Travelogue and photos of the rail travel of Steve and his family on the Amtrak Coast Starlight from Seattle, Washington to Los Angeles, California.
I thought that taking the train back home right after the 4th of July might be less crowded, but I could not have been more wrong! Before we even boarded the train in Seattle, it was announced that this train, both coach and sleeping cars, would be 100% full by the time we got to Centralia, Washington. A group of Girl Scouts boarded the train in Seattle, a group from Alaska that came off two full buses joined us in Tacoma, plus a number of groups of boy scouts and other groups would be joining us by the time we got to Centralia!
The boarding in Seattle seemed much more organized than the boarding in Los Angeles. Just a little after 9 AM, the Conductor begins collecting tickets in the station and handing out boarding passes. There is one booth for coach passengers and another for sleeping car passengers. Everything is done very orderly and everything is explained before boarding.
While in the waiting room, we were told that coach passengers would board through Gate 1 and sleeping car passengers through Gate 2. Each person was told individually where they would find their car once they went out onto the platform. An announcement was made that they would begin to board sleeping car passengers at 9:25 AM and coach passengers at 9:30 AM. They also explained that the Pacific Parlour Car would be open and serving a continental breakfast as the sleeping car passengers boarded the train and that they could go direct to that car as they boarded. The cafe car and dining car would not be open for breakfast, but they did announce that those cars would be open for lunch and that would be the first meal service available to coach passengers.
Sleeping car passengers were boarded exactly at 9:25 AM as stated. Our sleeping car attendant was waiting at our door, collected our boarding pass which had our car, room number and number of passengers on it. He pointed out the way to our room and offered to tell us everything about the room. We wanted to head off to the Pacific Parlour Car, so I let him know we were Amtrak travel veterans and we skipped the explanation.
Even though this train is full to the limit with passengers, the atmosphere seems more casual and relaxed than our rail journey north. My wife and I had coffee in the Pacific Parlour Car and our children came up a little later and played Monopoly at another table. This train did not have one of the newly refurbished Pacific Parlour Cars but instead had one, the only one I believe, that has not yet been refurbished. In both the old and new Pacific Parlour Cars, there is an electrical outlet under the next to last table opposite of the side with the stairs. My wife and I sat at that table and I was able to power my computer from that outlet.
It is very unusual for someone to sit down at the same table with you in the Pacific Parlour Car except during the wine or Champagne party. There are usually plenty of seats for everyone. But, this train was so crowded and many people started to pile into the car to await the first call to lunch, that the Pacific Parlour Car ran short on seating for anyone. Two retired women who were in one of those big groups on tour sat with us and we had a nice conversation.
I ordered a Bloody Mary in the Pacific Parlour Car. Alcoholic beverages are all you have to pay for in this car. Everything else is free. Mixed drinks are $3.50 and I gave the Car Attendant the rest of the $5 bill as a tip.
Much of the car emptied out when first call was made for lunch. We put our names on the waiting list and were called within 30 minutes. Because of the large crowd, it was almost an hour before we were called. Our server was Tom O'Conner. My wife and I sat at one table with another couple. The 3 children sat together at the table across from us. Their Service Attendant was Peggy Lyon. Peggy had been our Dining Car Attendant when Jodina and I had traveled to Chicago back in December of 1995. Jodina had given Peggy a drawing at that time which she said she would treasure forever.
At lunch we found a new surprise. The Coast Starlight now has a Child Menu! This is something I have been advocating since my first train ride! Most of the Amtrak trains have one children's item at each meal, but my children seldom like what is offered. The problem is that even the children's items are often prepared in a gourmet style. Most kids like macaroni & cheese prepared "Kraft Cheese" style and not as some European specialty dish.
Here is what is featured on the new Coast Starlight Children's Menu: Lunch: Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich, Hot Dog or Pizza. Dinner: Macaroni & Cheese, Chicken Nuggets or a Hot Dog. I think all of them are served with potato chips. There are also fun things to do for kids on the back of the menu. The menu says it is for 10 year olds and under. If you are in a Sleeping Car, I don't think the age would be a problem. My understanding is that most restaurants put an age limit on children's menus so that the restaurant will pretty much derive a certain guaranteed level of profit from each adult that orders. If you are in a Sleeping Car, then Amtrak themselves are the ones that save money if an older child, or even an adult, orders a child meal since that is included in the cost of the room. That would not be true of coach passengers who must pay for their meals, so I don't know how strict the dining crew might be about the children's menu age limit.
I am a little concerned about our previous northbound Coast Starlight travel. My wife and I were surprised to find that there not any children's items on the menu at all. But, they also did not have the separate Children's Menu on that trip. We thought that the Coast Starlight had just eliminated having separate items for children. I'm glad to find out that is not the case. I wonder why they did not have the children's menu on the northbound Coast Starlight?
The hardest of my kids to please, Sherica, had the hot dog for lunch. She said it was much better than the hot dog from the Cafe Car. However, my daughter insisted that they serve the hot dog on one plate and the bun on another plate. She is used to the problem of hot dogs in the Cafe Car. The Hot Dogs from the Cafe Car are sealed in plastic. They throw them in the microwave and heat both equally. That makes all the water come out of the bun and makes for a very soggy hot dog bun! It was an Amtrak Cafe Car Attendant that explained to me how to solve this problem. The customer has to open the hot dog package and separate the hot dog from the bun. The Car Attendant can't do this as he is not allowed to touch the food. Once you have separated the hot dog from the bun, the Car Attendant can heat the hot dog without heating the bun. Thus, the bun does not get soggy! Then, the customer can put the hot dog back into the bun.
As I suspected, there was no need to go through these actions with hot dogs prepared in the Dining Car. She said it was one of the best hot dogs she had ever had!
My wife had the Turkey Salad and I had the Pioneer Square Panini. The Panini is a sandwich made out of a large mushroom, artichoke bottom, tomatoes, and other ingredients. I thought it was excellent! Most of the Amtrak trains prepare excellent vegetarian items, but especially the Coast Starlight. The vegetarian items are excellent and make a great alternative to heavier meals. I have not found any restaurant in my area that prepares vegetarian items as well as those prepared on Amtrak trains.
Everyone at our table also ordered a side item of clam chowder which was really really good!
When we arrived at Portland, Oregon, I found out that we would be here for about 15 minutes. That gave me a chance to mark down the numbers from most of the cars. You will find those numbers listed at the bottom of this page. The Portland segment of the Amtrak Empire Builder was also in the Portland Station. I've listed the car numbers from that segment of the Empire Builder below:
At the risk of repeating myself, I have found this southbound journey much more relaxing than the northbound journey. All I can guess is that the behavior of the crew tended to make everything more "up tight." I'm not saying the crew did anything wrong or that service was anything below the usual superior level of the Coast Starlight. It may be that little problem that I had with the Dining Car Steward that made me feel it was an "up tight" staff, or it could be that Brian Rosenwald was on board. You know how it is when top brass is in your office and looking over your shoulder. Everyone is a bit on edge. Sometimes trying to be on your best behavior yields something less than your usual.
Here is a little warning for you. It is a good idea to get down to the Pacific Parlour Car and sit where you would like around 2:30 PM. The wine or champagne party starts anywhere from 3 PM to 4 PM. That is the time that it gets the most crowded in the Pacific Parlour Car. On this trip, the car was 100% full! Four people even sat at the table that was being used to serve the cheese, crackers and fruit! Also, another warning: During the wine or champagne party is when they usually go around to the rooms making reservations for dinner! That means you need to be at two places at the same time, or split up your party just when you would all like to be together in the Pacific Parlour Car for that event!
On our trip up, the Dining Car Steward made reservations for everyone in the Pacific Parlour Car before he went back to the Sleeping Cars. Thus, we thought it would be OK to stay in the Parlour Car and wait for the Steward to come to us. However, the Steward for this southbound journey came to the Pacific Parlour Car AFTER he went to all the Sleeping Cars instead of before, unlike the Steward on the northbound journey. Thus he only had 5 PM and 8:30 PM reservations available by the time he got to us. 5 PM was much too soon to eat, especially being only an hour after stuffing ourselves with the cheese, crackers and fruit that were being served in the Pacific Parlour Car. However, 8:30 PM is awfully late for kids to eat. I could just imagine them being starving way before that and wanting to go to the Cafe Car and stuff themselves with snacks.
Not having much choice, we made reservations for 8:30 PM. I don't mind a policy of the Steward going to the Sleeping Cars before the Pacific Parlour Car, but they need to make this a consistent policy and not have it one way on one train and another way on another train. Actually, they need to totally abandon the policy of sending conflicting messages to the passengers. They should not tell people at the same time to: (1) come to the Parlour Car to enjoy the party, and (2) go to their rooms to wait for dinner reservations.
Although it wasn't mentioned, an easy way that we could have solved the above problem would have just been to ask our Sleeping Car Attendant to make the diner reservations for us. Then, we would have been able to spend a relaxing time at the party in the Pacific Parlour Car while still being sure to get a reservation close to our desired time.
The second day of our trip went wonderfully. Vince, the Parlour Car Attendant, was one of the busiest and most diligent I have seen of Parlour Car Attendants. Vince seemed to be on duty at all times. He constantly made his way back and forth through the Pacific Parlour Car checking to see if anyone wanted coffee or other drinks. Whenever someone sat at a table, he would usually put out some snacks. Cold beverages were always available for self-serve at one end of the car. I don't know when Vince took his breaks, but I can't remember a time that I went into the Pacific Parlour Car that he wasn't open and serving and I did spend a lot of time in the Parlour Car!
On the first day of the southbound trip, the wine tasting began around 3 PM and there were 4 different wines served along with cheese and crackers. Because there were so many people on the train, the Pacific Parlour Car was filled to capacity during this party. On the second day of the southbound trip, the Champagne party began around 3 PM and there were 3 different Champagnes served along with cheese and crackers. Since there were far fewer people on board south of Oakland, the Pacific Parlour Car wasn't as full today. Everyone had a bit more elbow room and there seemed to be a more relaxed atmosphere in the party this time.
The train never ran more than about 40 minutes late and it made up most of that time before it arrived into Los Angeles. Thus, we got to see the coast during daylight for the full length of the tracks along the coast. If you take this route, be sure to take this train north out of Los Angeles for at least one segment of your journey. Otherwise you run the risk of a late train putting you into darkness by the time you reach the coast on the southbound segment.
Our Sleeping Car Attendant, Mark Coyle, was very helpful, and more important, cooperative. He worked around our special requirements which was very helpful considering the disaster the kids made out of our room and the tangle of electronics with the 2 notebook computers and videocam that I had set up!
Although this Coast Starlight became 100% full by the time we left Centralia, Washington, it was much less populated by the time we left south out of Oakland, California. We were the only room downstairs in our car that still had anyone in it! I went ahead and set up my videocamera in the Standard Bedroom next door. I made sure that I didn't disturb anything, not even moving the literature the Car Attendant had set up under the window. This also allowed me to set up my radio scanner so the videocamera could pick up both the train sounds, the P.A. announcements, and the radio communications all at the same time without picking up the voices of us talking in our room.
Mark, our Sleeping Car Attendant, put off changing the sheets in this room until we were almost into Los Angeles. Then, since I continued taping all the way into the station, he changed the covers without disturbing the camera.
Since we did arrive almost on time and well before the departure of our connecting San Diegan train, we were able to get right off this train and right onto the San Diegan waiting right across the platform. Overall, this was one of the best crews and journeys I've had on the Amtrak Coast Starlight even though it did not have the new Pacific Parlour Car.