There was only a little time to visit with everyone else busy on farm schedule. Still, we've had a great time and this was the right way to start the trip with family and familiar surroundings. We just had time for a quick and early goodbye to Rowan who was grinning and packing a massive lunch of pizza and more to get him through the day. Katie was already in the field so we mugged a bit with Ella and grandmother Kathy before loading for the short drive to the Max station at the end of the line in Gresham. Laurie caught up with Katie for a hug as she now had Ella strapped on her back in a field of kale being harvested. I had to settle for waves as we headed out.
A quick hug to Kathy who of course had a list of chores to do while off the farm. We caught a Max train within a minute and were off to the Portland Union Station again. We got off in Chinatown for a short walk to the station. Our train left just after noon with a switch to an Amtrak bus in Seattle (or so we thought). We were able to check our bags and make a food run into the Pearl district before leaving. We also learned our trip up from Sacramento was lucky compared to the one yesterday where both directions were delayed for hours due to a freight train hitting a bear with damage to brake lines and of course worst results for the bear. Ouch! Note, these are some of the best train routes and schedules for longer travel on the west coast but they are mere skeletons of what we rode in Great Britain and Scandinavia last fall. We'll see if Canada or the east coast can do any better.
Luckily, I was able to call my mom and wish her a happy 85th birthday today while we waited at the station. After we arrive our communications will be sketchy until we can get our phones on a Canadian service. Email should work at least in each city we spend time in.
We boarded an Amtrak Cascades train for the first time on this next leg to Vancouver and this really makes the trip feel real. Next up, several days with family and some wandering in Vancouver before the long journey to Toronto. Hopefully we will get local SIM cards and have our phones working to keep in touch along the way. Meanwhile, the ride up to Seattle was relaxed even sitting facing backward as the green countryside rolled by under an overcast sky. We haven't seen much of either for a long while. Wireless on the train distracted us as the train made frequent stops for small stations and other trains.
We arrived in Seattle right on time and picked up our bags to wait for a bus connection to Vancouver. This was easier than taking a later train straight through. It turned out we missed the bus boarding location and any announcement. The Amtrak staff person we notified hooked us quickly with train tickets and we ended up on the very same train.we had time to pick up dinner and spent a little more time in Seattle than planned. The train started ahead off schedule but was slowed by construction so it was nearly midnight when we arrived and briefly stopped at customs. We took a taxi and our AirBNB host had left light and some snacks in the fridge. A good welcome to Canada!
About to board the Amtrak Cascade for our trip
to Seattle and Vancouver,
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