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I just returned from a very enjoyable 1 week trip to Whitefish, Montana and Glacier National Park.
The trip started with a flight from Santa Rosa, Calif to Portland, Oregon. I could have boarded the Empire Builder out of Portland, but decided to first take the Cascade train to Seattle, just for fun. The Business Class, on the Cascade, was very nice. I missed, however, the train progress chart that they used to show over the TV monitors in our coach. I guess they don't do that, anymore.
Overnight in Seattle, with the Empire Builder leaving at 4:40 PM the next day. I could have booked a roomette for sleeping accomodations. I don't like the seats in the roomettes..they hurt my back. So, I splurged and got a bedroom which has a little easy chair...more comfortable than the roomette seat. I had bedroom "D" eastbound, and bedroom "B" on the way back. Bedroom D seemed like a newer unit. The toilet worked, at least. On the way back in bedroom B, there was a towel at the base on the toilet. I was a little concerned, but the toilet worked just fine. So, I had working toilets on both the eastbound and westbound Empire Builder. The highlight of the trip!
I had read, from an earlier post on the Forum, that once you board the Builder, and have a sleeper, you are invited to the dining car for wine and cheese. No such thing happened. However, once I was settled in the bedroom, there was a PA announcement...something about getting champagne served in your sleeper if you push the "yellow button". Also something about Everett, WA as the time to push the yellow button.
I saw the sleeper attendant just outside the bedrooms, in the narrow hallway, so I asked the question:
"Do we push the yellow button, for champagne, just before we get into Everett, after the train stops in Everett, or right after the train leaves Everett?"
He replied, "I'm here"
Yes, it was true. He was there. But then he vanished.
So, what to do? Do I go back to my bedroom and push the yellow button, or go back to the bedroom and not push the yellow button? I decided on the latter. A little later, the attendant appeard with a small bottle of champagen. But no cheese and crackers.
I haven't travelled through the Cascade Tunnel in years. The tunnel is just short of 8 miles in length. It seemed like we were in the tunnel for at least 15 minutes. What an engineering marvel!
We had to set our clocks up 1 hr, as Whitefish is on Mountain Time. The train got in, on time, at around 7:45 AM, so I was pretty tired when it arrived.
Amtrak station in Whitefish:
The Amtrak station in Whitefish is my favorite. I rented a car from Hertz, which has an office right inside the station. I was planning to drive around the area, but I later learned that my sister and brother-in-law were going to meet me there and stay in Whitefish. We stayed at the Grouse Mountain Lodge, a little expensive but very nice. As it turned out, I travelled with them in their car. I wound up only putting 3 miles on my rental car.
There is a "Stumptown Great Northern RR" museum in the Amtrak station at Whitefish. It is very much worthwhile. A lot of artifacts from the Great Northern RR. Even some old telegraph keys and sound boxes. The museum also covered the early history of Whitefish and some of the early pioneers in the area.
We didn't do too much the first day. I mainly wanted to get over to the Grouse Mountain Lodge and take an afternoon nap.
The next morning, as we had prior reservations, we drove to Apgar (West Glacier entrance) to get on a red "jammer" bus, for a trip up the Going-to-the-Sun road. The red jammer buses, it seemed to me, are more of a multiple seat touring car. They can hold 17 passengers. The bus has an open-air top. The buses are around 75 years old but have modern motors and drive trains with automatic transmissions. In the old days, they all had manual transmission and used to jam the gears on shifting. Hence the name "jammer".
The red bus tour was about 3.5 hrs, in all. We started from the Apgar transit center, but there are several other starting points in the park. It was 101 degress in Whitefish, the day the train arrived. It was still warm the next day, for our trip on the jammer bus. However, leaving at 9:15AM, on the bus, it was so cold even a jacket did not keep us warm. The red jammer bus, with its open air top, allowed very cold air to come into the bus. At the top (Logan Pass) it warmed up, and the temp was nice on the way back).
As you can see by the photo, there was plenty of snow, on the ground, when we reached our furthest destination, Logan Pass and the Continental Divide:
This was the 2nd week of July! Our driver said that a lot of the snow would melt in the next 2-3 weeks.
There were many water falls and cascades on the Going-to-the_Sun road. One was called "Weeping Wall Cascade", where the water came down on the road as we passed. As the red bus had an open top, we all got splashed.
On the way back, not too far from the west entrance, the bus pulled to a wide stop along the road. We got out to observe the following water:
Notice how the water is a nice jade color. The driver said organic material and silt make it that way. Near the turnout to look at the water was the "Trail of the Cedars", a hiking trail near Avalanche Campground Ranger Station. It is a short hike, but well worth it according to our driver.
The one disappointment is that we practically saw no wildlife from the red bus. No bears. We did see a few mountain goats, a considerable distance away. The bus driver said, a few weeks prior, they saw a mountain lion..very unusual as the mountain lion tends to be nocturnal.
Back to Whitefish, we just walked around town. I used to think Jasper, Alberta is my favorite small town. I think I like Whitefish even more. Very rustic and fun. They have several good restaurants in town. We ate at the "Latitude 48" restaurant the first night. The last night we had dinner at the Buffalo Cafe. I heard the Buffalo Cafe was very good, but I didn't think the dinner was all that great. I understand they offer a very good breakfast. however. If you go to Whitefish, don't miss "Sweet Peaks" homemade ice cream. The ice cream parlor is on 3rd near Central. It has really good ice cream.
The trip back was the same as going. I have only been to some of the major national parks in the west. Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, and a few others. I will have to say nothing surpasses Glacier Park for scenic wonder. The bus driver said more people return to Glacier, after once seeing it, compared to any of the other national parks.
Richard
amtrak92 Member # 14343
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I think in Glacier they have the Isaac Walton Inn, which if I'm right has a room in a old locomotive.
20th Century Member # 2196
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Is Whitefish far from the Izaak Walton Inn? I'll have a car rental for a day so we can do some touring on our own.
amtrak92 Member # 14343
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I know Amtrak stops in Essex where the inn is. But I have no clue how far it is.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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From this Google map, it should be evident that Amtrak and Izaak Walton are very close to one another.
HopefulRailUser Member # 4513
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Great report and a fun trip.
A bit OT - Henry, I found Season's Revenge in my local used book store. A report will follow after I read it.
yukon11 Member # 2997
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My road map shows Whitefish about 55 miles from Essex and the Izaak Walton Inn. However, it might not be easy to translate the 55 miles into driving time. For example, from Whitefish to the west entrance of the park (W. Glacier and Apgar) it is about 26 miles. However, it took us 45 minutes to drive the 26 miles. I suggest checking, with the locals, on driving time between Essex and Whitefish.
Richard
20th Century Member # 2196
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Thanks Yukon.Your trip report is much appreciated. We are booked at the Izaak Walton Inn with a whitwater rafting activity and a Red Jammer bus tour.Still debating about the horseback riding. And thanks for the Google map GB!
jp1822 Member # 2596
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The "wine and cheese event" on the Empire Builder (similiar to that on the Coast Starlight in the Pacific Parlor Car) occurs on the second day of journey for sleeping car passengers as the travel across Montana. It's done in between lunch and dinner on the second day of travel and the sleeping car attendats usually help out along with the dining car steward etc.
Amtrak also gives passengers (or should give passengers) champagne upon leaving Chicago or Portland/Seattle. That's a separate amenity.
So if you are travelling on the extreme eastern or western ends of the Empire Builder for just an overnight, you'll miss the official "wine and cheese event."
yukon11 Member # 2997
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quote:Originally posted by jp1822: The "wine and cheese event" on the Empire Builder (similiar to that on the Coast Starlight in the Pacific Parlor Car) occurs on the second day of journey for sleeping car passengers as the travel across Montana. It's done in between lunch and dinner on the second day of travel and the sleeping car attendats usually help out along with the dining car steward etc.
Amtrak also gives passengers (or should give passengers) champagne upon leaving Chicago or Portland/Seattle. That's a separate amenity.
So if you are travelling on the extreme eastern or western ends of the Empire Builder for just an overnight, you'll miss the official "wine and cheese event."
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Thanks for the information. That's interesting and I guess it makes sense as it is practically time for dinner when you get aboard the Builder, in Seattle or Portland.
As I tend to like to go to a very late dinner (8:00 PM or 8:30 PM), it still would be nice to have wine and cheese. Maybe the Empire Builder needs a parlour car. Besides wine and cheese, I would like to see light meals, sandwiches, etc served in a parlour car for those not interested in a regular dinner in the dining car. I am thinking, also, of the late boarding time for SF Bay Area folks when they board the Coast Starlight. Sandwiches and lighter meals would be nice for those who want something to eat before bedding down in their sleeper.
Richard
sojourner Member # 3134
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Thank you so much. I enjoyed all the info here, as well as the pictures.
I have a question: If I stay in Whitefish without a car but want to see Glacier Park, what are your suggestions? Is there a tour bus from Whitefish?
yukon11 Member # 2997
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I don't know if there are buses from Whitefish into the park. You can rent a car at the Whitefish Amtrak station.
I am guessing most regular buses, in that area, follow Highway 2 along the southern rim of Glacier Park but probably don't go into the park.
You may wish to try "Sun Tours". You can call them at (800) - 786-9220. If they do not connect Whitefish with points in the park, they probably would be able to tell you if there is any such service.
Also, you could take the Empire Builder between Apgar (the west entrance of the park) and Whitefish, but I don't know how easy that would be. With heavy booking during summer months, it may be hard to get a coach seat for that short distance.
When I last took the Builder from Whitefish east in the summer, about 25 people got on at Whitefish and did the round trip to East Glacier as a day trip, just for the scenery and in the sightseer lounge! The conductor announced they would be filling up the lounge and not occupying coach seats.
Since they evidently allow that, you could take the train from WFH to Belton, Essex, or East Glacier and start a Red Bus tour from there.
RRRICH Member # 1418
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Yes, Whitefish is actually quite a ways from Glacier Park, so I don't believe you can catch a red "jammer" bus tour from Whitefish.
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