Journey North #4

27 Jan 2010
2:40pm. Did not sleep. Not much to see outside so just chatting with mom. Going through some small towns and stop in Salem.
3:56pm. After a few more towns, we arrive at Portland's Union Station. Our journey nears its end. Although the scenery this afternoon has not been as beautiful as before, the trip is still very enjoyable. Smooth, quiet, relaxing.....such a change of pace from my regular travel experience when I run through airports from one plane to another. Smokers get a break here too.
4:40pm. Arriving in Vancouver, WA, litterally a few minutes away from Portland. Beautiful views of Mount Pleasant shining like gold in the sunset.
5:20pm. Dusk is upon us. We are stuck on the tracks outside of Vancouver waiting for a southbound train to pass us. There are constructions and only one side is usable. Unfortunately the Seattle area will not be visible by the time we get there. One day, I'll do the trip in the other direction. The schedule is opposite so you get to see what you missed at night going north.
5:42pm. We are moving again and it is now dark outside. I can see lights reflecting on the river's surface but that's about it.
5:52pm. We're leaving Kelso/Longview. Dinner with mom.
6:33pm. We stop at Centralia after crossing some other towns.
6:58pm. Stop at Olympia. After we leave, I can still guess water on and off through the trees. However, I can't make out anything but lights in the distance.
7:39pm. We passed a lot of water. Too bad we can't see where we are. We stop in Tacoma then continue on 2 minutes later. You can guess the size of the towns and cities you go through by the size of their train station and the buildings and lights you can see.
8:24pm. Our journey is over. Both mom and I wish it wasn't so. Passengers disambark at King Street Station. The train station is very unimpressive compared to San Diego's Santa Fe Station and Los Angeles' Union Station. We head out to reach our hotel for the night. It is chilly and the air is crisp but there is no wind so it is bearable. As we walk downtown to get to the hotel, we are face to face with the Space Needle. We leave too early in the morning to visit the city but at least mom gets to see that.
This has been the most relaxing trip I've taken. Even cruises can be tiring as you try to fit into your schedule ship activities and shore excursios. There you only had to sit and enjoy the view.