Coast Starlight

Sleeping soundly all through the night on the Coast Starlight train I awoke to the sight of pine trees whizzing past the window covered in a light dusting of snow. No idea where we where but that didn't really matter lying there watching the world go by, with only another 14 hours to go.

Cascade Mountains

The next carriage down the train was an observation car with huge windows and partially glass roof offering comfy side facing seats for some window gazing and handily being just above the a little snack bar. I wondered what else they might have crammed onto this trundling giant, a pool? bowling alley? Having used a fair number of trains on this trip and back home this was the first double-level train I'd ever been on with the novelty of stairs on a train not yet having worn off. Big kid I know.

Lake

Despite sleeping all night I soon nodded off again waking to find even more dramatic scenery outside as we journeyed through the Cascade Mountains with deep snow everywhere and trees and mountains lining the route we were rolling along.

I've never slept so much on a train as this one with the 22 and a half hour journey passing swiftly only being working again near the end by a crazed woman running down the train shouting she had missed her stop and if we could reverse.

Pulling into Seattle 1.5 hours late around 10:30 at night the sudden cold of Washington state soon had me wide awake again making my way to the Hosteling International's Seattle offering quickly. Finding few hanging around even though it had the largest common/dining area I'd seen in a hostel I was soon hitting the hay again. Reckon all that sleep on the train must have tired me out.

Snaking Through

Snowy