Photos courtesy Amtrak
Amtrak's Coast Starlight travels from Southern California to the Pacific Northwest, encountering ever-changing scenery along the way, including dramatic Mount Shasta.

Amenities galore on West Coast routes

THE OLYMPIAN

Whether your travels take you south or east in the United States, journeys aboard a revitalized rail network offer doses of on-board elegance to match the passing views.

Amtrak

When Amtrak took over operation of intercity passenger trains in the United States 30 years ago, the glory days of rail travel were definitely past.

In its early years, Amtrak was a cobbled-together network of routes and hand-me-down equipment. The trains were dirty and often late, and customer service seemed non-existent.

A lot has changed since then.

During the past decade or so, Amtrak has acquired new equipment and put a new emphasis on high-quality customer service.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the two long-distance Amtrak trains that serve the Northwest: the Coast Starlight between Seattle and Los Angeles and the Empire Builder between Seattle and Portland and Chicago.

-The Coast Starlight is one of Amtrak's most popular routes. More like an opportunity to party on wheels, passengers can board in Seattle, Tacoma or Olympia and ride as far south as Los Angeles, with stops along the way in Portland, San Francisco and Santa Barbara.

Its double-decker cars and Sightseer Lounge afford spectacular views of the Cascades and the California coast.

Accommodations range from reclining coach seats to standard and deluxe bedrooms in the sleeping cars. The deluxe bedroom sleeps two adults (and maybe a child) comfortably and even has its own tiny shower stall.

Hungry while en route? Choices are as diverse as the scenery outside the window. Enjoy tablecloth service and meals that include local salmon and Northwest wines in the dining car or choose sandwiches, snacks and drinks in the lounge car.

Passengers who have upgraded to sleeping car accommodations can take advantage of a theater car offering first-run movies and the Pacific Parlour car, offering wine tastings featuring Washington, Oregon and California labels and other amenities.

All passengers can access the Kiddie Car, a moving playground for little passengers who want to pass the time with a cool collection of playthings and videos.

Railfone, Amtrak's onboard telephone system, and music programs are available at all seats. Passengers may stop along the way for a tour of Monterey, wine country or the Hearst Castle at San Simeon.

-The Empire Builder runs in two legs, one originating in Seattle and the other in Portland. They unite in Spokane for the eastbound trip to Minneapolis/ St. Paul and Chicago. The process is reversed westbound.

The train is named for the Great Northern Railway's Empire Builder, which was the nickname of James J. Hill, founder of the Great Northern.

The route takes travelers through Glacier National Park in Montana and the plains of North Dakota. It follows parts of the Lewis and Clark trail.

Accommodations are similar to the Coast Starlight.

-The Cascades is another popular Amtrak service in the Northwest, providing access along a corridor from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Eugene, Ore., including South Sound.

American Orient Express

For a serious step up in luxury, the privately owned American Orient Express also offers a Seattle-to-Los Angeles route called the Pacific Coast Explorer. With each passenger having his or her own bedroom and shared dining cars, lounges and gathering cars decorated with inlaid woods, etched glass and luxurious fabrics, the trip down the coast is akin to a five-star hotel on wheels.

Planned itinerary stops at such landmarks as the California State Rail Museum in Sacramento, Napa Valley wineries, San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf and Hearst Castle are augmented by an on-board historian and naturalist who is available for discussion and informal seminars. Another American Orient Express itinerary including Seattle as either an embarkation or return city is the Northwest and Glacier route, an eight-day, seven-night tour from Seattle to Salt Lake City with visits to Glacier National Park, Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park.

The Olympian Copyright 2001

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