Vacation photos, part 2

I think I have mentioned here before how much I like the train.  I posted photos back a couple (few?) years ago when I took it home from Sacramento after visiting Dad and Marlyn.

Most recently, El Esposo and I took the train to Seattle to visit the Seattle friends and to see his beloved Giants play the Mariners.  We walked to the station and got on in the early evening.



It was a really great way to run away from home!  The station is old and interesting, with scenes of the city's history up along the beamed ceiling.  However, the area surrounding it could use a little sprucing up.  Quite a few of the larger stations along the route had been nicely renovated or were in the process.



What follows are a series of pictures taken during the 26 hour trip. We had a roomette in the sleeping car.  The sleeping car is what I recommend for any overnight trip. You get access to the parlour car for viewing out the window or just a less confined space.  You get all your meals in the dining car, or you can have them brought to you by the attendant (but why?).  The food was great, the enforced relaxation is a nice change for me, and the scenery was interesting.  Pretty in a lot of places and interestingly urban and gritty in others.  If you like to eat, drink, sit, read, watch out the window, talk to people, nap, or any combination of the above, you would like the train!

 This is our roomette.

  This is the parlour car and it is one of the best reasons to get sleeping car seats!

 Did I mention reading and napping?

 I think the photo above is Portland.

 The hallways are narrow so I didn't get much walking in ;-)

 The seats are large, but pack a small bag with essentials for the roomette and keep your other stuff in a larger suitcase in the racks down in the shower, dressing room, bathroom area in the lower part of the car.

Arriving in Seattle, we are greeted by the Starbucks mermaid!

 Entering the Amtrak station...

 The station is right next to the ballpark, Safeco Field.  This is the stadium with the rolling roof that can close when it rains. 

 Once we got off the train, we walked to our hotel, which was right across the street from the ballpark.  This is the view from our window!  We could even hear the game going on from our room.  The next three games were with the Giants and we were there, but the night we arrived we listened to the game with Arizona from our room.  And later from the rooftop pool!  What a great vacation it was!  El Esposo is a great travel planner!