Sheri Treinen

Will Treinen

First person

Will and Sheri Treinen of Lacey had a memorable trip on the Coast Starlight. Here's Sheri's first-person rail memory:

Four years ago, when my husband and I married, we decided to ease into our honeymoon by taking the Coast Starlight. ... Our trip began on Sunday morning at the Olympia station, which is just a few blocks from our house.

nżDay 1: I was surprised by how excited I was as the train pulled into the station and the porter set down the step for us to climb aboard. I felt like a five-year-old. However, the excitement didn't last long. As the train lurched into motion, I realized that I had neglected to think about the fact that I get motion sick. Fortunately, after a couple of hours, the feeling subsided.

We spent the next few hours exploring the different cars on the train. It reminded me of some of those old movies from the '30s and '40s. My favorite was the car that had windows not only along the side but curving up and over the roof as well (the Sightseer Lounge). The views of our beautiful Northwest were spectacular.

As we climbed into the mountains, the engine began to overheat. It reminded me of the "Little Engine that Could." We didn't mind the rest stops, though. Sunset in the mountains is breathtaking.

We stayed in a sleeper car (with our own bathroom). It was very comfortable. Nighttime on the train is so amazing! We almost couldn't sleep it was so tempting to stay up and watch out the window -- full moon ... dark shadows of hills ... silver meadows and the constant sway of the train.

-Day 2: Northern California. Woke up to the San Francisco morning paper left inside our door and an offer of coffee -- talk about service! We quickly showered and headed to breakfast.

The food on the Coast Starlight is as good as any fine restaurant. But the most amazing thing to me is the ability of the waiters to deliver food on a moving train without spilling a drop on us or the other passengers. This isn't airline service. These were real plates and glasses without a heavy cart to deliver them.

We met a very nice couple at lunch. She's a school teacher, and he's an L.A. county sheriff. It's easier to get to know people on the train -- more time, more space and nowhere to go. Not rushing around -- a true vacation.

Got off the train to walk around at San Luis Obispo.

Dinner was even better than last night. As we ate, we watched dolphins and sea lions playing in the surf. The sunset over Santa Barbara was big and warm. It reminded me of a great big hug.

We switched trains in L.A. and arrived in San Diego around 1:30 in the morning due to train problems last night. We were tired, but what a wonderful way to start our honeymoon.

The Olympian Copyright 2001

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