A constant stream of rivers and bays, farmland and snowcapped peaks flowed past, while friendly Amtrak crew/tour guides announced landmarks of interest along the way. Sightings include great blue herons, seals, trumpeter wwans, bald eagles and, on lucky days (not mine), orca whales.
“What’s not to love?” comments Shasta Coldicott of Omaha, Ark., on the Amtrak Cascades route through northern Washington. “Every second there’s something to see.”
The voyage begins in grand fashion at Seattle’s King Street Station, built in the early 1900s by the same designers who later collaborated on New York’s Grand Central Station. Leaving the station, the train passed briefly under downtown Seattle before popping back out into Olympic Sculpture Park for a real head-turner, literally. The natural artistry of Puget Sound and the snowy peaks of the Olympic Mountains just beyond provided a dramatic backdrop for the 46-foot sculpture of a head by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa.
This aesthetic start was matched by the remainder of the postcard-perfect ride. The route wends its way between towering mountain ranges and along winsome bodies of water known collectively — and somewhat lyrically — as the Salish Sea. Puget Sound, Port Susan, Skagit Bay, Bellingham Bay, the Strait of Georgia — these eco-rich, inland waters are bounded on the east by the mainland and the west by the Olympic peninsula and Vancouver Island. Much of the Cascades route skims close to the water’s edge — at some points, so close that it feels like traveling by ferry.
The Salish Sea environs teem with life, home to an estimated 247 species of fish, 37 species of mammals and 172 species of birds. One of those, the bald eagle, has its own private digs. The Nature Conservancy and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, along with a few others, partnered to create the Skagit River Bald Eagle Natural Area in the 1970s. Today hundreds of eagles gather there, some years more than 500. And, keep your camera handy, because they have a favorite perch in a dead tree just beside the tracks.
“You just don’t get this perspective from the road,” said Blaine Klepper of Burlington, Wash. He and his wife, Linda Klepper, were making a day trip to Vancouver, B.C. “And you can leave the driving to someone else.”
The passenger seats are wide and comfortable, four across in coach. Business class has even more breathing room with only three seats across. Train buffs will be interested to know they are riding aboard articulated tilting trainsets by Spanish manufacturer Talgo. Non-train buffs need to know that these are the only European-style cars in the country and, more importantly, are known for their super-smooth ride.
Passengers can take advantage of the lounge car with table seating or visit the bistro car for a limited menu of beverages, alcoholic and non-alcoholic, snacks and food of the heat-and-eat variety (no kitchen onboard). The menu includes nods to the Pacific Northwest with items such as Snoqualmie Falls oatmeal and baked goods from Seattle’s Schwarz Brothers.
Now, Amtrak Cascades passengers can bring small pets along for the ride, at least as far as the Canadian border. See the new pet policy for details.
Vancouver, the end of the line heading north, is about 30 miles beyond the U.S./Canadian border, so passengers are required to have passports in hand and pass through customs at the station.
“They make it so easy,” said Coldicott. “Customs is more pleasant than by car, no long lines.”
Pacific Central Station in Vancouver sits right across the street from the Main Street Skytrain station, a raised rail that whisks you in a few minutes to the Waterfront Station next to the sweeping and just plain glorious Vancouver Harbor. From there, it’s an easy walk to Gastown, one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods, an interesting contrast of vintage Euro-feel buildings occupied by ultra contemporary shops, cafes and restaurants. And don’t miss Vancouver’s curious steam clock as it sputters, steams and whistles every quarter hour.
After five hours taking in Vancouver’s scenery and city vibe, the best part of the day was yet to come: an evening ride back down the eastern shore of the Salish Sea.
Amtrak Cascades runs twice daily between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C, with additional service between Eugene, Ore., and Seattle. Check Amtrakcascades.com for the current schedule.
See photos of another scenic Amtrak route, the Coast Starlight:
