Our trip has begun. The train left Edmonds just a couple minutes late. There were no empty pairs of seats together, but the attendant helped and we are happily seated together now. The overhead storage was a bit too short for my pack, but it makes a fine ottoman for Natalie. We rode right along Puget Sound all the way to Everett, then headed east with a stop at the Everett station. We'll pull into Leavenworth about 8:00. The scenery has been fantastic, though with rain and overcast. We did check out the view through the back window along the water, and it was something special. A picture would have been a good idea, but we didn't really have a good view for a photo. The eastbound leg parallels highway 2, and has some really nice ... read more

Just to get this blog started, here's our planned itinerary: We begin in Edmonds, Washington on Sunday, the 8th by catching the Empire Builder to Chicago. We'll spend a couple nights in Chicago, then catch the Cardinal to Charlottesville, Virginia. After a couple nights in Charlottesville, we'll rent a car and drive to Asheville, North Carolina, where we spend some time with my sister. Then we'll drive to near Cincinnati, Ohio, where we'll spend a day at The Ark Encounter, and most of the next day at The Creation Museum. Then we'll catch the westbound Cardinal back to Chicago, where we'll spend another couple nights. Next will be the California Zephyr to Sacramento, where we'll spend one night. Finally, we'll catch the Coast Starlight back to Seattle. Thank you for your interest and joining our own ... read more