We left off just east of Minneapolis after having crossed the Mississippi. I had been both lucky and skilled at avoiding a seat mate. The open seat next to mine allowed me to spread my stuff out, and also spread my SELF out at sleep time. The more comfortable position, I discovered, after much shifting around, was simply to use one seat as one would use a reclining chair. The only problem is that Amtrak really needs to replace the cushions on the seats. I didn't notice during the days, but at night when you want to get comfortable, you notice just how hard the seat is. The only place I lack cushion on my body is on my ass.
I had a restless night, and after an hour so of sleep, I looked out my window, and was taken aback. I thought that maybe some electrical action was going on, but this was not a train like Metro North that is powered by electricity. It took me a few groggy moments to realize I was watching an amazing lightning show.
My friend Dave was going to meet me for the few minutes we were stopped in Fargo, but I had texted him that we were late, and I thought hanging with me for 10 minutes or so on a train platform wasn't worth getting up anytime between 3 (scheduled time) and 7am (actual time we made it in) wasn't really going to be that exciting. In retrospect, it was really dumb that I didn't stop for the night and day in Fargo. He agreed.
Dave had been telling me how wet that area of the country is, and that it's set for record floods, but I have never envisioned as much water outside of river areas than I saw.
As a matter of fact, one of Dave's projects is selling the Express Bagger, which facilitates the filling of sandbags to deal with the constant flooding. I also recognized the need during this trip for another of his projects, a composite telephone pole. I saw many wood poles rotted in the wet ground.
After a crappy night sleep, it was time for breakfast, just after Grand Forks.
You can note running times above. We are n ow 15 hours and 39 minutes from Chicago.
I had the quiche, also, and really enjoyed it.
On my way back from breakfast, I stopped at the observation car to enjoy the morning in North Dakota. I was taking it all in, when...
It turns out she wasn't on her way to the bathroom. She was actually heading to the lounge deck below to get some food. Everyone was prepared for her return. This is evident in the pictures I snapped, below, as she made her way back by us. Note the other people in these pictures.
- Kari Presley and Jo Harrington like this.
- Chris Angelus Thanks for pointing that out. I hadn't noticed. Awesome! He had been forewarned. I held my breath when she walked by this time.
More on this woman later. Truly smelliest person I had ever smelled. And if anyone gets their back up that I am editorializing about this, please make sure you read what happened to her later. And realize that I am simply chronicling what happened on this train.
- Michelle Novak likes this.
- Monica Johnson, Elizabeth R. Rose and Jo Harrington like this.
- Dan Stoppenhagen Get about 500 of them together and you can have a great time playing "Where's Esther"!
- Carol Widyn-Jacobs, Jeff TwoOvens Rutabaga, Steve Woods and 3 others like this.
WE INTERRUPT THIS BLOG FOR THIS--POST SCRIPT: This is true. Two weeks after this video was shot, above, my friend Amy arrived at Portland International Airport and posted this:
1) See the same guy.
2) BOTH snap a picture of him.
3) Both post them on Facebook
4) Happen to be friends on Facebook and see this???
June 26 near Palermo, ND
- Tracey Kroll and Malcolm J Palm like this.
June 26 at 11:49am near Williston, ND ·
Drunk 30 year old woman who just hobbled on: "Hi. I'm the person behind you and if I kick you by mistake, I'm sorry." Me: "How about you just work on not doing that. I'd appreciate it. Thanks ahead of time."
- Andrea Fisher, Doreen Desmond and Daniel Prince like this.
- Carla Mangini Innis i hope you are documenting this incredible journey! i for one, am loving every minute of it!
Update, and this is the God's honest truth: Guy near me (who knew to whom i was referring as soon as I mentioned smelly woman) reports that the conductor told the smelly woman there have been complaints and she's going to have to take a shower or please get off the train. (Read back on my timeline if you aren't up to date)
- Marisa Thyken, Elizabeth R. Rose and 2 others like this.
- Chris Angelus Doesn't really affect me. I heard she's on the lower level in the "special needs" area. I cannot imagine what that smells like.
Conductor just announced that the train has been stopped due to a problem that has nothing to do with our safety "AT THIS POINT."
Carol Widyn-Jacobs love your updates!
June 26 at 4:29pm · Unlike · 1
New guy moves behind me into the attendant's seat (which was to be mine as a result of the tip) and convinces her to let him stay for 2 hours cause he "must do work that involves a lot of money."
For the record, I just had a normal conversation with a normal human, named Ron. Retired photographer.
21 hours to go and we are 3 hours behind. I think pictures of Glacier are now in jeopardy. That would bum me out big time.
Delay was because we just missed hitting a truck. Train checks out OK. STENCHY WOMAN JUST WENT BY!!!! A chorus of "oh man....." In the span of an hour, this went from la la la for me to, OK, that's enough.
This totally sucks. Its half the reason I took the train.
Wine tasting for the sleeper car passengers just announced. (I am obviously not in a sleeper) The steward, Randy, in the dining car gave me an attitude perhaps cause I abstained from my rez yesterday. Trying again tonight. 8:30. Hopefully my table will have people who don't look like they buy their clothes out of the ads in Parade Magazine. No Velcro!
- Kari Presley, Mary Breslin Nichols and Elizabeth R. Rose like this.
- Chris Angelus I found out later he is almost deaf. That's why I thought he was a dick. He never answered any of my questions.
But the scenery was nice.
Thought I would share that my pal Ron highly recommended the California Zephyr, which goes through the Rockies and then does an 8-hour stretch along the Colorado River. I would love to do that. After this, though, it is going to have to be in a sleeper. But then I'd be isolated from all the action. I will let the dust settle on this. Still many miles to go. Hopefully aromatic ones.
Drunk chick has been flirting with a guy who looks like Guy Fieri. Apparently he's going for it.
Ron just asked me if I knew of any place good for lunch for his 5 hour layover in Portland. Sorry, dude. I wish I did. Stumped!!!!!
- Dana Lawrence Quinn Of course. But if there weren't any loonies it would be so boring...at least for those of us following your trip!
This is a really big state.
These guys make Delta Airlines look good. There seems to be no real interest in TRYING to adhere to a schedule. We pulled in to Haves already 4 hrs behind, and now after sitting here for what seems like forever, we are over 4.5 hours behind. No shot whatsoever of seeing Glacier with anything but moonlight.
- Jo Ostgarden likes this.
- Chris Angelus I've been to Glacier twice. And yeah, it sucks but I will have a great angle for Gorge shots tomorrow.
I hope that's a skunk.
The guy in front of me has been going on and on and on and on and on since North Dakota and has said NOTHING. His seatmate hasn't said a word. This is why I tipped the attendant to try and keep my adjacent seat unoccupied. #Iloveearbuds. (the other guy needs a pair)
I am very mixed about dinner in the dining car in a half hour. I could use the diversion but the tablemates are such a crapshoot. Last night I walked out. I'm batting .500 on this. (What that means is the difference between sitting there saying nothing and making some chit chat). The first night sucked. I got served 20 minutes before the Asian couple sitting across from me and I felt as though I was on display eating. (Look at that typical American slam 4 pats of butter on his potato....those kind of looks)
- Morgan Brownlow likes this.
- Chris Angelus Great dinner companions. A older couple from Norfolk, England and an old guy with a lively sense of humor from Seattle. I had them in stitches. A nice escape.
The other dining companion came in from the Seattle sleeper cars, and older salty man with tired eyes, and overdose of Just For Men. He wanted a potato and milk for dinner, and when the server brought vegetables along with the potato "thought you might need a few greens", he muttered something about bad service.
We had a fun conversation about train travel, cruises (they were headed for an Alaskan cruise in a Princess ship), and driving on different sides of the road, when the old man turned to me.
"So, do you think Hillary will be running in 2016?" he said.
"Hey, let's look at the scenery... I'd rather not talk politics," I said. The woman across from me seemed to appreciate that I was trying to keep everything on a cordial note.
"I don't think she will. America's not ready for her, especially after this guy. You know what's happening, don't you?"
"No. What's happening?"
"Oh, you know. You know." he said.
"What do I know? The one thing I know is I really never know," trying to keep things light.
"You know." he said, nodding.
"What are you getting at?" I said.
"Whitey. We're doomed. Done."
"Hey, look at that AMAZING sunset! Mind if you slip by you to get some pics?"
As the sun set about an hour before we got to Glacier, so did my hopes of getting any good shots of the park from the observation car. Or any shots at all, for that matter.
As I made my way back to my seat, one of the guys who had been playing guitar, among a large group who had laid claim to half of the car all day (something I had thought of doing from the wee hour of 8am, but I was beaten to it--now all for naught), said "Hey, we're going to be paying some tunes here all night if you want to come join us. Get some pics of us...whatever you want."
That wasn't what I had mind. I preferred my earbuds and Pandora--Pete Droge channel for now.
Part 4 coming up. Half a day on the train before we were to make our way to PDX. Oh. Yeah. And one more night's sleep in the coach cabin. The sleeper cars just sounded better and better...
PART IV HERE
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