After a little wait we are told that the coach to Emeryville which will take us to the Coast Starlight train has just arrived. We load on board and it is just a quick 20 minutes across the Bay Bridge to Emeryville Station.
Once there we get the call for all sleeping car passengers to come forward and find it is just us from this station. We meet the 'Red Cap' - the very friendly and helpful Amtrak passenger assistance, and he drives us in a little car to the very end of the platform - you don't get that at Paddington! In the distance we see the lights of the train coming in and hear the distinctive horn noise of the train (very different from home) - it is a little like the arrival of the 'Polar Express'!
The train gets in and we are met by Gregory - our sleeping car attendant who shows us 'upstairs' to our little bedroom - all a bit different from the Varanassi to Delhi overnight train! We are soon settled into our bunk beds and watch the lights outside - a little too excited to sleep!
After a fairly good sleep we awake to the sight of a lovely snowy landscape - lakes and forests as we start to make our way into the Cascades.
We head to the Parlour Car for breakfast and enjoy the sights as we are speeding (or rather slowly creeping by - Amtrak trains don't actually go very fast, and this one makes the 6.25 to Waterloo look like a highspeed express!
After breakfast we return to our little room which Gregory has made into a sitting room and enjoy the views as we travel further through the Cascades - it is certainly pretty spectacular and is a nice and relaxed way to travel and see the sights - this is made all the better by Gregory bringing us two glasses of fizzy which help the journey along nicely!
Next up we are back to the Parlour Car for lunch and enjoy a garden salad, mac n cheese followed by ice cream.
Back in our little room we watch the stops go by getting closer to Portland, until we finally get there just before 4pm. We have loved our train ride and it has been a real highlight of the North America trip so far!
Mrs M
Once there we get the call for all sleeping car passengers to come forward and find it is just us from this station. We meet the 'Red Cap' - the very friendly and helpful Amtrak passenger assistance, and he drives us in a little car to the very end of the platform - you don't get that at Paddington! In the distance we see the lights of the train coming in and hear the distinctive horn noise of the train (very different from home) - it is a little like the arrival of the 'Polar Express'!
The train gets in and we are met by Gregory - our sleeping car attendant who shows us 'upstairs' to our little bedroom - all a bit different from the Varanassi to Delhi overnight train! We are soon settled into our bunk beds and watch the lights outside - a little too excited to sleep!
After a fairly good sleep we awake to the sight of a lovely snowy landscape - lakes and forests as we start to make our way into the Cascades.
We head to the Parlour Car for breakfast and enjoy the sights as we are speeding (or rather slowly creeping by - Amtrak trains don't actually go very fast, and this one makes the 6.25 to Waterloo look like a highspeed express!
After breakfast we return to our little room which Gregory has made into a sitting room and enjoy the views as we travel further through the Cascades - it is certainly pretty spectacular and is a nice and relaxed way to travel and see the sights - this is made all the better by Gregory bringing us two glasses of fizzy which help the journey along nicely!
Next up we are back to the Parlour Car for lunch and enjoy a garden salad, mac n cheese followed by ice cream.
Back in our little room we watch the stops go by getting closer to Portland, until we finally get there just before 4pm. We have loved our train ride and it has been a real highlight of the North America trip so far!
Mrs M
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