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Taking advantage of AGR points, I have scheduled a trip in June 2011. I will travel Milwaukee -> Chicago -> Emeryville on #5. Then north on #14 to Seattle. (I booked that as 2 separate segments so I wouldn't have to make a late night connection in Sacramento.), Spending a night in Seattle to have some Ivar's clam chowder & take a ferry ride if the weather cooperates, then south on Cascades (Business Class) to Portland). Overnight there with lunch at Jake's Seafood and book-browsing at Powell's, and PDX -> MKE on #28. And finally connecting to #30 to Elkhart Indiana to see my daughter. Roomettes all the way. Given the time in June, I am expecting maximum daylight and have my fingers crossed for sunshine and no track-work-detours-through-Wyoming like the last time I tried to take this trip! Will spend July 4th holiday in Indiana, then head home.
I wanted to use AGR points to buy Metropolitan Lounge passes, but the 5 passes you get for 5000 points would expire at the end of February 2012. I can see having them be valid for a year, but it doesn't make sense for me to spend points to use the lounge in Chicago at Christmas as I had hoped. I'm going to Indiana to see my daughter & it would be more pleasant than facing the cattle-car atmosphere of CUS 3 days before Christmas! Don't suppose anyone has a pass they'd like to sell?
Vincent206 Member # 15447
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For a ferry ride in Seattle, I generally recommend the Bainbridge ferry over the Bremerton ferry. It's about a 35 minute ride to Bainbridge and there's a small commercial/tourist area near the Bainbridge dock where you can eat lunch or browse. The Bremerton ferry takes about 60 minutes and there ain't much to see at the Bremerton dock unless you might be interested in the Puget Naval Shipyards.
yukon11 Member # 2997
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I will probably be in Seattle, Judy, this coming summer. I am not familiar with "Ivar's clam chowder". Is that a type of clam chowder or is there a restaurant called "Ivar's" that serves the chowder? I have been to Jake's Seafood Restaurant (aren't there 2-3 of them in Seattle?)...a very good restaurant. Also Powell's books is fun.
Richard
sbalax Member # 2801
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Richard--
Here's the link to Ivar's. http://www.ivars.com/ I've been going there since I was a kid and that was a loooong time ago. It's good chowder and can be relatively inexpensive if you pick and choose carefully from the menu or time it right. I like the one by the ferry docks in Seattle but also have had a couple of very good lunches at the the location by the Mukilteo ferry dock.
I've never made it to Jake's but it's on the list.
Frank in sunny but cool SBA
sbalax Member # 2801
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Judy--
You are planning this for 2012, aren't you?
Frank, who has NEVER made a mistake like that in still sunny and cool SBA.
Judy McFarland Member # 4435
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Yes, summer of 2012 Frank. It's cold in Milwaukee & my brain must be frozen.
Ivar's Acres of Clams is near the ferry terminal & although not high-falutin' gourmet, it's my favorite place to eat in Seattle for the view as well as the clam chowder. You can, if pinched for time, take the Bainbridge ferry & have a bowl of Ivar's clam chowder on board.
My Jake's in Portland is near the Mark Spencer Hotel & Powell's books is close by, too. I think I'll have about 20 hours each in PDX & SEA, but it's the train rides I'm really itching for. I hope my roomette for #28 is on the south side so I can enjoy the ride along the Columbia. Last time I did that trip, I made friends with the young man traveling alone across the aisle from my "wrong side" roomette. He was very gracious to let me sit with him while we enjoyed the scenery & our box dinners.
sbalax Member # 2801
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Judy--
You're excused! I have to say that I really enjoyed MKE when I was there (in the Fall) for a Peace Corps Reunion a couple of years ago.
Isn't that Jake's right around the corner from the Mark Spencer?
Frank in sunny and warmer SBA
Judy McFarland Member # 4435
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It's certainly no more than a block or two. And thanks for the kind words about MKE. Fall is a lovely time in Wisconsin, but SBA sound better this time of year. We lived in Pasadena 1964-1968 & visited Santa Barbara several times. I think one time we stayed at a Motel 6 that was almost on the beach and cost less than $20 a night. Of course that was when my husband was a grad student hauling in $200 per month on his way to a PhD in chemistry at Caltech.
sbalax Member # 2801
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Judy--
That was the very first Motel 6! You'll be happy to know that it is still there. The rates have gone up a bit but you can still, occasionally, get a room for under $100.00 a night. No coin operated B&W TV or "Magic Fingers" bed, though. The last "Sambo's Pancake House", which also started here, is still in operation.
Frank in dark and cool SBA (It's going down to 38 degrees tonight. BRRRR!!!)
smitty195 Member # 5102
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That looks like a fantastic trip! You are hitting the right trains, right cities, right tourist stops, all at the right time. I've done all of those trains and visited all of your stops along the way. If you haven't been to Powell's Books before, you're in for a pleasant surprise.
For your transfer from #5 to #14, that was very wise to build one day of cushion into things. Are you aware of the hotel across from the platform at Emeryville? Makes it nice and easy for a Zephyr to Starlight connection.
sojourner Member # 3134
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Everything looks great to me, except I have to say, I don't really recommend Ivar's. The clam chowder might be fine, but the restaurant was incredibly overpriced when I was last there (late 2010), and nothing special IMO. And you can have Ivar's clam chowder from the "bistro" (snack bar) on the Amtrak Cascade--OK, probably not the same as at Ivar's proper, but why not try it as you are Amtrakkin'? What I recommend in Seattle is Matt's in the Market upstairs at Pike's Market (94 Pike), 206-467-7909, simply delicious, though it might be cheaper for lunch; also, it's fairly small, you likely will want to reserve. I also recommend the fantastic bargain priced but gourmet Italian salumeria called Salumi, operated by the father of some famous NY chef (I forget details), with really interesting food (traditional cured meats of Italy, inc lamb, veggies too, all sorts of neat stuff). It's near King St Station & Pioneer Square at 309 3rd Av S btw Jackson & Main, 206-621-8772. Far as I know it's open only for lunch 11-4, on Tu-F only; and it's small with lines but many workers do take out; there's a fun communal table to sit at, and you will meet neat people there.
Ferries are nice if the weather cooperates; if it's rainy or foggy, less so. I enjoyed taking the cheap ferry over to Alki Beach and a free bus (with transfer from ferry) to see the spot where the original settlement of Seattle was, monument, beach of sorts, etc etc. Another place I really liked was the Ballard (Chittenden) Locks--I went there with two buses but I believe in season there are boat tours from off Alaska Way up to there, though those may just go through, which would be fine too. The railroad bridge entering Seattle goes by there too; it is interesting in that it is usually "up" and comes down when a train crosses.
I like your plan for Portland--wonderful book store! If you have any extra time, consider also taking the light rail up to the International Rose Testing Garden, or whatever it's called--exquisite in June if the weather cooperates. But just walking along the river and over by the train station and into the Pearl district is also nice.
Be sure to sit on the water side for the Cascades trip at least one way (though do look at Mount Rainier on the other side too, when you go past).
sbalax Member # 2801
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Speaking of Powell's, if you have books that you no longer need they buy books online. And they pay the cost of shipping. True, they don't pay a lot for them but it's a way to make a little extra travel money. Go to their website for the details.
Sort of on topic, I got an alert yesterday that the program that allowed transfer of Continental OnePass miles to GR and GR to One Pass will end on the 31st when OnePass goes away. For the time being it appears that the code shares between Continental and Amtrak will continue for awhile.
Vincent206 Member # 15447
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I'm not going to step into the middle of a clam chowder war, but as long as you avoid Watson's seafood bar in the Pike Place Market, I think you'll be alright. I sometimes get a bowl of chowder at the place across from the 3 Girls Bakery in the PPM and it works for me. In June, the Market is very busy, so getting a quick seat at any highly recommended place may not be easy.
There are 2 ferry service operators across Elliot Bay: WA State Ferries operates the auto and passenger boats to Bainbridge and Bremeton, the King County Ferry system runs smaller passenger-only boats to West Seattle and a peak hour service to Vashon. Vashon is a nice place to visit and there is Metro Transit service from the ferry dock to the commercial district, but be sure to have a copy of the bus schedules with you--service is kind of sporadic.
For an interesting sightseeing trip around Puget Sound that combines boats, buses and trains you could leave Pier 50 on the King County ferry to Vashon at 740am, catch bus 118 at the Vashon dock at 805am and ride to the Tahlequah ferry terminal (arrive 835am), catch a WA State ferry to Pt. Defiance at 850am, catch Pierce Transit bus 11 to downtown Tacoma at 930am (visit Museum of Glass?), take the free streetcar from downtown Tacoma to Freighthouse Square and ride a Sound Transit bus back to Seattle. Or you could walk a few blocks from Freighthouse Square and take the Cascades train back to Seattle.
yukon11 Member # 2997
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If your travels take you to Pike's Market, in Seattle, one place which has very good New England clam chowder is "Pike Place Chowder":
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Also in Pike's Market, in the first building (below Pike St), there is a toy shop of sorts on the second (I think) floor (called perhaps The Last Wound-up?), where they sell all manner of wind-up toys, at all sorts of prices. I thought it a fun place, and it makes for some good gifts!
graynt Member # 17
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We just booked a trip for May of 2012 with the two zone AGR. We'll travel in Coach from Washington DC to Cincinnati on the Cardinal, then get a roomette the rest of the way to Chicago. Train arrives in Cincy at 1:23AM,so we'll still have a fairly decent night of sleep and a breakfast. From Chicago on to LA on the Southwest Chief in a roomette. When trying different dates for the spring and summer I noticed The SW Chief's roomettes were almost sold out. From LA on to Seattle, also in a roomette.(I hope the Pacific Parlor Car is still around) where we plan to tour the Olympic Peninsula and Mt Ranier(sp) National Park, with two full days in Seattle..one to ride the ferry to Bainbrige(a great deal) and the other to ride on the Cascades, probably up to Bellingham. We'll fly back from Seattle to BWI for free with points for being bumped on a BWI-Fort Lauderdale flight last year. What a deal..I flew to Chicago and then on to Fort Lauderdale and the airline gave me $478 for the "inconvenience". I arrived in Fort Lauderdale only four hours later.
There is a National Park near the Canadian border. Has anyone ever been there?
I did a similar trip last year using the two zone reward and I quickly built it up by riding some short trips last May when Amtrak had their triple points and during the fall during their double points promotion. I took advantage of the 30% more deal by buying points this week..and all of a sudden I was back to 20,000 points.
I've been riding Amtrak almost every year since 1990 and it never grows old! It's my favorite way to vacation.
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