI USA | Registered: Jun 2004
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Both EB segments are super scenic but I like the line out of SEA better as you follow the scenic Puget Sound before turning east into the Cascades. Having a full train, including the diner, is a major plus. We just did the PDX route in July and enjoyed its scenery but our bedroom was on the wrong side so we had to sit in the crowded lounge car while a movie was playing. The hotel mentioned earlier is the Warwick, which does offer transportation and has internet rates. There is a high speed catamaran ferry from Seattle to Victoria, BC wich is a beautiful trip. From there you can take a Pacific Coach Lines (PCL) bus that gets onto a huge ferry boat for a 2 hour plus crossing then the bus drives you right into Vancouver. I'd spend a night at Victoria if possible and tour beautiful Butchart Gardens. If you have time, you can ride the VIA Rail dayliner to Courtenay and back. Once you do get to Vancouver, you can complete the circle trip back to Seattle on Amtrak's Talgo train. The entire circle is great.
Posts: 561 | Registered: Jul 2003
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Thank you all for all the info. In spite of the tempting scenery, it sounds to me like there would be too much to do and see for me to go out on the Zephyr too--cannot be away for THAT long at a clip, and would really like to see Vancouver as well as Seattle and Portland and spend 2-3 days in each (and a day in Victoria too).
What I'd like to do is accumulate more points to use for the Empire Builder by, before that, taking the Zephyr on another, cheaper trip, paying cash and going only as far as Salt Lake City, stopping in Denver for 3 nights, SLC for 2, and back to Denver for 1 more. I think I could go coach in each leg that way (since I managed coach to Atlanta both ways no problem). It would be an affordable trip Amtrak wise--my big problem is that the hotels in Denver sure seem expensive to me (I haven't checked SLC yet). I mean, I'd love to stay at the Oxford right by the train station in LoDo, but with that many days away, I can't really afford more than around $100/night, and the Oxford was much more than that. I checked the Comfort Inn and the Marriott Courtyard that are supposed to be more "budget," and they were pretty high too, especially on Sunday-Thursday. I don't want to go way off season, because I want reasonably later nights to see the views. I mean, I guess I can go April or October but I think that's the outside limit, winterwise. Does anyone have any tips about any of this?
Anyway, doing the Zephyr only that far, I would then of course miss the Salt Lake City to San Francisco portion, as well as San Francisco to Portland. But isn't the nicest part the part between SLC and DEnver? And that is in the daytime, right? And I've been to San Francisco already (back when I used to fly) so, much as I'd love to return, that would be the part I would save for a more distant future time.
Well, thank you all for your helpful hints!
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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Westbound, the dome fills up right out of Denver because of the spectacular climb of the Front Range. This is the most scenic part of the trip, and it can be after dark eastbound. I think you get your over-seat destination tag in the station, so you can put it over your seat yourself and stake out a dome seat before the train leaves.
Otherwise, you might want to consider not stopping in Denver westbound to get a spot in the dome.
All of Denver's excellent transit options are very close to the station, so you might want to check on the possibility of cheaper lodging that is not right downtown. Since Coor's Field is next to the station, this has become a pricey area.
Posts: 1572 | From: St. Paul, MN | Registered: Dec 2002
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quote:Originally posted by sojourner: Are there any ferry-type boats to Vancouver (that one can use without a car)? What about cruises to Alaska, which some people mentioned here before? Does anyone know the names of the ships/companies that do it, so I can check prices? Is it possible to do any of this out of Portland, or better to do it out of Seattle?
It sounds like you may be thinking of the Victoria Clipper which is a ferry (non-auto) from Seattle to Victoria, BC on the southern end of Vancouver Island. Info is online at <www.victoriacliiper.com>.
Victoria, BC would be an interesting daytrip, or if you want to spend the night the Best Western Inner Harbour is within a block of both the dock where the Victoria Clipper ties up and the British Columbia Parliment (equivalent of a US State Capitol) Building. It's a clean, comfortable, hotel and with the exchange rate probably going to be about $20.00 under your $100.00 a night cap.
If you really want to explore, the VIA Rail station with RDC service up to Nanaimo and Courtenay is six blocks from the Best Western. The bus terminal with service to Vancouver (via BC ferrys) is four blocks. Just some things to consider.
------------------ David Pressley
[This message has been edited by notelvis (edited 01-11-2005).]
Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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